A history of the American nation . dictate, as they said, anhonorable peace at Halifax. They were filled with zeal forshowing American prowess. So Madison finally yielded to theimpulses of a large portion of his party—timidly and reluctantlyyielded, one must believe, for to fight at last seemed like castinga slur on the years through which he and Jefferson had strug- ^ Follett, The Speaker of the House of Representatives, p. 71. 246 inSTORY OF THE AMERICAN NATION glcd to avoid war, and had sought to find some peaceable methodof coercion. Avoidance of war seemed now impossible, andMadison yield
A history of the American nation . dictate, as they said, anhonorable peace at Halifax. They were filled with zeal forshowing American prowess. So Madison finally yielded to theimpulses of a large portion of his party—timidly and reluctantlyyielded, one must believe, for to fight at last seemed like castinga slur on the years through which he and Jefferson had strug- ^ Follett, The Speaker of the House of Representatives, p. 71. 246 inSTORY OF THE AMERICAN NATION glcd to avoid war, and had sought to find some peaceable methodof coercion. Avoidance of war seemed now impossible, andMadison yielded to the inevitable. June i, 1812, he sent toCongress a message recounting liritish aggressions on our the 18th Congress declared war. On the lOth of this samemonth the English ministry announced in the House of Com-mt>ns that the Orders in Council were to be withdrawn, and afew days later they were formally revoked. Had there been anAtlantic cable in 1812 it is cjuite [wssible that the war would havebeen Field of tuk Camiaigns in the West, War of 1S12 ]\Iadison was ]->robably more willing to acquiesce in thenotion that war was necessary, because a campaign for the presidency was near and the young Republicans,8,J demanded an attitude of hostility towartl England. However that may be, he was put forward andelected, and with him l^lbridge Gerry as Vice-President. Andthus there fell upon his shoulders the unwelcome, ill-fitting taskof leading in war—few men were ever less fitted for the job ofleading and ins]^iring a loosely knit democracy, which did notknow its own strength or how to use it. TIIK STRUGGLE FOR RIGHTS UPON THE SEA 247 The United Slates iit the outbreak of the war had a popula-tion of about eight milhons. Great Britain and Irehmd hada poi)ulati()n of nearly twenty niilhons, liad for combatants. ^ ^^^^ ^•^^ -^^^^ exi)en(nng blood and treasurehivishly in the mortal conlhct with Napoleon,and was now nerved to great effort. The United S
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