Viroqua Schools

I conclude my arguments with these final points 1) Nothing can be gained from a lopsided war with Britain. We are unprepared and the people do not wish to bloody their hands. 2) We are financially unstable, and must take this time to repair and grow our country. 3) We can only really earn respect through peace. Warriors are respected as long as they live, but peacemakers command respect eternally. Let us reach out to Britain as friends, cousins. We need not prove military excellence at this juncture- in fact, we lack military to prove. Let us improve ourselves, and offer others our example, rather than our gunpowder and lead.

An additional fault I must find with your argument is your assertion that Britain will never stop provoking us. This is surely untrue. A country does not remain in its infancy forever. We are not currently strong enough to face Britain, but the day may come in which we are. It is undeniable that the British have treated us reprehensibly in our days as a country. But if we bide our time, and improve our country, the day may come in which we can stand toe to toe with the British, and not flinch in the slightest. I speak not of cowardice, but of prudence.

I must strongly agree. Our proud young nation would fall heavily beneath British fire. We cannot go to war with an infant militia. Where once we fought for freedom, liberty, justice and all things good, we now fight over petty squabbles. Our people are apathetic towards this war, and we are a country of the people. Let us not voicelessly follow the lead of a clueless leader. Let us raise our voices against this needless war.

True supporters of our nation's further growth need not inhibit it by adding to our national debt with needless war. We have had our fight with Britain. We have bested them fairly and need not return to battle to prove our collective manhood. None of your points address a very central point: What of our military unpreparedness? Would you have us send our sons, fathers and brothers to fight and lay down their lives for our protection? That is barbaric in its naivety. We need not prove ourselves through war. We must earn respect for our country through legitimate means, not through needless bloodshed.

Nothing could be less prudent than going to war with Britain. Although there are innumerable reasons why this is so, I shall endeavor to list a few of them. 1) We are unprepared militarily for this war. We are a young country. Brilliant, proud, but young. In these early days in which our country takes tottering steps toward unity and strength, we must not undermine our growth with new war. Our army is poorly trained, barely disciplined and scattered. 2) Our economy is still stunted as a result of the Embargo Act. We need recovery time, not a new debacle to recover from... and lastly, 3) We have no chance of securing a victory versus Britain. Their navy is stronger, their men have received superior training, and they have far more soldier to pour into this endeavor. Additionally, Britain has funds that we lack. With Britain’s superior troops and armaments, declaring war could not be more ill-advised. Rather than start a war that we have no hope of winning, let us seek to build up our own country.

In conclusion, we must go to war. To regain our pride, our honor, and our standing in the world. But first and foremost, to uphold the image we have created for ourselves as men of honor who will not be treated as children. Our treatment from the British has been unfair at best and downright corrupt and deceitful at times. We are our own country, and the time has come to yet again prove to Britain that they need not meddle in our affairs. We, as a country, have received innumerable grievances as a result of our involvement with Britain. Also, Britain has sought alliances with us. Did the not our first, great president say to avoid "entangling alliances"? That is what we must do. And the way to be certain that we are doing so is to go to war and prove that our independence is not a result of pure luck, but of our moral fiber and the blood, sweat and tears of our forefathers. They gave of themselves, and in some cases, their very lives that we might know freedom. Should we not honor their sacrifice by remaining free? At the first opportunity, Britain will endeavor to force us to submit to them again. We will not allow them to coerce us. We will be free. We must go to war.

If everyone would unite behind these principles, our country would be far more stable and prosperous. We, as a country, need not be dependent on other countries for survival. We can fully stand on our own and be better off for it. We are capable of creating our own goods and growing our own crops without British intervention. In addition to that, going to war will not mean that we are unable to trade in the future.

While there can be no doubt that referring to those who live in New England in that manner is derogatory and unnecessary, his point stands. By going to war we would be holding ALL of our brethren in mind. Going to war is for the good of all of us, not southerners nor northerners. We must unite in this cause, because by winning this war with Britain we will bring peace and prosperity to our country.

While idea of increasing the policing of our seas and harsher consequences for impressment might seem sound, in practice it could never be done. The British have far more ships than we do, and their navy is highly trained. Furthermore, how would we go about enforcing harsher consequences? Britain is not a petulant child, we cannot simply slap her on the wrist and send her to bed without supper. We cannot make right the wrongs they have committed against us, but we can endeavor to prevent them from doing so in the future by going to war and gaining victory, while regaining our pride.

We must go to war with Britain. It is inevitable, and necessary to the good of our people because (1) we must prove that we are a country. We are being treated as though we are small and insignificant, and that is not the case. Furthermore, (2) Britain ceaselessly attacks us in insidious manners, such as the impressment of our sailors. Also, (3) by proving our strength through battle, we will not only prove to Britain that we are not to be disregarded, we will be proving it to the rest of the world.