The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-07-28

w Cuty ~ Ills NOy 81 I1is,HncSS, or IN zeai Tor
the public service; and of assuring his Roy
al Highness that my inability to assist in for
warding his Royal Highness's phrpose of
procuring strength 20 his Administration,
on the plan which has beer suggested by
his ROY al Highncss's confidential servants,
does not arise from any disposition on nv
part, TO shrink from the encounter of those
difficulties which press, At this time, upon
the country and upon the Grown. I am
SC.
(Signed) GEORGE CANNING.
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FROM THE NATIONAL rNTELLIGE sR.
REVIEW
OF AN ADDR Z SIS of George Sullivan, Mar.
tin Chittenden, a. Bigelow. Elijah Brig
ham, William Ely, Josiah Quincy, Will
am Reed, Samuel L aggart, Laban Whea.
ton, Leonard White, Richard Jackson in.
Elisha X. Potter, Epaphroditus Champs
on, John Davenport, ir. Lyman Law. iona.
q. Moseley, Timothy Pitkin, jr. Lewis B.
Sturges, Benjamin Tallmadge, H. Bleeck-
er, James Emott, Asa Fitch, Thomas r.
Gold, James Minor, II. M. Ridgeley, c.
Goidsborough, +. B. Key, p. Stuart, John
Baker, James Breckenridge, Jos. Lew.
is, jr. Thos. Wilson, A. M'Bryde, and Jo-
sePh Pearson, Members of the House of
Representatives of the Congress OF the u,
ject of the war with Grea. Britain. Pm.
IS. Alexandria, Printed by $. Snowdep,
1912.
BY a REPUBLICAN.
\ man who would carefully observe the
political practices of parties in the u. States.
could not doubt but that the fcoh!e are sove-
reign. Every thing proves il. They are
every where cajoled, Aattered, and attempts
are continually made to bias their under
I'll, =, -.
reigNS. Whatever is the source of power
and honors, Of wealth and rank in state, is
assaied by factions, whostruggle for prece-
dence and just in proportion to their want
Of true merit, they invent articles to dslude
the nation or to blind the king
1t is this pursuit of power which has urg-
ed the gentlemen of the federal party in
Congress TO utter pamphlet of thirty five
pages from press at Alexandria, and to
disseminate it. with unexamplcd profusion,
among the good Citizens of the u. States
They call II an address to their constituents,
and it Processes to embody the reasons of
the federal party III Congress against the
present war between the u States and G.
Britain.
In the true spirit of imposture, the pam
phlet begins with certain naked propositi-
ons. unsupported by argument and partly
unfounded i'll truth. Such, for example, is
the very first sentence of the Address: GA
republic has for its basis the capacity and
the right of the people togovern themselves
Thus the gentlemen set out I; and, for an
occasion 50 solemn, the EenaTk is altogeth-
or frivolous. As to the RIGHT of the peo-
pie, in any country, 20 govern themselves, it
is certainly indisputaDle and it is quite as
certaintilat i'll ali sorts of governments they
p o rule; either in the form Of simple, un-
armed maj ority or in the more formidable
shape OF an armed and disciplined minority
The remark, therefore, in this respect
means nothing; and it means, if that were
possible, less when we come to the point of
CAPACITY, if by capacity be meant an univer-
sal sense in the community of what is right
and proper to be done in affairs of govern
nent for if that capacity universally exis-
ted, there would be no Turtles in the coun-
try. Every one knowing the right from the
7Vrong, there would be noroom for The mis-
representations OF demagogues and SO par
ties would cease OF necessity.
The true basis of republic is the hahHi-
ness of the people. The general capacity
OF the people is fully competent to appreci-
ate their happiness f; and it is this Capacity
of approaching h.eT own happiness that
constitutes them the sovereign judges Of ru-
lcrs in government instituted solely FOR
popular benefit. Here lies the truc cause
h responsibility on Tue part OF tueJr repre-
sentatiycs; who, in doing any thing contra
~ to tho peoples happiness, are made to
answer for it. in this, and in nothing else.
we see the saving principle of free govern
ment. I; IS founded in human nature-
The citizen who cannot accurately reGs0n
about political rights, can easily ./cei poIitl-
Cal wrongs; and he approves or condemns
measures according to that feeling which,
in M honest individual, is never dooep-
tive.
], is, therefore, obvious, that the hahhi-
aeSS cf the people being the real basis of
republican form Of government, the repre-
scn'atiVes of the people are responsible only
for such acts Of theirs as infringe that hap
piness and unless tie federal gentlemen
can demonstrate that the abrdgncnt of the
right Of speech in Representatives renders
the people unhappy, they will so but lit
tie way to prove that the restraining their
tongues from too great license, is contrary
to the fundamental principle Of a republic.
The question which they breach, is not one
1t all affecting the rights of the citizens
but mere question whether Representa-
i've shall be allowed to talk at Ill times