t furnishes a pretext for abridging the liberties of the people， the latter have the most direct and permanent interest in preserving the landmarks of social order and maintaining on all occasions the inviolability of those constitutional and legal provisions which they themselves have made.
in a supposed unfitness of our institutions for those hostile emergencies which no country can always avoid their friends found a fruitful source of apprehension， their enemies of hope. while they foresaw less promptness of action than in governments differently formed， they overlooked the far more important consideration that with us war could never be the result of individual or irresponsible will， but must be a measure of redress for injuries sustained voluntarily resorted to by those who were to bear the necessary sacrifice， who would consequently feel an individual interest in the contest， and whose energy would be commensurate with the difficulties to be encountered. actual events have proved their error； the last war， far from impairing， gave new confidence to our government， and amid recent apprehensions of a similar conflict we saw that the energies of our country would not be wanting in ample season to vindicate its rights. we may not possess， as we should not desire to possess， the extended and ever-ready military organization of other nations； we may occasionally suffer in the outset for the want of it； but among ourselves all doubt upon this great point has ceased，
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