The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-05-30

nce the days of Henry, by any influence mort Of
that which he poieied among the powers Of Europe.
But the fame writer fuppofes that were il adopt
ed its benefits would be 70 coupieuous and univeral
as to fecure its continuance. Iqpeiion the probabi
ty of this fuppoition. What could fecure the men,
bers of this Diet from corruption There is bur
eeetual mode of recurring Them aud that is to make
it the ntere of none of the parties corrupt them
no other principle can be relied upon with fafety. In
an ailociaton Of this magnitude it is enough that
Mould be the ntere Of each of the afociated ates
to preerve the contribution but it mould be the in
teret of thofs who govern the aociated Gates. Now
as long as thefe governed by hereditary princes
who had an intere in extending their private domi-
Mons to the detrinent Of each other mutt be ex-
pe9ed that they would feek to encroach as much as
poible and violate the contribution by every means
| in their power. And as the federal government If
well administered, would prevent their doing it by
! force, the more efeaual way would be to corrupt
the members of the Diet 70 to patty the operation
OF the contribution, fupend ITS protection Of the weak
er acciates, and reefabli the yeLt of tie FrongeF
as in the prefent Gate of Europe This is favourte
ttate OF iocety for princes; tate of hazard inviting
them to plumber, and 70 far expo[mg them be plum
dered IN their turn, to afford conant pretext for
armies and navies It is what they call Independence
and notwithstanding it leads them every day to COM
NIT crimes for which they would hang hundred
ubje6s, they will agree be relrained by law
though the fame law would refrain their neighbours
who prey upon thcmlelves; though it would greatly
nereate their revenues, by increang the population
and the quantity of productive labeRr within their
donnions; and though it weud greatly lefen their
expences, by reducing almo nothing their con Rant
| preparations for defence,
But if the powers of government in every aociated
tate, were in the hands Of the people, in whom the
right reiides and if thee powers exerced in all
cafes by an equal representation, freely choen and
frequently renewed then would there be no perlon
I Interetcd he lip,;,e IF
| the detriment Of another then would no perion
attempt to corrupt the Diet violate the compact &
throw Europe back int 9ate of national anmofity
and prnceiy plumber then the farmer would be on
his own farm, aud the artifan in his own mop; and
whether his habtat'on included in the limits of
Pruiia or of Aulfria, whether it called protef-
tant or catholic, would be to him matter of in
tereif he would find equal protection in each
dittret, by laws made and obeyed by his own dele
| gates.
| A Confederation of States whole interior govern
ments ihould be founded on thee principles might
indeed extend through Europe with the proea of
| Henry ~. and be as lalfing as wa. imagined bv
the fervid benevolence of ST. Pierre but i, would
not be confederation of hereditary propretors of ma
| tions.
Hence wemay conclude, 70 far as the experience
OF mankind will enable us to judge from practice, &
10 tar as the nature of the cafe will 0renethen our
concuiions from theory, that comfortable advan-
| lie
among Rates, unlefs the fates themfevss are con-
itituted on the representative principle 70 as that
| the fyttem in both its branches may be the work
of the people, carried on for their benefit by per-
ions of their own choice, and under their own con-
| trout.
Second; In the other branch of the prefent exan;
nation, to difcover the efea of the representative
principle without the aid of federalizng, we falI
receive but little light from the experience of any ma
! ton. There is no example, within my KNOWLEDGE
ota complete representative government of an elder
date than thoie OF our own country and thofe were
efeetually federalzed as foon they were formed
and before IL is true that the government of Con-
nectieut and Rhode l1and were perfectly reprefeu
tative beforethe American revolution they are now
and fome other of their filter colonies had been a,
fome periods nearly 70. But their common tie with
the monarchy of Great Britain aniwered fome of the
Purpofes of federal union. They were not ndepen-
dent Ct no fate earth, in my opinion ought to be
called independent. For as fate really be 70
in fact it is only fource of falfe ideas of endlefs ca
lamities to have them 70 in form.
France, & the other new republics in Europe can
not be ad yet to have had much experience of the
representative principle. Their practical govern
ments are hitherto revolutionary; and mulf of necef
fifty continue 70 till the end of the revolutionary war
| which has been excited to defrey Them
There being therefore no example of real repreEen
| tative government except in the American States
and thefe being united by rong federal ties, we are
driven to theoretical inquiry alone for the opinion we
ought to form of the operation of tie republican
principle among individual and unconfederated hates
We ihould begin by obfervng that fuch ftates mutt
necehary be fmal, for the reaons already noticed
otherwife the representative energy cannot be well
preerved, nor the benefits Of equal government. be
experienced by every portion Of the people IF the
itates ima, their territories contiguous and their
governments independent, they will necefIary be RI
walls; there will probably be mutual reftriefions on
their trade for the fake of revenue there will be
forts and armies and generals; will not be long be-
fore fone citizens in each fate will conceive them
elves to have private property in thtr reflective
governments, and interef in extending the domi-
Mon OF their own ate, to the detriment of the o.
theirs; they will have fycophants fatter this fatal
ambition, places and patronage at their difpofal,
and number of new departments and their appenda-
ges to be created at the moment of rupture with
their neighbours.
The fri cannon fired between two rival nates in
this ituaon, may be taken the gna of the depar-
ture of liberty from them both. The power in each
fate becomes military military power is necenarily
concentrated in few hands, where it foon becomes
hereditary. The rea of the hiaory of fhch fiates
might well be written before they exit, as after
they are extinguifhed. But it would not be worth
writing at all; it would be but the repetition of
fomo indifferent chapter in the great hNory of DEPOT
i'm and war.
Since then, my fellow citizens, it is to you that we
mutt turn for the bef practical lefIons ou the fubed
OF government, in both the principles on which your
fyfem is founded, you will at LEAH acknowledge the
imporfance af n,sinta;nipre ,bora or.s:-i..