Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-01-17
WHEELING, al. THURsDAY .M0RNING..- j

| tortugaI, New GRANADA, HeSse CASSel,
Wurtemberg, China, Bavaria, Saxony,
Nassau, Switzerland, Mecklenburg Schwc-
rim, Guatemala, the Hawaiian Islands, San
SaIvador, BorneO, Costa Ricu, Bremen, the
Argentine Confederation, Loo Choo, Japan,
Brunswick, Persia, Baden, Belgium and
| Paraguay. Nevertheless, the United States,
within their entire existence under the
Federal Constitution, have had fragrant
wars with only four States, two of which
were insignificant powers, on the coast of
Barbary, and hnve had direct hostilities.
amounting to rePrisNls, against two or
three more; and they are now at peace
with the whole world. If the Union
should be divided into only two Coufeder-
actes, each of them would need to make as
many treaties as we have now and, of
course, would be likely to give us many
causes of war as we now do. But we
know, from the sad experience of other ma
tions, that disintegration, once begun, in
evitaby continues until even the greatest
empire crumbles into many parts. Each
Confederation that shall ultimately arise
out of the rnIn of the Union will have the
necessity for as many treaties as we nov
have, aud will incur liabilities for war MS
often as we now do, by breaking them. 1t.
ls the multiplication of treaties, and the
want of confederation that mikes war the
normal condition of society in Western
Europe, and in Spanish America. 1t is
union, that, notwithstanding our world
wide Intercourse, makes peace the habit of
the American people aaf
will not descend so low as to ask
whether new confederacies would be able
or willing to bear the grievous expense of
maintaining the diplomatic relations which.
cannot be dispensed with except by with.
drawing from foreign commerce. III
Our FederalGOvernment is better able
to avoid giving just causes for war than
several Coufcderacies, because it can con-
form the action of all the States to COM
Ipacts. 1t can hnvo only one construction
and only one tribunal to pronounce that
Iconstruction, of every treAty. Local and
temporal interests and passions, or person.
al cupidity and ambition can drive small
ConfederHcics or Suites more easily than
great Republic into indiscrect violations of
treaties.
The United States being great and for
midable power, can always secure favOrn-
bleand satisfactory treaties. Indeed ev-
cry treaty VIC hWve was voluntarily made
Small cOnfcdcracies or States must take
such treaties as they can get, and give
whatever treaties are exacted. A humili-
ating, or even an unsatisfactory treaty, is a
chronic cause of foreign war.
The chapter of wars resulting from un-
ljustiiable' causes would, in case of divi-
sion, 0mplify itself in proportion to the
number of new CoufederAcies and their
irrita6ility. Our disputes with Great
Britain about Oregon, the boundary of
Maine, the patriot insurrcction in Canada.
and the Island of San Juan; the border
strifes between Texas and Mexico, the in
cursions of the late William Walker into
Mexico and Central America: all these
were cases in which war was prevented
only by 1.-The impOFtlulsabiIiG IiGssof- -tlusE9edeFa1
II Government. SO - =
This Government not only gives fewer
causes for war, whether Just or unjust,
than smaller Confederacies would; hut it
always has greater ability to Rccommo-
date them by the exercise of more GOODNESS
and courage, the use of moro various and
more liberal means, and the display, if
4 need be, of greater force. Every one knows
how Placable we ourselves are in contro-
versies with Great Britain, Frnnce and
Spnini and yet how exactingwe have been
in our intercourse with New Grenada,
Paraguay and San Juan de Nicaragua.
Mr.. President, no one will dispute our
forcfather's maxim, that the common safe
ty of all is the safety of each of tho States
While they remain united, the Federal
Government combines all the materials,
and all the forces of the several States;
principle; harmOnizcs nnd assimilates them
I with one system; watches for them with IL
single eye, which 1t turns in VII directions,
and moves all agents under the control of
one executive head. a nation so consti-
tuted is safe against assault, or even in
suit
War produces always speedy exhnus-
ton of money, and severe strain upon
credit. The treasures and credits of smull
cOnfederacies would often prove iunde-
quate. Those of the Union are always
ample.
Ihave thus far kept out of view the re-
lations which must arise between the con-
fedcracies themselves. They would be
small and inconsiderNble nations bordering
on each other, and therefore, according to
all political philosophy, natural enemies.
In addition to the macy treaties which
each must make with foreign powers, and
1 the causes of war which they would give
by violating them, each of the cOnfedera-
cies must also maintain treaties with all
the others, and so be liable to give them
frequent otrense. Theywould. necessarily,
have different interests resulting from their
establishment Of different policies of reve.
nue., of mining, manufactures, and nNvi-
1 CATION; of immigration, and perhaps the
slave trade. Each would stipulate with
foreign nations for advantages peculiar to
litself, and injurious to its rivals.
If, indeed, it were necessary that the
Union should be broken up, il would, be
in the last degree important that the new
Econfederocies to be formed should be as
nearly Us possible equal in strength and
power, that mutual fear and mutual re-
spect might inspire them with caution
Iagainst mutual otfense. Bat such equali
ty could not long be maintained; one con-
federacy would arise in the scale OF po-
litical importance, and the others would
view it thenceforward with envy snd APP.
prehension. JeAlousies would bring on
frequent and retailatory wars, and all these
wars, from the peculiar circumstances of
the confederacies, would have the nature
/ and character of civil war. DissnIntinn