The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1861-02-02

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rleaee in Fe2ee, from Izss until i.s7 esly
iose coz.eseracy into more pertecs and perpe,asi
the iutezrera,e conduit Of these uhs row "a cue side
aHion They opassaegeI tie eoasin axnce o. tie y.oa
a sah5ecs eoaprehendins aa hing less shaa the
safety and welfare Of all ;he parts which the country
specis the interesting in lie world enter uyon
the subject os continuing The Union now, deeply i'm
pressed with The and loyal eouv.e.ion
teen, the country eompsel thiry,hree PARTS
and the empire embraces Instead Of only four n .oas
No less than thirty mIiIlons Of Inhabitants.
The founders Of the Constitution moreover re-area
the Ur ion Al national or American interest
On the contrary. they eSnfcssei with deep sensIbiy
that 1t seemed 10 them to have been reserved for the
people Of this country 10 decide whether societies o.
really capable Of establishing good goveruuen,
upon reieton and choice whether they are forever
destined to depend for their political constitutions on
accident and force. They feared therefore that their
failure to continue and perfect the Uniou would be
misfortune 10 the nations. How much sir would
its overthrow now be calamity To mankind.
S1ne form Of government is Indispensable here As
elsewhere Whatever form We have every indiy idu,I
citizen AMI State cede some natural
rights, TO invest the Government with the requisite
power. The simple question therefore for Us now to
decide, while laying aside all pique passion and preu-
dice is whether it conduees more to the interests Of
the people ot this country remain for the general
purposes Of peaee and war inland and fo--
eisn, postal communications at home and abroad the
care and disposition Of the public domain colonization
the organization and admission Of new States and
geaerily, ihe elar2ement OF empire nation under
our present Constitution. than it would be to divide
themselves into separate Confederacies or States.
Our conntry remains now as it in l7S7-composed
not OF detached and distant Territories, bat of one
whole well-connected AMI fertile region lying within
the temperate zone, with climates and soils hardly
more various than those of France Of Italy. This
slight diversity quekeus aud amplides manufacture
aud commerce. Our rivers and valleys, improved
by art, furnish a system of highways unequaed in
the world The eferent forms Of labor If slavery
not perverted to purposes of poitical ambition need
not constitute element of strife in the Conederacy
Notwithstanding recent vehement expressions ana
manifestations II Intolerance i'll some quarters produced
by intense partisan excitement, are fact a ho-
mogeneous people, chiefly stock with accessios
we'll assimilated. We have, practically, only one
feiision, system OF government aad
manners and customs common to ALL Why then shall
we not remain henceforth as hitherto. one people?
The hrst object Of every human society is safety OF
security, for which il need be they Will and they
must sacrifice every other. This security is Of tive
kinds: one, exemption from foreign aggression and
influences the other exemption from domest ic tyranny
and seditou.
Foreign wars come from either violations of treaties
domestic violence. The Union has thus far proved
itself an almost perfect shield against such The
United States, continually eniargng their dp Jmatc
acquaintance. have now treaties with France the
Netherlands, Great Britain, Sweden, Prussia, Spain,
Russia, Denmark, Mexico, Brazil, Austria, Turkey,
Chill, Siam, Muscat, Venezuela, Peru, Greece sar-
diuia, Ecuador, Hanover, Portugal, New Granada
Hesse Cassel, wurtemburg, China. Bavaria saxony.
Nassau, Switzerland, Meckenburg- -Schwerin, Guate-
mala, the Hawaiian Islands, San Salvador Borueo,
Costa Rica. Bremen, the Argentine Loo
Choo japan, Brunswick, Persia, Baden, Belgium and
Paraguay. Nevertheless, the United States, within
their entire existence under the Federal Constitution
have had iagrant with only four States two of
which gnicant Powers the coast OF Barbary
and have had direct hosties, amounting to reprisaIs
against only two three and they are now at
neace with the whole world. II the Union should be
div ided into only two Confederacies each of them
woula need to make as many treaties We have now
and O, c. urse would be liable give as many causes
Of war as v do now But we know, from sad expert
euce of other nations that disntesration once begun
inevitably cont 1ues until the greatest empire
crumbles into mahv parts. Each Confederation that
shall ultimately arise ut OF the ruin of the Union ill
have necessity for ny treaties as we now have
and will i icur liabilities for war as often as we now do
by breaking them 1t is the ~ utir cation OF treaties,
and the want Of confederation, that makes war the
normal coli ion of society in Western EUROPE and III
Spanish America. 1t is union that, notw hsand oGr
Worldwide intercourse, makes peace the hat It of the
American people.
Twill not descend so low as TO ask whether new Con-
federaces would be able willing bear the erievos
expense maintaining the Diplomatic relations which
be disper sed with except by Withdrawing from
foreign commerce.
Our Federal Government. is better able TO avoid Civ
ing Just causes OF war than several Confederacies
because it conform the action Of all the States TO
comracs. 1t have only one construction, aud only
one tribunal TO pronounce that construction, Of every
treaty Local and temporary interests and passions or
personal cupidity and ambition drive small Cone
cracies or States more easily than grett Repubiirnto
indiscreet violations OF treaties.
Tue Uaited States being a great aud formidable
Power can always favorable and satisfactory
Indeed, every treaty We have voluntarily
male Small ConfcIeraces States must take such
treaties as they get and give whatever treaties
exactcd. A humiliating. even unsatisfactory
treaty, IS a chronic cause Of foreign war.
The chapter Of wars resulting from unjus;ihabe
causes would, in case of division, ampify itself in
proportion to the number OF Cenfederaces and
their irritabity Our disputes with Great Britain
about OREGON, the boundary Of Maine, the patriot
insurrcc,ion in Canada and the Island Of San Juan
the border strifes between Texas and Mexico the in
eursious Of the late william Walker into Mexico and
Central America; all these scrc cases in wich war
was prevented only by the imperturbsbiIity of the
Federal Government
This Government not only gives fewer causes Of war,
whether just or unjust, than smaller Confederaces
wou)d but /, always has greater ability to aceJm-
MEDIATE them ty the exercise of more ooolness and
courage. the use Of mere various and more liberal
means aud the display, II need be- Of greater force
Every one knows how piacable we ourselves are In
controversies with Great Britain, France, and Spain
and ve, hew exaetns have been in our intercourse
with Ne~ Granada, Paraguay, ana San Juan dc Me
aragaa-
Mr. President, no one will dispute our fore-fahers'
maxim that the common safety Of all is the safety Of
each o, the States. While they remain united, the
FEDERAL Government colosneS
the forces Of the several ststes organizes their de-
fenses 90 one general principles harmSnizes and sssi-
il..s. them with ouc .sstem watches for them with
,s,s exc which il turns in all directions and
Al agents under the control Of one executive head
,.i.n uxti,u,ed is safe against assault, or even
insult.
War produces always a speedy eahsus'icn Of money
and severe strain upon credit The treasaries and
credits o, snail would often prove made
au,te rhase of the Union always ample.
have thus far kept eu. Of view the elasioas which
,ux; arise between the oonfeicraeies themselves
They would be small and ineoastderabie nations bsr-
daring On each o.her and therefore, according to all
t,i,,l phslosophy natural enemies. In addition ia