Republican gazette — Concord, N.H., 1801-04-16 00:00:00, page 1

COPY of Mr. Jefferson's LETTER,
• in nfelj to one addrtffei to bim by a citizen of Berke
ley. Monticello, Seyt.q, 1800.
Sir, YOUR favor of Aug. 26, has been
duly received, & is entitled to my thank
fulnefs for rthe personal considerations
you are plea fed to express in it. How
far the measure proposed might have the
expeaedeffea, you can 'beft judge ;—
however, in the great exercise of right in
which the citizens of America are about
to ad, I have, on mature consideration,
seen that it is my duty to be passive.—
The interests, which they have at flake,
are entitled to their whole attention, un
biaffed by personal esteem or local con
siderations; and I am far from the pre
sumption of considering myfelf equal to
the awful duties of the firft magistracy of
this country. That there should be dif
ferences of opinion among our fellow
citizens, it is to be expelled always. Men
who think freely, and have the right of
expressing their thoughts, will differ, It
is true that these differences have of late
been artfully encreafed; but they are
now again subsiding to their natural lev^
cl, and all will soon come right, if no a&s
of violence intervene. The great quest
ion which divides our citizens is, wheth^
er it is fafeft that a preponderance of
power should be lodged with the monar
chical or the republican branch of our
government? Temporary panics may
produce advocates for the former opin
ion even in this country ; but the opin^
ion will be as short lived as the panic,
with the great mass of our fellow citizens.
<EVERY I day produced new evidence of the great
philanthropy, talents add patriotism of Mr. Jef
ferfon. The letttet from that gentlemen td his
'friend in Berkeley county, (which we publish)
does equal honor to his headland heart : and
must convince those who haveperfecuted him,
that he is not an enemy to peace and harmony,
but a decided supported of every principle of
Representative Govern ment, and of Liberty.
'Few men, indeed, who like Mr. Jefferfon, had
been the obj&bf eternal slander and reproach
would have manifefted as much benevolence
and forbearance towards their enemies, as he
has done in this letter, which we value the more
because it contains the foontaneous effufiohs of
bis heart. Itwas written in answer to a letter,
and solely tor the fatisfaaion of his friend.
Virginia Examiner.
Netwitftanding every thing that may be feid to
the contrary, is still FREE for men to express
their Political opinions $ whether they be called
Democrats or Federalists. And, nbtwithftand
iog the foiitary attempt which has been made,
in its infancy, to bring it into contempt with
the public, and thereby “ take from the mouth
of industry the bread it has earned," and from
the printer the means of supporting his family,
yet, with grateful feniations, he acknowledges,
that the frequent and numerous additionsto
his Lift B^k, "speak better things ;" which,
if continued, will efablilh a wall around this
Gazette, that will blunt the arrows ofenvy,
and defeat the sophistry of its enemies.
# This Gazette has already an extensive circu
lation, from Portsmouth to Coofs.
LETTER or Mr.JEFFERSON,
0e Republican &a?ette,
political ffltocellanp.
REPUBLICAN GAZETTE.
concord, jiaetobampfoire, THURSDAY, April 16, ,801.—No. ii—Vot. L
There is one circumstance which will
always bring them to rights; a prepon
derance of the executive over the legis
lative branch cannot be maintained but
by immense patronage, by multiplying
offices, making them very lucrative, by
armies, navies, &c. which may enlist on
the fide of the patron all those whom he
can interest, and all their families and
connexions; but these expenses must be
paid by the laboring citizen; he cannot
long continue, therefore, the advocate
of opinions, which, to*fay only the least
of them, doom the laboring citizen to
toil and sweat for useless pageants.
I Should be unfaithful to my own feel
ings, were I not to fay, that it has been
the greatest of all human consolations to
me, to be considered by the republican
portion of my fellow citizens as the fafe
depositary of their rights. The firft wish
of my heart is, to fee them so guarded as
to be fafe in any hands, and not to de#
pend' on the personal difpofilion of the
depositary ; and I hope this to be prac#
ticable as long as the people retain the
spirit of freedom. When that is loft, all
experience has shewn, that no forms can
keep them free against their own will.
But that corrupt state of mind must be
very distant, in a country where; for ages
to come, unoccupied foil will still offer
itfelf to those who wish to reap for them
selves what themselves have sown.
Our chief object at present should be,
to reconcile the divifi ^ which has been
artificially excited, and to restore focie^
ty to its wonted harmony. Whenever
this shall be done, it will be found, that
there are very few real opponents to a)
government elective at short intervals.
Accept assurances of the refped of,
Sir, ,our very humble feruant,
•THOMAS JEFFERSON.
Part, Spirit.
AMIDST the agitations of parties, the true point
of wisdom and the line ofjuftice, Teem to be over
looked or contemned. When parties are nearly
balanced, and violently opposed to each other, it
is a general rule, that it is better to do nothing,
than to carry a measure by a fm all majority ; ca
fes excepted which immediately concern public
fafety. A law 'that is opposed by. a great part of
the community, wifi be negleded, evaded or vi
olated ;' in either of which cases, government is
brought into contempt; or if executed, it fofters
a spirit of difaffedion, which gradually under
mines the party that favored the measure, and ex
alts their competitors to power.
get Not inapplicable in NewhampJhire,
SUPPOSE the General Court of Mafla
chufetts should require the town of Bof.
ton to build a 50 gun ship, under the di
redion of the lele&mep of the town. If
the town should refufe or negleff, would
the court in that case have power to re
cover damages of the feleHmen, exclu
sive of the town ? If the fele&men are
considered the town, in that case there
would be no need of calling on the in
habitants either to vote or pay the mon-
LIBERTY AND THE CONSTITUTION.
From the Worcester Independent Gazetteer.
Relative to choosing Electors.
Continued. ..
WORTHY-ATTENTION!
ey. It may be answered, that the lele&-
men may pay it ; and so may any other
body of men ; dbat is not the question:
But, whether they can be compelled to
pay it ? Or, iffhey should pay it, in that
case would they do right ? For I hold
it is as bad fora man to defraud himfelf
as to cheat his neighbor.
Some that I have had opportunity to
converse with on this fubjefl, fay when
we choose our representatives, we give
up our sovereignty to them ; which pro
position I deny. Sovereignty is the fame
in a Republic as a Monarchical govern
ment; and I believe no King will allow
that his sovereignty is given to his offic
ers, when he appoints them to tranfa&
his business ; if he should, by what way
could he regain it ? In that case, the of
ficers would have sovereignty, (if the
King had any to give) and he would
have none. But I fay Sovereignty is
not transferable; it is where the God of
nature has placed it ; and there it must
remain. {o° The writer might have
carried the idea a little farther; If Sove
reignty is given up to the Legislature, why
do the, not continue themselves in office dur
ing life; and appoint their fucceff ors?]
We fay in our declaration of rights,
all men are born free and equal, and it
will remain so as long as we support our
republican government ; and that right
they have not, nor cannot relinquish to
another. It is placed in every man, ev
ery citizen has a Constitutional right to
improve it, or exercise it. We fay also,
our government shall be a government
of Laws and not of men; but if we dife
penfe with the most important law- for
the fake of electing any particular man ;
do we not make it a government of men,
and violate the fundamental principles
ofour Constitution ?
By the Legislature choosing the elec^
tors, do they not fay the common peos
ple are not fit to choose their own office
ers ? Is it not faying, in apolitical sense,
as was said in a spiritual sense 1801 years
ago, "this people that know not the law
are accursed ?' But you may remember
the people made a wife choice, and I
doubt not they would at this day, if they
might have the liberty to exercise their
right. But I wish to enquire how the
people come to peso ignorant now,
when last spring they made choice of
such wife men for Representatives? Do
ye think they have loft all their judgi
ment since? If so, what a pity they did
not choose eleHors last winter when they
had their reason in exercise. But I have
a gleam of hope, that all the wisdom of
this Commonwealth is not confided to
the General Court; if it should be, I
think the state of Massachusetts is in a
poor situation.
A COUNTRY FARMER.
Harvard, fan. 9, 1801.
WHEN Freemen once tamely give up
their Rights, it will be difficult to regain
them. Usurpers are tyrants ; tyrants love
power, and hold fall what they get.
get What situation then, is the state of
Newhampfhire in ?.