The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-08-15
POLITICAL.
AMERICAN PRINCIPLES.
No. III.

rok
2. g 1t is pretty enough to say, the republic
commands, and the love of the republic dictates
obedience to the heart ofevery citizen This is
system, but is it nature The requisite is crea.
ture of fiction; tits every body in the fancy, but
nobody in the heart. Love, to be any thing must
be seLsci and exciusiue. We may as well talk
OF loving geometry as the commonwealth" D.
395.
S. " 1t is said, that in republics, maiorities in.
varlably Cypress minorties. Can there be any
realpatl1otism in state, which is thus filed with
those who exercise and those who suffer tyran-
ny /! But hosr much less reason has any man to
love that country, in which the voice of the ma
Jority IS counterfeited, or the vicious, Ignorant
and needy are the instruments, and the wise
and worthy are the victims of oppression" n
49,
4. " Is there in human affairs an occasion of
profgacy, more shameless or more contagious
than general election Eveyy spring gives birth
and gives wings to this epiaentic mischief Then
begins sort OF tillage, that turns up to the sun
soil orto speak still more seriously, it is NOR
tai pestience, that begins with rottenness in the
marrow" D. Ais.
S. Federalism was, therefore, nnanjestiy
Joundedon mistake, on the supposed existence
OF sufficient political virtue, and on tie per-
manency and authority of the public morals" D.
416
These strains of panegyrc upon republics, g.
republican institutions, are extracted word for
word from dissertation upon " the Dangers of
American Liberty" written by Mr.. Ames, and
communicated i'll February, 1905, to one of his
friends, but never published until his decease
III this compilation.
Its title, b" The Dangers of American Libcr.
ty," is msnomer--The whole scope of its ar
gument IS to prove the position, which ON the
Thanksgiving evening of the same year he
wrote III private letter to another friend
that American liberty Seas gone !; neper TO re.
turn"
An ingenious annotator has seized upon one
short paragraph, as Indicating the motive for
which this gloomy picture of the affairs of our
country" was delineated. He says it was to defer
or mitigate our fate by alarming the hOnest part
OF our citizens. $3.50.
If this WAS really the motive, (and IS the fair.
estin favor o. rbe authors intentions, to which
itcan be ascrbed, have thc strongest inclin,,i-
OH TO believe ~ the performance was i'll adapted
to the design-for the only possible application
TO be dra from it by rational being would be.
not e:ee,tion but desSIir-Every principle, eYery
illustration, every inference leads the mind ire
sstibiy to the conclusion, that the miseries ofou
condition were beyond the reach of counsel: tina,
the virtue and wisdom of the country were I'M
der the IrreuievaSie dominion of its vice and fol-
iy and that there was nothing left among the
good and great of this nation, bat to shew with
what 4 profusion OF rhetorical howcrs they could
SlSW Vi UDSTlv, oiu now
graceful varieties Gratitude they CT lid bite their
chains. Its natural effect was, not alarm, but
conpulcior.
1t was not intended by its author for publica,i
on. Ia the letter to the friend to whom it had
been communicated, ne expressly says, that To
+. De OF Vaiue enough Jor the autaor 10 it, he
must be allowed anne, must beStow on it more
thought. search for facts and PRINCIPLES in pam
phiets and larger works, and III short, make it
entirely over again."
Iagree entirely with him, that L was not OF
value enoughtor hs author 10 oryn it i. and think
that his friends would have proved their affection
Tor him, as well their respect for the public If
they had shewn more Difference TO his opinion in
this Case, and less eagerness TO SPREAD abroad
their iavorite tenets. Whether the pamphlets or
larger works 10 winch alone in his temper OF
mind he would have resorted for facts and prin.
ciples, would have improved the complexion of
his work, rs not necessary to enquire-if the only
objection against 1t were its want of value, |
should neither complain of the editors, nor pre-.
sent the above extracts to the nteitafioHS of the
pubiic-But 1t contains, upon a subject deeply
Interesting to this country, principles at war with
reason, AMI assertions at with fact. Had
these been merely the errors of MIR. Ames /
would have lamebted in silence the indiscretion
OF his friends, in exposing their 10 the world,
and suffered them to perish by the natural DECAYS
OF their own absurdty--But they are not the
are the principles ola faction, winch has succeed
ed IN obtaining the management of this common
wealth, and Which asplred TO the government of
the Union. Defeated in this last object of their
ambition, and sensible that the engines by winch
they have attained the mastery OF the state are
not sufficiently comprehensive, nor enough with.
IN their control to WELD the machinery of the ma
ton, their next resort TO disinernber what
they could not sway, and to form l-F@s -nnfede-
racy, TO be under the glorious shs, - British
projection. To prepare the public min, $ chan
ges SO a6horrent to the temper and Ct ~ ter OF
our people, the doctrines, with whic6 Y 5 vi.
uTnc teens, were to be ushered into It.j view,
whenever prospect for their favor ~ eceptl.
on might appear. Mr.. Ames, in wlitiag these
papers, and Oihers, published before his death,
disclosing not quite so clearly the system of the
party, was acting under an impulse If which he
EoaS hiDISeD not dVcDe--But the period OF his
death happening just at moment of great natl.
onal difficulty and distress, the chosen hour was
concluded to have arrived, when these theories
might be circulated with the greatest effect and
wien disgust at our popular institutions, con
tempt Tor otr own country, deteslatIon of France
and subservency TO Britain, might be so ming
led up with the influence of Mr. Ames's name
that the whole would be swallowed by the pub
lie, without examination, and all contribute 20 the
purposes ofthe party. The proceedings OF the
state Legislature during the present year have
furnished ample proofs, that these pyiacibles have
been at the root OF their whole system of mea
sures. 1t is also fact perfectly well known
that many of these measures have been Carried
by reluctant votes that many members of the
majority have most nwillingly assented Il
them and on one occasion when single spir
tied member presumed TO bavG an opinion of his
Is <yas attacked in mn. of the ~