THE

THE

ANGLO-AMERICAN MAGAZINE.

Vol. II. TORONTO: JANUARY, 1853.-No. 1.

BETWEEN

A HISTORY OF THE WAR where peace, to either side, was in an emin
ent degree prosperity, happiness, and wisdom;
GREAT BRITAIN AND THE UNITED-this is our undertaking, and the occasion of
STATES OF AMERICA,

DURING THE YEARS 1812, 1813, & 1814.

"Ferrum quo graves Persæ melius perirent."

it we well may, as we do, most conscientiously
deplore. In such a strife of brothers, victory,
even on our own side, is not recorded without
pain, the pain which a man feels when he

INTRODUCTORY CHAPTERS ON THE CAUSES OF THE discovers that the errors of human conduct

WAR.

CHAPTER I.

have given him an enemy where, in the ties
of common language and race, Divine Provi-

From the Berlin Decree to the close of Mr. dence, he might argue, had designed that he
Jefferson's Second Administration.

but

21st Nov., 1806.... ..3rd March, 1809.

should find a friend. The late war with the United States, is not the only contest in the world's history, which warns us that the perPreliminary remarks. AN historical narrative manent peace of nations, is not to be implicitly which wilfully offends against truth, or distorts trusted to the mere physical circumstance of it to serve party purposes, is an imposture; their being "gentes unius labii; " yet the conand one that is devoid of feeling is a skeletonsciousness that we have fought, even in selfthe one, unprincipled ; the other, spiritless and defence, with those who speak the same tongue forbidding. We, in the discharge of our hum- and claim the same lineage with ourselves, ble office, will strive to eschew both; keeping will be felt to damp the ardor of triumph in clear, to the best of our ability, of the lively, the moment of victory, and to cloud its rememprejudiced and disingenuous political brance afterwards. To this feeling we are not pamphlet, on the one hand; and of the insensible; yet, at the same time, it would be dry and meagre outline of the mere an- affectation in us to disguise the satisfaction we nalist, on the other. We write, jealously derive from the conviction that the War of observant of truth, so far as we can discern it; 1812 was attended with, at least, one good result.. but, at the same time, we are not ashamed to It shewed that Canada, as to her deliberato confess that we write with emotion,-as from preference of British connection, and her devo-the heart,—and a heart too, which, to its last tion to the British throne, was sound to the pulsation, will remain true, we hope, to the heart's core. By declaimers in Congress-who glorious British constitution. To tell of gradual refused to hear the voice of reason from the estrangement and final collision, where nature just and sensible minority in that Legislature herself, no less than interest, urged to close-the loyalty of Canada was impeached; —— alliance; to recite the afflicting details of war, spoken of as a thing of nought, to be corrupted'

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