Finally a committee of Democrats waited on Mr.
Madison and told him plainly, in substance, that the supporters of his
administration had determined upon war with England, that the patience
of the people had become exhausted at his delay, and that unless a
declaration of war should soon be made, his renomination and re-election
would probably not be accomplished. The president consented to yield his
own convictions to the will of his political friends. Thus we see that
President Madison was not moved through patriotic motives to declare war
against Great Britain, but from personal ambition. Patriotic motives
follow personal convictions, be they right or wrong.
On the first of April, 1812, he sent a confidential message to congress,
proposing, as a measure preliminary to a declaration of war, the passage
of a law laying an embargo upon all commerce with the United States for
the space of sixty days. This was done on the fourth of April, and on
the eighth, Louisiana was admitted into the Union as a State.
At the end of the sixty days embargo, Madison sent a message to congress
in which he reviewed the difficulties with Great Britain, portrayed the
aggressions of that power, and intimated the necessity of war for the
maintenance of the honor and dignity of the republic. The message was
referred to the committee on foreign relations, when a majority of
them--John C.
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