a variety of
climates and productions, and a capacity of sustaining a population
greater, in proportion to its extent, than any other territory of the
same size on the face of the globe.

By a concourse of various circumstances, they found themselves, at the
epoch of their independence, in the full enjoyment of religious, civil,
and political liberty, entirely free from any hereditary monopoly of
wealth or power. The people at large were in full and quiet possession
of all those natural rights, for which the people of other countries
have for a long time contended, and still do contend. They were, and you
still are the supreme sovereigns, acknowledged as such by all. For the
proper exercise of these uncontrolled powers and privileges, you are
responsible to posterity, to the world at large, and to the Almighty
Being who has poured on you such unparalleled blessings.

Your mission is, to improve the state of the world, to be the "Model
Republic," to show that men are capable of governing themselves, and
that this simple and natural form of government is that also which
confers most happiness on all, is productive of the greatest development
of the intellectual faculties, above all, that which is attended with
the highest standard of private and political virtue and morality.

Your forefathers, the founders of the Republic, imbued with a deep
feeling of their rights and duties, did not deviate from those
principles. The sound sense, the wisdom, the probity, the respect for
public faith, with which the internal concerns of the nation were
managed, made our institutions an object of general admiration. Here,
for the first time, was the experiment attempted with any prospect of
success, and on a large scale, of a Representative Democratic Republic.
If it failed, the last hope of the friends of mankind was lost or
indefinitely postponed; and the eyes of the world were turned towards
you. Whenever real, or pretended apprehensions of the imminent danger of
trusting the people at large with power, were expressed, the answer ever
was, "Look at America!"

In their external relations the United States, before this unfortunate
war, had, whilst sustaining their just rights, ever acted in strict
conformity with the dictates of justice, and displayed the utmost
moderation. They never had voluntarily injured any other nation. Every
acquisition of territory from Foreign Powers was honestly made, the
result of Treaties, not imposed, b