Chapter XVIII: The Peace Negotiations

Early overtures towards peace by the United States 409

Castlereagh refuses to entertain the project of abandoning
impressment 410

Russia, in 1812, suggests negotiations for peace under mediation
of the Czar 411

United States accepts, but Great Britain refuses 412

Great Britain, through the Czar, offers a direct negotiation,
1813 412

The United States accepts, and names five commissioners 413

The original instructions to the American Commission, 1813 413

Reduced, 1814, through pressure of the war 414

Confident attitude of Great Britain at the opening of the
negotiations 415

Hostile spirit in Great Britain towards the United States 415

The instructions to the British Commission 416

The demand on behalf of the Indians 417

Faulty presentation of it by the British Commission 418

British claim concerning the Great Lakes and boundaries 419

Discussion of these propositions 419

Reasons for British advocacy of the Indians 421

Final reduction of British demand for the Indians and acceptance
by American Commission 423

Concern of British ministry for the opinion of Europe 424

News received of the capture of Washington 424

Sanguine anticipations based upon reports from Cochrane and Ross 424

The British Government suggests the _uti possidetis_ as the
basis of agreement 425

The American Commission refuse, and offer instead the _status
ante bellum_ 426

News arrives of the British defeat on Lake Champlain 426

The political instructions to the commanders of the New Orleans
expedition, to be communicated for the satisfaction of the
continental powers 427

Urgency of the European situation 428

Dangerous internal state of France 428

Consequent wish of the British ministry to withdraw Wellington
from Paris 429

He is pressed to accept the American command 429

Wellington thus brought into the discussion of terms 430

He pronounces against the basis of _uti possidetis_ 431

The British ministry accept his judgment 431

The _status ante bellum_ accepted by Great Britain 431

Subsequent rapid conclusion of agreement 432

Terms of the Treaty 432

Signed by the commissioners, December 24, 1814 434

Despatched to America by a British ship of war 435

Ratified by the United States, February 17, 1815 435

Gallatin's opinion of the effect of the war upon the people
of the United States 436

INDEX 439

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

VOLUME TWO.

THE CHASE OF THE _Constitution_ _Frontispiece_
From the painting by S. Salisbury Tuckerman.

THE QUARTERDECK OF THE _Java_ BEFORE THE SURRENDER Page 6
From a drawing by Henry Reuterdahl.

THE NEW CARRYING TRADE Page 18
From a drawing by Stanley M. Arthurs.

THE RETREAT OF THE BRITISH FROM SACKETT'S HARBOR Page 44
From a drawing by Henry Reuterdahl.

THE FLEETS OF CHAUNCEY AND YEO MANOEUVRING ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN Page 52
From a drawing by Carlton T. Chapman.

CAPTAIN ISAAC CHAUNCEY Page 60
From the engraving by D. Edwin, after the painting by
J. Woods.

CAPTAIN SIR JAMES LUCAS YEO Page 60
From the engraving by H.R. Cook, after the painting by
A. Buck.

CAPTAIN OLIVER HAZARD PERRY Page 66
From the painting by Gilbert Stuart, in the possession
of O.H. Perry, Esq.

PERRY RECEIVING THE SURRENDER OF THE BRITISH AT THE BATTLE
OF LAKE ERIE Page 94
From a drawing by Henry Reuterdahl.

CAPTAIN PHILIP BOWES VERE BROKE Page 134
From the mezzotint by Charles Turner, after the
painting by Samuel Lane, in the possession of Lady
Saumarez.

THE CAPTURE OF THE _Chesapeake_ BY THE _Shannon_--THE
STRUGGLE ON THE QUARTERDECK Page 138
From a drawing by Henry Reuterdahl.

CAPTAIN JAMES LAWRENCE Page 140
From the painting by Gilbert Stuart, in the possession
of the New Jersey Historical Society, Newark, N.J.

THE BURNING OF A PRIVATEER PRIZE Page 222
From a drawing by Henry Reuterdahl.

CAPTAIN DAVID PORTER Page 244
From the painting by Charles Wilson Peale, in
Independence Hall, Philadelphia.

CAPTAIN THOMAS MACDONOUGH Page 360
From the painting by Gilbert Stuart, in the Century
Club, New York, by permission of the owner, Rodney
Macdonough, Esq.

THE BATTLE OF LAKE CHAMPLAIN Page 380
From a drawing by Henry Reuterdahl.

MAPS AND BATTLE PLANS.

VOLUME TWO.

Plan of Engagement between _Constitution_ and _Java_ Page 4

Plan of Engagement between _Hornet_ and _Peacock_ Page 8

Map of Niagara Peninsula Page 38

Surroundings of Sackett's Harbor Page 43

Plan of Chauncey's Engagement, August 10, 1813 Page 58

Plan of Erie Harbor, 1814 Page 72

Diagram of the Battle of Lake Erie, September 10, 1813 Page 82

Chauncey and Yeo, September 28, 1813 Page 108

_Chesapeake_ and _Shannon_ Page 136

Outline Map of Chesapeake Bay and Rivers Page 156

_Enterprise_ and _Boxer_ Page 188

_Argus_ and _Pelican_ Page 218

_Montague_, _Pelham_, and _Globe_ Page 228

_Chasseur_ and _St. Lawrence_ Page 238

_Wasp_ and _Reindeer_ Page 254

Sketch of the March of the British Army, under General Ross,
from the 19th to the 29th August, 1814 Page 344

Tracing from pencil sketch of Battle of Lake Champlain made
by Commodore Macdonough Page 368

Battle of Lake Champlain Page 377

The Landing of the British Army, its Encampments and
Fortifications on the Mississippi; Works they erected on
their Retreat; with the Encampments and Fortifications
of the American Army Page 392

Sea Power in its Relations to the War of 1812

THE WAR (_Continued_)