Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1805-08-26
gsoM rKR BALTIaoRE REPUBLICAN,, OR
ANrI. DEMOCRAT.
ESSAY V.

ESSAY v.
/ shall now proceed to consider the deh
risions of democracy quoted BY the Auro-
"a: and then 10 demonstrate fromshe de
finitions Of the mast accredited lexicogra,
piers. aud the writings of the ancienta, that
the essence Of democracy consists, SIN a
right IN ne Pe2Pss 70 assem6ls IA a'asay, or
collectively, to ea7ctla1ps."
The deepest thinker mall autiqHitv after
exanining and comparing the theory and
Tfaetlce. of upwards of tvs o hundred com.
uronweaishs, the Justly celebrated aristo-
Sc, WHOM the greas Locke, acknowledged
ga uastrr in politics" speaking OF the dlf.
fereD& kinds of government observes OF the
re ou5lic hat it is "prone 20 degenerate IN
70 dem9cracy."(s) Doctor franklin our
conntgy man, who WAS certainly well read
IN hauran nature, held on this point, the
opmtou of the S;agyrite. Being asked by
lads 81 Philadelphia, remarkable Tor wit,
aad eooi sense, on the dissolution ot the
convention which fra aed the constitution,
-.... well doctor, what have we, got! a
renublic, madam, it you can keep It. '-----
And wny not keep il "rejoined the Ia
dy. Because replied the doctof, the eo-
pie on tasting of this dish, are always dis
posed TO eat more of is than does Them
good
Sixteen years have not elapsed since
this prophetic answer of the doctor, ana
what do we behold! Mem openly and vo-
luntarily assuming the name of democrat, Z
loudly proclaiming the CONSTITUTION of tie
United States is democracy the 2meri-
can governments are in erery respect con-
bieteiy and perfectly densocrdcies,' and those
who viii not SO consider shem, are feoLS.
6sspicabte k11aoss, or impostsrs.'
Such IS the dogma and language IT the
Aurora. 90 That it is in the contemplation
of some men to convert our constitutions
into dem ocracies, may be fairly assumed
,-lr-adv been made "a this
cate; that II IS meant TO be perserxtred IN
eau scarcely be doubled.
La orderto introduce this form Of po
1icy. demagogues think they can never toe
much strengthen the popular party; child
rem descended from the lnter-marriages o
citizens and strangers, all sorts of materi
ais, however impure, are considered as
proper aliment for such government. "A,
bove all. demagogues must never cease &c
convince the people, that under their ia.
vorlte democracy, they will be at liberty to
live as they list. This will procure for
them the assistance of the majority; for the
greater part of mankind will always be bet.
terpleased to live lcentiously, than to sub.
mi. to the restraints of salutary discipline. q
50
Do you perceive aay resemblance in this
account OF the practices of demagogues ia
remote ages, and which in Athens. ac
-cording to Xenophon, placed the bad CT
tiZens IN better situation tnan the good
81 to what is in practice Ia the United
States Ought we to Ha.,er ourselves,
that practices which have been attended
with SO much success in other countries,
+ will produce no effect inthiss
l. is truth, well established by expert.
ence, that there is in every constitution, or
iotm OF government part OF 1t, whica
has tendency toocorrupsion, by which il
will be sooner or later destroyed, as that
part which sustains It's political life, has
more or less weighs and energy.
(s) Artist. de Rep. lib. ii.
() aurora 14th June, 1905.
81 Arist. de Rep.