The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-03-02

tied States now TO be told that they are inca.
lpable of governing themselves Are the
exercises of mind and of body so entirely
Incompatible? If so. miserable indeed is
the destiny OF man-If SOL would arraign high
heaven at the bar of unaltcrabie justice. and
pronounce sentence for the INCAPABLE crimes
of partiality and oppression. But that such
is not the immutable decree of tate, the ex-
perience OF these states has sufficiently evin-
ced. Convince any advocate for this doctrine,
that in the event of such a revolution, he
must be numbered with the laboring kinds,
and he will instantly apostatize from his
political faith,
win admit. that great bodily and intel
lectual exertions cannot be made together !;
and furthermore, l will adult, if desired,
that an excess of wealth and extended com
merce, are equally inconsistent with republic
canism. And to what will these admissions
lead us? To the decision of a question
which was in effect fully decided at the COM
mencement of our political existence, that
individual wealth Tor national commerce,
which is in effect the same,) or individual
liberty, must have some limits. have
read with pleasure the speech of Mr. Gar
nett, lately student in Richmond, on the
progress and defects of civilization but my
political feelings were sensiby wounded by
the splendid appearance of his commerce,
arrayed in all the gaudy decorations of ina
ginary wealth, which he lavished on her with
the munifcent hand of paternal bounty
The picture would do we'll in an English
gallery, but has no business in the bosom of
a democracy, unless TO show the real value
of commercial baubes This picture has
given me the mo, pain, because l am con-
vinced, that MIR Garnet is a man whose
manners and principles are built upon the
basis of genuine republicanism
| The people of these states, forsooth, must
render up part of their liberty in order to
secure the rest. Have they not done this
by conserving to be governed by impartial
lawse Still, however, it seems they retain
too much, they must grant another and
larger subsidy of liberty and "those who
think" will be graciousIy pleased to exert
| their deified powers to secure the residue.
Most true: They would unquestionaby ex-
ert themselves to secure it, but it would be
in their own hands. / would ask the people,
| my tclowlabourers, one by one, if they are
or ever will be prepared 70 desert the trust
which their creator reposed in them to rid
themselves of the troublesome exercise of
those intellectual powers which he has e.
qually distributed, by rcsigniDg them into the
hands of an sristocracys Can they ever con-
semitic undergo incessant labor topurChase the
poor privilege of being governeds To pur-
chase the pleasure OF ducking to Lord, at
the eXpence of their freedom Is there in
the world a wretch 80 base, as not to choose
to labor for himself in preference to a mas
ter? If any, from an inordinate desire of
wealth, should be goaded to the exercise of
incessant manual labor, ana to CRAFTY this
lgrovelling passion, would consent to barter
their liberty for gold, even these deluded
and miserable beings might, by very sim
pie calculation, be convinced, that. by the
exchange, they would gain nothing. To
prove this, 1T is only necessary to point to
the beggarly state of the English people,
Behold the peasant evoked with the brutes
and fettered to the sol''-See him doomed
to an eternal round of manual labor, to res
cue his wretched family from starvation,
and reluctantly yielding the better part of
his gains to the rapacity of royal tax gather
ers and by his situation, measure the pro-
posed advantages. He lis completely depriv-
ed of the power of thinking, because he has
no time for thought. AS no people posses.
sing this power can ever consent to become
slaves, so none exercising it, can ever be
long held in slavery.
Should there be in America one solitary
native, so depraved as to sacrifice at the
shrine of wealth, in preference to that of
! liberty, he must be too contemplate to de-
serve an effort for his reformation. Howev-
err, if not already convinced. / think it may
easily be demonstrated even to him, that
our present government is better calculated
than any other would be, to promote his
wishes. In every government other than a
government of the people, vast sums are
annually expended to support, in splendid
idleness, very numerous band of those
who think" Consequently excessive taxes
mast be imposed, and considerable portion
of the citizens time and labor must be con-
sumed in defraying them. If, therefore,
that portion Of his time, which must inevi-
tably be thus expended, were devoted to the
cultivation and exercise of the mind, he
would unquestionably be rendered more
virtuous and more happy, would be enabled
to pronounce a correct voice in the councils
of his country, would save himself the ex-
pence of hiring masters, and the pain of
witnessing splendor, of which, if desirable,
he would be prohibited from partaking.
| An extended commerce, | have said, is
incompatible with pure epublicanism.-
| Wealth is the sole end of commerce, as at
present regulated; and the natural effect of
great wealth, unequaly distributed, is the
introduction of aristocratc manners and
principles. Commerce uniformly brings in
her train numberless vices, abuses and mean.
nesses and lastly, though not the least evil,
population of other countries. The bank
| rupt in character and estate, of all the old
| countries. seek our hospitable shores in
| search OF wealth An enormous mass of
which, in one way or another, they al
most invariably obtain. The young Scotch
! man who lands on our shore Doyertt-'e