140

PATRIOTISM OF WASHINGTON.

neutrality, and, at an early period, arrested the intrigues of France, and the passions of his countrymen, on the very edge of the precipice of war and revolution.

This act of firmness, at the hazard of his reputation and peace, entitles him to the name of the first of patriots. Time was gained for the citizens to recover their virtue and good sense, and they soon recovered them. The crisis was passed, and America was saved.

Ir is impossible to advert to the name of Washington, so dear to every lover of freedom, without paying his memory the highest tribute of veneration. History records not a nobler example of self-renunciation, and more unwearied devotedness to his country. Our admiration for the man does not require us to coincide in all the abstract notions of the theory of government entertained by this first and greatest President of the United States. His views and measures, in the exercise of the powers of government, were in perfect accordance with those of Fisher Ames, and in direct opposition to those entertained by many here, who are too ready to avail themselves of the authority of his name.

Far be it from me, to charge men with intentional dishonesty, in mistaking the republican for the democrat, and in assuming Washington to have held such principles, as they think he ought to have held, but which are in positive variance with those he did hold. Such men care nothing for liberty but its name, "which is as much the end as the instrument of party, and equally fills up the measure of their comprehension and desires." For American authorities to support their cause, they must refer to later and more degenerate days. The name of Washington belongs not to the disciples of agitation. Could the lips of a patriotic king, or the pen of an upright statesman, who felt the people were much less interested in the contentions of party, than in the maintenance of order and good government, denounce in more

decided terms the system of factions agitation, than the n lowing extract from Colambra'x Lovny

"Towards the preservation of you government, and the permaneney of your present happy state, it is Yoguisite How only that you speedily discountenance irregular appositions to Ita acknowledged authority, but also that you waist with came the spirit of innovation upon its principles, howaran apodone the pretexts. One method of assault may be, to about in the toma of the constitution, alterations, which will impan this nagy of the system, and thus to undermine what caminar for dialy overthrown. In all the changes to which you ha huvinol, remember that time and habit are at least as mongery to the the true character of governments, ne of other human finalita tions; that experience is the surest standard, by which that the real tendency of the existing constitution of a country! that facility in changes, upon the maulit of man hypotheda and opinion, exposes to perpetual change, from the antion variety of hypothesis and opinions and remember, per tally, that for the efficient management of your common interesde. in a country so extensive as ours, # povernment of ww mindr vigour as is consistent with the perfect wear unity of thealy, la indispensable. Liberty itself will find in such a poskamment, with powers properly distributed and adjusted, its surest pumphon It is, indeed, little edge than #hother, where the phykank ** to feeble to withstand the enterprises of tu tioun, ky ranchine each member of the shanty within the fittede pri si paljud by thi laws, and to thainant all in thy the #nd trimpot k ment & ing ngas Averum and wringer/

142

CHAPTER VI.

THE ILLUMINISTS.

REFORMERS make nothing of old establishments, of interests that have taken root for ages, and of prejudices, habits, and relations, rather less ancient and rather more stubborn than they. It is fair and candid to make every presumption in favour of their intentions, that may not be discredited by their conduct. It is, however, an effort of candour; but we must make it, to allow that they have been carried away by systems, and the everlasting zeal to generalize, instead of proceeding, like men of practical sense, on the low but sure foundation of matter of fact. They often judge of a law, as they would of a picture, by the rules of taste: they can decide in such a case only as the mob do, by acclamation. What ought to be the result of experience, that a blockhead could both feel and express, is comprehended in the province of sentiment; and for the curse and confusion of a state, the plodding business of politics becomes one of the fine arts. The statesman is bewildered with his own peculiar fanaticism; he sees the stars near, but loses sight of the earth-he sails in his balloon into clouds and thick vapours, above his business and his duties, and if he sometimes catches a glimpse of the wide world, it seems flattened to a plain, and shrunk in all its proportions; therefore he strains his optics to look beyond its circumference, and contemplates invisibility till he thinks nothing else is real. New worlds of

A

metaphysics issue from his teaming brain, and wharf in orbits more elliptic than the comets Мин Мон from the mire into which wristorey bus trade bom, shakes off the sleep off ignorance and the pages othe lax, a gragonia tow being, worked with pr bility, a saint in purity, a giant in metalike", well give to inhabit these worlds Condemnet, wed Möhret, mel

men like them, will be “hoda, xed Proco, med firen, and Mara, and Bursonge

great interests of society are invaded, those passions change their direction and are quickened in it. They are then capable of defending themselves with all the vivacity of the spirit of gain and of enterprise, with all the energies of vengeance and despair. These, it must be confessed, are revolutionary resources, for the defence of property and right, which cannot, and ought not, to be called forth on ordinary occasions. The classes in question will be long in danger, before they will be in fear; and, if their adversary forbears to push the attack in so rude a manner as to make that fear overpower all other emotions, he may proceed, unsuspected and unopposed. They will be as much engrossed with their business, as the political projectors with their plans of reforming, till they destroy it.

Those who possess property, who enjoy rights, and who reverence the laws, as the guardians of both, naturally think it important, and what is better, feel the necessity of supporting the controlling and restraining power of the state: in other words, their interests and wishes are on the side of justice, because justice will secure to every man his own. On the other hand, those who do not know what right is, or if they do, despise it; who have no interest in justice, because they have little for it to secure, and that little, perhaps, its impartial severity would transfer to creditors; who see in the mild aspect of our government, a despot's frown, and a dagger in its hand, while it scatters blessings; who consider government as an impediment to liberty, and the stronger the government, the stronger the impediment; that it is patriotism, virtue, heroism, to sur