Jenks' Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1803-1805, 1805-01-28
lIreir T7rmbfr, ss3.

| ## II
The Contribution olthis tate unites rs
Gill moie cloiely for ctr common faitty
ana happisefs. II is founded on 'ac bats Of
equal liberty, and its value c2ss f.os ID.
pear 70 lie l1iIened in the eailaation &. tie
jneoPte, By the experience Of more than
twenty Years ;--eur country Eousiihes. in
peace and wealth, 'ainl We NAV he
thoushf, from the(@ favorable eiFcumfsa-
oes, TO b out Of reach Of danger. j Bat
when ~e. iee othe- Republics diigracef,d-
i. renorncing the fruit Of their fufiSrings
md exploits, and ianely lubmi,ing to The
coatroul ofMaaers,r we ought atleait. 70
reaztt. on the, caulss of their, fall. and
eoaAaer OF thes means BIZ vhieh We
Maybe guart4l .ssainif ike desrada
.5ion.op fsn,-ea, ge., $50. -.
lrwin.'l think be agreed that knowi
edge and virtuein the body OF the people,
are ellential TO the fupport Of q, free gov
esnnenf.-Wifhout them we Mould read
iiyiubnir to any artful Ulurper..,sThe
hrlt iettlers Of this State, aware Of their
inporlanees adopted every expedicns in
their power 10 promote them and 70
long as We preeorve unimpaired the in
fruefions which, have been .ranfmitted
70 us BY the wifdom of our ancel}ofs,
and retain their purity Of manners, and
the lefons which they iacu1catei, we may
hope 70 be exqmff fran the vicilitaies
10 which otasr nations have been .exao-
led.d ...g ~ e.y.sl
oisRelig'eaS principles and inlfroaions
ARE .neceflarg 10 aiir Gov4rnmeais, and
officially 70 Republics. The teachers Of re-
lisior Of whatever denonima,ion fneY. are,
- their moral inltfpcfioRs, may have
much inapencein NPholding the order OF
ioeiery, and regulating rhe conduct ofthc
people ,--sAeir Offices would therefore
lie OF great imPoffanes, even il they had
no higher objects III view. But all aa-
Mons have exfTefed a reverence for the
Deity, ana Lave united ii the belief that
lone mode OF wcrla:p is necefary TO obs
tain his favo Within a few years, ip~
deed, an experiment has been made by
the people OF France Of rsnouneing reli.
gion.; bur We have now fsen the tendes.
cy and termination1et their fyiten. To
enumerate the iniirufions elsabiilhed
by ourfanceRors might be theugbt fu-
Perhuous; many Of them, and particular
|. rhofs which related 10 education, are
fill maintained, and we every day expo
rience theif beneficial effects. May their
tpoi'erity not only preferye their inlfi-
tunons. but practice their manners and
virtues r1rr, 1
Its often faid, that mott of the Repub-
lies which | have referred TO, were con-
quered By their more powerful neigh.
bours, and that our remote ftuation from
Europe enfurcs the fafety of our gov.
ern,ile.tS. m .s ef,u
Perhaps thefe otferyation are not 70 cor
rect as we arc inclined TO believe. Free
States are in much greater danger from
tn cir own depnavity, than from external
enemies. The vices, ditorders and divi.
lions in former Republics, have in all caE-
es occa6onej their ruin. 1t wall be difslcrl.
TO find an inaance, where free and CIV
il;zei people heve been conquered, who
had not aegenvrarcd from that yisruc by
which tbef liberty was eRablifhed. When
they are furrounded by other narions, they
conhdcr them AS Watching 10 take advan-
rage of their folly and weaknels !; this re-
fiction operates as conltant check upon
their diforaesly paaion;. fan invalioa is
threatened and any public fpi.it remain il
he people, d,eylsy aide private animoG-
ties anG unite for their common defence
--ln.this manner the apprehension of dam
ger from abroad has in nuinberleis inaan,
tes prevented contention at horne. Our
i.lAnilrt from I,,ras.e ,1-iu Il :, f1.-4..-..~