An American history . th and theweakness of the daring life of the frontier. In Clay wereembodied the frontier boldness, its love of adventure, itscontempt of danger, its willingness to take a great risk for agreat gain, its impulsiveness, its generosity, but also its lackof restraint, its tendency to go to extremes, its willingness tofight, not troubhng itself much about the strict justice of thecause. To such a nature, war always makes a romantic appeal. THE AGE OF NAPOLEON 281. We are not surprised to find Clay, in 1812, eager for war andassuring Congress that if it would force war, his fro
An American history . th and theweakness of the daring life of the frontier. In Clay wereembodied the frontier boldness, its love of adventure, itscontempt of danger, its willingness to take a great risk for agreat gain, its impulsiveness, its generosity, but also its lackof restraint, its tendency to go to extremes, its willingness tofight, not troubhng itself much about the strict justice of thecause. To such a nature, war always makes a romantic appeal. THE AGE OF NAPOLEON 281. We are not surprised to find Clay, in 1812, eager for war andassuring Congress that if it would force war, his frontiersmenwould easily conquer Canada and we should negotiate theterms of a peace at Quebec or Halifax. He carried his pointand war was declared against England June 18, 1812. 413. The War of 1812. It was perhaps the worst instancein American history of rushing into a great undertakingwithout sufficient preparation. The whole American armynumbered only a few thousand men. As to conquering Canada, ^ N/;4 N T A R 1 o. THE WAR OF 1812 ON THE CANADIAN BORDER Clay had forgotten that no good roads led to the Canadianline. To move an army northward would be a serious sea we had but a handful of ships with which to meet thegreatest navy in the world. Furthermore, the northeasternstates were certain to obstruct the war in every way history of the war on land is largely a record of un-successful attempts to invade Canada. An exception wasan expedition under General Harrison, in 1813, which de-feated a force of British and Indians at the battle of the Thamesin Canada and delivered the northwest from the threateneddanger of British conquest. Harrisons expedition had beenmade possible by a brilliant naval action on Lake Erie, wonby Lieutenant Oliver H. Perry (September 10, 1813), who re- 282 AMERICAN HISTORY ported his victory in the famous dispatch, Wc have metthe enemy and they are ours. The British retaHated in a series of invasions of the UnitedStates. In 1814
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