Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-05-17
Fran the GVashiagton) Monitor.
.DoWNFALL OF REPUBLICS.

the real causes of the downfall of republics.
No doubtthey are numerous. But among
them all, know ofnone more powerful and
rapid in its operation than that continual
disposition which we see manifested by Ger
tain writers and takers, to wrest mankind
from the course dictatedhy their nature ,and
to instil into the mind strange notions OF
new systems for the management OF society.
by government.
This idea has often been excited in my
mind audit was forcibly renewed a day or.
W past, by 3 production IN heNatlonalln-
teiligencer proposing to Withdraw the Anne
rican community from the ancient channels
Of haman wisdom, and to proceed upon pro-
iects, which, to say the best Of them, render
a nation ridiculous and eventually lead to
destruction.
Why should we discard the lessons ofex-
perience? Why should we forego that
knowledge which is the result Of the obser-
vation of half a@Ecensury of ages ? What vain
pride of the heart would impel us to spurn'
every thing European, merely because rs
European ? Whence came American civil
tization II fit came not from Europe HE
aborigines OF this country were the merest
savages in nature and even now we treat
them as such. | confess that | am cosmo-
polite enough TO desire that all the excellent
cics of the world were concentrated, by I'M
portation, if YOU please, in America. The
human mind from barbarisn to civilization
is ofsuch stow progression, that WE ought
to grasp and secsns every thing good within
our reach, wheJksr it be English, French,
German, I>alian or Spanish. The lonsns2n
Z LaU Z SAYS one down with the commo
law down with the law reporters, they are
English, rank English. Softly, gentlemen.
Do know ali the transactions of civiliz-
ed life depend upon the c%ommonlaw : DO
you know that England was grooming under
despotism for many ayear,till the excellence
of the CONNER law relieved them ? Woe
be To those who follow the counsels OF chat
fanatic who believes the present generation
OF men better or wiser in all things than the
generations which for many ages nave pre-
ceded it.
And whence got England the common
law From Germany III part and parr trcm
her own experience. Age succeeds to age,
aud if we depart in the last, from what adj
monition the first affords, we remain in the
mists and in the foSs OF ignorance.
One theorist proposes ons thing another
a different ching novelty leads the people
to vain hopes they forget the mayims Of
their p~rogcnitors, andlook forward to sha-
dows which fade before the inspection Of
solid judgpens, like the coiors Of the rain
bow VANISH from the eye. The Graccbi, at
Rome, proposed an Agrrian law every
man was TO have a farm and every farm was
to be precisely alike the subject was pleas
ing; the Gracchi has followers and adyo-
Gates Rome was IN al uproar; common
sense finally prevailed, and the Agrarians
fell victims TO their own folly or ambition,
Cromwell was to make England free but
he enslaved her; Bonaparte swore fidelity
to the republic, yet where Is that republic
now? The ruin Of nations is produced in.
variably by departing from the knowledge
which experience affords and we are al
WAYS excited to leave the beaten path. by
weak brains in skulls so. hot that they are
kent in a state Of ebullition from the begin
nine to the end of the chapter. The worst
oft is, YOU cannon restore such brains to-
state of soundness tor being i~mPtegnated
with pertinacity, the more YOU rebuke, the
more obstinate they are. Down with the
Judges and the court, says a sagacsons scrlb-
bier; down with. them will shew you a
way BY which the people shall all grow wise
without learning, and learned without edu-
cation all heads (quSth he) are alike -;
sheep heads, and al. Would you believe
that such iIeas are scatteredamong thescom-
,n,n;tv. andby many greedily gobbied down!