prosperity [*]; of that very Liberty which you so highly prize. But as it is easy to foresee, that from [different]† causes, and from different quarters, much pains will be taken, many artifices employed, to weaken in your minds the conviction of this truth;-as this is the point in your [political] fortress against which the batteries of internal and external enemies will be most constantly and actively (though often covertly and insidiously) directed, it is of infinite moment, that you should properly estimate the immense value of your national Union to your collective and individual happiness;—that you should cherish‡ a cordial, habitual, and immoveable attachment [to it, accustoming yourselves to think and speak of it as of the Palladium of your political safety and prosperity; watching for *its preservation with jealous anxiety; dis[*360] countenancing whatever may suggest even a suspicion that it can in any event be abandoned, and indignantly frowning upon the first dawning of every attempt to alienate any portion of our Country from the rest, or to enfeeble the sacred ties which now link together the various parts.]§

For this you have every inducement of sympathy and interest.— Citizens [by birth or choice of a common country],|| that country has a right to concentrate your affections.-The name of AMERICAN, which belongs to you, in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of Patriotism, more than any appellation [¶] derived from local discriminations.-With slight shades of difference, you have the same Religion, Manners, Habits, and political Principles.

† various

towards it

* in every shape § that you should accustom yourselves to reverence it as the Palladium of your political safety and prosperity, adapting constantly your words and actions to that momentous idea; that you should watch for its preservation with jealous anxiety, discountenance whatever may suggest a suspicion that it can in any event be abandoned; and frown upon the first dawning of any attempt to alienate any portion of our Country from the rest, or to enfeeble the sacred ties which now link together the several parts.-[Supra, p. 192.]

of a common country by birth or choice

¶ to be

You have in a common cause fought and triumphed together.—The Independence and Liberty you possess are the work of joint councils, and joint efforts of common dangers, sufferings and successes.

But these considerations, however powerfully they address themselves to your sensibility, are greatly outweighed by those which apply more immediately to your Interest.-Here every portion of our country finds the most commanding motives for carefully guarding and preserving the Union of the whole.

The North in an [unrestrained]* intercourse with the South, protected by the equal Laws of a common government, finds in the productions of the latter [+] great additional resources of maritime and commercial enterprise-and precious materials of manufacturing industry. The South in the same intercourse, *benefiting [*361] by the agency of the North, sees its agriculture grow and its commerce expand. Turning partly into its own channels the seamen of the North, it finds its particular navigation invigorated;— and while it contributes, in different ways, to nourish and increase the general mass of the national navigation, it looks forward to the protection of a maritime strength to which itself is unequally adapted. The East, in a like intercourse with the West, already finds, and in the progressive improvement of interior communications, by land and water, will more and more find, a valuable vent for the commodities which it brings from abroad, or manufactures at home.-The West derives from the East supplies requisite to its growth and comfort,-and what is perhaps of still greater consequence, it must of necessity owe the secure enjoyment of indispensable outlets for its own productions to the weight, influence, and the future maritime strength of the Atlantic side of the Union, directed by an indissoluble community of interest, as one Nation. [Any other] tenure by which the West can hold this essential advantage, [whether derived]§ from its own separate strength, or from

* unfettered

† many of the peculiar

‡ The

$ either

an apostate and unnatural connection with any foreign Power, must be intrinsically precarious. [*]

[+] While [then] every part of our Country thus [feels]‡ an immediate and particular interest in Union, all the parts§ [combined cannot fail to find] in the united mass of means and efforts [||] greater strength, greater resource, proportionably greater security from external danger, a less frequent interruption of their peace by foreign Nations; and, [what is]¶ of inestimable value! they must derive from Union an exemption from those broils and wars between themselves which [so frequently]** afflict neighbouring countries, not tied together by *the same government; which their [*362] own rivalships alone would be sufficient to produce; but which opposite foreign alliances, attachments and intrigues would stimulate and embitter.-Hence likewise they will avoid the necessity of those overgrown Military establishments, which under any form of Government are inauspicious to liberty, and which [are to be regarded]†† as particularly hostile to Republican Liberty: In this sense it is, that your Union ought to be considered as a 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 language to [every]‡‡ reflecting and virtuous mind,-[and]§§ exhibit the continuance of the UNION as a primary object of Patriotic desire.-Is there a doubt, whether a common government can embrace so large a sphere ?-Let experience solve it.—To listen to mere speculation in such a case were criminal.-[We are authorised]|||| to hope that a

* liable every moment to be disturbed by the fluctuating combinations of the primary interests of Europe, which must be expected to regulate the conduct of the Nations of which it is composed.-[Supra, p. 193.]

proper organization of the whole, with the auxiliary agency of governments for the respective subdivisions, will afford a happy issue to the experiment. 'Tis well worth a fair and full experiment. [*] With such powerful and obvious motives to Union, [affecting] all parts of our country [], while experience shall not have demonstrated its impracticability, there will always be [reason] to distrust the patriotism of those, who in any quarter may endeavour to weaken its bands. [||]—

*In contemplating the causes which may disturb our [*363] Union, it occurs as matter of serious concern, that [any ground should have been furnished for characterizing parties by]¶ Geographical discriminations-Northern and Southern-Atlantic

* It may not impossibly be found, that the spirit of party, the machinations of foreign powers, the corruption and ambition of individual citizens are more formidable adversaries to the Unity of our Empire than any inherent difficulties in the scheme. Against these the mounds of national opinion, national sympathy and national jealousy ought to be raised.-[Supra, p. 194.]

† as

+ have

Scause in the effect itself

|| Besides the more serious causes already hinted as threatening our Union, there is one less dangerous, but sufficiently dangerous to make it prudent to be upon our guard against it. I allude to the petulance of party differences of opinion. It is not uncommon to hear the irritations which these excite vent themselves in declarations that the different parts of the United States are ill affected to each other, in menaces that the Union will be dissolved by this or that measure. Intimations like these are as indiscreet as they are intemperate. Though frequently made with levity and without any really evil intention, they have a tendency to produce the consequence which they indicate. They teach the minds of men to consider the Union as precarious;-as an object to which they ought not to attach their hopes and fortunes;-and thus chill the sentiment in its favour. By alarming the pride of those to whom they are addressed, they set ingenuity at work to depreciate the value of the thing, and to discover reasons of indifference towards it. This is not wise.-It will be much wiser to habituate ourselves to reverence the Union as the palladium of our national happiness; to accommodate constantly our words and actions to that idea, and to discountenance whatever may suggest a suspicion that it can in any event be abandoned. (In the margin opposite this paragraph are the words, "Not important enough.")—[Supra, p. 194.]

¶ our parties for some time past have been too much characterized by

and Western; [whence designing men may endeavour to excite a belief that there is a real difference of local interests and views.]* One of the expedients of Party to acquire influence, within particular districts, is to misrepresent the opinions and aims of other districts. You cannot shield yourselves too much against the jealousies and heartburnings which spring from these misrepresentations;―They tend to render alien to each other those who ought to be bound together by fraternal affection.-The inhabitants of our Western country have lately had a useful lesson on this [head.]†— They have seen, in the negotiation by the Executive, and in the unanimous ratification by the Senate, of the Treaty with [*364] *Spain, and in the universal satisfaction at that event, throughout the United States, a decisive proof how unfounded were the suspicions propagated among them of a policy in the General Government and in the Atlantic States unfriendly to their interests in regard to the MISSISSIPPI.-They have been witnesses to the formation of two Treaties, that with G. Britain, and that with Spain, which secure to them every thing they could desire, in respect to our foreign Relations towards confirming their prosperity.-Will it not be their wisdom to rely for the preservation of these advantages on the UNION by which they were procured?—Will they not henceforth be deaf to those advisers, if such there are, who would sever them from their Brethren, and connect them with Aliens?— To the efficacy and permanency of your Union, a Government for

*These discriminations,

-the mere contrivance of the spirit of Party, (always dexterous to seize every handle by which the passions can be wielded, and too skilful not to turn to account the sympathy of neighbourhood,) have furnished an argument against the Union as evidence of a real difference of local interests and views; and serve to hazard it by organizing larger districts of country, under the leaders of contending factions; whose rivalships, prejudices and schemes of ambition, rather than the true interests of the Country, will direct the use of their influence. If it be possible to correct this poison in the habit of our body politic, it is worthy the endeavours of the moderate and the good to effect it.—[Supra, p. 195.]

† subject