The RIGHT CONSTITUTION «f a COMMON
WEALTH EXAMINED.
(CONTINUED.)
" THE people have less meansand opportuni
" ties tor luxury than those pompous Handing
" powers, whether in the hands ofoneorinany."
But if the sovereignty were exercised wholly by
one popular alleinbly, they would then have the
means and opportunities in their hands as much
as the king has in a monarchy, or the senate in
an aristocracy or oligarchy; and much more than
either the kings or nobles have in the tripartite
compolition we contend for ; because in this the
king and nobles have really no means or oppor
tunities of luxury but what'are freely given them
be the "people, whose representatives hold the
jpurfe. Accordingly, in the simple democracy,
or repretentative democracy, which our author
contends for, it would be found, that the great
leaders in the aflembly would soon be as luxur
ious as ever kings or hereditary nobles were, and
they would make partifansby admitingallbciates
in a luxury, which they would support at the ex
pence of the minority; and every particle of the
executive power would be proitituted, new lu
crative officers daily created, and larger appoint
ments annexed to support it : nay, the power of
judging would be proitituted to determine causes
in favour of friends and against enemies, and the
plunder devoted to the luxury. Thepeople would
be found as much inclined to vice and vanity as
kings or grandees,and would run on to Hill greater
excess and riot : for kings and nobles are always
rellrained, infome degree, by fear of thepeople,
and their censures ; whereas the people them
lelves, in the cafe we put, are not restrained by
fear orffiame, having all honour and applause at
their disposal, as well as force. It does not ap
pear, then, that they are less luxurious ; on the
contrary they are more luxurious, and neceflarily
become so, in a simple democracy.
Our author triumphantly concludes, " it is
" clear the people, thatis, their fucceflive repre
" fentatives" (all authority in one centre, and
that centre the nation) " mult be the best gover
" nors, because the current of fucceflion keeps
" them the less corrupt and presumptuous." He
must have forgot that these fucceifive representa
tives have all the executive power, and will use
it at once for the express purpose of corruption
among their constituents, to obtain votes at the
next election. Every commission will be given,
and new offices created, and frefh fees, salaries'
perquisites, and emoluments added, on purpose
to corrupt more voters. He must have forgot
that the judicial power is in the hands of these re
presentatives, by his own suppositions, and that
falfe accusations of crimes will be sustained to
ruin enemies, disputes in civil causes will be de
cided in favour of friends ; in short, the whole
criminal law, andthe whole civil law concerning
lands, houses, goods, and money, will be made
subservient to the covetoufnefs, pride, ambition,
and ollentation of the dominant party and their
chiefs. " The current of fucceflion," instead of
keeping them " less corrupt and presumptuous,"
is the very thing that annually makes them more
corrupt and ffiamelefs. Instead of being more
" free from luxurious courses," they are more
irreiiftably drawn into thein ; instead of being
" free from oppreflive and injurious practices,"
their parties at elections will force them into
them : and all these things they must do to hold
up the port and splendor of their tyranny ; and if
any of them hesitates at any imprudence that his
party demands, he alone will be rejected, and
another found whose conscience and whose ffiame
are Sufficiently subdued. (To be continued.)
MR. ADAMS'S LETTERS.
LETTER VIII.
Amsterdam. Oct. 16, 1780.
S I R,
THE eighth enquiry is, "What England
PROPERLY OUGHT TO DO, TO FORCE Ame-
RICATO SUBMISSION, AND PRESERVE HER IN IT ?
HOW MUCH TIME, MONEY, AND HOW MANY VES
SELS WOULD BE WANTED FOR THAT PURPOSE ?
I afl'ure you, Sir, I am as much at a loss to in
form you, in this particular, as Lord George Ger
maine would be. I can fix upon no number of men,
uor any sum of money, nor any number of ships,
that I think would be fuiKcient. But moll certain
ly, no number of Ihips or men which Great Britain
now has, or ever can have, nor any sum of money
that flie will ever be able to command, will be
fufficient.
If it were in the power of Great Britain to fend
an hundred thouland men to America, and they
had men of war and transports enough to convey
them there in fafety, amidst the dangers that
await now from French,Spanilh,and American men
of war, they might potiibly get poflellion of two
or three Provinces, and place so many garrisons
in various parts, as to prevent the people from
exercising the functions of government, under
their new constitutions ; and they might set up
a (ham appearance of a civil government under
the King : But Ido not believe that an hundred
thouiand men could gain and preserve them the
civil government of any three States in the Con
federation. The States are at such diltances from
oneanother; there are such difficulties in palling
from one to another by land ; and such a multi
tude of ports are neceflary to be garrisoned and
provided, in order to command any one Colony ;
that an army of an hundred tlioufand men would
soon find itfelf consumed, in getting and keeping
poilellion of one or two States. But it would re
quire the armies of Semiramisto command and
preserve thein all.
Such is the nature of that country, and such
the character of the people,that if the English were
to fend ever so many Ihips, and ever lb many
troops,they never would subdue all the Americans.
Numbers, in every State, would fly to the moun
tains, and beyond the mountains, andthere main
tain a conltant war againlt the Englilh. In Ihort,
1 the Englilh, if they could conquer America, which
they never can, nor any one State in it, it would
colt them a ltanding army of an hundred thou
sand men to preserve their conquelt; for it is in vain
iorrhem ever tothink of any other government's
taking place again under the King of England,
but a military government.
As to the number of Ihips, it must be in pro
portion to the number of troops : they mult have
transports enough to carry their troops, and men
of war enough to convoy them through their nu
merous French, Spanilh, and American enemies
upon the seas.
AS to the fuins of money, you will easily fee,
that adding two hundred millions more to the two
hundred milions they already owe, would not
procure and maintain so many Ihips and troops.
It is very certain the Englilh can never fend
any great numbers more of troops to America.
The men are not to be had : the money is not to
be had : the seamen, and even the tranfpovts, are
not to be had. 1 have the honor to be, &c.
JOHN ADAMS.
I give this to Mr. Calkoen as my private opin"
ion concerning the queltion he alks. As Mr. Cal
koen observes, this is a queltion that had better
not be publicly answered : but time will Ihew the
answer here given is right. It would, at present,
be thought extravagant, or enthuliafm. Mr.
Adams, only requelts Mr. Calkoen to look over
this letter a lew years hence, and then fay what
his opinion ofit is. Vi«Sories gained by the Eng
lilh, in taking sea-port towns, or in open field
fighting, will make no difference in my answer co
this queltion. Victories gained by the Englilh,
will conquer theinfelves looner than the Ameri
cans. Fighting will not fail, in the end, to turn
to the advantage of America, altho the Englilh
may gain an advantage in this or that particular
engagement.
ABSTRACT "/JOURNAL of the first session oj the SENATE
cj the UNITED STATES.
MONDAY, May 4.
Agreeabfy to the order of the day, the Senate proceeded in the
second reading of a bill, entitled " An ad to regulate the time and
manner of administering certain oaths," and to the confidcration of
the amendments reported by the Committee, which are at follow ■
In line 1, strike out the words " Congrefsof the United States,"
and lnfe'l, " Senate and Representatives of the United States of
Amcrica 111 Congress Assembled."
At the end of the second paragraph add the words " of the Se
nate, and insert the following clause, " And be it further enaftcd
" That the membersof the feveralState Legislatures, and all exel
" cutive and judicial officers of the several dates, who have been
" heretofore chosen or appointed, or who (ball be chosen or ap
" pointed before the !ft day of August next, and who lhallthen be
" lnoffice, (ball, within one month thereafter, take the fame oath or
" affirmation, except w here they (ball have taken it before ; which
" may be adminiftrred by any person authorised bythelaw of the
State in which (uch office (ball be holden, to administer oaths-
And the members of the several State Legislatures, and all ex
" ecutive and judicial officers of the several States, who (ball be cho
" fen or appointed, ester the said firft day of August, {hall, before
" they proceed to execute the dutiesof their refpeftive offices
" take the foregoing oath or affirmation, which lhali be adminif.'
" tered by the person or persons, who by the law of the State
" (hall be authorised to administer the oath of office; and the per
son or persons so administering the oath hereby required to be
" taken, shall cause a record or ceitificate thereof to be made, in
the fame Planner as by the law of the State, he, or they (hall bc'di
" rested to record oj certify the oat h of office."
In the last paragraph, strike out the words " of the United States
of America," in the third and fourth lines, and insert the fame
words in the fourth line next after the words "as the cafe may be."
And being accepted, Tuesday morning, 11 o'clock, was afligned
for the third reading of the bill.
The report of the Committee to whom was referred the motion
made the id instant, upon the mode of fending messages to, and
receiving them from the House of Representatives, was read, and
ordered to lie for consideration. Adjourned.
TUESDAY, May 5 .
Agreeably to the oider of the day, the bill, entitled " An ast to
regulate the time and manner of administering certain oaths," was
rear! a third time, and parted the Senate with amendments.
O'dered.That the Secietary carry the aforementioned bill to the
Houle of Representatives, together with the amendments, and ad
dreis the Speaker in the following words :
S: r,
THE Senate Bave patted a hill, entitled, '< An ast to regulate
the tune and manner of administering certain oaths," with amend
ment?. to which they desire the concurrence of your House
Ordered., That when a bill has passed the Senate, the Secretary
ha.l endorfc the final determination thereon, and the day when
uch final queihon was taken, previous to its bemgtran&nitted to
the Houle ot Representatives. Adjourned to Thurfdav
THURSDAY, May 7.
The Committee, appointed to confer with such Committee as
might be appointed on the part of the House of Representatives to
report what Style or Titles it will be proper to annex to the Office
nfh ,h l"I V ' re Pref,dent of tbe United States, if any
other than those given m the Reported : Which Re.
port w?,s ordered to lie for confidcration.
M ThC ft ßeport of , l , heC f™ m '«re upon the motion committed
T".r 3 the firft P ara e«P h accepted
Ordeti, that wjj- a meffen-r (ball come from tbe House of
Representatives to the Senate, and fliall be announced W '
«eper, the messenger or messengers, being a Member nr il!?''
nf the House, shall be received within the bar, the p rc f lc l
when the message is by one Member, and the Senate alt™'!, 5
isby two or more: If themeffengerbe not a Member of ,K,u 1
be (hall be received at the bar, by the Secretary, and 'he hl] '
papers that he may bring, (ball there be received from hun h ;
Secretary, and be by him delivered to the President
The Committee appointed to prepare ananfwertothe Pre£i
Speeth, delivered to the Senate and House of Reprefentative,^'!.'
United States, reported. r " !
(For the An Jour of theSeuitt to the Pujide ,us Spited, [ a
per of Muy 20.) J tc '
Beckley, the Clerk of the House of Representatives deW
ed a message, purporting, " That the House bad concurred with.V
Senate 111 the amend men's proposed on a bill, jntitledAn ast
regulate the time ana manner of adraunfiering certain oaths"!! 'j
" That the House proposed an amendment, 10 the third la-nd
ment, by inferring af.et the word " Legislatures in the fcrft B j- P ".
the woixjs " At the next session of tfiefaid Legislatures !e(p«.
He also brought to the Senate a rqfolve of the House of R eDrt
fentatives, appointing Mr. Bland, Mr. TrijmbulV. audMr VmiM
a Comnvttee on the part of the House, 10 cgn/ej; with aov Com
mittee to be appointed onthepartof the Senate, and report - |,»
rules to be eftablilhed between the two Houses, for the enrollment
&c. of the a£b of Congress, and to coafer on the mode of pideni
ing addreffcs, bills, See. to the Profidcnt."—And be withdrew
The Senate agreed to. the amendment proposed by the House of
Reprefeatatives to the amendment to the afore-mentioned BiU-
And appointed Mr. Langdon, Mr. Read, and Mr Henry a
Committee on their pari, for the purpose exprefled in the refotoe
of the House of Representatives received this day jwhiciuamhei
with tbe concurrence of tbe Senate to the ameudnjent on the a
mendment to the bill above mentioned, was carried to the Hjo!s
by the Secretary. Adjourned.
FRIDAY, MAY 8.
The Report of the Committee appointed to determine « Whit
Style or Titles it will be proper to annex to the Office of (Widen
and Vice President of the United States, if any other
given in the Constitution"—and, to confer with a Comm
of the House of Reprelcntatives appointed for that purpose- Was
considered and disagreed to.
The question was taken " Whether the ofthe United
States (hall be addrefledby the Titleof His Exce l uekcy
it patted in the negative.
On motion, That a Committee of three be appointed to con
sider and report under what Title it will be proper for the Senate
to addreCs the president ctfthe United States, Ma. Mr. Ells.
worth, and Mr. Johnson, were elected. AdioinoccT.
SATURDAY, May 9.
Mr. Beckley, the Clerk of the House of Representatives, deli
vered a message, purporting, That the House had accepted the
report of a Committee appointed to consider wh<tf. Style or Title
it will be proper to annex to the Officc of President arui of Y|<*
President of the United States, if any other than those giyep io the
Constitution. And he withdrew.
Ordered, That Mr. Few, Mr. Maclay and Mr. Strong, be a Com
mitteeto view the apartments in the City Hall, and to catiLrwith
any Committee that may be appointed by the House of Refuefea
tatives for that purpose, and report howlhe fame fl\aU appro-,
printed.
The Committee appointed to consider under what Title it will
be proper for the Senate to address the Prciideutof the Umidi
States, Reported—The consideration of which was poftponc4 un
til Monday next.
The Secretaiy was charged with a message to the Houfeof Re
presentatives, with the order of Senate paflVd the 7th instant, on the
mode adopted by the Senate in receiving communications from the
House.
Ordered, That Mr. Lee, Mr. Ellfworth and Mr. Johnfoa be>
Committee, to confer with any Committee, to be appointed by the
House of Representatives on the difference of opinion now subsist
ing between the two Houfqs, rcfpc&ing the Title of the Pielident
ofthe United States—And on motion for Reconfidcration,
ftru&ion to the Committee was agreed to as follows:
" That they consider and report under what Title it will be
proper for the President of the United States in future to bead
drefTed, and to confer thereon with such Committee as the House
of Representatives may appoint for that purpose."
The Secretary carried to the House of Representatives the ap
pointment of a committee on the part of the Senate to view the
rooms of the City Hail, and to confer upon (heir appropriation,
—The Rejection of the Report of the Committee appointed to
consider what Style, Sec. it will be proper to annex to the Offices
of President and of Vice President, —And the appointment of 1
Committee on the part of the Senate to confer, on a Title under
which it will be proper to address the Prefidentof the United States.
Adjourned.
MONDAY, iu
Ordered, That the consideration of the Report of the Committee
upon " the Title bv which it will be proper for the Senate to ad
dress the President" be postponed until Tuefdaynext.
Ordered, That a Committee to coufift of Mr. Ellfworth, Mr-
Carroll, and Mr. Few, be appointed to consider and reporta mode
of carrying into execution the second paragraph, of tha thirdfec
tion, of the firft article ofthe Constitution.
The Committee appointed the 13th of April to confer witha
Committee of the House of Representatives, upon the future dispo
sition of the papers in the Office of the late Secretary of Congrefe,
made a Report which was ordere4 to lie until a Committee ap
pointed May 7, to confer with a Committee of the House " Onjoint
rules to be eftabliflied for the enrollment, &c. of thjc a&s of Con
gress" (hould report. Adjourned.
TUESDAY, May 12.
Mr. Morris, from the State of Pennsylvania, appeared and took
his feat in the Senate.
Mr. Beckley, the Clerk of the House of Reprefentatives,l deh
vered a message, purporting, that the House had concurred in the
appointment of a Committee on their part,confiftingof Mr. White»
Mr. Scott, and Mr. Sturges, to confer, with the Committee]ap
pointed on the part of the the Senate, May 9th, on the appropria
tion ofthe rooms in the City Hall;—Alfo, that the House had ap
pointed a Committee, consisting of Mr. Maidifoa, Mr. Trumbull,
Mr. Page, Mr. Benfon, and Mr. Sherman, t.o confer with any Com
mittee that the Senate shall appoint on the di&greeing voleso
the Senate and House of Representatives upon the report of their
joint Committee, appointed, to consider what Titles inallbegi vei *
to the President and to the Vice President of the UrytgJ ta " s ' 1
any other than those given in the Constitution. —And hewithcrev.^
Ordered that the Committee apppointed the gth of M a Y
consider "By what Title it will be proper for the Senate to a " .J*
the President of the United States," be inftrufted to confer wt
the Committee ofthe House of Representatives, agreeably 101 e
proportion in their mefTage of this day. _ r
A motion for the Committee, appointed to address the Pre'
dent, to proceed, was postponed to Thursday next. •
IF JOHN BAYfcS, xuko htrly hvci v'th «
tapJtco-Neck, near Baltimore, and, formerly from Northampton]
England, or his son Wi lliam Bayes, who lived with Robot o.t
Jon, in Rcdminjler-Towvjhip, Ptnnfylvanuh are J
and will fend an account of and where they a r e, or ei c J
them may be found, to SAMUEL £L AM, at Newport, Rhode '[
they will hear ofCome thing to their advantage. °f ' n
► cease of either of those farfons, (should such an event ha#e a jr'
would be efieemed a favor, directed as above.
j Published by JOHN FENNO, No. 9, DE /j
Lane, nearthc Ofuiego-Marht, New-York.—