The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1784-01-06 00:00:00, page 1

From the Connecticut Gazette.
An ADDRESS of bis Excellency Governor
TRUMBULL, to the General Afembly and
the Freemen of the State of Connecticut; declin
ing any further Election to publick office.
With the Resolution of the Legislature, in Conse
quence thereof.
To the Honourable the Council and House oj Re
presentatives, in General Gvarr afombled, Octo
ber, 17^3--
Gentlemen,
A Few days will bring me to the anniver
sary of my birth ; seventy-three years
of my life will then be completed; and
next May, fifty-one years will have pas
sed, since I was firft honoured with the
confidence of the people in a publick character. Dur
ing this period, in different capacities, it has been my
lot to be called ro publick Service, almost without in
terruption. Fourteen years I have had the honour to
fill the chief feat of government. With what care
fulnefs, with what zeal and attention to your welfare,
I have discharged the duties of my leveral Rations,
some few of you, of equal age with myfelf, can wit
ness for me from the beginning. During the laR pe
riod, none of you are ignorant of the manner in which
my publick life has been occupied ! The watchful
cares and solicitudes of an eight year's diftrefiing and
unusual war, have also fallen to my ffiare, and have
employed many anxious moments of my latest time;
which have been cheerfully devoted to the welfare of
my country. Happy am I to find, that all these
cares, anxieties and solicitudes, are amply compen
sated by the noble profped which now opens to my
fellow-citizens, of a happy establishment (if we are
but wife to improve the precious opportunity) in
peace, tranquility, and national independence. With
sincere and lively gratitude to Almighty God, our
great protector and deliverer, and with most hearty
congratulations to all our citizens, I felicitate you,
gentlemen, the other freemen, and all the good peo
ple of the state, in this glorious profped.
Impressed with these ientiments of gratitude and fe
licitation; reviewing the long course of years, in which,
through various events, 1 have had the pleasure to
serve the state; contemplating, with pleating wonder
and fatisfadion, at the close of an arduous contest,
the noble and enlarged scenes, which now prefect
themselves to my country's view ; and retleding, at
the fame time, on my advanced Rage of life; a life,
worn out almost in the constant duties of office, I
think it my duty to retire from the busy concerns of
publick affairs ; that at the evening of my days, I may
sweeten their decline, by devoting myfelf with less
avocation, and more attention, to the duties of reli
gion, the service of my God, and preparation for a
future and happier date of existence; in which pleating
employment, f shall not cease to remember my coun
try, and to make it my ardent prayer, that heaven
will not fail to bless her with its choicest favours.
At this auspicious moment, therefore, of my coun
try's happiness, when Ihe has just reached the goal of
her wishes, and obtained the object for which ihe has
so long contended, and so nobly struggled, I have to
request the favour from you, gentlemen, and through
you, from all the freemen of the Rate, that after May
next, I may be excused from any further service in
publick life; and that, from this time, I may be no
longer considered as an object of your fuffrages for any
publick employment in the state. Ihe reasonableness
of my request, I am persuaded, will be questioned by
no one. The length of time I have devoted to their
service, with my declining state of vigour and a&ivi
ty, will, I please myfelf, form for me a fufficient and
unfailing excuse with my fellow-citizens.
NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
At this parting address you will fuffer me, gen
tlemen, to thank you, and all the worthy members of
preceding aflemblies, with whom I have had the ho
nour to ad, for all that assistance, counsel, aid and
support, which I have ever experienced during my ad
.miniftration in government ; and in the warmth of
[Vol. VIL]
TRENTON: Printed by ISAAC COLLIN S, Printer to the Srte.
TUESDA Y, January 6, 1784.
gratitude to assure you, that, till my latest moments,
all your kindness to me shall be remembered; and
that my constant prayer shall be employed with hea
ven, to invoke the divine guidance and direction in
your future councils and government.
Age and experience .tTUate to me, and the zeal with
which I have been known to serve the publick, thro'
a long course of- years, will. I trust, recommend to
the attention of the people, lome few thoughts which
I Shall offer to their consideration on this occasion, as
my last advisory legacy.
I would in the firft place entreat my countrymen,
as they value their own internal welfare and the good
of pofferity, that they maintain inviolate, by a ftrift
adherence to its original principles, the happy consti
tution under which we have so long subsisted as a cor
poration; that for the purposes ^f national happiness
and glory, they will support and ftiengthen the fede
ral union by every conßitutional means in their power.
The excellence of a Congress, veiled with powers
competent to the great national purpoles for which
that body was instituted, is eflential to our national
Security, cftabhlhment and independence. Whether
Congress is already vested with such powers, is a
quettion worthy, in my opinion, of the most serious,
candid, and dispassionate coufideration of this legisla
ture, and those of all the other confederated Rates.—
for my own part, I do not hesitate to pronounce, that
in my opinion, that body is not poffeSled of those
powers which are fully adequate to the purposes of
our general fovercignty ; nor competent to that energy
and exertion of government, which are absolutely ne
ceflary to the management and direction of the gene
ral weal; or the fulfilment of our own expectations.
This defeat in our federal constitution, I have already
lamented as the cause or many inconveniencies which
we have experienced ; and unless wifely remedied,
will, l forefee, be productive of evils, disastrous, if
not fatal, to our future union and confederation. In
my idea, a Congress inveßed with full and fufficient
authorities, is as absolutely necessary for the great
purposes of our confederated union, as your legisla
ture is for the support of internal order, regulation
and government, in the Rate. Both bodies should be
intruded with powers fully fufficient to answer the
design of their several institutions. Their powers should
be diftind; they should be clearly defined, ascertained
and underßood. They should be carefully adhered
to; they Should be watched over with a wakeful and
distinguishing attention of the people. But this watch
fulnefs is far different from that excess of jealousy,
which, from a mistaken fear of abuse, withholds the
necefiary powers, and denies the means which are es
sential to the end expelled, just as ridiculous is this
latter disposition, as would be the practice of a farmer,
who should deprive his labouring man of the tools ne
ceCary for his business, left he should hurt himfelf, or
injure his employer, and yet expels his work to be
accomplished. 11ns kind of exceSlive jealousy is, in
my view, too prevalent at this day; and will, I fear,
if not abated, prove a principal means of preventing
the enjoyment of our national independence and glor%
in that extent and perfection, which the aspect of
our affairs (were we to be wife) so pleasingly promises
to us. My countrymen! fuffer me to aft, who are
objects of this jealously i—Who, my fellow-citizens,
are the men we have to fear? not strangers, who have
no connexion with our welfare ! —no ! they are the
men of our own choice, fiom among wurfeives; a
choice (if we are faithful to ouifelves) dictated by 'the
most perfect freedom cf election ; and that election re
peated as often as you c.n with, or is confident with
the good of the people. They are our brethren, act
ing for themselves as veil as ter us, and Sharers with
us in all the general birtnens and benefits. They are
men, who from intei est, affection and every social tie,
have the fame attachment to our constitution and go
vernment as ouifelves;—why therefore fliould we fear
them, with this unreasonable jealousy? In our pre
sent temper of mind, ire we not rather to fear our
selves? to aear the popriety of our own elections?
or rather to fear, thatfrom this excess of jealousy and
milbuß, each one cautious of his neighbour's love of
power, and fearing left if he be trusted, he would
misuse it, vc Shall lose ill confidence and government,
THE
and every thing tend to anarchy and confufion ? from
whose horrid womb, should we plunge into it, will
fprmg a government, that may jußly make us all to
tremble.
^'h"^^ ^ that 'f° r tlie fu PP° r t of national
" h "° d , honour as wed as domedick tranquility,
they would pay the ftiiCteft attention to all the sacred
ru ,,° f J uftice and equity, by a faithful observance
and fulfilment of all publick as well as private engage
ments. 1 üblick expences are unavoidable; and those
of the late war, altho' they fall short of what might
hate been expected, when compared with the magni
tude of the objed for which we have contended, 'the
ength of the contest, with our unprepared situation
and pecuha^y of emeumßances, yet c J uld not fail to
''r as they m ,y appear to be , wh
for the defence of our invaluable rights and liberties
the support of our government, aid our national ex
igence, they hate been incurred and allowed by those
whom, by your own choice, you have delegated
the power, and a fhgn e d the duty, of watching over
the common weal, and guarding your interests ; their
pubhek engagements are as binding on the people, as
; and are t 0 be Charged
with the fame good faith and punctuality
I most earnestly request my fdl ow . c ii zens , that
they revere and pradile virtue in all its lovely forms -
thrs b^g the surest and best eßablißment of national:
as ! e " as P" va ;e felicity and prosperity.—That, dif
nr,g as well all local and confined prejudices, as un
itßonable and excedive jealcuhes and suspicions, they
F ™;° and h , mon y with each other, and with
the leveral parts of the confederated republick That
they pay an orderly and rfeful regard to the laws
and regulations of government; and that, making a
judicmus use of that freedom and frequency of elec
tion, winch rs the g reat security and palladium of
them rights, they w,ll place confidence in their pub
lick officers, and submit their publick concerns, with
cheerfulness and readiness, to the decisions and de
°a c : n ^ efs and their ° wn legislatures ;
whole cohered and united wisdom the people will find
to be a much more lure dependence, than the uncer
tain voice of popular clamour, which most frequently
is excited and blown about by the artful and defign
mg part of the community, to 'effect particular, and
often urnes Imifter purposes. At such times, the
Ready good fenle of the virtuous publick, wifely ex
erctled in a judicious choice of their representatives
and a punctual observance of their collected counfels,'
is the lureft guide to national intefeft, happiness and
security.
finally, my fellow-citizens ! I exhort you to love
one another; let each one study the good.of his neigh
bour and of the community, as his own ; hate ftrifes,
contentions, jealoulies, envy, avarice and every evil
work, and ground yourselves in this faithful and sure
axiom, that virtue exalteth a nation, but that fin and
evil workings, are the deßrußion of a people.
1 commend you, gentlemen, and the good people of
the Rate, with earnestness and ardour, to the blefiin^
and protection, the counsel and direction, of the great
counfellor and director; whose wisdom and power is
fufficient to establish you as a great and happy people:
and wishing you the favour of this divine benediction',
in my publick character—l bid you a long—a happy
adieu.
I am, gentlemen,
1 our most obedient humble Servant,
( Si g°cd) JONATHAN TRUMBULL.
A true Copy, examined by
GEORGE WYLLYS, Secretary.
State of CONNECTICUT.
M a General /ffembly cf the Governor and Com
pan) of the State of Connecticut, in America ;
held at Nev-Haven, on the second Tburfdav of
October, A. D. 1783.
WHEREAS his Excellency Jonathan Trum
bull, Esquire, Governor and Commander in
Chief in and over the State of Connecticut, has Signi
fied, in an address to the General ilfiembly, to be
communicated to their constituents, his detire that he
[Numb. 295.]