with the wishes of his listeners; Gallatin, having witnessed and sagaciously recognized the break down of his favorite theory of government, was serving the Republic as a diplomatic representative abroad; Madison was still President, but, having never been a strong leader of men for his own purposes, he could offer but feeble resistance to the new tendencies. A new school of Republican leaders had pressed forward into the places of these retired veterans, — new leaders, who would speak with pity of a government “going on in the old imbecile method, contributing nothing by its measures to the honor and reputation of the country;” who wanted a conduct of public affairs “on an enlarged policy;” who thought that revenues might be raised, not only to provide for the absolute wants of the government, but, beyond that, for the advancement of the public benefit.
Of this new Republican school Clay and Calhoun were the foremost champions. Clay boldly put forth its programme in a speech made in committee of the whole on January 29, 1816, on a bill reported by Lowndes, to reduce the direct taxes imposed during the war. After having defended, with great force, the war of 1812 as a just and necessary war, and the peace of Ghent as an honorable peace, he enumerated the reasons why he deemed no great reduction of taxes advisable. Our relations with Spain, he said, were unsatisfactory; there would be more wars with Great Britain; and the United States might have to aid the Spanish
