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Rh The War of 1812-1815 The War of 1812 was a naval war. It was a battle for rights — the rights of our sailors, the rights of our commerce. American ships and cargoes were being confiscated. France and England and the Barbary pirates were engaged in a profitable war on our commerce, and last but not least twenty thousand American seamen had been pressed into service and were slaves on ships that were foreign, England especially claiming the right to search American ships and press into service all men found on board who were English by birth, though American by choice and adoption.

"Once a subject always a subject," said Great Britain, but our answer in 1812 was as it is now: any foreigner alter five years' residence within our territory, who has complied with our naturalization laws and taken the oath of allegiance to our flag, becomes one of our citizens as completely as if he were native born.

This war is sometimes spoken of as a "leaderless war,'; but great leaders came out of it. The names of Hull, Perry, and Lawrence are memorable in its history; it was the war which made Andrew Jackson, known as "Old Hickory," resident of the United States in 1828. You will read the story of his great victory in the Battle of New Orleans.

Some day you will read the life story of David Glasgow Farragut of whom it is said that, with the exception of Nelson, the great English admiral, "he was as great an admiral as ever sailed the broad or narrow seas." Although the great work of Farmgut was in the Civil War, the story of ki8 life began in the War of 1812 when he was but ten years old. Admiral Farragut is reported as giving this explanation, in the late years of his life, of his success in the service of his country

"It was all owing to a resolution that I formed when I was ten years old. My father was sent to New Orleans with the little navy we had, to look after the treason of Burr. I accompanied him as cabin-boy. I had some qualifies that I thought made a man of me. I could swear like an old salt,. could drink as stiff a glass of grog as if I had doubled Cape Horn, and could smoke like a locomotive. I was great at cards, and was fond of gambling in every shape. At the close of dinner one day, my father turned everybody out of the cabin, locked the door, and said to me:

"'David, what do you mean to be?'

"'I mean to follow the sea,' I said.