The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-07-04

as main prop OF your liberty, and that the love of
the one ought to endear to you the preservation OF
| the other.
| These considerations speak "a persuasive lam
| guage 10 every rejecting and virtuous mind, and
exhibit the continuance OF the Union AS a primary
| object Of patriotic desire. 10 there doubt, whe-
| Their a common government can embrace SO large
| "A sphere Let experience solve H. To listen to
| mere speculation, in such case, were criminal
| We are authorized To hope. that proper organiza
| ton of the whole, with the auxiliary agency of
| eovernme nts for the respective subdivisions, will
afford happy issue TO the experiment. IL Is well
| worth fair and full experiment. With such pow
erful and obvious motives TO Union, affecting all
parts Of our country, while experience shall not
have demonstrated its impractcability, there will
aways be reason TO disrust the patriotism OF those
| who, in any quarter. may endeayor to weaken It's
| banda.
| In contemplating the Causes which may disturb
| our Union, il occurs, a matter Of serious con
| Germ, that any ground should have been furnished
Tor characterizlng parties by geographical dis.
| and Western whence designing men may endea-
to excite belief that there ia real difference
| Of local interests and views. One OF the cxped
ens Of party to acquire influence within particular
districts, 10 to msreprcsent the opinions and aims
| Of other districts. You cannot shield yourselves
| too much ganst the jeaouses and heart burnings
| which spring from these presentations they
tend to render alien to each other those who ought
| to be bound together by fra.ernal affection. The
inhabitants Of our western country have lately had
useful lesson on this head; they have seen IN the
nous ratification by the Senate, of the treaty with
Spain, and in the universal satisfaction at thot
| event throughout the United States. decisive
| proof how uniuunded were the euspcions propaga
ted among them, of policy in the General Gov
ernment, and in the Atlantic States, unirendly To
their interests in regard to the Mississippi they
have been witnesses to the formation Of two trea
tiesthat with Great Britain, and that with Spain.
| which secure to them every thing they could desire
| in respect to our foreign relations, towards con
frming their prosperity. Will il not be their wis
~.
tagrs the Union hy which they were procured
viii they not henceiorth be deal to those advisers,
if such there are, who would sever them from their
| brethren and connect them with aliens?
| To the efficacy and pcrmanency OF your Union,
| a government for the whole 10 Indispensable No
alliance, however strict between the parts, can be
an adequate substitute; they must inevitably cx-
| pericnce the infractions and interruptions which
all alliances, in all time, have experienced. SEN
| siblc Of this momentous truth, you have improved
upon your first essay, by the adoption OF constu-
ton of government better ca culated than your for
ncr for an intimate Union, and for the efficacious
| mauug mcnt Of your common concerns This
| Government, the offspring OF our choice,
influenced and unawed, adopted upon full investi-
CATION and mature deliberations Completely free in
| its principles, in the distribution Of its powers,
uniting security with energy, and containing with
in itself provision for its own amendment, has a
Just claim TO your confidence and your support.
Respect for its authority, compliance with its laws,
| acquiescence in It's measures, are duties enjoined
| by the fundamental maxims of true liberty. The
bases oil orr potical systems Is the right oil the
people TO make and to alter their constitutions OF
| Governments but the Constitution which at any
time exsts till changed by an explicit and authen-
tic act of the whole people. IS sacredy obligatory
upon all The very idea of the power, and the right
OF the people to establish Government, supposcs
the duty of every individual to obey the established
| Government.
All distractions to the execution of the laws all
combinations and associations, under whatever
plausible character, with the real design TO direct
control, counteract, the regular debc ration
and action of the constituted authorities, arc dc
structive to this fundamental principle, and of faa
| tendency. They serve TO organize faction To give
! it an artificial and extraordinary force, to put IN
the place of the delegated will of the nation, the
will of party, often small but artfu and enter
prising minority Of the community; and accord
ing to the alternate riumphs of different parties, 10
make the public administration the mirror Of The
ill-concertcd and incongruous projects OF faction
rather than the organ of consistent and wholesome
plans, digcsted by common counsels, and modified
by mutual interests
| However combinations associations of the aboy Z
description may now and then popular
ends, they are likely, in the of time and
| things, to become potent engines, by which Gun
ming, ambitious and unprncipled men will be en-
abled TO subvcrt the power Of the people, and to
usurp for themselves the reius OF Government; de-
stroying, afterwards, the very engines which had
lifted them to unjust dominion.
Towards the preservation Of your Government
| and the pcrmanency of your present happy state
il is requisite. not only that you steadily discounte
nance irregular oppositons 10 it, ack nowledg ed
horty, but also that you resist with care the spirit
Of innovation upon its principles, however specioui
the prctexts. One method oi assault may be to eff
feet, in the forms Of the Constitution, alterations
! which will impair the energy OF the system, and
| thus 10 undermine what cannot be directly over
| thrown. In all the changes 10 which you may be
invited, remember that time and ha bit are least
| as necessary to fix the true character of govern
ments OF other human institutions; that expert
is the surest ndard by which to test the real
tendency of the existing constitution Of country;
that facility in changes, upon the credit Of mere by
pothesis and opinion, exposes 10 perpetual change,
from the endless variety OF hypothesis and opinion;
| and remember, specIaly, that for the efficient
management of your common interests. in a couu-
| try go extensive as ours, Government OF rs much
vigor il consistent with the perfect security of
liberty Is indispensable. Liberty itself will find in
| such Government, with powers properly distrib-
uted and adjusted, its surest guardian. II is in
deed, little cleo than name, where the govern.
mcnt is too feeble TO withstand the enterprises OF
faction TO confine each member ofthc society with
in the limits prescribed by the laws and to main
tain all in the secure and tranquil enjoyment Of the
| rghts>pf person and property
| have already intimsted 20 you the danger OF
parties in the State, with particular reference TO the
founding OF them ON geographical determinations.
| Let me now take n more comprehensive view, and
| warn you, in the most solemn manner, against the
baneful effects OF the spirit OF party generally
This spirit, unfortunately, j. insepsrabjo from
nature having s root in the strongest passions
| of the human mind. II exists under different
shapes, in all governments, more or less stiflcd.
l
form IL is seen in Its greatest rankness and is truly
their worst enemy.
The alternate domination Of one faction over
another sharpencd by the spirit of revenge, natu.
raj 20 party discussion, which, in different ages and
| countries, has pcrpctrated the most horrid enOr-
mites, s itselfs frighu despotism. But this cads
al length, TO more formal and permanent dcspot-
| ism The disorders aud miserics which result,
gradually incline the minds Of mon to seek security
and repose in the absolute power of an individual
and sooner or later, the chief of some prevailing
faction, more able or more fortunate Than his com.
petitors, turns this disposition TO the purposes
his own elevation on the ruins Of public liberty.
Without looking forward to extremity Of thi.
kind, (which, nevertheless, ought to be entirely
out Of sight,) the common and continual mischieis
Of the spirit Of party sufficient TO make 1t the
interest and duty of n wise people TO discourage
! and restrain IL.
u serves always to distract the public councils,
and enfeeble the public administration. II agitates
the community with VI founded jealouses and false
| alarms; kindles the anmosiy OF one part against
another; fomeuts, occasionally, riot and nsurrec-
i tim. IL opens the door TO foreign influence and
| corruption, which find facilitated access 60 the
Government itself, through the channels of party
passions Thus the policy and the will of one coun-
frv f,I