urselv s fore was at the Ca ecy the should an ch a better long,) there is, after all, a large residuum of common sense; because I am convinced that, as long as the experiment continued to go on at all, there was no hope of its succeeding; and that the only chance for it not to fail was, if I may be allowed the Hibernian exaggeration, for it to fail entirely; that the only way of return, for a "state that is out of joint," to form and order is through chaos; that the principle of end ourselves tire decay is the principle of regeneration; that a total dishe Atlant solution alone vivifies the germ of new life; that a new same tat organization can only find strength in the putrescent fermeneasury, ctation of the old; and because reversing the argument of public cret Lucretius, who proved the eternity of the elementary atoms reen States of Nature by that of the system, which, however changed in position and arrangement, by their never ending combinations they perpetually renew and repair, I argue the duration of a government, essentially free and essentially republican in this country, from the immortality of those principles of justice and liberty, which have never before been in combination so unmixed with the heterogeneous fragments lle," the transatlf past social systems. However long and violent may be that ely expresseltercation (that α22λoτvñɛα, to use the expressive word which, e Inferno, in the phraseology of the Epicurean philosophy, expresses a ds, of which 1milar process of the physical elements) by which these hose which principles may type and shape themselves to each other, how ver numerous the forms of combination and the varieties of lovement they may try, I believe, that like those Epicurean toms, of immortal material, and strong in their solid simlicity, "immortali premordia corpore, solida pollentia simlicitate," they will at last combine themselves into one his experimnsistent and harmonious whole. hat, with m Le first expe ying it agai t; because our own i "Nam certe neque consilio primordia rerum Omne genus motus, et cœtus experiundo Whether it has failed or not, as respects ourselves, the grand experiment has certainly failed as respects foreign nations, and in producing that edifying effect which was anticipated upon the cause of liberty. If they thought the Confederation a failure, and were ready "to prophecy the American downfall" then, I see no reason why they should anticipate anything better now that we have made with a better Constitution, and in a second experiment reduced ourselves to the same helpless and desperate condition. The Atlantic bears across its waters, from its western shore, the same tale of distress, the same complaints of a bankrupt treasury, commerce and industry unprotected, destruction of the public credit, annihilation of the currency, dissensions between States, civil war, and an audible cry of disunion. “Quivi sospiri pianti, ed alti guai Paroli di dolore accenti d' ira Voci alti e fiocchi e suon di man con elle," and the conclusion, which they suggest to the transatlantic spectator, may very likely be not inaccurately expressed by the exclamation with which the poet, in the Inferno, introduces his disciple to the scene of those sounds, of which we have borrowed his description, to express those which now pervade our unfortunate country. "Noi sem venuti al luogo ov' io t'ho detto Che vedrai le genti dolorose Ch' hanno perduto 'l ben dello 'ntellettro." But as regards ourselves, I do not consider this experiment a total failure. But it is only because I know that, with men of energy and of fixed purpose, the failure of the first experiment for a great object generally leads to the trying it again, with new elements and a new mode of treatment; because I think that, but for that excessive confidence in our own invention and resources, unaided by experience, so common in this country, (of which we are likely to be well cured before long,) there is, after all, a large residuum of common sense; because I am convinced that, as long as the experiment continued to go on at all, there was no hope of its succeeding; and that the only chance for it not to fail was, if I may be allowed the Hibernian exaggeration, for it to fail entirely; that the only way of return, for a "state that is out of joint," to form and order is through chaos; that the principle of entire decay is the principle of regeneration; that a total dissolution alone vivifies the germ of new life; that a new organization can only find strength in the putrescent fermentation of the old; and because reversing the argument of Lucretius, who proved the eternity of the elementary atoms of Nature by that of the system, which, however changed in position and arrangement, by their never ending combinations they perpetually renew and repair, I argue the duration of a government, essentially free and essentially republican in this country, from the immortality of those principles of justice and liberty, which have never before been in combination so unmixed with the heterogeneous fragments of past social systems. However long and violent may be that altercation (that allŋλoruñɛiα, to use the expressive word which, in the phraseology of the Epicurean philosophy, expresses a similar process of the physical elements) by which these principles may type and shape themselves to each other, however numerous the forms of combination and the varieties of movement they may try, I believe, that like those Epicurean atoms, of immortal material, and strong in their solid simplicity, "immortali premordia corpore, solida pollentia simplicitate," they will at last combine themselves into one consistent and harmonious whole. "Nam certe neque consilio primordia rerum Omne genus motus, et cœtus experiundo Tandem deveniunt in taleis disposituras, Qualibus hæc rerum consistit summa creata, Whether it has failed or not, as respects ourselves, the grand experiment has certainly failed as respects foreign nations, and in producing that edifying effect which was anticipated upon the cause of liberty. If they thought the Confederation a failure, and were ready "to prophecy the American downfall" then, I see no reason why they should anticipate anything better now that we have made with a better Constitution, and in a second experiment reduced ourselves to the same helpless and desperate condition. The Atlantic bears. across its waters, from its western shore, the same tale of distress, the same complaints of a bankrupt treasury, commerce and industry unprotected, destruction of the public credit, annihilation of the currency, dissensions between States, civil war, and an audible cry of disunion. “Quivi sospiri pianti, ed alti guai Voci alti e fiocchi e suon di man con elle," and the conclusion, which they suggest to the transatlantic spectator, may very likely be not inaccurately expressed by the exclamation with which the poet, in the Inferno, introduces his disciple to the scene of those sounds, of which we have borrowed his description, to express those which now pervade our unfortunate country. "Noi sem venuti al luogo ov' io t'ho detto Che vedrai le genti dolorose Ch' hanno perduto 'l ben dello 'ntellettro." But as regards ourselves, I do not consider this experiment a total failure. But it is only because I know that, with men of energy and of fixed purpose, the failure of the first experiment for a great object generally leads to the trying it again, with new elements and a new mode of treatment; because I think that, but for that excessive confidence in our own invention and resources, unaided by experience, so common in this country, (of which we are likely to be well cured before long,) there is, after all, a large residuum of common sense; because I am convinced that, as long as the experiment continued to go on at all, there was no hope of its succeeding; and that the only chance for it not to fail was, if I may be allowed the Hibernian exaggeration, for it to fail entirely; that the only way of return, for a "state that is out of joint," to form and order is through chaos; that the principle of entire decay is the principle of regeneration; that a total dissolution alone vivifies the germ of new life; that a new organization can only find strength in the putrescent fermentation of the old; and because reversing the argument of Lucretius, who proved the eternity of the elementary atoms. of Nature by that of the system, which, however changed in position and arrangement, by their never ending combinations they perpetually renew and repair, I argue the duration of a government, essentially free and essentially republican in this country, from the immortality of those principles. of justice and liberty, which have never before been in combination so unmixed with the heterogeneous fragments of past social systems. However long and violent may be that altercation (that ɑllŋλoτvñɛia, to use the expressive word which, in the phraseology of the Epicurean philosophy, expresses a similar process of the physical elements) by which these principles may type and shape themselves to each other, however numerous the forms of combination and the varieties of movement they may try, I believe, that like those Epicurean atoms, of immortal material, and strong in their solid simplicity, "immortali premordia corpore, solida pollentia simplicitate," they will at last combine themselves into one consistent and harmonious whole. "Nam certe neque consilio primordia rerum Omne genus motus, et cœtus experiundo Tandem deveniunt in taleis disposituras, Qualibus hæc rerum consistit summa creata, |