Political Quotes

“I rise today to commemorate the bicentennial anniversary of the War of 1812's Battle of Baltimore. The State of Maryland is proud of its contributions to this ``Second War for Independence,'' which reinforced United States sovereignty and gave birth to our national anthem. While Star-Spangled 200 events are already underway in my home State, I wish to spend a few minutes to discuss the War of 1812 and the story of Francis Scott Key's poem ``Defense of Fort M'Henry.'' A generation after the United States declared its independence from Great Britain, the mercantilist ties between the two countries were not fully severed. The British impressed American merchant seamen, enforced illegal and unfair trade regulations, colluded with certain Native American tribes to attack frontier settlements, and attempted to block westward expansion. The United States declared war to reassert autonomy over its own affairs, establish free trade, protect sailors' rights, and ensure that our Nation could prosper from sea to shining sea. President James Madison eloquently outlined these justifications more than 200 years ago when he called on ``all the good people of the United States, as they love their country, as they value the precious heritage derived from the virtue and valor of their fathers . . . . .…”