Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 07.djvu/237

 MADISON

MADISON

Negotiations with the offending nations failed to secure immunity, and acts of congress brought neither belligerent to terms. The war spirit was rife in the south and west and the continuation of diplomatic quarrels with Great Britain resulted in the declaration of war, June 18,1812. The debate attending the passage was not made public at the titne. In the house the vote stood 79 for war and 49 against, and in the senate 19 for and 13 against. In both liouses about one-fourth of the Republican members voted with the Federalists against the declaration of war, and in the senate it is claimed that the three senators who turned the scale were Federalists who voted for the measure in order to embarrass the President. Pennsylvania was the only northern state voting for war, and Kentucky the only soutliern state voting against the measure. The President had ample cause to recommend the action to con- gress and the same cause equally affected the at- titude of the United States toward France, but the friendship of that nation during the Revolu- tion made her offence less serious in the opinion of the congress. The officers and soldiers in the army were largely drawn from the northwest and the U.S. navy was drawn from the north- east. In November, 1812, Madison was re-elected ^o the presidency. The electoral vote for Presi- dent stood: for James Madison, 128, for DeWitt Clinton of New York, Federalist, 89; the vote for Vice-President was for Elbridge Gerry of Massa- chusetts, Republican, 131, Jared IngersoU of Pennsylvania, Federalist, 86. The war of 1812 was vigorously carried on for three years and in the northwest and in Canada the U.S. army met with successive victories and defeats. This in- decisive warfare was followed by the capture of the national capital, the driving out of the Presi- dent and his family from the White House; the burning of the capitol building and congressional library and the sacking of the executive mansion in August, 1814. These disasters were offset by a succession of victories at sea and on the lakes by the U.S. navy, resulting in the treaty of peace at Ghent, Dec. 24, 1814, after which on Jan. 8, 1815, General Jackson gained his signal victory over the British army at New Orleans. The hope of the young Republicans of the western states led by Henry Clay, to acquire the territory of Canada by right of conquest was the greatest in- centive that led the twelfth congress to declare war, but their plans were not embodied in the treaty of peace which they reluctantly accepted. It was thought by many that their hopes would have been realized had the treaty been drawn up and signed after the battle of New Orleans, which gave to their section some of the glory gained in the war. The chief credit, however, went to the navy, and in the President's message

to congress, Dec. 5, 1815, he said, speaking of the late war: " The signal services which have been rendered by our navy and the capacities it has developed for successful co-operation in the na- tional defence will give to that portion of the pub- lic force its full value in the eyes of congress. To

THE WHITE HOUSE,- IOI4.

preserve the ships we now have in a sound state, to complete those already contemplated, to pro- vide amply for prompt augmentations, is dictated by the soundest policy." Upon the close of his second term, after welcoming James Monroe, his friend and secretary of state, as his succes- sor, Mr. Madison retired to Montpelier, where for nearly twenty years he lived a quiet, uneventful life. He succeeded Jefferson as rector of the University of Virginia, and served the institu- tion as rector and visitor. He was also a visitor of the College of William and Mary. He was a delegate to the Virginia constitutional con- vention of 1829, but was too infirm to take part in the active work of the convention. The College of New Jersey and the College of Wil- liam and Mary conferred on him the honorary degree of LL.D. in 1787. Besides twenty-six of the papers contributed to the Federalist in defence of the constitution of the United States, and the Memorial and Remonstrance against taxing the people of Virginia for the support of teachers of the Christian religion, published as "Madison's Religious Freedom Act," trans- lated into French and Italian, and extensively read in America and Europe, Mr. Madison is the author of: TJie Virginia Plan (1798); An Examination of the British Doctrine which sub- jects to Capture a Neutral Trade not open in the Time of Peace, prepared while secretary of state in Jefferson's administration; Report of the Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787, which is accepted as a political text-book of great value, and Advice to my Country, the lesson of his life as he wished his country- men to understand it, which he desired should not be given to the public until after his death. In the last named book Madison says:'* with re- gard to the responsibility of our country to mankind, let it be remembered that it has ever been the pride and boast of America that the rights for which she contended were the rights , of human nature. By the blessing of the Author