Jenks' Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1803-1805, 1804-12-03

is fully implied in the havih doctrine of g pas-
five obedience and nonrefltance," which, at that
time, was echoed from the bench, from the bar
and from the pulpit, and was generally received
as facred, throughout the whole realm.
If we trace back the page of hiitory to the
early ages of The world, we fhall find, in the
grca; MATS of the people, the fame infability
and fcklenefs of character and conduct.
| The Hebrew nation had contribution of CT
vii government, tina, was famed and given
them by God hinifch; and, (thsugh not a mo-
del for any people differently 6tuated,) it was
srecifely iuited to their peculiar ftuation and
| circumstances. But far from being oontented
with this civil contribution, which the finger of
God had marked out for them, thcy ioon abhor-
red it, as they did the mamma, that was raned
down upon them from heaven. AS if they
were burdened with The privileges Of free
government and were determined to throw off
the ponderous load. they came to Samuel, their
venerable judge, and demanded radical change
| in their civil contribution, even the eitablsh-
nent of monarchy. Samuel brought their de-
| mand before the Divine Oracle, by which he
| was ordered to delcribe and iolcmnsy to declare
| unto the people The naiare OF kingly gov
ernmcnt and this he did in the words follow
| ing -" This will be the manner OF the king
! that fhall reign over you he will take your
ions and appoint them for himfclf, for his chart
OTIS, and to be his horfcmen; and fome lhall run
before his chariots And he will fake yonr
daughters TO be confectioners, and to be cooks
and to be bakers. And he will take your fields,
| and your vineyards, and your olive yards, even
the beit Of them, and give them, TO his fervants.
And he will take your men-fefyants, and your
maid-iervants, and your goodlieft young men,
| and your ailes, and put them to his work.-He
will take the tenth Of your fheep; and ye fhall
be his fervants."
Here is a juit and Rriking picture Of the pride
and luxury of courts, and Of the iervile and OPP
prehed condition of people, who are the vaf1as
of depot. This affecting representation of the
opprefion and bondage that would follow the
change of their government, did not, however,
produce any change in the determination OF the
people, Refufng to hearken to the voice OF
Samuel they faid, Nay, but we will have
King"
There are feafons of popular phrenzy, when
neither the voice of reafon, nor the voice OF
| God is heard when arguments are as unavail-
ing as would be feather or itraw, in oppofi-
to a fweeping hurricane, or to the failing tor
rent of Niagara.
The Oracle commanded Samuel to yield to
the voice of the people ard togiye them king.
The Grecian Republics, which were 70 jcal-
ous of power, that man who fhould become
even de]ervedly popular, would be liable to BAN
iihment by their Oifracifn, sunk, at length, into
the oppoGte extreme Of torpid indifference aud
deathlke calm. Their extreme jealoufy, as
well as ingratitrde, had withered the root of
genuine patriotifm. They had been toiled mp
on the boiterous lea of liberty, where they were
70 often wrecked by tempefts, and pillaged by
pirates, in the diguife Of friends, that they
grew weary of thevoyage, and were glad to put
INTRO any harbour, which might afford them
| momentary repofc. Their energies had been
fpent in mutual alterations, and their convuhve
ftruggles terminated in languor and lethargy,
out of which the laundering cloqnencc even of
Demofthenes could not awaken them Thus,
fome of the freeft, the mott ingenious, the mott
intelligent people, which ever lived upon the
earth, having fra become divided, debated and
corrupted, fell ar ealy prey to the ambition of
Philip and, as to that country. once famous
above all others, the Sun Of Libertyhas iet, per-
haps, to rife no more
We pats from Greece to Italy. We behold
and admire the republican virtues of the Ro-
mans - people, fobcr, grave, iteady in their
habits, defpiiers of wealth, contentedwith virtu-
ons poverty, and facrhcing every perfonal con-
liberation 10 the glory of the commonwealth -
Tier is feena Cincinatus, who was called from
his plough to command an army; and who, after
returning with the trophies of vittory,voluntar-
ly betook hirfrlf to the plough again. There we
fee Regulus, choGng to fuffcr the tortues Of
death, rather thant violate his parole, on the
one hand, or, on the other, to give the Roman
Senate finch ,dv;ce nc he deemed decradnp TO
the Republic. -Ibere alto we fee Brutus, lit
ting, axfully fevere, on the feat of juitice fac
rihcing his paterna feelings at the ihrine ofPat-
riotiim, and condemning even his own ions to
death, for exciting connections infavor OF royal
ity.
Was it roiIible that fuch people fhould yield