field, to beard him in his den, as the disposable resources of the country will now admit. Nor will anything short of these preparation, either hold him in check, or inspire him with a due concern for his own safety. The next best policy, to that of dragging the enemy after us, and with him, the war, out of our territory, and giving him active employment within his own; is that of presenting to his view on the verge of ours, and occasionally within the border of his, a calm, bold, and menacing front. No language is so well understood by a belligerent, as that of preparation. The meaning of this, is seldom mistaken, or disregarded. I l is addressed to the head, as well as the heart, and carries a weight, and importance along, always entitled to respect, and aJways, so treated. The adoption of this policy too, whilst its energetic and determined prosecution is calculated to thrill the enemy with concern for his own safety, and inspire him with fearful apprehensions for the future, as well as the present; will gain time for Texas lo organise a government, put its different departments in operation, arrange and systematise its finances, weight, measure, and accurately estimate their probable extent, and to put them in a train of active, and successful development. It will afford time too, for the government to act understandingly, on the important, highly exciting, perplexing, and much embarrassed subject, of its public, and vacant domain; to settle, and wisely dispose of all doubtful, or conflicting claims; clearly to discriminate between the appropriated, and unappropriated portions and so to economise the use and disposition of the latter, as to convert it into a blessing by making it a cement to unite, instead of permitting it to become the baneful solvent of the social fabric. Much may, in this way, be done towards circumscribing, limiting, and impoverishing the field of future litigation. And how can the statesman better deserve, or recommend himself to the confidence of his country, than by anticipating the approach of the most afflicting malady to which the body politic is exposed and by eradicating, in the germ, its yet dormant elements, before they have warmed, and quiciened, into life and action'? The bitterest reproach, and one too, the best founded, ever yet preferred against the American character, is, their almost univernl, and unappeasable propensity to encourage, and support litigation; and the willing alacrity, with which they but loo frequently, wa~te
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