The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-08-08
POLITICAL.
AMERICAN PRINCIPLES.
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A REVIEW OF
WORKS OF FISHER y1lLES;
COMPLIED By suMrER OF MIS- FRIENDS.
BIZ JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.
AMERICAN PRINCIPLES.

IL
In that strange medley of wit and weakness;
Of reason and dotage ;-of benevolence and ram
cour Of ardent spirit and childish terror, which
has Just been published under the title Of" Works
of Fisher Anies, compiled BY number Of his
.fliends"-,hey have treated his naensery, as they
did his body.
For the PURPOSE Of little brief impression up.
on popular sentiment, which they faneied would
be produced by the authority OF his name, in ia
vor of their darling folliess they have mixed up
together with some valuable performances, real
,ly worthy of republication, amultitudc of old
me wspaper essays, which he never could have
expected to survive the moment or occasion tor
which they were produced, and a number of pr-
vase letters certainly not intended by him for the
public eye, and which nothing but the treache-
try of pretended friendship ever would have ex.
posed.
Mr.. Ames was man Of genius and Of virtue
--he meant well to his country, and served her
with fidelity according to his best Judgment -
But at very early period of his public life, he
connected himself with Hamilton, his bank and
his funding system, in a manner which warped
his Judgment, and trammelled the freedom of
his mind for the remainder of his days. The re-
proaches, which at that time, his political enc
mics cast upon him, as having contracted per.
sonai interest in the establishment of the system,
which, partly, by the influence of his exertions,
was made to prevail, infused tincture OF bitter
ness in his subsequent political sentiments, not
congef1ial to his natural temperate became we'd
ded to his doctrines, not by the sordid selshness
of ayarice, TO which he was always superior, but
by the concern for his own fame, anu ny the Vlru-
lence CT his antagonists
Mr. Ames was not. among the first who dis
cerned the real character and tendencies of the
French revolution--and when he did discover
that il was not the introductory avenue to the
millennium, he still continued to view 1t through
partial medium. He changed his glass, but
still saw through it darby. From that time, he
became on this subject convert to the English
school, and with all the opinions of the anti-re-
volutonist, mingled all the fear.engendered fan
cies ofthe anti gallican. He adopted the widest
<sxtravagances which the ministerial painphle.
teers in England, disseminate among the popu-
lace to reconcile them TO the burdens ct eternal
war will France, and transferring to his own
country, the real dangers Of England, from the
prospect of French Invasion, he lived in per-
petual panic, that America would finally be only
the last Inorsel FOR the voracous maw OF the mon
ster Bohaparte. 49, :.
During the last 10 years OF his life, Mr.. Ernes's
health was always III precarious, and often IN All
alarming condition. His spirits prtook OF his
infirmities The most Distinguishing feature in
MS character, was the vivacity of his im,ginati-
on The diseasejwhch was undermining his con.
stitution, without impair,ng the splendor of his
rancy, affected the tone OF his nerves. Every
thing he saw became cotoured by his fears. He
was continually, but Intellectually, laboring TO i'm.
part his terrors to his countrymen they grew
stronger upon him in proportion as they proved
inc ffcacious upon others, urt 'he worked him
self up into sort OF reasoning frenzy, compoun-
sled of alteration of British pCSer-abho,yence of
France, and contempt for his own countrymen.-
In such state of mind, he committed some
times to the press, sentiments winch will not bear
tie test oil a cool exannation-but IN his private
letters Inc iptiulged his morbid humors more free
" and now. those sentiments which the hand
Of sincere affection ought to have covered with
the tlnckest veil, are brought forth in all their
nakedness to the world, because they happen to
suit the purposes OF faction
This following very few out of great
number Of such sentiments. lfsny OF MIR. Ames's
number Of friends are prepared TO defend them,
let them be heard. 1t they are such as no man
living dare to defend, why were they not kept
IN the sacred depo1t OF private friendship, to
which they were comn:i,ted
sour country is too biz. for Union too sor1id
fay patriotism, too denpocrdtse for liberty" Let
hr Of The Goth Oct. 1862 4a3.
I" Yet see, that the multitude are told, and it
is plain they tod, because they vH 6e!ieve it,
that liberty will be gainer by the purchase Iof
louisiana They are deceived on then s'eat
eide: they think the purchase a great bargain
I've are to be rich by selling lagds., If the mul
ttude were not blind before, thsit sorf;d auarics,
thus addressed, would blind them" 3lst Oct.
1862. 4S5.
Louisiana exctes less interest than cur
thanksgiving. 1t is an old story. 1 am half Of
Talleyrand's opinion when he says we are phlef-
matte, and without any passion except tiat for
money-gettng" 29h ToO. l003-o. 4S7
suppose an attack on roper,y, calculate
on the 'sensibilities' Of orr nation. There IS a
sensorium. Like negroes skin, there oar pat
riot SIN would feel the kicks, and twinge with &.
comics that VIZ should not be able SO much as TO
conceive, if we only have our faces spit IA Same
Iefte+--p. AZ.
1t is one Of the moSf eor;umfig ct,ses Of He'd
ps1-AND WE DESERVE IT-to cofniuit the al
fairs of nation TO rulers, who fiNd in their popu
larity, their rapacity, their ambition, inter-
est separate from the interest OF the people, 27fR
Nov. 1862. 496.
As great genIuses snatch the sceptre from
the hands of great little rascais, the government
rises, though liberty rises no more. Ours as gone
1ever toretwr. To mitigate a Tyranny is all that
;s If 70, our hopes" 18th Nov. 5--Ihanksgi-
1ihg euening.
"I have hoped that the sacred shield Of couar-
Dice, Junius calls it, would protect our peace.
ell hope" 1st ret. 1906.
"a fate seems to sweep the PROSTATE world
along, that is not TO be aSersed by submission,
nor retardedby arms. The British navy stands
like Briareus, parry ing the thundefbUlts, but can
lurl none back again and ii Bonaparte effects
bis conquest of the dry laHd the empire Of the sea
must in the end belong to him" Nh FEB 1866
p. SOC.
Two obstacles, and only two, impede The es.
Enlistment Of universal monarchy Russia and
the British navy" Same ieney--b. 500.
A ftor her fill