tions of men may compute, in the
estimation of the true patriot as well as the true Christian, sink into
dust, when compared with the unnecessary and wanton sacrifice of the
life of the humblest citizen of the Republic--if the war with England
cost millions of wealth, and the shedding of the blood of tens of
thousands of our fellow-men,--then it is something to say that, if the
policy of Tazewell had been pursued for a few weeks--a policy which, so
far as war was concerned, had been, up to its declaration, the
deliberate policy of Jefferson and Madison--that war which had been
postponed to the dawn of the pacification in Europe, would not have
occurred.

The question for posterity to decide is, not whether, if we judge by
results, Tazewell was right or wrong--a mode of judging too fallacious
and too dangerous in human affairs, and subjecting the responsibility of
human actors to too fearful a test,--but which, even if applied to the
course of Mr. Tazewell, would confirm, beyond question, the wisdom of
the policy which he advised at the time; but the question is, whether
his policy was not such as a great statesman, intent solely upon the
welfare of his country, might not have pursued, not only without
impairing the public confidence in his patriotism, integrity, and
attachment to the cardinal principles of his political faith, but such
as, even with the facts then before him, reflected high credit upon his
sagacity and courage.

But whatever were his views about the policy of declaring war at any
particular time, no sooner was war declared than he gave it a cordial
support. In concert with the administration, and in connection with his
friend and associate, Gen. Taylor, to whom was assigned the command of
the forces at Norfolk, he exerted all his powers to put our port in a
posture of defence. He hailed, especially, our victories on the sea with
enthusiastic applause, and ever rejoiced that the treaty of Ghent was
preceded, at least in this country, by the glorious Eighth of January.

To confirm the remark that Mr. Tazewell, though opposed to the
restrictive policy of Jefferson, was still friendly to that statesman,
and was unwilling to be considered hostile to him, I may recall to the
recollection of my elder hearers an incident which created much
amusement when it occurred. It appears that, in the winter of 1807, when
Tazewell had been sent to the Assembly to attend to some local interests
of Norfolk, a caucus of t