The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-12-04
Fran he Leisure on
SO c \ I C c O n o NJ Y.
AMERICAN CITIZENS.


vi this uomenteus cri6s of human hitory,
produced ty the aeve rate &C iste!!!!et9s III Oh
itrvation and fcience, having outtripped the
powers Of contemplation and fagacity lhal
expoie 20 Jour attention the phyiical, moral and
political fate OF your country, rather than any
rehned' p!ars OF prosG:s, reforms and innovati-
ons, which would be prepoferous in your ad-
Vanced fate of political perfe6tibility.
1t is aitoDifhing how forcibly the truth of ma
tnre is rumpled by the pleat of opinion under
this Influence there has not appeared Jingle
poht'cal writer upon the policy of America, that
mas not twiited its condition and circumstances
INTO the pleat OF European opinion. / felt this
influence upon my mind for a long time, atho'
no individual ever poilelIcd temperament more
.hiPoied to rejndge its judgments, to examine
its decihons, or TO ruminate its opinions, ac-
guired by the fpirit of universal travel; which
hayingerafed the prejudices of local education,
had made my mind pure and unblotted tablet
to take the impretiion of natural truth, qualified
o. thofe of practical life. Notwithstanding
this purity ofinteetiual temper, my mind was
10 propo'iefled with the writings of political au-
thors, that obitrved nothing but the CONTEXT of
popular and regal government, and the conltant
experience OF all hifory, that had confirmed the
Deceiiity and recttud- of hereditary power
HE death of George Wilmington, aiiti tie rx-
trlordInary change OF public opinion in thofe
principles and opinion, which his luxurious in
ie2rty and confidence hadimpofed upon them,
brought my mind into new examination and
more original view OF American policy. OBJ
icrvtd the condition of the American people to
differ from all the nations of the world, both an
Gent and modern, in two mott important cir
cumitances, viz.-The equality of property and
extent or territory to dilute and perpetuatc it.
This lingular condition ofiHdividual indepen-
dencc, power and felicity, muR require code
ct poicy as different from other nations as the
eiencnts of land and water require different
laws for their inhabitants. In Europe property
ymonopoliZed without any capacity of dffu-
ion, OF equalization in uloccupied territory.
and holds the balance of power between the To-
VerSign and the fubiett. When the overeign
threatens, 1t iecSs refuge in popular liberty, as
IN the feudal wars of barons and mobiles; and
whenthe people tireatenit flies to the fovereign,
IS in the difputes Of the Palricians and Pebeisns
in the Roman republic.
Democracy being regarded By property, its
greattit enemy defpotiim, has every where been
eitablifhed as its ultimate protector, and popular
liberty was loft and abandoned as incompatible
with the lecurity of properly, the foe Object OF
focal rcouomy. This inei(imahle boon Of ma
tire, equality OF property and territory to per-
petuate it, il properly attended to AID inceGaut-
ly contemplated by American citizens, NUT
conciliate all parties 30 the preponderating and
inYncible power of natural democracy, found
cd, not on She speculative rights Of man, or re-
fined axioms Of opiniOBatiye politicians (whof-
minds can examine consequences only and not
prsmies) but cha5hed on the nmutable BATS
ofequll property, as a phyfca force, that may
from time 10 time be ihaken by internal difIen-
hpn, but can be broken and dfiolved only by
the phydcai force of foreign conqueR.
ihali now endcayOurtO cxhi5t, with ms much
originality OF ohfrrvatioD, the caufe of political
dliiention, as 1 have expofed 70 your view the
unknown and uniuipected baiis of American
coniederaey. Ia my moral reiearchcs in this
country, MY understanding has been frequently
perpleXed with the nicknlncs attached to poll
teal opinions. heard the name Of fedcralih
and republican given as the Characteristic ap-
pelhtiOn OF the friends and foes TO liberty but
how great was my afouhmert when, III con-
Vcik,lion with the mof JEALOUS Of both charac.
lev, iourd the fedcraiiit a fdluch republican
and the republican itaunoh feGelaliA without
any exception, Tie federaif dcfred no change
Ia ihe contribution TO hereditary power, and the
iepublican nlewcd no DIP, G.ion TO abofh the
executive and Enete in TIE Establishment of
iimp,e nat mai aHcrbiy or pure dcmocracy.---
Tbs one as faid TO b- of the rriih snd the
Cher o! the Frcgch faction, and never met
wiki dIkie American o. any denomination,
who did not hold ~ sbhorrcnce the union O,
~ -iiSsn is.ere's ',i'L any foreign power.