past, these few large facts. They amply justify, as it seems to me, and
as I think it must seem to any reader with an open mind, what I said
about the pattern.

We must now touch upon the War of 1812. There is a political aspect of
this war which casts upon it a light not generally shed by our school
histories. Bonaparte is again the point. Nine years after our Louisiana
Purchase from him, we declared war upon England. At that moment England
was heavily absorbed in her struggle with Bonaparte. It is true that we
had a genuine grievance against her. In searching for British sailors
upon our ships, she impressed our own. This was our justification.

We made a pretty lame showing, in spite of the victories of our frigates
and sloops. Our one signal triumph on land came after the Treaty of Peace
had been signed at Ghent. During the years of war, it was lucky for us
that England had Bonaparte upon her hands. She could not give us much
attention. She was battling with the great Autocrat. We, by declaring war
upon her at such a time, played into Bonaparte's hands, and virtually, by
embarrassing England, struck a blow on the side of autocracy and against
our own political faith. It was a feeble blow, it did but slight harm.
And regardless of it England struck Bonaparte down. His hope that we
might damage and lessen the power of her fleet that he so much respected
and feared, was not realized. We made the Treaty of Ghent. The impressing
of sailors from our vessels was tacitly abandoned. The next time that
people were removed from vessels, it was not England who removed them, it
was we ourselves, who had declared war on England for doing so, we
ourselves who removed them from Canadian vessels in the Behring Sea, and
from the British ship Trent. These incidents we shall reach in their
proper place. As a result of the War of 1812, some English felt justified
in taking from us a large slice of land, but Wellington said, "I think