Special Providence_ American Foreign Policy and How It Changed World - Walter Russell Mead

20 SPECIALPROVIDENCE

defensesparalleledthetwentieth-centurydebatesovermissiledefense.In
bothcasesproponentsarguedthatsavingevenoneofthenation'scities
fromotherwisecertaindestructioninwarwouldjustifythecostofany
defensesystem;opponentsofbothNationalMissileDefense(NMD)and
coastaldefensearguednotthatthethreatwasillusory-itwas blatant
andgross-butthatthestrategicdefenseconceptwasfundamentally
flawed,andthattheavailabletechnologywasinsufficienttoprovidethe
desiredresults.
Theeconomicconsequencesofa warwithGreatBritainwerealso
clearlyvisibletoeverybanker,farmer,trader,andconsumerofindustrial
goods.NewEngland'soppositiontotheWarofr8r2grewourofthis
awareness.Asthecrisis-riddennineteenthcenturycontinued,anunder-
standingoftheconsequencesofwarpenetratedinto theconsciousnessof
editorialboardsandpoliticians.WarwithGreat Britainwould have
meant the instantdisruptionofevery branch ofAmerican business.
Thestockmarketswouldhavecrashed.Mostbankswouldhavefailed
instantly.Croppriceswouldhavedroppedprecipitously.Alltradewith
therestoftheworldwouldhavebeeninterruptedbya Britishblockade.
TheprospectofinvasioneitherfromthecoastorCanadawouldhavecast
a darkshadowovereverybusinessandhomeinthecountry;fewAmeri-
canhouseholdswouldhaveescapedtheconsequencesofwar beforea
singleshotwasfired,a singlecityburnedtotheground.
Giventhatbackground,oneshouldnotunderestimatetheimpor-
tanceofthestormystateofAnglo-Americanrelationsduringtheera.A
wholeseriesofquestionsagitatedtherelationsbetweenthetwoAtlantic
powers,keepingthemcontinuallyatorneartheboilingpoint.Under
PresidentMartinVanBuren,AmericansupportofIrishandCanadian
rebelsagainstBritishruleinCanadabroughtthetwocountrieswithina
hairbreadthofwar.
TheboundarybetweentheUnitedStatesandwhatbecameCanada
was anotherfertile source ofquarrels. Adispute overthe boundary
betweenMaineandNewBrunswickwasa majorissueinthepresidential
electionofr840andledtothe"AroostockWar," inwhichboththe
UnitedStatesandBritainrushedtroopstotheremoteareaunderdispute.
AtthesametimetheBritishgovernmentwasactively intriguing
tobringthenewlyindependentRepublicofTexaswithinitssphereof
influence. Americanfears ofBritishdesignsplayeda largepartinthe
AmericandecisiontoannextheLoneStarRepublicandhelpedlaunch
theMexicanWar.^43