“General Smith’s Views of the Powers and Policy of the Government of the United States,” circa 26 January–7 February 1844, Thomas Bullock Copy
Source Note
JS, “General Smith’s Views of the Powers and Policy of the Government of the United States,” , Hancock Co., IL, ca. 26 Jan.–7 Feb. 1844. Version copied ca. 7 Feb. 1844; handwriting of with insertions in handwriting of ; dockets in handwriting of and unidentified scribe; seventeen pages; JS Collection, CHL.
and the hopes of this beloved committed to the issue and the auspices of this day, I shrink from the contemplation, and humble myself before the magnitude of the undertaking.” Such a prospect was truly soul stirring to a good man, but “Since the Father’s have fallen asleep.” wicked and designing men have unrobed the government of its glory,— and the people, if not in dust and ashes, or in sack cloth, have to lament in poverty, her departed greatness: while demagogues build fires in the North and South, East and West, to keep up their Spirits till it is better times: But year after year has left the people to hope till the very name of Congress, or State Legislature, is as horrible to the sensitive friend of his Country, as the house of “Blue Beard” is to Children; or “Crockett’s” Hell of to meek men. When the people are secure and their rights properly respected, then the four main pillars of prosperity, viz: Agriculture Manufactures, Navigation and Commerce, need the fostering care of Government: And in so goodly a as ours, where the Soil, the Climate; the Rivers; the Lakes; and the Sea Coast; the productions; the Timber; the Minerals; and the Inhabitants are so diversified, that a pleasing variey accommodates all tastes, trades and calculations, it certainly is the highest point of Supervision to protect the whole, Northern and Southern, Eastern and Western, Centre and Circumference of the realm, by a Judicious Tariff; It is an old saying and a true one, “if you wish to be respected, respect— yourselves.”
I will adopt, in part, the language of Mr. [James] Madison’s inaugural address, “To Cherish peace and friendly intercourse with all nations, having correspondent dispositions; to maintain sincere neutrality towards belligerent nations; to prefer in all cases amicable discussion and reasonable accommodation of differences to a decision of them by an appeal to arms; to exclude foreign intrigues and foreign partialities, so degrading to all [p. 7]