Let us now proceed to enquire, as i at first proposed, whether it be best the thirteen united states should be reduced to one great republic, or not? it is here taken for granted, that all agree in this, that whatever government we adopt, it ought to be a free one; that it should be so framed as to secure the liberty of the citizens of america, and such an one as to admit of a full, fair, and equal representation of the people. the question then will be, whether a government thus constituted, and founded on such principles, is practicable, and can be exercised over the whole united states, reduced into one state? if respect is to be paid to the opinion of the greatest and wisest men who have ever thought or wrote on the science of government, we shall be constrained to conclude, that a free republic cannot succeed over a country of such immense extent, containing such a number of inhabitants, and these increasing in such rapid progression as that of the whole united states. - excerpt from "brutus no. 1" written in 1787 according to the document seen here, which of these best describes a major concern of the author? a) the u. s. is becoming too big for its own economic welfare. b) the ability of such a large government to effectively protect all of its citizens. c) because of its size the u. s. government can not guarantee its citizens individual rights. d) an effective separation of powers is not possible in a country the size of the united states.