Page:The World's Famous Orations Volume 9.djvu/26

THE WORLD'S FAMOUS ORATIONS promoting that war. South Carolina sent to your councils, as the advocates and supporters of that war, the noblest of her sons. How they fulfilled that trust let a grateful country tell. Not a measure was adopted, not a battle fought, not a victory won which contributed in any de- gree to the success of that war to which South- em councils and Southern valor did not largely contribute. It will be recollected, sir, that our great causes of quarrel with Great Britain were her depredations on Northern commerce and the impressment of New England seamen. From every quarter we were called upon for protec- tion. Importunate as the West is now repre- sented to be on another subject, the importu- nity of the East on that occasion was far great- er. I hold in my hands the evidence of the fact. Here are petitions, memorials, and re- monstrances from all parts of New England, setting forth the injustice, the oppression, the depredations, the insults, the outrages commit- ted by Great Britain against the unoffending commerce and seamen of New England, and calling upon Congress for redress. Well, sir, the war at length came, and what did we behold? The very men who had been for six years clamorous for war, and for whose protection it was waged, became at once equally clamorous against it. They had received a miraculous visitation; a new light suddenly beamed upon their minds, the scales fell from 16