ance of redress in any other way. Immediate war would, of course, have
been unwise; for what could a nation almost without a ship hope from a
contest with a power having the largest and most efficient navy in the
world? If this, however, was true from 1805 to 1807, it was not less
true in 1812. But it need not have been true when war was actually
resorted to, had the intervening years been years of preparation. The
fact was, however, that the party which supported the administration was
no more in favor of war at the earlier period than the administration
itself was; and meanwhile, till a war party had come into existence and
gained the ascendency, the country had been growing every year less and
less in a condition to appeal to war.

The first measure adopted to meet the aggressions of the English was an
act prohibiting the importation of certain British products. This had
always been a favorite policy with Madison. He had advanced and upheld
it in former years, when a member of Congress, and when Great Britain
had first violated the rights and dignity of the United States by
interference with her foreign trade and by impressing her citizens.
Non-intercourse had been an effective measure thirty years before, and
had a kind of prestige as an American policy. It was not seen, perhaps
could not be seen without experience, that a measure suited to the
colonial condition was not sufficient for an independent nation. But the
President and secretary were in perfect accord; for Jefferson preferred
anything to war, and Madison was persuaded that England would be brought
to terms by the loss of the best market for her manufactures. Others,
and notably John Randolph, saw in the measure only the first step which,
if persisted in, must lead to war; while, in the mean time, to interfere
with importations would be quite as great an injury to the United States
as to Great Britain. Randolph was apt to blurt out a good deal of truth
when it happened to suit him. Impressment, he said, was an old grievance
which had been thought a sufficient provocation for war when the nation
was not prepared; and it was no more ready to resort to that desperate
remedy now than it had been in the past. Without a navy it would be
impossible to prevent the blockading of all the principal American ports
by English squadrons. The United States would need an ally, and he was
not willing she should throw herself into the arms of that power which
was seeking uni