Under this
influence the address was formed, and its spirit would probably have
been pursued by corresponding measures, had the events of Europe been of
an ordinary train. But this has been so extraordinary, that numbers have
gone over to those, who, from the first, feeling with sensibility the
French insults, as they had felt those of England before, thought now
as they thought then, that war measures should be avoided, and those
of peace pursued. Their favorite engine, on the former occasion,
was commercial regulations, in preference to negotiations, to war
preparation, and increase of debt. On the latter, as we have no commerce
with France, the restriction of which could press on them, they wished
for negotiation. Those of the opposite sentiment had, on the former
occasion, preferred negotiation, but at the same time voted for
great war preparations, and increase of debt: now also they were for
negotiation, war preparations, and debt. The parties have in debate
mutually charged each other with inconsistency, and with being governed
by an attachment to this or that of the belligerent nations, rather than
the dictates of reason and pure Americanism. But in truth, both have
been consistent: the same men having voted for war measures who did
before, and the same against them now who did before.
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