CHAPTER XLVI. 1806-1812.

The Attachment of Connecticut to the Policy of Washington. -Her Adherence to the Federal Party.-The Non-intercourse Laws.-The Embargo.-War declared against Great Britain in 1812.-Act of Congress to raise 100,000 Militia.-Governor Griswold required to detach 3000 Men.-General Dearborn applies for Militia to do garrison Duty under United States Officers. He is refused by the Governor.-The Legislature approves of his Refusal.-The Ground of it.

As Connecticut was one of the earliest and most decided, active, and persevering members of the United Colonies in resisting British oppression, she was also one of the most devoted friends of the Constitution, as well as of Washington, and his principles and policy. A modern French writer has remarked, that "it is the glory of America that she was wise enough to appreciate and acknowledge Washington in spite of the little exertion he made to present himself to public view."

Connecticut, then, deserves a large share of the honour. In no part of the country was there an earlier, more unanimous, or decided sentiment in favour of the principles he adopted and the meas. ures he pursued during the Revolution, and the policy, both internal and external, which was established under his administration after the return of peace. The people were among the warmest admirers of his virtues, and faithfully transmitted to their children an exalted reverence for him whom they loved to call "The Father of his Country."

416

CITIZEN GENET.

[1806.

During his administration, which extended from 1789 till 1797, and that of John Adams, of Massachusetts, which was from 1797 to 1801, several dis. tinguished Connecticut men held high national offi. ces. Oliver Wolcott was appointed secretary of the treasury in 1795, and continued till 1800; Oliver Ellsworth chief-justice in 1796, and minister to France in 1799; Jonathan Trumbull speaker of the House of Representatives in 1792; Colonel Humphreys minister to Spain in 1796, and afterward to Portugal; Roger Griswold secretary of war in 1801.

When Mr. Jefferson opposed the Constitution, and the Anti-federal party began to be formed, Connecticut was ranged among its adherents, and uniformly opposed his views and administration. In the course of it, Citizen Genêt, as he was called in the republican language of France (or, rather, the dialect of atheism), came to the United States as envoy from that country, and began a tour through the states, to form "Democratic Societies." The plan of these was to organize a cor. respondence with Jacobin associations in France, whose objects were understood to be political, and aimed directly against the independence of Great Britain. The people of Connecticut accused Mr. Jefferson of a strong partiality for the infidel and revolutionary principles of the French government of those times; and, regarding Great Britain as the bulwark of the Christian religion and human liberty in Europe, had no desire to see the United States joining with her enemies and co-operating for her destruction. Washington was decidedly opposed to "entangling alliances" with other na

tions; and his advice they held in high respect. When Citizen Genêt, therefore, approached Connecticut, although he was preceded by accounts of the favour and success he had met in other places, he found the feelings of the people so different from what he wished, and his enterprise was treated with so much irony and ridicule by some of the literary men of Hartford, that he turned back without crossing the boundary, gave up all attempts in New-England, and soon abandoned his whole enterprise in America.

Mr. Jefferson left the presidency in 1809, after being in it eight years. His opponents (including most of the people of Connecticut) still charged him with want of the practical good sense, and the knowledge of government necessary to perform well the duties of a leading statesman; and asserted that he had neither introduced nor proposed a single change in the internal policy of the coun. try. They also charged him with want of sincerity in declaring that the leading Federalists were friends of royalty, and entertained the design of converting the American republic into a monarchy. The people of Connecticut, whose institutions had been of the most democratic character from the early history of their colony, whose habits and manners had ever been simple and republican, and who, after sustaining the Revolution with distinguished spirit, had exercised their characteristic good faith in steadily adhering to the constitution and laws of the United States, regarded the charge of monarchical predilections against men of their choice as unprovoked and injurious.

As the succeeding administration of Mr. Madi

418

THE WAR OF 1812.

[1812.

son pursued the policy of Mr. Jefferson, and Connecticut maintained her former views, her representatives formed an active portion of the minority in Congress who opposed the non-intercourse laws of 1809, and the declaration of war against England in 1812. Some of her merchants had suf fered the loss of vessels taken by the French under the Berlin and Milan decrees, as well as by the English under the orders in Council; and they accused the administration of a dangerous partiality for the former, while they were unwilling to engage in a contest with either. Their commerce had suffered severely from the embargo and nonintercourse acts (the exports having fallen from above a million and a half to less than half a million), and now it seemed to be in danger of total destruction.

War with Great Britain was declared by Congress on the 18th of June, 1812, to the great regret of the majority of the people of Connecticut, and of several of the other states. Two reasons were alleged for the war: the British orders in Council, and the claim of that government to the right of search, or taking her seamen from American ships. The opposers of the declaration of war urged that negotiation should be longer tried before an appeal to arms, and charged the administration with a partiality for France, and a wish to favour her by weakening Great Britain, her principal opponent. The minority in the United States House of Representatives published an address to the people, with their reasons for voting against the declaration of war.

Two months afterward, Congress passed an act

authorizing President Madison to require of the governors of the states and territories to hold in readiness their proportions of "one hundred thousand militia, to march at a moment's warning." These were to be "officered out of the present militia officers or others, at the option and discretion of the constitutional authority in the respective states and territories; the President of the United States appointing the general officers among the respective states and territories as he may deem proper." The president was also "authorized to call into actual service any part or the whole of said detachment, in the exigences provided by the Constitution."

On the 15th of April the secretary of war wrote to the governor of Connecticut, requiring him to detach 3000 men as the quota of that state; to equip and organize them in companies, battalions, regiments, brigades, and divisions as soon as possible, in the proportions of one twentieth artillery, one twentieth cavalry, and the residue infantry. One tenth part or less might be riflemen, if desired. These troops were to be exercised, but not imbodied nor considered as in actual service until ordered into the field. It had been generally believed, especially at Washington, that the president and his friends seriously intended to invade Canada; and the anxiety of the people of New. England was great when they perceived how much their seacoast lay exposed to the enemy, knowing that it was almost entirely unprovided with forts as well as troops.

Mr. Eustis, secretary of war, on the 12th of June, wrote to Governor Griswold a request from