Secession seems to raise its interesting head more and more often as we read about the War of 1812 and the attitude of New England. Today we ran into the first challenge presented by the government doing something harmful to a section of the country. In this case it had to do with the Louisiana Purchase, and actually it's a little amusing. It seems that the Federalists, mostly rich men from New England -- important men, who married important women and raised important children -- it seems that these guys were upset because there were strangers in living in the Purchase. Mexican strangers, and French Acadians, and Spanish people who didn't know English and the traditions of English people.

Everyone then knew that those traditions were important, and that the people who followed them were the best of the best. God had scattered the seed of the strongest and the most favored of His children in the New England hills and along the New England coast. There were a few other English people, too, they acknowledged -- the Welsh in Pennsylvania, the Scottish in the appalachians (yes, sometimes the Muse doesn't know how to spell) and don't forget the Pilgrims, etc. As different as these groups were, they still had a basic understanding of what was fittin' and what wasn't. But those Spanish people -- or Mexicans, or French. They would weaken America, and since Jefferson had just gone ahead with the Purchase (no consultation with Congress, so no chance to be heard on the issue -- well, then, perhaps it was time to separate. It would have come as no surprise. It seems that no one really thought the entire landmass of north America would rest content under one set of rules.

And there is nothing in the Constitution that forbids separation.

That's an interesting thought in and of itself, but before the Muse goes off in that direction, there is another issue that comes to mind, at this juncture, and that is about the Ariyan. Since we definitely can't spell that, we'll break off until it can be looked up, and maybe the spelling of the eastern mountain chain, too.