The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1842-01-04
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. I

! had proceeded thus far sometime since, cal
cuating 10 treat of The last provision Of the ar;i
Gle, as briefly as possible and come TO a close
but being unable to proceed further at the Time
what had written was copied and LAID aside
And now, on reviewing what had said upon the
! particular provisions of the article | perceive
that for fear e exhausting The patience of the
reader had hurried on, and done justice neither
TO the SUBJECT, nor to the trainers Of the Const-
tuition And as this is an oIo sore IN the ConslI'
tuition, which cannot be healed, | MIST reques
The reader To go with me directly back 10 The yea
I776, when the article was framed and see II We
cannot eradicate The whole of the diseased part
And if we shall be unable TO do the work tho
roughly this evening, we will Fl ish it tomorrow
evening, or the mex stormy day. so that it shall
not in the least interfere with our outdoor work
and If others chose 10 stay here and rust ont
rather ll;an wear out or if thty choose la go for
ward and speculate upon the future, when they
can neither review their own past conduct, nor
! take any lessons from experience. let them g.,
/ but can tell them one thng-Iaey wall come
! back neither wiser nor better. But we will go
directly back TO take lessons from the past to aid
US in our future course
J The people of the colonies did nut resist the
authority OF the British government because they
| had any objections 10 the form of the 9 verDmcnt
or TO its general adminisiraton-un the contrary.
they were as strongly attached 10 il by habit as
we ire 10 cur government. They asked nothing.
they desired nothing. but The enjoyment of their
rights as British subjects, and they complained
| cf nothing hui violation Of those rights by the
wicked ministers Of the crown. And this attach
meni 10 the British government continued, and a
strung desire for a reconciliation between G. cat
Bririsn and her colonies was felt and expressed
by the people until after the declaration Of indie
pcndence.* In this governmental which the peo-
pie of the colonies were str ngy attached,
there was power placed above the people. The
king governed the people, aud this was The case
in all existing governments. And the people Of
the colonies had occasionally witnessed scenes of
popular violencr, which endangered the lires and
property of all. and tn reloiced III seeing the
violators of the law suhdued and the people rro-
tected by the power Of the crown and ptare and
good order restored. They had observed too
how tickle and changeable the people were. How
natural for men having these views and these
habits, TO have predile, ;ion for a monaTciical
form Of government, and how little faith they
must have had in government BY the pCope,
without any pnwer TO control bem-a and vet u e
task must be performed. II was absolutely nc
cessary 10 organize a government in each Of the
colonies, TO make even an atIemp' a defence a.
gainSt the BTi ish armts, and they rr iceeded 10
form written Constitutions OF Government, with
OUT any Huutl. duN WlNhtul any
preceden'. Were ever men paced 10 situation
like this?-had men ever such a task To- perform?
Yet they proceeded with determined minds, but
with trembling hands, until plan VAS conceiv-
ed and proposed, for creating the power so lnng
sought in vain, which was ID cont:ol the Lcgis-
lature, prevent all abuse Of power, secure the
people in the enjoyment Of their rights and at the
same time keep the people at respectful distance
from The Constitution, so that II could not be
mutilaied By their hands. and they break out IN
the triumphant language of The ticlc-''ln or'ler
that the freedom of this commonwealth may oe
preserved involate forever, there shall be rhosen
Ly ballot, &C.
Read The article. and ynu will from beginning
IN end observe the language OF man, who. ~
tLe nrosocu,on of an enterprise. on the successful
;sSnn Of which he had risked his whole fortune,
b,J mot with obstacles in his way appearing in
s,,rmountabe. and who, after long aud doubtful
s,rngoIe had removed them all, and Is exultiDg in
his mighty achievement. D.
The trainers of the Constitution, as they
themselves declare in the outset, relied solely on
the power vested in the Council for a correct ad-
mnistration and per2etuty Of their new system
Of government And yet, they invested the
Council with no auihonty-ihey could pass no
aw they could appoint no officer out of their
'wn board; they could punish no one; they
could coerce no one. They could cen>ure and
'cold, and this was the extent of their power: IN.
ess the laying their bodies across the Path lead
ne from their people to the Constitution. b. con
idered an exercise Of power, but can perceive
10 power in this, excePi the power Of grayi,a,ion.