Part 27 (2/2)

”What do you ask for these papers?”

”Lave that all to me, Misther Madison,” said Terrence with an earnestness which caused the grave Mr. Madison to smile; but Mr. Madison was not inclined to leave so important a matter with Terrence. He again asked Henry how much he asked for those papers.

”I want one hundred thousand dollars.”

”It's too much, Misther Madison; we can't give it,” declared Terrence.

Madison, glancing at the impetuous Irishman, said that he could not pa.s.s on such an important matter without consulting his cabinet and taking their advice in the matter, and consequently he dismissed his visitors for the present, a.s.suring Mr. Henry that he would give the matter of purchasing his doc.u.ments serious consideration, and in the course of three or four days at most hold another conference with them. The secret service fund was at the disposal of the president, and he determined to purchase the doc.u.ments with this fund, if his cabinet would so advise.

The advice was given, and he sent a proposition to Henry, offering him fifty thousand dollars for his doc.u.ments, which consisted chiefly of the correspondence of the parties to the affair in this country and in England.

Henry accepted the offer and was paid the sum for his papers.

Terrence obtained an interview with the president and said:

”Misther Madison, why the divil did yez pay him such a price? If ye'd 'a' left it all to me, I'd won the papers in three games of poker.”

The president thanked him and a.s.sured him that the government of the United States could well afford to purchase such valuable doc.u.ments.

”And now, Misther Madison, I am about to lave ye for awhile,” said Terrence, ”and I want to ask ye a very important question!”

”What is it?”

”Mind ye, if ye say yes, I'm goin' to stand by ye through thick and thin.” Mr. Madison a.s.sured him that his time was very much taken up, and begged that he would be as brief as possible.

”Are ye going to declare war, Misther Madison? Now ye needn't do any of the fighting yersilf. All I ask is that ye just turn me loose. I've got a frind, poor Sukey, who is still on board the English s.h.i.+p, and I just want permission to go and bring him back.”

President Madison a.s.sured him that the public would be notified in due time what course the administration would pursue, and that it was his intention to maintain the honor and dignity of the nation to the last extremity.

Terrence left the president and went over to the Continental House to see how Mr. Crane, the worthy secretary, looked with a rotten apple bandaged over each eye. Terrence was arrested for a.s.sault and battery, plead guilty, and the patriotic Democrats took up a collection and paid his fine.

The disclosures of the doc.u.ments procured from Henry, when made public, intensified the indignation of the Americans against Great Britain. The inhabitants of New England were annoyed by the implied disparagement of the patriotism of their section of the Union. Both parties tried to make political capital out of the affair. The Democrats vehemently reiterated the charge that the Federalists were a ”British party” and ”disunionists,” while the opposition declared it was only a political move of the administration to damage their party, insure the re-election of Madison in the Autumn of 1812, and offer an excuse for the war. The acrimony caused by these partisan feelings was at its height, when the New England governors refused to send their militia to the frontier; and the British government, in declaring the blockade of the American coast, discriminated in favor of that section. That the British, mistaking partisan feeling for unpatriotic disaffection, hoped to carry out their plan for disunion, there is no doubt; but the suspicion that the New England people contemplated disunion and annexation to the English colonies was probably without foundation.

Terrence Malone remained in Was.h.i.+ngton City during the fierce contest between the Peace Party and the War Party. He was a constant thorn in the side of the peace faction, and more than once came to blows with some of the members. When war was declared, he sent the word to president that he was ready to set out at once, and shortly after took command of a privateer, which his father fitted out.

While New England was halting in its support of the war, the people of the South and West were alive with enthusiasm in favor of prosecuting it with sharp and decisive vigor. They had already suffered much from the Indians under British control, and the ma.s.sacre at Chicago kindled a flame of indignation not easily to be controlled by prudence.

The government resolved to retrieve the disaster at Detroit, by an invasion of Canada on the Niagara frontier. For this purpose, a requisition was made upon the governor of New York for the militia of that State. He patriotically responded to the call, and Stephen Van Rensselaer, the last of the Patroons and a patriotic Federalist retired from public life, was commissioned a major-general and placed in command of the militia. The forces were concentrated at Lewiston on the Niagara River, Plattsburgh on Lake Champlain, and at Greenebush, opposite Albany.

The British had, meanwhile, a.s.sembled a considerable force on Queenstown Heights, opposite Lewiston. At midsummer, hostile demonstrations had been made on Lake Ontario and on the St. Lawrence frontier. Both parties early sought to get control of those waters, and the preparation of armed vessels on them was vigorously begun.

An armistice was concluded by General Dearborn. This armistice enabled Brock to concentrate forces at Detroit and compel Hull to surrender.

On the morning of the 13th of October, just after a heavy storm, Colonel Soloman Van Rensselaer pa.s.sed over the river near Lewiston with less than three hundred men. They routed the British there, who fled toward Lewiston pursued by Captain John E. Wool, who, though wounded, did not relinquish the pursuit.

General Brock and his staff at Fort George hastened to the scene, but were compelled to fly, not having time even to mount their horses. In a few minutes, the American flag was waving over the fort.

Brock rallied his forces and, with fresh troops, pressed up the hill after the Americans, but, after a terrible struggle, was driven back and mortally wounded. General Sheaffe, who succeeded Brock, rallied the troops. Only two hundred and forty Americans were on the heights.

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