LETTER VII. THUS happily mistaken was the ingenious, learned, and patriotic lord Belhaven, in his prediction concerning the fate of his country; and thus happily mistaken, it is hoped, some of our fellowcitizens will be, in their prediction concerning the fate of their country. HAD they taken larger scope, and assumed in their proposition the vicissitude of human affairs, and the passions that so often confound them, their prediction might have been a tolerably good guess. Amidst the mutabilities of terrestial things, the liberty of United America may be destroyed. As to that point, it is our duty, humbly, constantly, fervently, to implore the protection of our most gracious Maker, who doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men," and incessantly to strive, as we are commanded, to recommend ourselves to that protection, by " doing his will," diligently exercising our reason in fulfilling the purposes for which that and our existence were given to us. How the liberty of this country is to be destroyed, is another question. Here, the gentlemen assign a cause, in no manner proportioned, as it is apprehended, to the effect. THE uniform tenor of history is against them. That holds up the licentiousness of the people, and turbulent temper of some of the states, as the only causes to be dreaded, not the conspiracies of federal officers. Therefore, it is highly probable, that, if our liberty is ever subverted, it will be by one of the two causes first mentioned. Our tragedy will then have the same acts, with those of the nations that have gone before us; and we shall add one more example to the number already too great, of people that would not take warning, nor "know the things which belong to their peace." But, we ought not to pass such a sentence against our country, and the interests of freedom: though, no sentence whatever can be equal to the atrocity of our guilt, if through enormity of obstinacy or baseness, we betray the cause of our posterity and of mankind, by Providence committed to our parental and fraternal care.――There is reason to believe, that the calamities of nations are the punishments of their sins. As to the first mentioned cause, it seems unnecessary to say any more upon it. As to the second, we find, that the misbehaviour of the constituent parts acting separately, or in partial confederacies, debilitated the Greeks under the Amphictionic council, and under the Achæan league. -As to the former, it was not intirely an assembly of strictly democratical republics. Besides, it wanted a sufficiently close connection of its parts. After these observations, we may call our attention from it. "Tis true, the Achæan league was disturbed by the misconduct of some parts, but, it is as true, that it surmounted these difficulties, and wonderfully prospered, until it was dissolved in the manner that has been described. THE glorious operations of its principles bear the clearest testimony to this distant age and people, that the wit of man never invented such an antidote against monarchical and aristocratical projects, as a strong combination of truly democratical repub. lics. By strictly or truly democratical republics, This limitation of happy effects, to " strong combinations of democratical republics," is thus noticed by Joel Barlow." The federalising of states, whose governments were monarchical or aristocratical, has not obtained any brilliant success, either in ancient or modern times." JOEL BARLOW's second letter to the people of these states-dated Paris, the 20th of December, 1799. the writer means republics, in which all the principal officers, except the judicial, are from time to time chosen by the people. THE reason is plain. As liberty and equality, or as well termed by Polybius, BENIGNITY, were the foundations of their institutions, and the energy of the government pervaded all the parts in things relating to the whole, it counteracted for the common welfare, the designs hatched by selfishness in separate councils. IF folly or wickedness prevailed in any parts, friendly offices and salutary measures restored tranquillity. Thus the public good was maintained. In its very formation, tyrannies and aristocracies submitted by consent or compulsion. Thus the Ceraunians, Trezenians, Epidaurians, Megalopolitans, Argives, Hermionians, and Phlyazians were received into the league. A happy exchange! For history informs us, that so true were they to their noble and benevolent principles, that, in their diet, "no resolutions were taken, but what were equally advantageous to the whole confederacy, and the interest of each part so consulted, as to leave no room for complaints !" How degrading would be the thought to a citizen of United America, that the people of these states, with institutions beyond comparison preferable to those of the Achæan league, and so vast a superiority in other respects, should not have wisdom and virtue enough, to manage their affairs, with as much prudence and affection of one for another as these ancients did. WOULD this be doing justice to our country? The composition of her temper is excellent, and seems to be acknowledged equal to that of any nation in the world. Her prudence will guard its warmth against two faults, to which it may be exposedThe one, an imitation of foreign fashions and customs, which from small things may lead to great. May her citizens aspire at a national dignity in every part of conduct, private as well as public. This will be influenced by the former. May simplicity (g) be the characteristic feature of their manners, which, inlaid with their other virtues and their forms of government, may then indeed be compared, in the Eastern stile, to " apples of gold in pictures of silver." Thus will they long, and may they, while their rivers run, escape the contagion of luxury (b)that motley issue of innocence debauched by folly, and the lineal predecessor of tyranny, prolific of guilt and wretchedness. The other fault, of which, as yet there are no symptoms among us, is the thirst of empire. This is a vice, that ever has been, and from the nature of |