Page:The World's Famous Orations Volume 9.djvu/25

 HAYNE proved by her conduct that tho the soil might be overrun, the spirit of her people was invin- cible. I come now to the War of 1812 — a war which I well remember was called in derision (while its event was doubtful) the Southern War, and sometimes the Carolina War, but which is now universally acknowledged to have done more for the honor and prosperity of the country than all other events in our history put together. What, sir, were the objects of that war? "Free trade and sailors' rights!" It was for the pro- tection of Northern shipping and New England seamen that the country flew to arms. What interest had the South in that contest ? If they had sat down coldly to calculate the value of their interests involved in it, they would have found that they had everything to lose and nothing to gain. But, sir, with that generous devotion to country so characteristic of the South, they only asked if the rights of any por- tion of their fellow citizens had been invaded; and when told that Northern ships and New England seamen had been arrested on the com- mon highway of nations, they felt that the honor of their country was assailed; and act- ing on that exalted sentiment ''which feels a stain like a wound," they resolved to seek in open war for a redress of those injuries which it did not become freemen to endure. Sir, the whole South, animated as by a com- mon impulse, cordially uaited in declaring and 15