for war against England, with Canada as the point of attack. The United
States placed itself on record as approving of "forcible invasion of a
neighbouring peaceful country and its rights, and of taking property on
which it had no shadow of claim."

The offensive "right of search" of American ships by British warships
for deserters was, of course, given as the excuse for war. The United
States Government contended that a nation's flag protected the cargoes
of the vessels of that nation. To search for contraband or for deserters
on such ships, President Madison declared, was a violation of
international law. In direct violation of the United States' own
interpretation of this decree, her war-frigate _President_ blew the
British gunboat _Little Belt_, half her own size, almost out of the
water because of the refusal of her commander to allow such search.

It is interesting to remember that while the United States contended
that Britain had no right to search the ships of other nations, she
actually allowed her own officials, in the case of an American sailor
who had become a citizen of France and an officer in the French navy, to
search the foreign vessel upon which he served and arrest him as a
deserter. A more flagrant violation of the principles she professed is
difficult to imagine. She insisted that this officer was still a citizen
of the United States, for he could not become a citizen of another
country without the consent of the government of his native country. So,
when it suited her purpose, and in direct defiance of her own
proclamation, she did not hesitate to accept England's contention and
adopt the "obnoxious doctrine"--thus practising the identical principle
against which she had declared war. Truly glaring inconsistency.

While these were the chief of the alleged reasons for war, the whole