Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1801-1806, 1802-12-04
THOMAS PAINE,
TO f5s Cfnzens of the United Statss.

N the affairs OF the Country 20 which am
/ \ returned are of more importance 10 the
world, and TO me, than OF that have lately left
tor il is through the new world the old mua Dc
regenerated,f regcneraied at sll) ihall NOT take
no the time Of the reader with account of iccncs
thar have psd:d in France, many Of which arc
painful 20 remember and horrid 70 relate, bat
come ar once 70 The ciscumitances in which
find America on my arrival.
Fourteen years and fomcthing more, have
produced change, at l.sa among part of the
people. and ak myielf what il is ! 1. meet or
hear OF thouiands of my former connections who
arc men OF the fame principles and friendships
as when left them. But non-deEcript race,
and of e9o;yocsl generation, aHaming the name
OF Federalys,, name that dcicribes no character
of principle good or bad. and may equally he
applied 10 either, has hace fausd up with the
rapidity of mufhroom, and like muihfoon
il withering on ITS rootIefs fslk. Are thole
men /edsraiySd to fupport the liberties Of their
country or 20 oyerturn them ! To add 10 its
fair fame or riot on its fpoilsf The name con-
fains no defined idea. Ii is like John Adams
definition of republic in his letter TO Mr..
Wythe Of Virginia. H6. iays he. an empire
TlaIcs and nor ef men. Bot as laws may be
bad as we'll as good. an empire Of laws may be
the belt ofgovernmcnts, or the WORT of all ty-
Ispnies. But John Adams is man Of para
doAical hcreGcs. and conieqoently OF bewil-
deied mind. He wrote book entitled " 4
Deftnee gf fbe Ameriean COaa.tSfio~s," and the
principles OF il arc an attack upon them. But
tne bo5 k is deiceaded 10 the tomb Of forgetful-
nets, aud the betf fortune that can attend its
author, quietly to follow iis fate. John was
NOT born for immortality. But to return to
fcdcralifIn.
In The hiaory of parties and the names
they ahume. it ofsen happeos, that they hoiih
by the direct contrary principles with which
they profef, TO begin, and thus it has haPpened
with fcderalifm.
During the time of the old Congrcis, and
prior 10 the eaabllihmcnt OF the federal Gov
crnrent, thr continental! belt was too loofely
buckied. The feveral States were united in
name, but not in fact. and that nominal union
hsd oeisher centre nor circle. The laws of one
State frequently intersersd with, and fometimes
op?ofed ihofe of another. Commerce between
State and Sta,e was without protection, and
confidence without point TO reit on. The
condition the country was in, @as spty def
criSed by Peistah Weofer when he iaid. ''fkir-
seen faVet axd ne'er a taap qviU ast make a tar
yel."
II then by fedcraIiR is 70 be undcraood,
one who was for cementing the Un,on by a
general government, operating equally over all
the States in all matters that embraced the COM
mon intereft, and 20 which the authority of rhe
States fevetaIiy was nor adequate. for no one
State can make la ~ to bind sonther, il FAY by
fcderaltt is meant Perton of this defcription,
(and this is the origin OF the nsne) Oagbs 10
aani f,a on tbe p Of Jed,r0ias. for the proPo-
ftion for ettahliihing general government over
the Union came originally from me in 1888. in
a written memorial to Chancellor Llviogaon
then Secretary for foreign affairs to Congreis,
Robert Morris minaer Of finance. and his aiIo-
ciate Gcvcrncuf Morris, all OF whom are now
livioe. and We had dinner and conference at
Robert Mcrris's on the lubjee. The occaion
was as follows.
Congreis had propoied duty Of five per
cent on imported articles, the money TO be ap-
piled as iund towards paying the intereh of
loans TO oe borrowed 10 Holland. The rciolve
wa. feut to the ieverai States to be enaded into
laS. Rhode Iland abiolutely refufed. j
was at the trouble Of a journey TO Rhode Hand
to resfon with them on the fubjett. Some other
OF the States enatted il with alterations, each
one as il pleafed. Virginia adopted it. and af-
ter ards repealed it, and the affair came to
nothing.
Ii was then viGble, at leaf to me, that
either Congreis mutt frame the laws necchary
for the Union, and fend them 70 the feveral
States to he cnregiaered without any altera-
tion, which would in itielf appear like uiurpa-
tion on one part, and paHive obedience on the
other, or fome method muR be deviied to ac-
coDplih the fame end by conaitoVional pTinci-
pies aud the propoG,ion made in the memori-
al, was, TO add continental hgyqatar 10 Csn-
srsjf to Be eLe7ed By fks Jfutyal SfGhS. The
propoG,ion met the full appreciation ci The gen.
tlcmen 20 whom il was sddrefed, and the con-
verlation turned on the manocr of bringing il
forgasd. G. Morris, in walking with me at
ter dinner, wiihed N. to throw out the idea in !
the nexfpspers. replied that did not like
10 be always the propofer Of new things, that IL
would have too aGoming an appearance; and
befdes, k5as I did not ibiak sbs esEnty qoa,
gsiie 4D,ong essngb 10 be pit right. Iemem-
ber giving the fame reafon TO Doctor RUN at
Philadelphia, and TO Gen. Gates, at Whole
quarters fpent aday on my return from Rhode
I0and, and fuppofe ttey will remem yer il,
becaofe the obicryation feemed to Hrike them. \
Bet che esnbarraiIments ercrcaeng as they /
ncceiarily mott from the vans OF better, ce-
4 a(~A