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

The +" Dangers Of american Liberty is "a
fable without'a moral. 1t paints in the goo-
my colours of disturbed Imagination the
supposed evils of our condition and labours
with painful augmentation TO prove that
meme of the remedies or sieviatioss which
minds of healthier hue, had suggested, can
have any efficacy TO restore us 10 the enjoy
mcnt of freedom. 1t indicates 10 remedy as
advisable to be tricd.-W hat was the reason
OF this !
Ia free country the first step OF ambitious
and disappointed leaders, whose only resource
is in a revolution, must Naturally be 10 make
the people dissatisfied with their condltiol-
TO persuade them that their situation is IN
tolerabie-The next, 10 exunBuish all their
hopes oi its 4ment Irent from The Natural
course Of things, and existing institutions
Tie third is ReDoiuficu. Until the TWO first
are accomplished, the instigators 10 tho last
most often conceal, and sometimes disguise
the means for its accomplishment.
A revolution, not in The administration, but
of the constitution, was obviously the only
remedy within the reach of human powers,
upon ike mind Of Mr. Ames. Taking the
facts and the principles exhibited i'll this
treatise for true, and the duty OF insurrection
4
Irresistible inference but the time was not
come when hi. might sofeIy be committed
10 paper. Il is now known thai the projecl
lol dsmembernent of the Union, by plan
which te uired d INJURY commander, hao
~been very seriously proposed 10 Mr.. Hemli-
Ton, shorty before iis desth. II had probe
by been known to Mr.. Anes, though he saiu
nothing OF i, in his euiogy OF Haniiton. he
IA, Ex,
his meeting with Col Burr, IA, n,iestiy aiudes
10 hal propositions. md 10 state oil Things tor
which il was material 10 the publick, That nc
should keep Dis military character un .ues-
toned He had disapproved aud rejected
the scheme Of dismemberment, ana Mr. A.
u this work speaks of such an exltctation,as
one Of those .fath,ing hotcS, which would
not be realized. Possibly 'Mr. Ames WAS un-
willing himself TO look fnii in the face tue ex-
peGienis, which on his statements, alone re-
mained Tor the redemption oi the county.
The essay on British alliance, the danger
OF American liberty, nd the review OF a late
pamphlet on a British constitution, all discoy-
er him entdngled in the tolls between his
premises and his conclusions. Like the poe
teal image of Fear, he first lays bewildered
hand amid the chords, and then recoils, he
knows not why,
" Ev'n at the sound himself had made"
The practical comment upon these prin-
ciples is TO be found, in the publication of
these papers against the Clear injunction OF
their author, and III the measures OF the Mas
sachusetts Legislature, precipitated by the
men who believe in the same doctrines.
One of the first acts, on securing major.
iiy in the legislature, was To manifest their
hatred of popular elections, by taking a very
important election from the people, to exer-
else it themselves !. to shew that federalism
was. founded on a mistake, they undertook 10
dictate (under the pretence of a request) TO
the Representatives Of the people ia Congress
how they should act, and when soEle of those
representatives discovered, i'm a firm, though
respectable manner, their sense of their own
rights and obligations to the people, they re-
piled, with insulting contuncly. They have
attempted, and but for the negative of the
chief magistrate, would have authorized di-
rect and forcible resistance against the laws
of the Union. They have countcnanced the
grossest outrages committed against us by
Great Britain, AM have not scrupled to call
aloud upon Congress to go to war with
France. They have openly avowed the in
tention OF partial association with some of
the neighbouring states, and to manifest their
select and erciusipe love, they have fomented
local jcaiousies, and instgated invidious ami
mosities against our fellow-ctizens in other
parts of the Union.
My countrymen the seeds and the fruits
are both before you. If the extracts at the
head OF this paper are emphatically republican
the leading measures of the Legislature have
been emphatically patriolick. They flow from
the same sources prostration to Britain,h ,hor-
rour of France, and contempt for the Ameri-~ .
can ne0nle