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PAPF.ns OF ~fmA:nEAU BuoNAPAnTE LAMAR
It may be truly said, that you are coming into existence, under circum- stances, in all respects, the most fortunate-In laying the foundation for your future prosperity, you possess advantages, which we never had-In the first place, _you have for a model in forming your Govern- ment, one, which with all its fault~ approaches nearer to perfection, I think, than any· other ever cli<l- We (that is the people or the United States) had no such model; there was none such in existence when the Colonists of this Country were Compcl'<l, (as you now are) by the oppressions of the liother Country, to stand upon their natural rights, & none such could be found in history-Neither Greece nor Rome, in their proudest days of liberty, afforded one; for tho' claiming to be free, their people hardly knew what the term meant.- Secondly; You have an experience, which our forefathers had not-The errors which coul<l not be guarded against by them, because not forsecn, are known to you, & may Le avoided. Thirdly; Almost your entire population ma_y be said to have been cradcl'd in the lap of liberty, & reared up in that School which best teaches the rights of Man- Ours, was edu- cated to be! ieve, that "Kings can <lo no wrong," or in other words, the earliest notions of Government implanted in their minds, were essen- tially Monarchical- And Fourthly; The limits of your Territory (tho i:;ufficiently extcnsi ve for all the purposes of external security) are com- paratively small; hence your people will be identified in interest, in feeling, and in manners, affording thereby, the best guarrantec against internal commotion & discord; and I need not say to you if there be a rock, upon which our political institutions are destined to be shat- tered, that rock will be found in the discord to which a diversity of feeling on the part of our people, growing out of a diversity of in- terest, will give rise.- But with all my prepossessions in favor of your Country, & my entire convictions of the high destiny which awaits it, I am not yet satisfied, that it is altogether proper for me to remove to it-Upon this subject, I should like to hear your opinions, fully expressed- Candidly, I know they will Le, if expressed at all.-Thus far, I have seen only the bright side of the picture; its more sombre tints have uot been presented to my view-That there must be some disadvan- tages, I am well aware; it would be an elysium without; but of the nature & charaC'ter of those disadvantages, I am wholly uninformed; & until informed, I can brina- my mind to no definite conclusion as to the c'ourse I should adopt- 0 Were I ambitious of political distinction, I should do wrong to remove from this Country; my prospects in that respect, are as flattering here, as I could wish- Florida wilJ bccof!le a member of the Union at no distant day, & if I do not greatly 1111s- conccivc the position which I occupy in the public estimation, I thi!1k I may confi<lently anticipate holding any situation uncler the nuthort~y of the State, which my inclination might induce me to seek- But m a pecuniary point of vie"·, I have less to expect- In truth, l nm 1~ot, nor l11we l e,·rr heen, a money maker; & were I to turn my attention to it now, whic·h I sometimcf.: think of doing, this is not. the Country in w_hich I shouhl he most likely to suerccd, or in whic·h I wou_ld prd_Pr making the experiment: & hclie\"in~ yours to br rnstl,v su1wr1or to 1t, I would like to know more nbout it.- I must therefore be~ the favor of yon, to enlighten me on the subject, which you can clo b_,. informing
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