Jenks' Portland gazette. Maine advertiser. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1802-1803, 1803-02-21

iecoIiect IN the histoTy OF the agrarlan
law in Rome, iomething int,udive.
Founded in robbery aad plumber, The
never felt thole arong foundations in
relIg on a the ancient eaf-rn, peaceful,
happy empires, Or the weaern chritiaR
nations, which form the republic Of ever
lt.iviag Europe. much lefs Gill than
New Eng land, Eftsd far II, in is puri
ty AMI growing 10 al its branching hon.
oTs from This tron8 ground. In Rome,
an idle, ProAigate pogulace. always ~
debt, were always claiming 4 new ii
yili1n ot lands, when in the courf- OF
induit'y and providence, they had fal
zen ia,o other hands. To employ hem
out of the way, they were led TO war
and plumber and to feed them, one
notion after another was conquered and
drained. Indulgence only increaiad
demands, until they were at length
intuely fupPorted from thefe conquered
provinces. Their religion. as poor as
i was, furniihed the f-natc and the
laws with their chief defence in the in.
iurreaions of thele people They fear
e. the gods and would always wait
for the augurs which, connected with
the ienate and laws, would oppola and
queil the lurge un,il atheiEr1 AID con
iequent pr efficacy, as in France, com
ing in like food, twept away this aad
every other barrier. All Italy ar length
becoming Roman citizens. 70 enter into
this trade Of war, the multitude privi
eyed TO live in idlenels, on the largefes
o. their demagogues, from the public
granaTies, became too great aad ltroag
tor the laws, TOO bad tor the reGraints
OF religion, and ioon made their leaders
the military matters OF The fate, that
thsy might feize all and then, as in
the ihoIr lived French republic, the
fword Of conful or emperor,took place
OF their feeble religion, law and liberty.
Every long allowed iDjuttice in a
multitude, will inevitably out root al
religion and morality; ard a den of
thieves, baDditti, or tribe Of robbers
is eflblihed, as in Arabia or B4rbary.
The man who lives il known wee
wilhes th1re were no God multitude
70 dong viii loon FAY there is none; OF
they will imagine him h" altogether like
themlelves." The Roman plundereys
called him at length nothing but For
tune-The French philosophers sailed
him Fate, Nature, Chance, all things,
any thing or nothing, TO fuit their pur
Pofe and Purfuir. And much ike thef=
are the vagaries Of the brutal in6del
or mad enthuGaa among ourftlves,
equally letting Aide Gods moral char
attcr, his true 8lory-Some of the lat
Ter, fpoi'ad BY prelumption, and others
by dnpair -Some expecting (alvation,
do what they will, and Others damna
ton, be and do what they may
while a generation ariiing, ignorant OF
better principles. will become barbarous
and ripe for the enterprises of their
demagogues.
Thefe are fome Of our dangers; our
duties are plain. And thall we DO more
with or without Mahachutetts towards
The infruefion and reformation OF this
watt territory The bulinefs Of govern
ment IS not hyiical, but moral. 1t will
not clear and plough our grounds, but
cultivate our minds and manners, in
the fra place and It's Taft but leaf
duty is TO protect our Perlons and pro
Perty againit others by punilhing the
crimes it cannot prevent. Its belt buff
nels and greateR glory is by proper in
ltItutioDs to prevent crimes, by promot-
ing Piety and virtue.
Religious inltrudion mould be the
prime obied in fchools, and that frG,
beit fcho0l, we'll ordered family. Re-
ligion is the only fource and support Of
morality. Men DO NOT naturally love
or fear ore another 70 much as tc do all
their duties to fociety, aud relif every
tecret temptation to Plealure, profit or
pride. 1t is thar band from the common
parent Of all the family of man, that