[War of 1812]

Broadsheet (20 x 13 1/4 in.; 508 x 337 mm). 2pp.; light browning and some spotting, left edge with small chips from extraction from bound volume.  

condition as described in catalogue entry.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

JAMES MADISON'S DECLARATION, COMMENCING THE WAR OF 1812. This broadsheet prints President James Madison’s 1 June 1812 message of war on the recto, followed by the ensuing report from the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the 18 June actual Declaration of War against Britain on the verso. The final votes on the war act are included: 19-13 in the Senate and 79-49 in the House. Both the president’s message and the Declaration of War are signed in type by Madison.

“We behold…on the side of Great Britain, a state of war against the United States; on the side of the United States, a state of peace towards Great Britain. Whether the United States shall continue passive under these progressive usurpations, and these accumulating wrongs; or, opposing force to force in defence of their national rights, shall commit a just cause into the hands of the Almighty Disposer of events… is a solemn question, which the constitution wisely confides to the legislative department of the government. In recommending it to their early deliberations, I am happy in the assurance that the decision will be worthy the enlightened and patriotic councils of a virtuous, a free and a powerful nation. …”

The European conflict that pitted Napoleonic France against Great Britain during the first decades of the 19th century ensnarled the United States from its outset. In 1806, in the first of a series of pronouncements collectively known as the Continental Decrees, France prohibited all trade with Britain; the ensuing year, Britain banned trade between France, her allies, and the Americas, with the Orders in Council. In retaliation, the U.S. Congress passed the 1807 embargo, prohibiting American vessels from trading with European nations, and, later, the less restrictive Non-Intercourse Acts, aimed solely at France and Britain. Both measures proved largely ineffective. The United States reopened trade with France and Britain in 1810, provided they ceased their blockades against neutral trading. Britain, however, continued to impress American seamen into the Royal Navy and to enforce its blockade of neutral commerce.

President Madison made the issue of impressment a matter of national respect and sovereignty, even after several British concessions. Many Americans also saw expansionist potential from such a conflict – British and Spanish territory in North America were potential prizes, and the defeat of British-allied Indians on the frontier would open the way for further westward settlement.