Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1803-12-30
POLITICAL SKETCHES.

cans, besides . love of liberty and hatred
oftyranny /; particularly q discriminating
intelligence, public spiritedness, purity.
Of morals and steady habits. The .repub-
lies of Asia and Europe were subverted,
and most Of them terminated in horid
despotisin, net BY reason that the people
who composed those republics were DIES,
titnte oflove for their own personal liber-.
", for the love ofikdf IS as natural as
the love of life but because they did not
love and practice the virtues which are
the stability Of 4 republican government,
because they had become cofruPtin their
morals and manners, because suffering
themselves to be duped BY the khavish
artsof demagogues, they depressed good
nle,, and promoted and exalted the bad.
The fellowingiines of DR.. Young are
particularly applicable to republics:
g Whatever secondary, props may rise !;
From politics, 70 build The pubic peace, :
The basis is me MANNERS Of he land 1.
Hlbe,i roftrx these, the poEticidn's zOiLes 3
Bat struggle NTH destruction; AZ a child
IHtth giants liitsge Or giants ruth q 9ope."
i. 10 the republics Of Greece, :. liberty
subsisted in its excess, It's delirinm, ter
riblein It's charms, and glittering 70 the
last with the blaze Of the ERE that con-;
sunled II. And how came il 70 pass
that It was consumed at al. and especi-
ally so quickly The Greeks were IN
telligent, they were brave, they were
ardent, and were Jealous Of their rights
in the extreme but they were capricious,
rash, precipitate and violent: their wi
sest and best men were often consumed
BY the heatof theirsudden and l.iuding
fury, while artful demagogues, aatter-
ing their prejudices and infiaming their
passions with ealunnies, made each sub
servient to their own selfish views.
The Romans, for long time, were 4
very sedate peoples simple in their rnnn-
iiers, steady in their, attachments and
habits, industrious, frugal, stangers TO
luxury, contemners of wealth, content
ed with 4 bare competence. yeneraters
ofreiigion, sirict Observers of oaths and
promises, enth1siastic lovers Of their
country. Long eoasinuing 10 cultivate
those republican virt1as, they long pre-
served theiriiberty nor ID they become
the abjeet vassals Of despaism, till BY
the loss of their pristine natE9al charac.
ter and by aeeneral depravatioasef man
ners, they had prepared themselves for
the degradation Of such acondition. The
Romans, in the time Of julius Cesar,
having become in their manners and sha-
bits, h,,ireiy different from their plain
and virtuous ancestors, an essential
change in their government was the ma
tnratand inevitable consequence ~
fwa centuries ago, the people Of Hot
land nearly resenibled the old Romans.
Like them they were poor, and like
them they were Industrious, frugal har-
dy and brave: and every partial and
minor interest was made to yield to the
love Of country. Under those favorable
circumstances, the tree Of LiScFty, nou.
rished at the root with genuine republi-
can virtues, grew and ilourished, and.
It's fair branches overspread the land
but as public and private yurtae decay-
ed, this tree continued to withsr till il
became a sapless hideous trunk, mere
skeleton of It's former substance. Look
at Holland now. 8 How fallen, how
lost r . Her glory Is departed ]" her
liberties and her Independence are gone,
perhaps, forever. Sheis perhaps sub
iugated province Of France, and has on
" the name ola nation. And was this
direfui event merely the result Of extsr.
nal intrigues and violence Not So
time was when the Hollanders would
have repealed even the most mighty and
desperate invader, OF died ins,he last
ditch. Time was, when they resolved
4 One remarkable p,sef of thc steady
habits effhe cd Romaas tl'as this .--tts''
Anskands had ne pouoey u putting aupay
- ~ Al -.