Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1822-07-09

Justice; and therefore u is Wohuefiu' /"
endured so long. But observe how exten-
siye and permanent have been the mo-
dero Kingdoms of Europe, notwIthstand-
ing the infusion of Ieedom into the con-
stitutions Of many of them, is very iarge.
when compared with the despotsms OF
Asia. Why then is it impossible that our
government should endure ls It because
the re are no contests between royal preTe-
gatiyes, ariStocratic privileges, ana popu-
FAR rights Can governments be sustained
only ike kite, by three conflicting forces'
that of the gravitating commons, me o0uy-
ant crown, and the balancing mobiles A
way with such dogmatism
Besides, we should recollect that the
world is yet in its infancy. A few centu.
ries ago, and christianity was not revealed
| TO man, it is not yet dffused over hall the
globe, nor hall understood by The majority
| of those who have received the Gospels.
A few generations ago, and this contl-
| nent was only known to those who Knew
no other. few years ago, and the iora
of creation was ignorant Of another conf,
nent, which his bountiul maker had spread
out for him on the deep. Daily are more
islands discovered in the wastes OF ocean,
clustered beneath bright sun, and cano-
pied with genial heaven, hereafter to be
replenisbed with the seed OF the woman
| Prospective reason sees their coasts. now
resounding only with the surge, and the
shrill clangor of the sea-fowl, hereafter
glttering with rich cities, and crowded
with men. And it requires less than po-
cts fancy to imagine their groves, now
! the lair OF the panther and the hiding place
of the serpent, soon cheerful with human
habitations, and gay with pastoral loves;
Why then shall man be so soon precluded
from making political experiments, and
hurried into despair oa the most interes-
ting of all subjects? Will not the sem
tence under With he was created be
accomplished increase and multiply "
Ireplenish the earth % And into whatever
remote wilds or islands he may fly for re.
fuge, must he still drag after him political
corruption, and groan Under political OPP
preston? Is itnot more natural to expect
| improvement; s. instead OF supposlng that
all animals degenerate in America, would
it not seem more probable that the human
race should have improved in its emigration
from Europe 10 America, as it did in its
progress from Asia 10 Europe :!
! Not many generations have passed a.
way since the true method Of pbilosophi'
cal investigation was pointed out by ba-
con. Since then, how wonderful has been
the progress OF physical and metaphysical
science! But has it been more wonder
| full than the success of our political expe-
riments ? And may we not, therefore,
hope that we have adopted the true prln-
ciples of political science
| Would it not have appeared more alb,
SURF few centuries ago to have Asserted
that this planet contained other continents
than Asia, Africa, and Europe; that Jupi
ter had moons, and Saturn massive ring,
and sweeping train of satellites-that voya,
ges could be directed without the ala oil
the land or stars--that men could frame
eng mes more clamourous and destructive
than the thunder, draw down the light
ming from the clouds, conhne it in jars, and
dismiss it again harmless to The alr--l ask
if it would not have appeared more absurd
to have asserted these things few centu-
ries ago, than it is now TO say, that the pc.
litical condition of man may be improved!
vet we see that those things are, and why
may not this thing be? Letu at least be
Iieve it, till the fate Of our government
shall supply another argument to the con-
trary. Let us permit our opinions 10
keep pace with the advancement OF
knowledge, and our views to expand
with the progress of discovery. Man
can be certain of nothing. We are sur
rounded by the different in6nities of
small and great, of space and duration.
The mind, like the eye, can discern OBJ
Iiects distinctly, only when OF certain
size and at certain distance; and am'dst
the immensely of what is unknown, our
little knowledge, is more circumscrIhed
and feeble than the light OF single can
die amidst the darkness OF whole hemis-
pierre. Still we have enough to answer
the ends OF our existence.
Constituted 10 act from probability, it is
idle to wait for certainty. Experience
and reason unite 10 tending to sbew that
probably the destinies of nations may yet
be much exalted. Let this be sufficient
to animate us to the most strenuous eXer-
ton 10 effect this Consunmation, so devout
Nv 20 be wished for. The world wants a
system OF Political Mechanics; one would
be more useful to it, than the splendid
".Nechanioue Celeste" Let it be our hap
piness to supply the want; and thus make
benignant return for that literature and
science, which has beamed with .uch
vivid 81 DRY from across the Atlantic upon
our shores. The patriots of the revou-
ton seem to have hit upon its true princi-
piles: and if we maintain them in their ORR
| ginal force and purity, and apply them
with the honesty and intelligence, which
characterized these illustrious men, we
need fear nothing. If we initiate their
justice, fortitude, temperance, frugalty
and pai-iotism. all will be well.