This important Treaty, as it was regarded by the commercial community as well as by the negotiators -the confidential friends of the President was rejected by Mr. Jefferson without submitting it to the Senate. His motive was never fully disclosed. The Federalist party attributed its rejection to his wellknown partiality for France. The British Cabinet regarded it as a proof of his desire to embroil the relations of the two countries. There is no doubt the President's refusal to submit this Treaty to the Senate was one of the causes which finally led to war.

Comformably to Art. I., Sec. 9th, of the Constitution, Congress, in the Session of 1806-7, passed an Act, at the suggestion of the President, abolishing the Slave Trade after January 1st, 1808.

The spoliations committed on the commerce of neutral Nations in the beginning of the conflict between Great Britain and France were greatly aggravated, in 1806, by new measures of hostility. In May of that year England, by Orders in Council, declared the west coast of Europe under blockade "from the River Elbe to Brest inclusive." In November of the same year Napoleon retaliated by his Berlin Decree, which declared. the British Islands in a state of blockade, and "all commerce and correspondence with them prohibited."

In disregard of the Treaties between France and the United States, the American Minister at Paris was informed that the Decree was applicable to American

commerce.

In November, 1807, England, by new Orders in Council, declared that "all ports and places belonging to France and her Allies were under blockade, and all trade in the produce or manufactures of these countries

and their colonies prohibited." In December of the same year Napoleon retorted by his Milan Decree, of a still more sweeping character than that of Berlin.

Amongst other clauses was one especially levelled at the United States, to the effect "that every ship of whatever nation which had submitted to search by an English ship, or had made a voyage to England, or paid any tax to that Government, was thereby denationalized and lawful prize." In consequence of these Orders and Decrees, violating both Treaties and the Law of Nations, a vast number of American vessels with their cargoes were captured by the cruisers of the two belligerents. Exasperated by these wholesale depredations, sensible that remonstrance or menace was alike useless, and knowing that the country was unable to cope with both England and France, Congress passed in December, 1807, on the recommendation of the President, the famous "Embargo Law," by which all vessels within the jurisdiction of the United States bound to a foreign port were prohibited from sailing. Thus American commerce, with the exception of the coasting trade, was utterly suppressed.

It was supposed that the effect of the Embargo, by stopping the exportation of cotton and grain, would coerce the belligerents to show more respect to American commerce, but such was not the case. General Armstrong, United States Minister in France, wrote in August, 1808 :-"Here the Embargo is not felt, whilst in England, amid the exciting scenes of the day, it is forgotten."

Very different, however, was the result in the United States, where the stoppage of all foreign trade led to wide-spread disaster. In New England, especially,

wl ere capital was largely invested in commercial pursuits, ruin was universal. So loud was the outcry all over the country against this baneful Law that it was repealed, March 1st, 1809, and a new Act was substituted by Congress called the "Non-Intercourse Law," by which foreign trade was restored, except with England and France.

Political passions were running high when Jefferson retired from office. The Federalist or Northern party accused him of the destruction of American trade and commerce by wantonly rejecting the Treaty with England through his undoubted sympathies with France. "Our agriculture," they declared, "is discouraged; the fisheries abandoned; navigation forbidden; the revenue extinguished; the navy sold and dismantled;* the nation weakened by internal animosities and divisions." On the other hand, the Southern, or Democratic party as it now was generally called, pointed with exultation to the acquisition of Louisiana, with its million of square miles of territory, and the free navigation of the Mississippi river.

* This had reference to a whim of Mr. Jefferson, who said that gunboats or cutters were all that was required for the coast defences of the United States, and that a navy was an unnecessary expense.

PRESIDENCY OF JAMES MADISON.

In spite of the "Embargo Law" and its consequences, the Democratic party retained its hold on the country, and raised James Madison to the Presidency in 1808. He received 122 electoral votes, whilst his Federalist opponent obtained but 47.

The new Administration found itself immediately engaged in angry discussions with England and France for their constant aggressions on American commerce. Napoleon resented the "Non-Intercourse Law" of the United States, by issuing his Rambouillet Decree in March, 1810, which, in the words of Mr. Monroe, "made a sweep of all American property within the reach of the French power."

In May, 1810, Congress passed an Act proposing to revoke the Non-Intercourse Law," if England or France would within the year agree to revoke their edicts against American commerce. Napoleon, who sought every opportunity to involve his adversary England in disputes with the United States, seized the new occasion that offered. He told the United States Minister at Paris that "his Berlin and Milan Decrees were revoked,” and the President by proclamation revoked the "Non-Intercourse Law," as regarded France, without requiring any proof beyond the Emperor's mere declaration. England refused to recall her Orders in Council until satisfied that France was not deluding the

United States, which turned out afterwards to be the

case.

Napoleon's artifice succeeded, for the Administration believing that France was disposed to respect neutral rights demanded with energy that England should do the same. The correspondence between the two Governments became more animated than ever, and the prospect of a final rupture steadily increased. A war faction sprang up in the United States led on by the youthful Politicans of the Southern party, of whom Calhoun, Clay, and Lowndes were the most ardent.

In the summer of 1811, the Indian tribes north of the Ohio river, under the lead of Tecumseh, a Chief of great reputation, made war on the United States. It was asserted that British emissaries had stimulated them to this act. They were completely routed by General W. H. Harrison.

In March, 1812, the President communicated to Congress certain documents which went to show the existence of a British plot to dismember the Union by seducing the Eastern States to retire from the Confederacy. It appeared that a John Henry had been employed by the Governor-General of Canada to visit secretly the United States to ascertain "the state of public opinion as to the probability of a war with Great Britain; the strength of the two leading parties, and which was most likely to prevail." Henry was recalled "without having had any conversation with any person in the country on the subject of his mission." Dissatisfied with the recognition of his services by the British Government, he offered to sell his information to the United States Government, and was paid $50,000 by the Secretary of State, Mr. Monroe. The