Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1841-03-10


: the weaker feelings Of the mistaken eE
$ thusiast viii be corrected, the Etopial
. dreams of the scheming politician dissipa
+ ted, and the complicated intrigues Of tb'
demoguge rendered harmless. The,spir
J of liberty is the sovereign balm for every
! injury which our institutions may receive
On the contrary,n no care that can be useC
IN the construction of our Government
: no division Of powers, no distribution O.
checks in its several departments, viii
prove efIectual to keep lis free People
nj this spirit is suffered to decay; and de-
cay it will without constant nurture. To
the neglect OF this duty, the best historj,
ans agree in attributing The ruin of all the
Republics with whose existence and fall
their writings have made US acquainted.
The same causes will ever produce the
same effects; and as long as the love OF
power is dominant passion of The human
bosom, and as long as the understanding
of men can be warped and their aficc-
tons changed, by operations upon their
passions and prejpdices, SO long will the
Liberties of a people depend on their own
constant attention to lis preservation. The
danger to all welI-establshed free Gov
ernments arises from the unwillngness Of
the people TO believe in its existence, or
from the influence Of designing men, di-
vert;ns their attention from the quarter
whence it approaches, to a source from
which il can never come. This IS the old
trick OF these who would usarD the gov
ernment Of their country. In the name
of Democracy they speak warning the
people against the influence Of wealth,
and the danger Of afistocracy. History,
ancient and modern, IS full OF such exam
pies. Caesar became the master of the
Roman people and The Senate, under the
PFetence of supporting the democratic
claims of the former against the aristocga-
cy Of the latter. Cromwell, in the char
actcr of Protector Of the liberties Of the
people, became The Dictator Of England,
and Bolivar possessed himself of unlimi-
ted power with the title of his country's |
LibeTator. There is, on the contrary,
no single instance on record, Of an exten- |
sive and we'll established Republic being
changed into al Arstocracy. The ten.
denotes of all such governments, in their
decline, is TO monarchy and the antag- |
onst principle to liberty there, is the spir
it OF faction-a spirit which assumes the
character, and in times of great excite
ment imposes itselfupon the people as the
genuine spirit of freedom, and, Ike the
false Christ whose coming was foretold
ay the Saviour, seeks and were it possible
wonld impose upon the true and most
faithful disciples Of liberty.
1t is in periods ike this that it behooves
he people to be most watchlul Of those
o whom they have intrusted power. And
although there is at times much difficulty
n distinguishing the false from the true
Pirit, calm and dispassonate investiga.
ion will detect the counterfeit as well by
he character of its operations, al the re-
uIts that are produced. The true spirit (
# liberty, although devoted, perseyering,
'old, and uncompromisiog in principle,
bat secured, is mild and tolerant and |
as TO the means it employs I
whilst the spirit Of party, assuming to be I
bat Of liberty, is harsh, vindictiYe, and IN {
oierant, and totally reckless as to The !
haracteF of the aEIles which it brings to t
he aid of its cause. When the genuine Z
plFit Of liberty animates the body of a
eoPle to a thorough examination oftheir s
fairs, it leads to the exclsion of every L
xcreserce which may have fastened it. h
eli upon any Of The Departments of the a
government, and restores the system to u
5 pristine health and beauty. But the o
eign of an intolerant spirit of party o
nongst free people, seldom fails to a
'su!t in dangerous accession to the ex c
,utlve power, introduced and established j
MIDST unusual professions ofdevotion and N
emocrdcy. d
The foregoing remarks relate almos. p
10 matters connected with our q
'mestc concerns. 1t may be proper, o'
'weTcr, that should give some iadica- %
ms to my fellow citizens Of my propos. Il
course Of conduct in my management ~
our foreign relations. assure them. ne
ereiore, that il is my intention TO use ey- de
means in my power to preserve the as
endiy IntercOurce which rovt so bor,,;I, ne