259

The President's Message to Congress, November 5, 1811 259

Increase of the army voted 259

Debate on the navy 260

Congress refuses to increase the navy, January 27, 1812 263

Embargo of ninety days preparatory to war, April 4 263

The evasions of this measure 264

Increasing evidence of the duplicity of Napoleon's action 266

Report of the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, March 10, 1812 269

Consequent British declaration 270

Use of these papers by Barlow, American Minister to France 271

The spurious French Decree of April 28, 1811, communicated to
Barlow 272

Communicated to the British Government 273

Considerations influencing the British Government 274

The Orders in Council revoked 276

Madison sends a war message to Congress, June 1, 1812 279

Declaration of war, June 18, 1812 279

Conditions of the army, navy, and treasury 279

CHAPTER V

THE THEATRE OF OPERATIONS

Limitations on American action through deficient sea power 283

Warfare against commerce considered 284

Its financial and political effects 285

Its military bearing 285

Distinction between military and commercial blockade 286

Commercial blockade identical in essence with commerce-destroying
by cruisers 287

Recognition of this by Napoleon 287

Commerce destruction by blockade the weapon of the stronger
navy; by cruisers, of the weaker 288

Inefficiency of the American Government shown in the want of
naval preparation 289

Conditions in the army even worse 290

Jefferson's sanguine expectations 291

Propriety of the invasion of Canada discussed 292

The United States, weak