Editing Langdon Cheves (section)

===War of 1812===
Immediately upon his arrival in Washington, Cheves was faced with the brewing international crisis that eventually resulted in the War of 1812. British [[impressment]] of Americans had become less frequent, but both Britain and France maintained obstacles to American trade with the other. The House had recently passed [[Macon's Bill Number 2]] in retaliation, and Napoleon had relaxed the French restrictions.{{sfn|Huff|1977|pp=51–52}} In a debate over repealing Macon's Bill, Cheves delivered a careful maiden speech critical of the bill as feeble and calling for a "more direct and proper course." He was immediately identified as a "[[War hawk#Historical group|War Hawk]]".{{sfn|Huff|1977|p=52}}

====War Mess====
[[File:Henry Clay.JPG|thumb|left|180px|The election of Cheves's housemate [[Henry Clay]] as Speaker of the House marked the opening victory for the war faction in the 12th Congress.]]
In the 12th Congress, to which Cheves had originally been elected, his housemates included Lowndes, Calhoun, fellow Hawk [[Henry Clay]], Clay's rival [[Felix Grundy]], and Senator [[George M. Bibb]]. The building came to be called the "War Mess" and served as a meeting place for pro-War leaders of Congress and Secretary of State [[James Monroe]], who acted as liaison to the President. As a consequence, the residents of the house were among the best informed Representatives in the 12th Congress.{{sfn|Huff|1977|pp=54–56}}

At the opening of the Congress in a special session on November 4, 1811, Clay was overwhelmingly elected Speaker of the House.{{sfn|Huff|1977|pp=54–56}} He proceeded to appoint War Mess men to key committee posts. Calhoun and Grundy were appointed on the Foreign Relations Committee, Lowndes on Commerce and Manufactures, and Cheves was given the chairmanship of the Select Committee on Naval Affairs. He was made second man on the powerful Committee on Ways and Means.{{sfn|Huff|1977|pp=54–56}}

In March 1812, the War Mess privately pressed Madison, through Monroe, to request an embargo of British trade, followed by formal declaration of war from Congress. Madison eventually agreed, and the United States [[United States declaration of war upon the United Kingdom|formally declared war against Great Britain]] on June 18. Cheves later remembered that the War Mess were "like school boys, [they] sprang up, and in the excess of their joy danced... [[Reel (dance)|a reel]]."{{sfn|Huff|1977|pp=62–63}}

====Naval Affairs====
As chairman of the Committee on Naval Affairs, Cheves had a key role in preparedness and appropriations for the potential war ahead. He began by submitting detailed requests to Secretary of the Navy [[Paul Hamilton (politician)|Paul Hamilton]] and Secretary of War [[William Eustis]]. By December, he had catalogued the nation's limited naval strength and begun to plan, with Hamilton's and Eustis's advice, appropriations for additional ships and fortifications.{{sfn|Huff|1977|p=57}}

On December 17, 1811, he submitted two reports on naval affairs. The first recommended $1,000,000 (approximately {{Inflation|US|1000000|1811|fmt=c}} in {{Inflation/year|US}}) "for the defense of our maritime frontier" by refortifying existing defenses. The second authorized the purchase of ship timber, repair of all vessels not in use, the establishment of a national repair dock, and the construction of ten additional frigates, "averaging thirty-eight guns."{{sfn|Huff|1977|pp=58–60}}

Cheves delivered a speech on behalf of the committee on January 17, 1812, defending a reinvigorated Navy as the only effective protection for American "commerce and our neutral rights on the ocean." The bill was opposed by orthodox Jeffersonians like [[David R. Williams]], who had long opposed the existence of any Navy whatsoever. The sections providing for the construction of new ships and a new dockyard were struck down, but the timber purchase and repair provisions passed on January 29. The maritime fortifications bill passed overwhelmingly, 88–25, on February 4.{{sfn|Huff|1977|pp=58–60}} Cheves's forceful advocacy for the Navy led former Federalist [[Samuel Taggart]] to remark, 
"whatever [Cheves] may be nominally he is in reality as high a toned Federalist as ever was [[Alexander Hamilton]]."{{sfn|Huff|1977|pp=58–60}}

====Ways and Means====
As the second ranking member on the Ways and Means Committee, Cheves also had a key role in securing the appropriations to fund the War. Secretary of the Treasury [[Albert Gallatin]] estimated the war would require about $21,000,000 in new revenues, with about half in debt and half raised in new taxes.{{sfn|Huff|1977|p=61}}

After a new embargo went into effect on April 1, 1812, the House declined to recess. Ways and Means chair [[Ezekiel Bacon]], took a leave of absence on April 27, making Cheves the acting chairman of the powerful committee as the war began.{{sfn|Huff|1977|pp=63–65}}

One of Cheves's primary goals on Ways and Means was to persuade those who feared higher internal taxes or the restraining commercial effect on tariffs to join the war effort. To lighten the tax burden, Cheves attempted to repeal the [[Non-Intercourse Act (1809)|Non-Intercourse Act of 1809]] in order to use the duties assessed on imports to lower internal taxes. Cheves introduced the repeal bill on June 19, the day after war was declared; repeal was defeated on June 25, with Speaker Clay casting the deciding vote in opposition.{{sfn|Huff|1977|pp=63–65}}

====Break with Clay====
In November 1812, following the July recess and his re-election to a second term, Cheves returned to the House to secure funding for the war. The ensuing debate divided the War Mess between the South Carolinians, who favored [[free trade]] and internal taxes, and the Speaker Clay, Felix Grundy and other Republicans. The primary issue was the seizure of merchants' bonds: bonds purchased by American merchants who imported British goods during a gap in the embargo.{{sfn|Huff|1977|pp=69–71}}

They purchased these bonds against their goods, which were then sold at an extremely high profit due to wartime inflation. Cheves, along with Calhoun and Lowndes, opposed efforts to allow the Secretary of the Treasury, [[Albert Gallatin]], to seize the bonds. Cheves was outvoted in committee but refused to defend the proposal in front of the House, deferring to [[Richard Mentor Johnson]] to advocate in his place.{{sfn|Huff|1977|pp=69–71}}

In response to Johnson's advocacy, Cheves attacked the measure as an impermissible delegation of Congress's legislative authority. He extended his criticism to Clay's [[American System  (economic plan)|general program of restrictive economics]], arguing that it devastated the American coastal economy in striking at the British. When Clay attempted to introduce a measure to preserve the protective system but exempt the bonds at issue, Cheves, Calhoun, and Lowndes maintained their opposition. Ultimately, the Ways and Means report was defeated in the House on December 11 by a vote of 49–52; the South Carolinians won, but at the expense of unity within the War faction.{{sfn|Huff|1977|pp=71-73}} After Cheves was unable to push through any internal tax increase by the end of the term in March, the House approved a $5,000,000 issue of Treasury notes and a $16,000,000 loan at Secretary Gallatin's request.{{sfn|Huff|1977|pp=74–76}}

Cheves's declaration against Clay's protective system caused issues at home as well as in Washington. Governor of South Carolina [[Joseph Alston]] called Cheves a "political [[Jesuit]]" and declared his seat (as well as those of the other South Carolina representatives) vacant for the next term on the technicality that Cheves had not notified the governor of his acceptance. Charlestonians{{who|date=July 2021}} denounced Alston until he bowed to pressure and delivered the commissions.{{sfn|Huff|1977|pp=74–76}}