From: Rabid Wombat <wombat@mcfeely.bsfs.org>
Date: Tue, 25 Nov 1997 01:48:18 +0800
To: Tim May <tcmay@got.net>
Subject: Re: Further costs of war
In-Reply-To: <v03102807b09e53a4b922@[207.167.93.63]>
Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.3.91.971124104803.9915F-100000@mcfeely.bsfs.org>
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> 
> The last justifiable war the American states were involved in was,
> arguably, the War of 1812. Every war since then has been unjustified.
> 
> --Tim May
> 

Chuckle. The "war" of 1812 was nearly as much of an internal political 
struggle over the form the U.S. gov't was to take as was the "civil war."

"State's rights" were a key issue, with most of New England strongly 
opposed to the "war", which was causing New Englanders severe economic 
loss to to blockades which prevented their trade with England (the enemy).

Many did not wish to add additional states beyond the origianl seaboard 
13, which would have doomed the new nation to being a British dependant.

There was great debate over the form a representative government was to 
take, with some supporting the idea that the "common" man was too 
ignorant to perceive long-term issues; some wanted a "house of lords" and 
"house of commons" as in England, with membership to the "upper" house, 
the Senate, restricted to an Elitist class. The Monarchists still had a 
great deal of support in parts of the original thirteen states.

The western states, such as Tennessee, were more in favor of supporting a 
combined "Federal" action against Britain than were the seaboard 
colonies, as the British were arming the local Indian tribes and inciting 
uprisings in an effort to block westward expansion. Folks in Tennessee 
wanted Madison to invade Canada to choke off the supply route.

French-speaking New Orleans didn't much care for having been sold to a 
foreign power, and had closer ties to Spanish Florida than to its new 
masters in Washington. Andrew Jackson's army did not receive a very warm 
welcome when he came to "defend" the city form the British; he had 
difficulty obtaining supplies, and had to declare martial law to maintain 
control of the city.

The trade issues and the "kidnapping" of American merchant seamen are 
given as "official" reasons for the conflict, but there were many other 
reasons as well.

Without the War of 1812, the "United States" as a single entity may never 
have emerged, and a loose coalition of states may have remained in its 
place, probably as a British dependant. Britian would have likely 
succeeded in regulating western movement, at least in the northern part 
of North America, and we'd all be talking like Phil.

The War of 1812 had arguably as great an impact on the Federal vs. States 
issue as did the Civil War. Interesting to see you "justifiying" this. :)  

-r.w.