8679. UNION (The Federal), Self-government and.—
I regret that I am now to
die in the belief, that the useless sacrifice of
themselves by the generation of 1776, to acquire
self-government and happiness to their
country, is to be thrown away by the unwise
and unworthy passions of their sons, and that
my only consolation is to be, that I live not to
weep over it. If they would but dispassionately
weigh the blessings they will throw
away, against an abstract principle more
likely to be effected by union than by scission,
they would pause before they would perpetrate
this act of suicide on themselves, and
of treason against the hopes of the world.—
To John Holmes. Washington ed. vii, 160.
Ford ed., x, 158.
(M.
1820)
