CHAP. XXIV.] WAR WITH ENGLAND. 63 



County Court Houses and State Capitol are on the 

 move, the Court House of Clarke county, for ex 

 ample, just shifted from Clarkesville to Macon, and 

 the seat of Legislature about to be transferred from 

 Tuscaloosa to Montgomery. In the midst of such in 

 stability, a feeling of nationality, or State pride, cannot 

 easily be fostered. Nevertheless, the resources, both 

 mineral and agricultural, of so vast a territory as 

 Alabama, a fifth larger in area than the whole of 

 England proper, may enable them with moderate 

 economy to overcome all their difficulties. 



Often was the question put to us, &quot;Are you 

 moving?&quot; But at the small tavern at Claiborne it 

 was supposed that I might be the Methodist minister 

 whom they were expecting to come from the North, 

 to preach a trial sermon. Two Alabamans, who, as 

 I afterwards learnt, were under this persuasion, 

 were talking beside me of the chances of a war with 

 England, and praised the British ministers for their 

 offer of mediation. They condemned the folly of 

 the Government at Washington for not accepting it, 

 and agreed that the trade of Mobile would suffer 

 seriously, if they came to blows with the English. 

 &quot; Calhoun,&quot; said one of them, &quot; has pronounced in 

 favour of peace ; but they say that the Governor 

 General of Canada is spending a mint of money on 

 fortifications.&quot; &quot; It is satisfactory,&quot; replied his com 

 panion, &quot; to think that we have not yet spent a dollar 

 on preparations ; yet I doubt not, if we had to fight, 

 that the English would get the worst of it.&quot; &quot; Yes,&quot; 

 said his friend, &quot; we have whipped them twice, and 

 should whip them a third time.&quot; 



