Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1805-10-15
ESSAY xxi.

: Government, according TO our feeble
lights, necessarily results from the nature
of RAn and the nature Of man from the
arrange ment of the dioine being. The 6rss
family composed the first community and
: the 6rstsunioa of several families the first
governsneat; "a disposition of thingsis In
dispensabte- to the increase, and preserva.
ton of the human species, as was the ex.,
issence Of the ,Gtst family. This simpl.
view Of the originof government iavolves
IN il no absurdity. contradiets no history,
anl accounts naturally for all the phcaome.
IA, ltexhibits government, what it is, of
divine origin, not an evil but good; all
though, like many of the Deity's' other
Blessings to mankind, it is often abused
and perverted.
Taking up the first element of govern.
fnent, single family; we all know, be-
cause tie self-evident, that its peace, or
der, aad happiness, depend upon It's seye-
raj members con6ning themselves to their
respective duties and functions. la like
manner, the peace, order, and happiness
of any union of families, depend upon the
members thereof moving seyerally within
their particular orbit, and each performing
his allotted part.
There are required, for the preservation
of every union of families, certain regu.
1atious, or laws. These necessarily grow
out of the circumstances of each case, and
receive from it their complexion and cha.
racter; consequently they will differ from
eacn other according to the circumstances
which produce them. The laws thus estab.
lished become fundamental, or the consti-
tutiou of the united families. If these
should vest in the head OF each family the
right TO elect by plurality of votes, freely
and voluntarily given, a certain number OF
men 70 manage the concerns Of the whole,
and to make regulations binding upon each
individual, few ambitious men may not,
under any pretext whatever, combine, Sc
cretly or openly, to induce the voters to
follow their will in the choice of those TO
be elected. This combination, if success
2 full, would, d.s jacto, govern. Again, if
the fundamental regulations have vested IN
few men, freely elected by plurality of
the votes of the heads of families, the ex-'
elusive right TO make laws binding upon
the whole, IN angle person the executive
authorities of the state, aud in certain
courts all Judiciary power; neither the
whole, nor any part. of the people, may
say to the persons elected TO leglslate, you
shall make, repeal, or alter such or such
laws; to the executive, you shall appoint
TO Office, or remove from Office, this or that
man; nor to the judiciaries, you shall rem
der this or that sentence or Judgment
Every such exercise of power by TIE few
oven the many, or b. the many over the
few, or by one authority over another au-
thority. would be illegal, and subyersive of
the constitution.
II is of the last importance TO every go
vernmens, that all such usurpations pow
err shoald be5sepedily defeated, & their au-
thors pointedly disgraced. Unfortunately
for mankind, attempts of this nature have
but too often proved successful. The peo-
pie not perceiving the consequences to
which they invariably lead, and fattered
by the immediate qualification of some pas
sion, or the promise of the emoval of sofne
presumed or triaing Inconvenience, fall in
tathesnare and become the obedient' pup
pets of the usurpers. Itbclongs only to a
wise people. and not always to them, to ar
rest, IN their FIRST stage, all such procedures
or attempts at innovations IN those institu-
~tions aud constitutions under which they
haveslived tree, prosperous, aud protect
ed.
I-etus nowretern to facts and authors
ties.
According TO the celebrated citizen of
Ssagyra, !" revolutions in governments
sometimes happen in CONSEQUENCE of the
eventssof time and chance, independently
of human design, orhumaa foresight. la
Oligarchies, and what we have called Re.