I know of nothing but light that will remove darknels; nor any antidote to error but truth. If men will abuse their chriftian liberty, they must answer it to God. Another important privilege, is the right of elect îng our own civil rulers. This is the distinguishing criterion of a free government. But we are in great danger of abufing this privilege; and efpeci ally at fuch a feafon as the prefent, when party Spirit is wrought up to its highest pitch. When we fuffer our prejudices and paffions to influence our choice; when our judgment and confcience are facrificed at the fhrine of party zeal; when we pafs over tried merit, and prefer an unworthy candidate because he is of a particular party; do we not then abuse our liberty? If our elections are biaffed and corrupted, our government will be corrupt, and, confequently, our liberty will be endangered. I add once more, The right to investigate the official conduct of all public agents, and in a respectful decent manner to publifh our opinions of them, is one of the privileges of a free people. But, when under this pretence, we calumniate and afperse the characters of our rulers, and endeavour to expose them to public contempt, this is a very malicious and dangerous abufe of our liberty. It is not eafy to calculate the extent of this mifchief; for by traducing their characters, and misrepresenting their motives and measures, we deftroy public confidence, and prepare the minds of the less informed part of the community for complete oppo fition and revolt. This abuse has also another bad effect: It tends to alienate one citizen from another, and kindle the flame of difcord thoughout the nation. Το To guard against this, we need only to reflect, that our national safety and profperity depend chiefly upon our union. So long as we continue virtuous and united, we have little to fear. But fhould patient Heaven, offended by our aggravated provocations, give us up to a spirit of national diftraction and difcord, our ruin would be speedy and inevitable. The fate of all preceding Republics, and the causes which accelerated their ruin, have been recorded by the faithful hiftorian. Signals alfo have been placed on all the rocks and fhoals on which they foundered, to give us the friendly warning. Į have been trying to read the infcriptions on these monuments, but can make out diftinctly only the three following words, which feem to have been written in capitals, LUXURY, EFFEMINACY, and DISUNION. "United we ftand, divided we fall." This was our motto in thofe "times which tried men's fouls." The fentiment is equally important at this time. Young Sampfen's great ftrength, we are told, lay in feven locks united in one head; but ours in se VENTEEN. them to be fhorn, or a part cut off, will most certainly depart from us. If we fuffer our strength Is it not then the duty of every friend to his country to discountenance every attempt to alienate one part of our citizens from another? Whoever endeavours to induce the belief, that the in-. terests of one State are incompatible with thofe of another, or with the interefts of the whole, ought to be confidered, at leaft, as a very doubtful friend. But it may be faid, the fpeaker is only oppofing a "man of straw." I could with indeed we had good reafon to think fo. But has all which has been been faid and done been without meaning? If fo, it ought to have been fuppreffed. I am fure many well-informed perfons* have been seriously alarmed at the progress of party difaffection; and have feared left fome untoward circumftance fhould provoke the mad attempt to divide our hitherto happy Republic. Should we once begin the work of fepa ration, God knows where it may end, and what the confequences may be. It will be remembered that the imprudent conduct of Rehoboam, urged on by the impetuous zeal of the young men who were about him, caufed ten tribes to revolt from the houfe of David. What was the confequence? A civil war; in which half a million fell by the sword! The greatest flaughter, which, perhaps, has ever been in a fingle battle fince the world began. The danger of difunion, which we are confidering, was contemplated by our late beloved WASH, INGTON, and a most folemn warning given us in his farewell addrefs. Permit me to enrich my dif course with a paragraph from it. "The unity of government, (faith he) which conftitutes you one people, is alfo now dear to you. It is justly fo; for it is the main pillar in the edifice of your real independence; the support of your tranquillity at home, your peace abroad; of your fafety, of your profperity; of that very liberty which you fo highly prize. But, as it is eafy to forefee, that from different quarters much pains will be taken, many artifices employed, to weaken in your minds the conviction of this truth; as this is the point in your political fortress, against which the batteries of internal * See Governor TRUMBULL'S Speech, at the opening of the Connecticut Assembly in October last. ternal and external enemies will be moft conftantly and actively (though often covertly and infidiously) directed, it is of infinite moment that you fhould properly estimate the immense value of your nation. al union to your collective and individual happiness; that you fhould cherish a cordial, habitual and immoveable attachment to it; accuftoming yourselves to think and speak of it as of the palladium of your political fafety and prosperity; watching for its prefervation with jealous anxiety; discountenancing whatever may suggest even a suspicion that it can in any event be abandoned; and indignantly frowning upon the first dawning of an attempt to alienate any portion of our country from the rest, or to enfeeble the facred ties which now link together the various parts." This feasonable advice, it is hoped, will have its weight. You will remember that though dead, he yet speaketh. Nor can a doubt be entertained, but his worthy fucceffor, our late excellent Prefident, held the fame sentiment with regard to our union; and had he addreffed the people when retiring from office, we may prefume he would have exhorted us to cleave to our federal union as the "fheet-anchor" of our hopes. Permit me to add, that whatever difference of opinion there may be in other respects, our prefent Chief Magiftrate, in his inaugural speech, has recommended the fame important fentiment with peculiar beauty and energy. But I am not infenfible, that, confidering the divided state of public opinion, I am here venturing on a point of very great delicacy; and yet to pafs wholly unnoticed the Federal Administration, Administration, which has been constantly mention. ed on all fimilar occafions, might be deemed difre, spectful to the conftituted authorities of our coun try. I do not, however, feel myself authorized, ei ther to eulogize or to cenfure. It is but just to obferve, that our prefent Chief Magiftrate, as well as his predeceffors, was among the first afferters of our freedom and independence. At this early period, his distinguished talents and patriotism, procured him the esteem and confidence of his fellow citizens. When we add to this, the many important offices he has fuftained with reputation, both in his own State and under the General Government, we fhall not doubt his ability to conduct our public affairs, in fuch a manner as shall promote our profperity, and do honor to the American character. It will not be denied that the prefent adminiftra tion differs in fome important points from the preceding; and that a new order of things in fome respects is taking place. What the final effect will be upon our political happiness and profperity must be left for time to determine. I will only add, our religious as well as our political fentiments, oblige us to "give custom to whom custom, and honor to whom honor is due." It is confidently hoped, that the distinguished rank which this Commonwealth has hitherto held in the American union, will be maintained with increafing influence and fplendor. That our citizens may be as remarkable for the practice of moral virtue, as for their regard to rational liberty and focial order; and that we may ever be indulged with the |
