The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-04-19

4
well regulated government there should never
exist necessity for great and hurried prepare
tons for hostilities, inasmuch as there should
always be certain state of readiness, requiring
only moderate increase of defences in the
event of sudden difficulty. ''In peace to pre-
pare for war; is an excelleht maxim, and the
nation that wisely applies it to practice will find
in it the very best preservative of amicable re-
lations with foreign powers. There appears to
be propensity among nations, as well as among
individuals, to trample down and impose upon
the weak, and the country that from false no.
tons of economy will permit its means Of re-
sistance to fall into a state of unreadiness, will
find that in the end there will be necessity for
mourning accumulated expenses under circum-
stances which will render the outlay immeasu
raby great in proportion to the protection pro-
cured. 1t may be said that this continued state
of readiness must of itself involve heavy ex-
pense, and there can be no doubt that such
is the case but it should be borne in mind that
all good government is of necessity expensive.
In fact, expense in matters of this kind, is a
point of secondary Importance, and should not
be thought of except when it is carried to pro-
| fusion. Governments, and the protection they
afford, seem to resemble in some degree the
houses In which we live. IT, in commencing
building, the owner sets out with the determi-
nation to avoid present outlay Of money, he
will find that upholstered walls, shingle roofs,
and doors with latches, instead of well con-
structed locks, will cost comparatively very lit
tie, but how will the account stand in the event
of accident2 A northeast storm occurs, and
the thin walls admit the dampness that causes
sickness, and renders the employment of a ply
|sician necessary. A neighboring chimney takes
fire, and aspark, happening to alight on the shin
gle roof, sets the whole concern in blaze, and it
is burned to the ground, by which means the
cost of new house is superadded to the price
of the former one. Burglars are abroad and
obtain admission owing to the want of proper
fastenings, the plate is stolen, the furniture is
spoiled and the peace of the inmates is marred
Now it would appear TO us that when all these
contingencies are taken into account it would
have been cheaper in the long run if the proprie-
tor had, in the first place, gone to the expense
of putting up substantial walls well protected,
whereby sickness would have been prevented
a slate roof by which all risk from fire would
have been avoded-and good thick doors with
strong and we'll made locks that could not have
been picked, and consequently no robbery would
have taken place. Now this is precisely the
case with nations. The structure of the gov
eminent being strong and well cemented by
honesty and intelligence, no impositions are
practised-the laws afording equal and effici
ent protection, no spark of civil discord can pro-
duce excitements-the results of which are
anarchy and ruin-Ihe military defences being
cessful invasion of right from without, nor can
enemies break in and commit depredations
with impunity. Perhaps there is another fami-
liar case which may be. put to show that true
economy consists in uniformity of protection
man being DESTROYS to save money continues
year having elapsed, he boasts of his small ex-
penses, and tells how little he has paid to his
tailor his boot-maker, &c. during the twelve
months. At length his stock of clothes is ex-
hausted and he finds that he must get every
thing new. He must buy new coats, new
boots, new hats, new every thing, and at the
end of his second year he discovers that his ex-
penses have been enormous, perhaps four times
as great as they would have been if his supply
had been liberal and uniform. So has it been
with our Government. For time almost no
thing was done to keep up the detences OF the
land, and it was called economy. In the mean
while Notifications tumble into ruin, ships rot,
materials Of all kinds are wanting. An emer-
gency arises and every thing has to be made
anew, forts and ships are to be built, and mate
rails are to be collected at the highest prices, be-
cause circumstances will not admit of delay,
and consequently an immense outlay is neces-
sary. Would it not have been better to have
kept the old forts and ships in order although it
did cost money! We think it would.