Thomas jefferson letter to john taylor, june 1, 1798
by thomas jefferson
1
. . be this as it may, in every free and deliberating society, there must, from the nature of man, be opposite parties, and violent dissensions and discords; and one of these, for the most part, must prevail over the other for a longer or shorter time. perhaps this party division is necessary to induce each to watch and delate to the people the proceedings of the other. but if on a temporary superiority of the one party, the other is to resort to a scission1 of the union, no federal government can ever exist. if to rid ourselves of the present rule of massachusetts and connecticut, we break the union, will the evil stop there? suppose the new england states alone cut off, will our natures be changed? are we not men still to the south of that, and with all the passions of men? immediately, we shall see a pennsylvania and a virginia party arise in the residuary confederacy, and the public mind will be distracted with the same party-spirit. what a game too will the one party have in their hands, by eternally threatening the other, that unless they do so and so, they will join their northern neighbors. if we reduce our union to virginia and north carolina, immediately the conflict will be established between the representatives of these two states, and they will end by breaking into their simple units.

2
seeing, therefore, that an association of men who will not quarrel with one another is a thing which never yet existed, from the greatest confederacy of nations down to a town-meeting or a vestry; seeing that we must have somebody to quarrel with, i had rather keep our new england associates for that purpose, than to see our bickerings transferred to others. . a little patience, and we shall see . . the people recovering their true sight, restoring their government to its true principles. it is true, that in the mean time, we are suffering deeply in spirit, and incurring the horrors of a war, and long oppressions of enormous public debt. but who can say what would be the evils of a scission, and when and where they would end? better keep together as we are, haul off from europe as soon as we can, and from all attachments to any portions of it; and if they show their powers just sufficiently to hoop us together, it will be the happiest situation in which we can exist. if the game runs sometimes against us at home, we must have patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning back the principles we have lost. for this is a game where principles are the stake. .

according to jefferson's letter, how are the states connected?

a
they function better independently.

b
their actions affect each other.

c
their similarities promote unity.

d
they share fundamental tendencies.