Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1805-10-16
EKcM TIE B4LTIMeRF REPUBLICAN,, OR
ANTI.DEMoCRAT.
ESSAY XIII.
(ConchMed

vided between two Snffetes, or Kings, q
Senate, and the Assembly of the People,
The two kings were not taken from two
particular families. as at Laeedemon, bu'
elcesed annually, sometimes from one ia
niiy and sometimes from another. Be,
sides il vas required that they should be
PERSONS Of birth, properly, aud virtue.
Il was the Office Of the kinesto convene
the Senate, which was very numerous, and
70 preside aud deliberate in it, on peace and
war, aud the most important affairs otsthe
state. a body of magistrates to the num-
bar Of one hundred and four, had also q
aeat IN the Senate. These were appointed
TO main,ain, in that body the interests OF
She people. All questions under discus
SON in the Senate required an unanimous
voc. If opiaions were divided, the sub
iscswas referred TO the assembly OF the ma.
ton. In this assembly :he kings and sena'
tors explained the reasons which had united
or divided their sufrages; and then every
citizen had right TO oppose or appreciate
the measure. (1s7)
On this system the Stagyrits remarks
" Although tbs origin of Carthagenian go
yernment remounts to very ancient date,
abd though. for many centuries 1t has con.
,aiued within its bosom numerous and
free people, yet Carthage has never to the
rsr.sent day experienced one sedl.ion wor.
thy of record, nor has it ever endured, tor
a. moment, the cruel yoke OF tyrant.'
(i3s)
"The disproportionate increase OF any
of the constituent parts of a government
is not less fatal to the political, than a: dis
proportionate increase of any organ TO tn
natural body. Let any of those parts be
changed. whether in quantity or bulk, ~
organization or in form, new governments
must result, specifically different from the
old. Such alterations happen sometimes
gradually and impercepsibly, at other,times
suddenly and palpably. Soon after the
Persian Invasion of Greece, the flower OF
the Tarentine nobility were cut OFT IN bat
tie against the barbarous Japgians; aad
this disaster, diminishing, by Sudden
Jerk, the weight of the aristocraey enabled
the people TO change the mixed pol'ty OF
eTarentum into a simple Democracy. In
the Lacedemonian war, the Athenians
were Summoned 10 the field, in the order
of the muster roll, and the most distln.
puished of the citizens thus suffered great
and instantaneous dinhnutlon, which ope-
~ ted the same effect upon the form OF go
yernment, aswoald have been produced by
ssudden and disproportionate increase 81
IL - -. ,,t,l-ra - sTf.<Q1
Governments are changed when the
relative Importance of their constituent
parts is altered. During the Persian war
the council of the Areopagus, by the Wis
dom aud srmnssssof its measures, aoqu'r-
ed lust rcnown and the merit OF this ri
bunal, composed OF the principal eltlzens'
tended to invigorate the aristocrAcy. bar
soen aflerwardsthe A,healan seamen, con.
sis.ing of the lowest rabble, having gained
the battle of Salamis, sand thereby raised
sheir country to the sovereignty OF the sea,
increased the weight of the democracy 10
a far greater propDrtiou." (f4o)
sSLn like manner, by the destruction OF
the proportion between its constituents
parts. the Syracusan marines having con
eusred the Asheniaps, changed the m'xed
polity ofaSyraoose into simple democra-
sy." (tt19
6 Dissimiiitude in the character of the
citizens is ever nnfriendly to the publis
tranquility. A heterogeneous assemblage
of mixed tribes cannot speedily coalesce
ina nation and communities which have
grown populous by sudden accessions. are
generally torn by sedition. After the ex'
passion of their tyFan.s, the Syracusaas
enrolled as citizens mercenaries and to-
reigners; dissentions and battles eesued
Amphipolis admitted colony from Chai
els most of the original inhabitants were
driven into banishment. So trus it is, tia
(f37 J Fsr The n,tfbarifiesson zghich Ties