LETTER TO 



right, even by accident, which is very hard ! The rapid extension 

 of settlements to the West of the mountains is, in my opinion, by 

 no means favourable to the duration of the present happy Union. 

 The conquest of Canada would have been as dangerous ; but no 

 more dangerous. A nation is never so strong and so safe as when 

 its extreme points feel for each other as acutely as each feels for 

 itself ; and this never can be when all are not equally exposed to 

 every danger ; and especially when all the parts have not the same 

 interests. In case of a war with England, what would become of 

 your market down the Mississippi ? That is your sole market. 

 That way your produce must go ; or you must dress yourself in 

 skins and tear your food to bits with your hands. Yet that way 

 your produce could not go, unless this nation were to keep up a 

 Navy equal to that of England. Defend the country against 

 invaders I know the people always will ; but, I am not sure, that 

 they will like internal taxes sufficient to rear and support a navy 

 sufficient to clear the gulph of Mexico of English squadrons. 

 In short, it is my decided opinion, that the sooner the banks of 

 the Ohio, the Wabash, and the Mississippi are pretty thickly 

 settled, the sooner the Union will be placed in jeopardy. If a war 

 were to break out with England, even in a few years, the lands of 

 which the Mississippi is the outlet, would lose a great part of their 

 value. Who does not see in this fact a great cause of disunion ? 

 On this side the mountains, there are twelve hundred miles of 

 coast to blockade ; but you, gentlemen Prairie owners, are like a 

 rat that has but one hole to go out and to come in at. You express 

 your deep-rooted attachment to your adopted country, and I am 

 sure you are sincere ; but, still I may be allowed to doubt, whether 

 you would cheerfully wear bear-skins, and gnaw your meat off 

 the bones for the sake of any commercial right that the nation 

 might go to war about. I know that you would not starve : for 

 coffee and tea are not necessary to man s existence ; but, you 

 would like to sell your flour and pork, and would be very apt to 

 discover reasons against a war that would prevent you from selling 

 them You appear to think it very wicked in the Atlantic People 

 to feel little eagerness in promoting the increase of population to 

 the Westward ; but, you see, that, in this want of such eagerness, 

 they may be actuated by a real love for their country. For my 

 part, I think it would have been good policy in the Congress not 

 to dispose of the Western Lands at all ; and I am sure it would 

 have been an act of real charity. 



1030. Having now performed what I deemed my duty towards 

 my countrymen, and towards this country too, I will conclude my 

 letter with a few observations, relative to mills, which may be of 

 use to you : for, I know, that you will go on : and, indeed, I most 

 sincerely wish you all the success that you can wish yourself, 

 without doing harm to others. 



1031. You have no mill streams near you ; and you are about to 

 erect a wind-mill. Man is naturally prone to call to his aid what- 



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