The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1817-01-08
@isreitanp.
yAoM rnE ynovipESeE PAraIoT.
SI.fTE POLITICS.

3ntailsd 70 tho latest ssners,ion by that wise
O<d benevolent Being, who exiNs in perfee-
,ion and will not permit us to mar his work.
wah imponity, the estste belongs TO os for
lSs only the fec simple is the inhe sitsncs of
oar children; and VIC are commanded, alike,
" the laws of Sod and Of nature, to- leave il
ooiosumbersd 10 psstel And, should We,
forge,ful Of our duty as free nen and - fs,h-
e:s, surrender the ample demssne wbish We
hAse ressissd from oar p'ogenitorS, still
would those laws vindicate the risbts Of our
children, and the voice Of Heaven proclaim
opS iniany aud annul our deed.
BN, whiis, as theorists, We contemplate,
10 the abstract, the positive rights Of man,
Ne should also, ~ practical men, attend 70
that 20 lesa useful par, Of political science,
which teaches 'us tho relative duiios OF man
an . STATE Of socisiy for all will ALLOW, that
ehis Is the situation most coDgeniai 10 his ma
sure, and the enjOyment Of liberty in its mos!
perfect state. Sede.y gives the pu'es'
fledges Of freedom, II should, ,hereioe'.
D preserved. Thsss things being granted,
4, follews, that experiments at imp"ovoms,
o. reform should never be directed 70 the 90
snovai of Shoso foundations which are consc:-
Slated BY tho laps Of ases. The NOS Pc
feet deg % Of freedom, therein 6, saained by
90 must be the result of fimprovenea,S and'e
formations, dictated, not by the ,ash and t'ay
spnclusivs Of theory, BY, by he :alm and
;aborsle deductions Of reasoh and experience.
Though the rude and the simplc outline,
or q colony cannot meet the exigoacy oil
tssiliasd and polished siste, they rney fu!n.
,,h the base, on which W. can erect fsb''c
ooth useful and lasting From ,h"se iitrs
which were al first raissd as q common de-
fence, Ne can draw cshets which shall secur.
we from mutiny snd diso'de within and '.p-
2rase, more distinctly, the booaiaries aud do
siss, nppertAining 10 the sbfio'tor ssc'i"cs OF
ths fortsass. AZ numbers, property and e.'-
iltra,iop increase, tho bands Of government
ehould be drawn moro closely, the l''i i"u ~
property moro accurately marked, and mo
features Of civil poIily more srikiugly tis.
played. yf those requisi's arc nss'e.,.d,
Hhels vatges towards anarShy, till the Co"
tnuaity, crefsrring tho iess 70 the create =
Vil, seeks posse, thuugh IL cannot acquire
Asppiuess, under the protection Of iyrant
flour community required, at its first rs-
sablishment, only those SIMPLE laws, wbict
j DE necessary for the governmen, Of y colony
Ss hanest farmers, we have NJ reason fos sup.
coains those law. adequate TO tho = r.s of
cora tncrei.i, apoiished, and in some degrce,
Q ticpo -aiscd people ssasoa and expetieoee
equally leach As the contrary. An incfeAssd
nppaL alton has necessarily increased the FREE
Yuoncy ,od even the eoormi,y OF c,i@e an
aocresse ~ property and refinement has IN
creased tbc real or hctions wants Of inlivid.
saIs, and addsd % the aviditv of those. who
~ish, ~iihout ehruing, to apply ,h4t ~ opcr;y
- ,hcit Own use. In tho former in,,anet.
nor -igilant police, and perhaps, On mecca,
e1 sevcsi,y In our criminal aode in the latter,
isgislativs improvements, ssd u rhorc actis"
application Of tho laws Of properly. have be.
c0ns necessary.
Facis, as they exist, warrent those Dos;
Nens. we behold, 10 the limited and ineds
quate operations of our state gcver nmen', NC
most unequivocal indications cf s'nbs,rass-
sncn: and decay. A Legislature, W use i,io,
indecissivc application Of pallia,ives serves
only - render tho disorder more obs
hate, who, trembling foi ther places dare not,
i thoys wish, TO act like mon; u judiciary,
compss:d perhaps of upright men, but dc.
psndan. m tho variable osea,h OF within AMI
- sube, dina,e magistracy, composed, in
tho ma instances, OF violent sn3 depe7dcnf
yArty- en, can do little for the true tote 'ssts
Of he pcepio. II VIC add to this emu nera.
Den thr scll known fact, that oil tho ieRii-
mae !,nt ,fiiclal operatioas Of a govoro weo,,
so csh ,ilu cd and exercised, are, according
% ,ha importance. more OF less influenced
und ~, oiled By u Cnhal of politicians, who
cisa 20 void the responsibility while they
cossr9s and exerciae the real P,~,' of sdmin.
issra,irn vs can readily account foe 'he com
T,ica.ua evils under which we labor Hence
10 il, hat convicts arc discharged without
p0n;samen, Andths prosecutors OF new crimes
Virtually eoceurasod--hence, that fraud. is
sanc,ioned by the Legislative interdict on ous
cour,, Of JUSTICE, and hence, ,ha, our laws 70,
,hs collection Of debts have become dead
letter.
II We turn our attention from this dishart.
eniug appearance Of tho details Of govern.
meat, to ransac,ion5 Of more conceal and
public nature, wo discover tto sane banefal
funusase, like the deadly Upas Of ,bs east,
cArtying dissasc, obsruclion and yangrene tn
tbs vi,sls ofsho system, and paraiv siog, alike
chs operation Of mcdicaments and the strug
n ~