Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1816-01-23
BY THE MAILS.

No error has been more common or
! more fatal IN elective governments, ,hsn the
belief that public virtue Can consist with rank
selishness OF proaisacy III pnsate lie. +" 1,
is impossible" (said an illuslrious Crecian
orator." thai the unnatural katherine haler
Ut his own blood, should be able and faithful
leader OF his country ) thst the mnd Is in
sensible 70 The intimate aud touching riiu-
ence OF domestic Affection, should be alive
II the remoter influence o. pat,io.ic feeling
that private dspravity should esa.ist silh
ilublic virtue"
he same important truth is yet more
iorcibly neulcated in he Glowing lines in
Cowper's TASK.
For when YVES ,ubiic virtue to be found,
Where private VS. hot Csn he love the whole.
Who loves no part He be naions fiead
Who IS IN ruth the t'end of no man here !
Ian he be strenuous IN his eounii,'s cause,
Who sights the charities, for vino des sake.
fhat eoan.fy,h a. III, mus &c beiov'd -
But although scarce any thing in moral.
= - --------.--- s--.s'', --s-. ys'r~sss
defrau'ty cannot eonslsi soita isabt.e ur,ne,
yet the bulk OF mankind in all fee countries
have pad veiy little he i TO II aud Il ON
theit marvellous inattenlion TO so plain and
important maxim, have lost their priy,l-
eyes, and bouad and ri,elted down undo,
'he yoke OF despolism. The oia Atheni
ans Nilh whom The patriotic orator .xpos.u-
iAted ID The grafton from watch The quota
'on above has been taken-evrn they not
outstanding their superiority of sagaci
ana talent, and IN despite vi the S. asoasbl- |
ana powerful warnings given them, spin ~
on tins rock. Their Ais ides ii uari,alrt
wisdom and inRexib!e in,egrlty--tns MAJ
VINO alike scorned to betray, or ila,ter them
they poscribed and oanished While the,
ncid to their bosoms IA It ring knayes, wei.
known oy them TO b. depraved and p,oil
gaze IN their private characters So j, wa
that renowned Athens, the mother OF arts |
and The cradle Of liberty. fell from The pinna |
Gle OF human glory into the condition o,
most degrading vassalage. She discarce q |
her real Patriots, who with the best inlen |
hons had laid themselves out to serve her.
ana she took to her bosom cunning insidu-
'us impostors, who proved upon her vi,a!s
-men who pretended 10 be ardent friends |
20 the public liberty, while they were them
serves VIGOROUSLY under bondage TO vice
and corruption.
When the profession Of patriotism is Ia
cra''ve, political hypocrites will multiply,
'nd CONFIDENT claims to public virtue will be !
made, even by men whose characters are
'old OF virtue and surcharged with vice in
private lie. The very heart p, ayi,y of SUCH
men, gives them advantages with consid.
cradle part cfthe nation to while h the beloae |
Their shameless impudencs enables them 10
set themselves of to shew--,o the loud and !
noisy In their own behalf andiby reason OF |
their utter destitution Of moral principles,
they are not scrupulous Of employing thu |
basest OF means to obtain their ends, I
Hence they gain the field, and triumph oye.
antagonists who are governed by principle,
Of honesty and honour.
So 1t ever has been, and so, in all proba. !
D'sity, II ever will be, q; least ill human ma.
lure be radically changed ead amelora,,d.
Conn (ouranf.