General Smith's Views of the Powers and Policy of the Government of the United States

In Short

Written in 1844 as a presidential campaign platform, this political treatise assesses the severe moral and economic crises gripping the United States and offers a radical blueprint for national restoration. Drawing on the rhetoric of the Founding Fathers, the author proposes the peaceful eradication of slavery via federal land revenues, sweeping penal reform, the creation of a national bank owned by the people, and aggressive territorial expansion. The text remains an enduring historical artifact of nineteenth-century American political thought, reflecting the populist, religious, and constitutional ideals of early Frontier society during a period of intense national fracturing.

The Story

The argument opens with a passionate declaration of egalitarian principles, contrasting the high promises of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution with the grim realities of nineteenth-century America. Millions of individuals remain bound in perpetual slavery based on skin color, while honest citizens suffer under harsh penal laws and arbitrary legislation. The author surveys the current state of the republic, praising early American statesmen—including Washington, Franklin, the Adamses, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and Jackson—who managed the nation with virtue, expanded its borders, paid off the national debt, and fostered economic prosperity. Their stewardship served as an example of righteous governance, where the state acted as a benevolent servant to all its citizens regardless of rank or background.

However, this golden age of American liberty has suffered a steep decline. Political corruption, partisan strife, and the self-serving ambitions of modern politicians have fractured the Union. Speculators, demagogues, and weak chief magistrates have allowed lawlessness to flourish, leaving citizens unprotected against mobs and economic ruin. The political machinery of Congress and state legislatures has grown bloated, expensive, and distant from the needs of the working people. To arrest this decline, the treatise presents a practical and visionary program of systemic reform aimed at restoring the republic to its original purity and strength.

At the heart of this platform is a comprehensive plan for social and economic transformation. Slavery must be eliminated by 1850 through a national buyout funded by the sale of public lands, compensating slaveholders while guaranteeing liberty to freedmen. The justice system requires a complete overhaul: traditional penitentiaries should be transformed into educational institutions, and non-violent offenders should perform public works rather than languish in dungeon glooms. Economically, the country must establish a nationally owned central bank with state branches to ensure a stable currency, eliminate predatory brokerage fees, and return profits to the public treasury.

Finally, the treatise envisions a vast, inclusive American empire founded on peace and liberty. The federal government must protect the rights of its citizens against internal and external violence, expanding its borders to incorporate Oregon, Texas, Canada, and Mexico whenever those regions desire to join the Union. By reducing the size and salary of Congress, eliminating military court-martials for desertion, and placing moral honor at the center of public life, the nation can shed its barbarous practices and establish universal brotherhood under God.

How It Unfolds

The promise of liberty The author outlines the fundamental rights guaranteed by the nation's founding charters, contrasting those elevated principles with the systemic evils of chattel slavery, economic disparity, and harsh judicial punishments currently afflicting millions of residents.

The heritage of the founders A detailed historical review highlights the accomplishments of early American presidents, demonstrating how virtue, frugality, and wise constitutional leadership once produced national unity, total debt elimination, and widespread domestic prosperity.

The descent into corruption The text details the sudden decline of the republic under recent political leadership, attributing current national distress, mob violence, and economic stagnation to partisan factionalism, selfish ambition, and unconstitutional overreach by greedy demagogues.

A blueprint for radical reform The author proposes concrete policy changes, including the immediate reduction of Congressional pay and membership, the total abolition of slavery via federal land revenues, and the replacement of prisons with educational seminaries and public work projects.

Economic and territorial expansion The argument concludes with a call for a nationally owned banking system to secure a uniform currency, paired with an invitation for peaceful territorial growth encompassing Oregon, Texas, Canada, and Mexico to create a continental realm of freedom.

The People

The Author (General Joseph Smith, Jr.) A political candidate and religious leader who seeks to reform the American government from its foundational roots. He positions himself as a universal friend to all humanity, driven by a desire to eliminate social inequality, end slavery peacefully, protect civil rights against mob rule, and restore the nation to its original constitutional ideals through energetic executive leadership.

The Founding Fathers Represented collectively by Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and Jackson, these historical figures serve as the moral standards of public service. They represent a lost era of selfless patriotism, fiscal discipline, and wise diplomacy that brought prosperity and international respect to the young republic.

The Modern Politicians Embodied primarily by Martin Van Buren and other contemporary party leaders, this group represents the forces of corruption, partisan division, and moral failure. Their pursuit of personal power and willingness to tolerate injustice have compromised the Constitution, weakened public trust, and driven the country toward moral and financial ruin.

In Its Own Voice

"My cogitations, like Daniel's, have for a long time troubled me, when I viewed the condition of men throughout the world, and more especially in this boasted realm..." The author establishes his deep personal and moral distress over the glaring contradictions between American democratic ideals and systemic human suffering.

"Unity is power; and when I reflect on the importance of it to the stability of all governments, I am astounded at the silly moves of persons and parties to foment discord in order to ride into power on the current of popular excitement..." A direct criticism highlights how partisan political tactics undermine national stability for personal advancement.

"Break off the shackles from the poor black man, and hire him to labor like other human beings; for 'an hour of virtuous liberty on earth, is worth a whole eternity of bondage!'" The central moral demand calls for the total eradication of chattel slavery in favor of paid, honorable labor.

What It's Really About

At its core, this treatise addresses the deep tension between the high ideals of equal rights and the harsh realities of systemic oppression within a democratic republic. It argues that a nation cannot remain prosperous or favored by Providence while tolerating human slavery, political corruption, and cruel penal systems. The text contends that true governance requires an unwavering commitment to the public good, where politicians serve as humble stewards rather than self-interested rulers. By proposing economic equality, financial stability through public banking, and the peaceful expansion of liberty, the work asks whether a diverse and growing society can unite around moral principles, mutual respect, and genuine human brotherhood without falling into tyranny or civil conflict.

Why Read It Today

This document offers a fascinating, unvarnished window into the political imagination of mid-nineteenth-century America. Readers interested in antebellum history, political philosophy, and religious history will appreciate its unique blend of constitutional enthusiasm, populist economic theory, and radical social reform. The text provides a compelling snapshot of an era when the nation was actively debating the expansion of its borders, the future of slavery, and the limits of federal power.

While the prose is dense and reflects the ornate, highly rhetorical style of the 1840s—complete with classical references, multilingual idioms, and period-specific political grievances—its core arguments remain surprisingly direct and urgent. The author's strong stance against chattel slavery and his forward-thinking proposals for prison reform and economic stability showcase an ambitious effort to solve the country's most intractable problems. Reading it today provides vital insight into the competing visions for American democracy that shaped the nation on the eve of its greatest historical transformations.