The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-07-14

ASus ASSi IL my Nuty Ou tltS OCCASION, use
the freedom to which am accustomed, and
suggest the proprety of bringing forward
sumo system tina, shall be adequate to the
object. am clearly of opinion, that it is al
ready witain the power OF our legislative boz
DIES, both federal and provincial; but if it
Is not. the people ought toplace it there, and
see that It 's exercised Il is Certain that
the plan, it properly arranged and wisely
| conducted, would not be expensive And
there is no dout OF its absolute, irresistible
necessity, If We mean topreserve either our
representative principle or our federal UNI
/ on,
! 1t isnot intended that every citizen should
be judge or genera! or a legislator; buS
every Citizen is voter 1t is essential To your
| institutions that he should be voter, * Il he
mas not the instruction necessary to enable
nm to discriniinate between the characters
OF men, to withstand the intrigues of the wick
| ed, & to perceive what is right he immetii-
ate!y becomes tool Tor knaves to work with;
ne becomes both an object & an instrument If
corruption; his right Of voting 6e comes an in
Jury 10 himself and a nuisance To society. 1t
is IN this sense that the people are said 10 be
" their own worst enemies" Their freedom
| itself is found to be an indispensable Gala
Hiity and the only consolation Ca dreary
consolation indecd) IS, that II cannot last long
1he ti;ne is last approaching, when the U.
States Will be out OF debt, it no eXtraordina-
ny call for money to repel foreign aggression
should intervene. Our SURPLUS revenue al
ready affords the means OF entering upon
the system OK public works, and beginning
TO discharge our duty in this respect; The
report OF the Secretary of the treasury On
These works, which is OF ought to be in the
| hands OF every Citizen, will shew their Tea
sio!iity as to the funds and it developeS a
part OF the advantages with, which the sys-
ten must be attended. But neither thas
distinguished statcsm an nor any other human
being could detail and set forth ali the advan-
tases that would arise from such a system
carried to its proper extent. They are in
ca'culably great and unspeakably various.
L Ley could bind the states together in a
| hody OF union that every one could perceive,
mat every one must cherish, and nothing
Gould destroy. This of tsefis AN advantage
so great, if considered in all its consequences.
that 1t seems almost useless to notice any
other. II would facilitate the means of in
siructIns the people; it would teach them
to cherish the union as the source of their
happiness, and to know why it was so; and
this is a considerable portion of the educa-
ton they require. 1t would greatly increase
the value OF property and the wealth OF in
dwduals, and thereby enable them to aug
ment the public revenue. But what is more,
direct manner by enhancing The value of
! the public lands; which would thus sell
faster and bring higher price. In this
manner the first monies laid out by the go
vernment on roads and canals would be re-
productive property; it would be constantly
sending back more money into the treasury
| than was taken from it for this purpose. So
that all the advantages of every kind, public
and private, present and future, commercial
and economical, physical, moral and politi-
cal, would be SO much clear gain. There
would be nothing destroyed but errors and
preJudices, nothing removed but tho dangers.
| that row threaten our Invaluable instItutions.S
To do equal justice and give satisfaction
tothe people in every state III the union, the
| snms to be expended in each year should be
distributed III the several states according to
their population. This is the general I'M
Outstanding among the friends of the system;
I and the Secretary has not neglected to keep
IL III view In his luminous report.
Cur present Legislators ought to consider
how much true glory would rebound to them
from being the first to arrange and adopt
such system. How different from the false
glory commonly acquired by the govern
mehts OF other countries. Louis XIV. toiled
and tormented himself ard all Europe thro'
long lite to acquire glory. He made unjust
wars, obtained manv victories, and suffered
many defeats. He augmented the standing
armies OF France from 40, 900 to 200, 600 men ::
and thus obliged the other powers of Europe
10 augment their means of defence in that
proportion means which have drained the
Pablic treasures and oppressed the people
OF Europe ever since. And what is the glory
that now remains to the name of Louis XIVl
only the Canal OF Languedoc. This indeed
rs title to true glory ; and il is almost the.
only subject on which his name is now men,
toned in France but with oppreoium and de-
testation.
The government of England expended one
hundred and thirty-nine millions sterling in
the war undertaken to subJugate the Ameri-
can colonies. This sum, about six hundred
millions of dollars, laid out in the construction
OF canals at twenty thousand dollars a mile,
would have made thirty thousand miles of
canal ; about the same length OF way as all
the present post roads in the II. States and
their territories or line that would reach
once and quarter round the globe of this
earth on the circle of the equator. Or if the
same sum could be distributed in a series Of
progressive Improvements, a part in canals,
and part in roads, bridges and school es-
adjustments. beginning with two millions a
year, according to the proposition of the Sc
CTetary OF the treasury, and increasing as the
surplus revenue would increase, to ten or
fifteen millions year, it would make gar
den Of the u. States, and people it with a
race of men worthy to enjoy it; garden
extending over a continent; giving glorious
example to- mankind Of the operation of the