is a truth which we all acknowledge, and which moft of us lament. But as moft of the disorders incident to the human frame are the confequence of an intemperate indulgence of its appetites, or of neglecting the most obvious means of fafety; fo moft of the popular tumults, which disturb Government, arife from an abufe of its bleflings, or an inattenti to its principles. A man of a robuft conftitution, relying on its ftrength, riots in gratifications which weaken the ftamina vita; the furfeiting pleafures of a few years deftroy the power of enjoyment, and the full-fed voluptuary feels a rapid tranfition to the meagre valetudinarian. Thus people who enjoy an uncommon thare of political privileges, often carry their freedom to licentioufnefs, and put it out of their power to enjoy fociety by deftroying its support.

Too much health isa difeafe which often requires a very ftrict regimen too much liberty is the worst species of tyranny-and wealth may be accumulated to fuch a degree as to impoverish a State. Did all men attempt to become matters, the most of them would neceffarily become flaves in the attempt; and could every man on earth poffefs millions of joes, every man would be poorer than any man is now, and infinitely more wretched, because they could not procure the neceffaries of life.

My countrymen, it is a common faying now, that the devil is in you. I queftion the influence of the devil, however, in these affairs. Divines and politicians agree in this, to father all evil upon the devil; but the effects afcribed to this prince of evil spirits, both in the moral and political world, I afcribe to the wickedness and ignorance of the human heart. Taking the word devil in this sense, he is in you and among you in a variety of shapes.

In the first place, the weakness of our Federal Government is the devil. It prevents the adoption of any meafures that are requifite for us as a nation; it keeps

us

us from paying our honeft debts; it alfo throws out of our power all the profits of commerce: and this drains us of cafh. Is not this the devil? Yes, my countrymen, an empty purse is the devil.

You fay you are jealous of your rights, and dare not truft Congrefs. Well, that jealoufy is an evil fpirit, and all evil fpirits are devils. So far the devil is in you. You act, in this particular, just like the crew of a fhip, who would not truft the helm with one of their number, because he might poffibly run her afhore, when, by leaving her without a pilot, they were certain of fhipwreck. You act juft like men, who, in raifing a building, would not have a mafter workman, because he might give out wrong orders. You will be mafters yourselves-and as you are not all ready to lift at the fame time, one labours at a flick of timber, then another, then a third-you are then vexed that it is not raifed-why, let a master order thirteen of you to take hold together, and you will lift it at once. Every family has a mafter (or a mistress-I beg the ladies' pardon). When a fhip or a houfe is to be built, there is a mafter-when highways are repairing, there is a master-every little fchool has a mafter-the continent is a great school -the boys are numerous, and full of roguish tricks -and there is no mafter. The boys in this great school play truant, and there is no perfon to chastise them. Do you think, my countrymen, that America is more cafily governed than a school?

You

do very well in fmall matters; extend your reafon to great ones. Would Would you not laugh at a farmer who would faften a three-inch cable to a plough, and yet attempt to draw a house with a cobweb?" And Nathan faid unto David, Thou art the man." You think a mafter neceffary to govern a few harmless children in a school or family, yet leave thousands of great rogues to be governed by good advice. Believe me, my friends-for I am ferious you lofe rights, becaufe

you will not give your magiftrates authority to protect them. Your liberty is defpotifm, because it has no control your power is nothing, because it is not - united.

But further, luxury rages among you and luxury. is the devil. The war fent this evil demon to impoverish people, and embarrass the public. The arti cles of rum and tea alone, which are drank in this country, would pay all its taxes. But when we add fugar, coffee, gauzes, filks, feathers, and the whole lift of baubles and trinkets, what an enormous expenfe! No wonder you want paper currency. My countrymen are all grown very tafty! Feathers and jordans muft all be imported. Certainly, gentlemen, the devil is among you. A Hampshireman, who drinks forty fhillings worth of rum in a year, and never thinks of the expenfe, will raife a mob to reduce the Governor's falary*, which does not amount to three-pence per man per annum. Is not this the devil?

My countrymen, an induftrious man not long ago informed you how to redrefs grievances. He gives excellent advice. Let every man make a little box, and put into it four-pence per day. This in a year will amount to fix pounds one fhilling and eight pence-a fum fufficient to pay any poor man's tax. Any man can fpare three or four pence per day-but a poor man would find it difficult and hardly poffible, at the end of the year, to pay fix pounds. Take my advice every man of you, and you will hardly feel your txes.

But further, a tender law is the devil. When I truft a man a sum of money, I expect he will return

Among the grievances enumerated by the different Conventions in Massachusetts, was the Governor's falary, which is only 1100l. per annum.

+ See the preceding letter.

the

the value. That Legiflature which fays my debtor may pay me with one third of the value he received, commits a deliberate act of villany-an act for which an individual in any Government would be honoured with a whipping-poft, and in most Governments with a gallows. When a man makes dollars, of which one third part only is filver, he must lose his ears, &c. But Legiflatures can, with the folemn face, of rulers and guardians of juftice, boldly give currency to an adulterated coin, enjoin it upon debtors to cheat their creditors, and enforce their fyftematic knavery with penalties. The difference between the man who makes and paffes counterfeit money, and the man who tenders his creditor one third of the value of the debt, and demands a difcharge, is the fame as between a thief and a robber. The first cheats his neighbour in the dark, and takes his property without his knowledge. The latter boldly meets him at noon day, tells him he is a rafcal, and demands his purse.

My countrymen, the devil is among you. Make paper as much as you pleafe. Make it a tender in all future contracts, or let it reft on its own creditbut remember that paft contracts are facred things→→→→ and that Legislatures have no right to interfere with them, they have no right to say a debt shall be paid at a discount, or in any manner which the parties never intended. It is the bufinefs of juftice to fulfil the intention of parties in contracs-not to defeat them. To pay bona fide contracts for cash, in paper of little value, or in old horses, would be a difhoneft attempt in an individual: but for Legislatures to frame laws to fupport and encourage fuch deteftable villany, is like a Judge who should inferibe the arms of a rogue over the feat of juftice, or a clergyman who fhould convert into bawdy-houfes, the temples of Jehovah. My countrymen, the world fays, the

devil is in you-mankind deteft you as they would a neft of robbers.

But lastly, mobs and conventions are devils. Good men love law and legal measures. Knaves only fear law, and try to deftroy it. My countrymen, if a conftitutional legislature cannot redress a grievance, a mob never can. Laws are the fecurity of life and property-nay, what is more, of liberty. The man who encourages a mob to prevent the operation of law, ceafes to be free or fafe; for the fame principle which leads a man to'put a bayonet to the breast of a Judge, will lead him to take property where he can find it and when the Judge dare not act, where is the lofer's remedy? Alas! my friends, too much liberty is no liberty at all. Give me any thing but mobs; for mobs are the devil in his worst shape. [ would fhoot the leader of a mob, fooner than a midnight ruffian. People may have grievances perhaps, and no man would more readily hold up his hand to redrefs them than myfelf: but mobs rebel against laws of their own: and rebellion is a crime which admits of no palliation.

My countrymen, I am a private peaceable man. I have no office of any kind. I have nothing to win or to lose by the game of paper currency: but-I revere juftice. -I would fooner pick oakum all the days of my life, than ftain my reputation, or pay a creditor one farthing lefs than his honeft demands.

While you attempt to trade to advantage, without a head to combine all the States into fyftematic, uniform measures, the world will laugh at you for fools. While merchants take and give credit, the world will call them idiots, and laugh at their ruin. While farmers get credit, borrow money, and mortgage their farms, the world will call them fools, and laugh at their embarraffment. While all men live beyond their incomes, and are haraffed by duns and fheriffs, no man will pity them, or give them relief.

Bu