Page:The Presidents of the United States, 1789-1914, v. I.djvu/231

 JAMES MADISON 187 Affairs were drawing slowly toward some kind of crisis when, at the expiration of Jefferson s second term, Mr. Madison was elected president of the United States by 122 electoral votes against 47 for Cotesworth Pinckney, and 6 for George Clinton, who received 113 votes for the vice-presi dency, and was elected to that office. The oppo sition of the New England states to the embargo had by this time brought about its repeal, and the substitution for it of the act declaring non-inter course with England and France. By this time many of the most intelligent Federalists, includ ing John Quincy Adams, had gone over to the Re publicans. In 1810 congress repealed the non- intercourse act, which, as a measure of intimida tion, had proved ineffectual. Congress now sought to use the threat of non-intercourse as a kind of bribe, and informed England and France that if either nation would repeal its obnoxious edicts, the non-intercourse act would be revived against the other. Napoleon took prompt advantage of this, and informed Mr. Madison s government that he had revoked his Berlin and Milan decrees as far as American ships were concerned; but at the same time he gave secret orders by which the decrees were to be practically enforced as harshly as ever. The lie served its purpose, and congress revived the non-intercourse act as against Great Britain alone. In 1811 hostilities began on sea and land,