Author Archives: “Caius”

About “Caius”

Mathew Carey (1760-1839) used the pseudonym of “Caius,” a character from King Lear who was loyal but blunt. When Mathew Carey feared New England would secede from the Union, he read everything he could find on the history of civil wars. In that spirit, “Caius” offers a historical perspective for political discussion.

How Mathew Carey Singled Out John Lowell and the Clergy

Carey compared the state of Massachusetts with Georgia.  He noted “The state [Massachusetts] enslaved by faction, whines, and scolds, and murmurs, and winces, and curses the administration for not defending it, although every possible  exertion was made to enfeeble the administration … Continue reading

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Why Specie Flowed to New England

Boston’s Federalists crippled Madison’s war efforts economically.  First, using their newspapers and Congregationalist pulpits, they urged New Englanders not to subscribe to government loans—the war bonds of the era.[1] Carey noted that most Federalists from the mid-Atlantic did not take … Continue reading

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Did New England Pay More Duties than the South?

Before income tax, custom duties (or tariffs) provided revenue for the United States government. Carey lumped together the duties paid by New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island and Connecticut from 1791 until 1810:  $10, 591,000.[1] From 1791 until 1810 Maryland paid … Continue reading

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Did New England Have the Right to Claim Superiority in Commerce?

Carey claimed his readers would be amazed at the figures he was about to report.  He wrote that he was astonished himself when he analyzed foreign and domestic exports from the United States. Exports Foreign and Domestic            Exports Foreign and … Continue reading

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How New England Considered Itself Morally Superior to the Rest of the Country

Carey admitted New Englanders did not assert their moral superiority with the same vehemence as when they claimed superiority and exclusivity in commerce.  He concluded there was nothing to be gained politically. Carey had traveled extensively through New England.  In … Continue reading

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How Newspapers in New England Inflamed Their Readers

Carey asserted that New England’s newspapers, especially those in Boston, wrote essays against Jefferson’s and Madison’s administrations.  They repeatedly inflamed their readers with the following falsehoods:  New England was not agricultural; it was commercial. States in the South were only … Continue reading

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How the Federalists excited jealousy and discord, painting a “hateful picture” of the South

  Carey wrote the Olive Branch to appeal to moderate Federalist farmers in New England.  He aimed his criticism at wealthy Federalist merchants and the newspapers that promoted their views. [1] He singled out Boston, characterizing it as the “seat … Continue reading

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What the Federalists Did When Congress Declared War

The Federalists formed the “Peace Party.”  Its purpose was to force the government into declaring peace.  The Federalists hoped to do this by condemning the war, Madison and his administration, Congress, and anyone who supported the war. To counter their … Continue reading

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The War of 1812: Whose Fault Was It?

“The first principle of all republican government—and of all government founded on reason and justice,” Carey wrote “is that the will of the majority, fairly and constitutionally expressed, is to be the law of the land.  To that the minority is … Continue reading

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Who Acted with More Virtue, the Democratic-Republicans or the Federalists?

Faults on Both Sides:  A Comparison Faults of the Democratic-Republicans: 1.  The Federal Constitution:  Fearing tyranny, they failed to give the federal government enough power when writing the Constitution. 2.  The Navy:  They objected to forming a navy. 3.  Treaty with … Continue reading

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