Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1861-01-14

Nevertheless, the United States witbir
their entire existence uadcr the federal con
stitu;ion, have had fragrant wars with only
four states Two Uf which were insignificant
powers, or the coast Of Barbary, and have
had direct hostilities, amounting to reprl
sas, oniy two or thee more, and they are
now at naace with the whole world. If the
Union should be divided into only two coz
| ieuacies. each Of them would need to make
as .nany treaties As we have now; and ot
course :"uuiG be liable 90 give as many
causes Of war as VIC now do. But we know
from the sad experience OF other nations,
that disiutegrailon once begun, inevitably
continues until even the greatest empire
crumbleS into many parts,
Each confederation that shall intimately
arise ru5 OF the rrlins Of the Union vii; have
necessity lor as many treaties as We now have,
and will incur liabilities for WAC as often as
! VIC nu4 do, BY hre;.kiu1 them lis the .nulti-
! p!icatOn Of lreaticS. and the want oi cunied'
alton. that makes MAR the normal cont'i-
ton of society in Western Europe and in
| Spanish America. 1t is ua;on thar, not
wit!.stardjng our w3rld-wiis intercourse,
makes peace the habit oi American people
! | vii not descend 50 low as TO ask whether
. new ccnfederaceS wnu!d he able or willing
to bear the Srevous expense Of maintaining
| the diplomatic relations which cannot be dis.
pcnsed with except by Withdrawing from
| foreign commerce.
| Our federal government is better able to
| avoid giving just causes of war than several
contedcracies. because it can conform the
action Of all the states to compacts. 1t
can have only one construction and only
one tribunal to pronounce that construction,
Of every treaty. Local and temporary in
terests and passions, or personal cup!dity and
ambition can drive small confcdcracics or
| states more easily than 4 great Republic into
insiiscrect violations of treaties.
Tie United States being q greatand tOrmi-
dable puwer, can always secure favorable and
satisfactory treaties. Indeed every treaty
we have was v0luntar y made. Small cGn-
tederacies or states must take such treaties
as they can ges, and give whatever treaties
arc cxacted. i humiliatinS, Or even an
unsatisfactory treaty, is chronic cause Of
IN war.
The chapter Of wars resulting from un-
iuSttiabia causes would. in case Of division,
ampiiiy itself in proportion To the number
J
Our disputes with Great Britain about Ore
goa, the boundary Of Maine, the patriot in
Surrection in Canada and the Island oi San
Juan: the border strifes between TcXa& a"d
Mexico. the incursuns OF the late William
Walker in Mexico and Central America. ali
these were cases in which war was preyen-
ted only by the imperturabillty Of the lcd2-
raj government.
This government not only gives fewer
causes OF war, whether u,t or unjust, than
smaller coniederacies would but it always
has a greater ability to accommodate them
by the exercise of more cou!nGSS and courage
the use ot mere various and more liberal
m=anS and The display, II need he, Of
greater orce. Every one knows how pla
cable We ourselves are IN controversies with
Great b itain, France aud Spain; and yet
how e&a"tng we have been in our inter
course with New Granada, Paraguay, and
San Juan lie Nicaragua.
Mr.. President, no one will dispute cur
foretathers' maxim, chat the common safety
Of all is the safety Of each Of the StateS.--
While they remain united, the federal gov
ernincnt combines all the materials and all
gi;3 o@cas nr the several States; organizes
their Ge;enses OH Que general principle:
harmoniz"s and asSm!ia:eS them w!tn one
system: watches for them with u single eye
which it turns in ;.ii directions, and Noes
ali agents under The central of on" eX"cu
tive mead. y ration - constituted is s"tc
against assault cc ever: Insult.
War produces always :; speedy cSDau$-
ton ui tuit"y and u severe strain uTnn ere
dit fhe treasures and credits Of small
co!.!cGeracies would often prove inadequate.
Those Of the Union are aiwoys ample.
have Thus IA" kept out oi view :he rela-
ti:ra which must arise betwcan tho coned
eracics themselves. They would be small
and inconSdcrabe nations hnrdcru-
each other, aud therefore. acc,fting /" "iI
political philosophy. natural enemies. In
addition to tLe ::,;lny treaties which each
.!aSg make with foreign powers, aud the
causes oE waT which, ;hey would give bg
violating tbcm. each .! tic c5uicd"ra"les
:nus1 a!sD maintain treaties %iih al tie Gta-
arS, and 50 he liable 70 give them frequent
:ifence. They would necessarily hacc GIi.
fercnU interests resulting trum their estaE-
iishment Of different policies II revenue. OF
mining. manufactures, ana navigation, Ci
immigration, and perhaps the slave trade.
Each would &tirula:e with foreign nations
lorr rr"dvar,ages peculiar to itself ard in.uri-
uus 70 It's rivals.
II. indeed. ii were necessary that the
Uuon should he broken up. it would he in
the lat decree important that the ncw CON
iphcruc!e> 10 hG formed should ic is nearly
a~ l".~s,h!r equal in strength and power,
thnt mutual Gear and mrIua! RESPECT III gh;
inspire lHnm with cautl"n against muiuai
| offence. But such equality could not long
he maintained; On" G,'m;cderacy WoHi rise
ia the scale nf political importance, and the
others wuujd view it thenceiyrward with
envy and apprehension JealouSicS would
bring on frequent and reta!iatory wars, and
all these wars, from the peculiar clrcum-
stances Of the coufederacies, would have the
nature and character ol civil War.
Dissolution, therefore, is, Ter the people
OF tnS country, pernctua! evil war. To
mitigate it, and obtain occasional rest what
else c.ult they acce;a bar the system OF ai-
| ,iuStn@ the baInuce ri power wnla! has Oh
.ainrd in Europe, IL which the few strong
| nations dictate the very toms On which all
| the others shall he content 10 live. When
this hateful system should fail ut last, for
! cign nations would intervene. now in favor
Of one and then in aid ot another; and thus
our country, having expelled all Earoqean
tr,,,, ba Tt>H