LETTER II. TO [PART III. 



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 pro 

 duce 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 Mis 

 sissippi 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 attach 

 ment to your adopted country, and I am sure 

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

 doubt, whether you would cheerfully wear 



