Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1802-11-09
GOVERNORS SPEECH.
eutl1lren 6ftks Camel, and

!
| Geutltmen fix Couuel, and
HoAje If Rebre/entatiOfs.
There cannot be more important CIVIL
truh than that which our conhituents have
| aligned to Us. To detgnate ,hofc officers
on whole deciGon all that belongs to lie,
liberty or property may depend, IS
weighty and ferrous tr2nfattion. lnttead
| of being a matter of intrigue, psr'y OF
! .elfih policy, it requires all the calmnei'
of wifdom, all tie dlGnterettednefs OF viz
tue. Nor could there be more untortu-
| nate error, than TO make thole civil ap.
! polntmcnts, which by our contribution
mutt be annual, matter Of private friend
hip, interef, party, or faction. You
will meet this part of your buhnefs, gen.
tlemen, with all the calmneis, impartiall-
~ and attention to TIE public good,
which the honor and intereft Of the fate
eG:ntially require.
One of the greateR misfortunes that
attend republican governments, is the pro
grels and violence Of party fpirt. We
need not recuf TO ancient hiHory for proof.
Our beloved Wilmington with all his mo-
deration, wifdom and prudence, was not
able to repreis this defrudive fpirit {; we
know that an ardent love for his country,
and a life devoted TO It's fervices with the
mott upright intentions, did not lhied him
and his meafures from its rlalignantefctfsl
it exifed in his day, and has long pro
grcned with time, and increaied with VIC
lence till now.
10 a government where the honors and
emcluments Of public Offices are alike open
to all citizers, il will be natural for many
to appear as candidates for public spproba-
ton and employment and many good
effects will arif. from fpirit OF emulation,
enterprise and ambition let them be well
directed, and under proper regulations,
they will give rife TO the noi} neceAdry
and uletul public exertions. But when
ambitious men become inhsIaed 70 as to
produce violation Of the laws of virtue,
the defru2ion of private characters, the
propagation Of talfehood and landcr, and
an eRablifhed and rancorous ipirIt Of par
ty, they introduce fome of the WORT evils
into civil foc;ety. One part of the ccn-
munity becomes inAamed sgain& the other
d ff.rert parties are ranked under different
leaders they have different views and
aims, and forgetful OF the public good, are
mott Of all active and violent TO accom-
plith their own particular purpofes. 1t
cannot be in luth fate Of things, bat
thar the public interee will be facrihced
10 private views ard the more engaged
men are in fuch purfuits, the more the
public intereA mutt fufer, and tie public
peace be endangered.
Republican Governments cannot be
maintained, bu, by union of the wis
and the good. 1t requires the abilities
and exertions of the wlleit and mott viz
tuous in every country, to direct the pub
lie affairs, to refrain the vicious, togiye
the l.ws proper direction and energy
and to Keep up ,hote civil and moral ~
hi,utions, on which the exifence and
fafety Of civil fociety eifen'ialIy depend.
Thofe therefore, who, from fpirit of
party or perfonal ACKNOWLEDGMENT, labor
to divide and influence one part of the com
munity againt the other, whatever mo-
tives add principles they may avow, are
the grea'ett enemies, to our Republican
Contributions and forms of government,
A remedy for lhefe evils, 70 pernlcious
10 iocie,y, is not within the reach of Lee