The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1810-05-09

OF the imagination-lhat hat n has no foundd-
ton m reality. If indeed reader can dis
card the prepossession arising from the Au-
thor's name, there are in this extract some
internal masks Of inaccuracy. The accusa-
tion Of shameless frcfigacy Is In those broad,
and general terms, which.so oiten shelter a
delusion. No specihok example OF this sup
posed prohigacy is alleged. The remainder
oil the paragraph Eiay be cited as curious
inslsice OF Judgment extinguished In the
blsze Of Fancy. Our elections are held IN
the Spring The Striag starts an iGea OF TIL
iage tillage leads the thoughts TO Summer
and that gives the mint of ar Ehidemick-
From that moment the accessorlal image
beco the prin, ipal figures The uliaee
turns up noxious weed,-Thc epidemick
becomes mortal pesiilence-Tbe eh.tHon is
entirci y gone from the nnc both OF the writ
ef md the reader--Nothlnat remains but The
noxIous weeds and the p.stilence.
The two great vices, 10 which the expert
epoe of ancient and modern tines, in other
countries has shewn popular elections TO be
lilDlc, are b'1bcrg and ViDfeHce. appeal now
10 the consciousness ot every citizen oil the
Coniinonwc caih. Are The instances OF either.
Common IN our Elections atfirm with
the most perfect confidence that they are ex-
trcnleiy rale, There is sometimes IN en-
cess oi zeal. and IN cnthusi sn OF party spifi
in 1 vour of tic respective Candidates, and
tie nc wspapcrs on both sides are too Accossl-
bic to scurriity md caiu'nny against the per-
sons whose names are held up for the sui
fra..e Of the voters. The general election H.
alw ays perioa OF some az At zion, and it slim
uiates and sharpcns the anti, ,ciai pdssloUs
of many individuals But have no iear o.
I a., a Il.
tions are remarkable ior the purity, the mild
ness aud decorum with winch they are con-
ducted. Ii il inconceivable chat man sc-
qu.inted with The Roman History, in the age
OF Cicero and Ciodius should say As Nj.
Ames does ay, that 9" those times were no,
more corrupt than our own.
But perhaps no one ot these extracts de-
serves more seriously to be reflected upon
than the fiith-W Which SO explicitly asserts
,nat Federalism, al the establishment OF the
Constitution was maatf diy jouadcd On mi =
tax, IL suppo,ing the existence OF virtue in
the people.
II wss observed in former paper that the
friends OF Mr. Anes, who with such anxious
Industry have gathered all the gicenngs Of
the newspapers Of late years.. Tor hasty crudi-
ties, which Inc never avowed, and who have
dence, py publis ing letters which OH the face
of them appear confidential have at the
same time onifted from this compilation one
of the mos, eo ,uent speeches, which, as a
publick man, ~ a Representative of the Pco-
pie, he ever made. Tue remark might have
been muen more extensive in its appcatoh
Ii applies to all MS speeches In CONGRESS
fron the establishment Of the Government
un,il January 1894 In the first Congress
objects of great and lasting importance
were discussed The administration was
organized. The principles we're settled, and
the constitution Itself was in some respects
new modelled. We are told by the learned
Biographer, aud it is known 20 every man
whose memory can trace so far back the pro-
grcss of our history, that in all these discus
sions Mr.. Ames took an active and conspicu-
or, part.-Yct IL. lie speeches which he de-
livrrcd on those OCCASIONS, the Compilers OF
this volume, ha.e not thought one worthy OF
preservation, until they come to that upon
MIR M ,oIsoN's Complercial Resolutions.
Why all these omissions Ind why this
se@ction !--'' The suhy is as plain. as way 10
PARISH church" The compilers hold that
the federalism which founded the national con-
stiution was maaf suy f5undcd on a mistake.
Ihcy have renonnced the principles of their
better days, and withhold from the publick
every thing which could revive their influ-
encc ~ recall their recollection. This de-
generacy from the hon'urAble principles
'ic1 they once msin,sincd, is not new
p .pomeDon in the history os parties. In all
free countries il is an event by no means an
CO mon, and il calls iur the most watchiul
attention OF the genuine patriot. Ii is by
similar derelictions of their principles, tha,
lcsi imatc parties degenerate by degrees into
m;ti suing factions aud reasonable conspira.
rcics.
After thus formally rcnouncing the origin |
al principles of federalism, what has ,h,s seer
of A neriran nnliticinns snhsfitntnd In, thnir