Note 224 — Chapter LIX

Yet while the American Government professed to declare a defensive war—a war in defence of their rights at sea—the first act was the invasion of Canada, for which they had been collecting men and arms for several months before the declaration of the war; and thus the first acts of the Canadians were to provide for the defence of their country and their homes against the American invasions. The facts show that the real object of the American Government was to take Canada, and their invaded rights at sea was a mere pretext.