7748. SECESSION, New England and.—
I am glad of an occasion of congratulating
you [William Eustis] as well as my country,
on your accession to a share in the direction
of our Executive councils. [Secretaryship
of War.] Besides the general advantages we
may promise ourselves from the employment
of your talents and integrity in so important
a station, we may hope peculiar effect from it
towards restoring deeply wounded amity between
your native State [Massachusetts] and
her sisters. The design of the leading federalists
then having direction of the State, to
take advantage of the first war with England
to separate the New England States from the
Union, has distressingly impaired our future
confidence in them. In this, as in all other
cases, we must do them full justice, and make
the fault all their own, should the last hope of
human liberty be destined to receive its final
stab from them.—
To William Eustis.
Ford ed., ix, 236.
(M.
Oct. 1809)
See Eustis.
