The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1835-08-05
W DEMOCRACY.
Secretaries,

When a man talks, writes much on politics, he
is very naturally suspected to have some personal
views of interest," to inspire him. I need not tell
you Mr. Editor, that the writer of this paper is not
situated the people who he now addresses could
do nothing for him if they knew him. But he has
an interest after all, though different from that of
which he may be suspected. That interest," he has
in common with the vast majority of those who have
something at stake, something in prospect, to
from their own honest industry. All this class
of citizens, who constitute nine hundred and ninety
nine in a thousand, have deep interest in good
gu'U."..o..t, ei.oy a cheap as possible; be-
cause they know that they pay for it. They
would like to have little trouble about it possi-
bic, since they pay to get rid of the trouble.
If they could let it out by the job, and be it
would be well done they would certainly give it to
the lowest bidder But that has been tried without
success A King is hired for that purpose, and
promises fair did the elective King of Aragon,
who promised to protect the rights and liberties of
the people, or cease to be King.
But in time these promising Kings, forgot who
their constituents, and claimed TO derive their
power from God, and to be accountable to him alone.
Now before ancestors left the mother country,
the work of reform had began; and Pilgrim
Fathers came here to perfect it. This work of re-
form, every one must admit, whether Federast or
Democrat, was in opposition to royal, and aristo-
cratic usurpations and the supremacy of a domi-
nant and intolerant church. We cannot revert with
much pride, satisfaction to our first steps in re-
ligious liberty for there we find evident back
sliding towards the very abuses from which they
fled.
In civil matters we were more fortunate except
ing when allowed the clergy to drag into a
participation of their professional crimes. We
made progress in the science of government; and
learnt so much of the civil rights of man to
bic us to throw off the yoke of government which
was not congenial to those rights We then had a
wide field not obstructed with many of the antigua
ted and invetcrae abuses of the old world, wherein
to cultivate the seeds of republican Institutions.
But too did discover that the tares of aris-
tocracy springng up in this fair field, and re-
quired the utmost vigilance of best to keep
them in check This contest has been going on ev-
er since, with varied success, either side but on
the whole, we may presume that the gain has heen
on the side of human rights, under the guidance oi
republican principles. contrary co"rse "o"'
have been discouraging indeed; for no fairer oppor
tunity, was likely to occur for centuries to come.
Sophists, paid, and hattered by those who wished
to carry society back to the European systems o
Government, exerted all their skill, in UNIVERSE
ties, pupts, courts and halls of Legislature; anC
occasionally succeeded in binding the majority on 1T
true interest Then indeed we made retrograd'
progress. But fortunately, for the country, the I'm
prudent speed of our opponents, carried them int
rash measures which opened the eyes of the people
on their own danger, and reaction was the conse
quence. During all this time, the natural resource
of the country affordedthe working classes, especially
those in the country, time, and opportunity to gai'
knowledge on all subjects and this increase o
knowledge, has proved, and is likely to continue al
over match for the progress in the arts of deception
Those arts have natural limit, and that IS th