Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-12-22
Va. n sdyanc. Of its ill-adapted aud

sense De SAID 10 nave anticipated pun
lie improyement-that is, the execu-
ton Of its complicated and responsible
enactments required a degree oil intel
ligence. political integrity, and con-
dition Of public morals that existe'! not
in the people; while, on the other hand,
its principal features were in opposl.
ton to the republican feeling and de-
mocratic tendencies of the age; it could
not, therefore, endure, and we accord
ingly saw il annuli-d.
To secure the permanence offree in
stitu,ioss, founded upon the represen-
tative principle, degree Of intelli-
gence and political integrity, together
with condition of public morals are
necessary far in advance Of those at
present exhibited by the people OF Chi
ii 1t is in vain, therefore, to think Of
transplanting forthwith, into this coun-
Try, the fuIl-grown political institutions
of republicanism, or tosexpect as yet
from these people, the sturdy virtues
which are the fruits Of those inst;tu-
tons AS well might we ATTIC APT to en-
graft the the Utopian system OF the vi
sionary Harrington upon any actual
condition of political society, or look
for the profoundest results of wisdom
and intelligence from the first dawn
ings Of the human understanding. The
liberties and constitutional guarantees
Of Chill must, therefore, rather be the
result of gradual and simultaneous
advance of civilization, political and ge-
neral intelligence, popular morals and
practical liberty, than the abstract spec
ulations ofcloset-politicians, o" theoret-
ical statesmen, however beautiful or
we'll secured by Congressional enact
ment. Chill must constitute herself
practically. Before any fundamental
code is adopted the public mind must
be informed, enlightened and purified,
the only security for free institutions,
being as before mentioned, intelligence,
virtue and republican habits. Her con-
stitu,ional provisions must only define
and secure existing privileges, the slow
but certain result OF the acquisition
and exercise of these qualities. In the
meantime her Fundamental laws should
be few, and rather of negative than
an affirmative character; in as much, as
it is safer and easier to define what
GU ght not, than what ought to be the
law. The progress Of political i'm
provement should not be clogged by
too much regulation Society here is
in continual change, and must go thro'
all the intervening gradations from abb
iect slavery and profound ignorance
before i, can arrive at the full perfec-
ton OF political liberty and universal
intelligence: and the great political bo-
dy having received its impetus, must
be allowed to take its own course:
which will doubtless at FIRST, be some
what erra,ick. Intelligence is self di-
recting power, whose aim and tendeh-
cies are fortunately, towards the side
of human felicity and social order. The
application Of proper agents may no
doubt, accelerate the progress; but
even this may be overdone. Political
society in Chill may be compared to a
person on whom an operation has been
performed for the restoration Of sight:
after having been "siting in darkness"
for long period Of time, if the light
be not iudiciously admitted The success
of the operation is put in jeopardy
AS the newly acquired natural vision,
and tine consequent weak state OF the
organs require the gradual admission
Unnatural light, and render the patient
for time incapable Of viewing physi-
cal objects correctly; so the newly OBJ
tanned, and consequently imperfect
mental vision Of these people, demands.
the progressive admission OF in,ellec-
tual light, and prevents them from dis
tingnishing accurately either moral or
political truths: or to a person under
treatment for deep seated chronick
affection, where the whole mass OF hn-
mours 10 moe or less corrupted; and
as in the case Of Chill, the infrmity
has been from infancy, having had its
origin in the completely vitiated state
of the paren, body, whence she derived
her moral and political al;nent,-the
operation must he seconded by the ad-
ministration of remedies of radical *
universally efiicacious nature; which
shall not only restore the patient 10
health, but, correcting the regimen, and
thus purifying the vital fountain, pre-.
ven, the further transmission of the
moral ailment The only ones ans
wering this desc ription and capable of
producing such effects are popular cdu-
cation, entire freedom Of opinion, po-
itieal and religious, and the consequent
liberty Of the press: These will in time,
produce intelligence, civilization, IN
iellectual, and consequently, social and
political equality; from which will
spring republican habits and their con-
comitant virtues, industry, frugality
and moral and political integrity; whilst
the progress If religious liberty, will,
through the medium Of wholesome
moral connection and censorship,