PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS BY JOHN FENNO, No. 4 i, '.ROAD-STREET, NEAR THE EXCHANGE, NEW-YORK.
[No. 28, cf Vol. If.j
FOR THE GAZETTE OF THE UNITED STATES.
DISCOURSES ON DAVILA. No. XIV.
4
(Concluded from our hjl.)
*Tis with our judgments as our watches—none
Go Just alike i but etch believes his own,
THAT there is already a fciffion,in the National
Assembly.like all others,paft, present, and to
tome is most certain. There i*
party, a democratical party, an armed neutrali
ty, and moil probably a monarchical party : be
sides another division, who uiuft finally prevail,
or liberty will be loft ; 1 meanafet of members,
who are equal friends to monarchy, ariltocracy,
and democracy, and wish for an equal indepen
dent mixture of all three in their constitution.
Each of these parties has its chief, and these
chiefs are or will be rivals. Religion will be
both the objevftand the pretext of foine : liberty,
of others : submission and obedience of others :
and levelling, downright levelling, of not a few.
But the attention, consideration and congratula
tions of the public, will be the objedt of all. Si
tuation and office will be aimed at by fomeof all
parties. Contests and diflentions will arise be
tween these runners in the fa.ne race. The na
tural and usual progress, is, from debate in the
afl'embly to discussions in print : from the search
of truth and public utility in both, to sophistry
and the fpirii of party : evils so greatly dreaded
by the ingenious " Citizen of New-Haven," to
whoui we have now the honor of paying our firft
refpeifts, hoping that hereafter we may find an
opportunity to make him our more particular
compliments. From sophistry and party spirit,
the transition is quick and easy to falftiood, iin
polture, and every species of artificial evolution
and criminal intrigue. As unbalanced parties ot
every defciiption, can never tolerate a free en
quiry of any kind, when employed against them
selves, the licence, and even the molt temperate
freedom of the press, soon excites refeiument
and revenge. A writer unpopular with an op
pofue party because he is too formidable in wit
or argument, may firft be burnt in effigy : or a
printer may have his office aflaulted : cuffs and
kicks, boxes and cudgels, are heard of, among
ptsbeian ftatefmeu challenges and single com
bats among the ai iftocratic legislators—Riots and
seditious at length break men's bones or ilea oft
their (kins.—Lives are loft : and when blood is
once drawn, men, like other animal*, become
outrageous : if one party has not a superiority
over the other, clear enough to decide every
thing at its pleasure, a civil war enl'ues. When
the nation arrives at this period of the progrelli
on, every leader, at the head of his votaries, even I
ifyou admit him tohave the bell intentions in the
world, will find himielf compelled to form thein
into some military arrangement, both for offence
and defence, to build callles and fortify eminen
ces,like the feudal Barons. For ariftocratical ri
■valries and democratical rivalries too, when un
balanced agaiirit each other, by foine third me
diating power, naturally and unfailingly pro
duce a feudal fyftein.—lf this (liould be thecourfe
in France, the poor, deluded, and devoted parti
zans would soon be fond enough of decorating
their leaders, with the old titles of dukes, mar
quifles and counts, or doing any thing else, to
increase the power of their commander over
themselves, to unite their wills and forces for
their own fafety and defence, or to give him
weight with their enemies.
TVie men of letters in France, are wifely re
forming one feudal system : but may they not
unwifeiy, lay the foundation of another ? A le
eiftature in one afl'embly, can have no other tpr
mination than in civil dillention, feudal anarchy,
or ftmple monarchy. The best apology which
can be made for their freffi attempt ot a sove
reignty in one allembly, an idea at least as anci
ent in France as Stephen BoetiuSyii, that it is only
intended to be momentary. " a f*nate had been
propt&d, it mlift have been formed, tnoft
bably of Princes of .he biood, Cardinals, Arch
bifiiops, Dukes and Karquifles, and all tliefe to
gether would have obllrudted the progress of the
reformation in religion fciid government, an d
procured an abortion, to the regeneration of
France. Penr.fylvjiiia eftabliflied. her fingie ai
fembly in 1776, upon the fame principle. An
appreheiifion that the Proprietary and Ouaket
intercfts would prevail, to the election ot charac
ters dififfcCted to the American cause, finally
prenwsdeiated agnhiA two initiative councils.
SATURDAY, JULY 17, 1790.
Pennsylvania, and Georgia who followed her ex
ample, have found by experience, the necelfity
of a change : and France, by me fame infallible
progress ofreafoning, will discover the fame ne.
ceflity : happy indeed, if the experiment shall
not cost her more dear. That hefubjeft iscon
fidered in this light, by the belt friends of liberty
in Europe, appears by the words of Dr. Price,
lately oublifhed in this aper ' Had not the
; ariltocraticrtl and clerical o*dei»," fays U»at
u sage and amiable writer, " have been obliged
" to throw themselves into one chamber with
" the commons, no reformation could have tak
" en place, and the regeneration of the kingdom
" would have been impolfible. And in future
" legislatures, were these two orders to make
; " diltinct and independent states, all that has
" been done would probably be soon undone.
" Hereafter, perhaps, when the new conftituti
" on, as now formed, )ias acquired strength by
" time, the National AfTembly may find it prac
" ticable as well as expedient, to eftablilh by
" means of a third Estate, such a check, as now
" takes place in the American government, and
" is indifpenfible in the 3riti(h government."
TRANSLATED
FOR THE GAZETTE OF THE UNITED STATES.
FROM THE LETDEN GAZETTE
Pubhihcd by Stephen Luzac.
[A Paper that is considered in Europe asthemoft
authentic medium of intelligence—and as such
circulates more extenfivcly than any other
iimilar publication.]
PARIS.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE COLONIES,
Preftntei to.th: National Jiflimbly, in the name oj
the Comtnittee appointed jor that purpose, the l^d
March, 1790.
By Mr. Baknave, Deputy from Dauphiny.
qfce.
THE National Aflembly having, by its decree
of the Bth inft. invited all the French colo-
nies to transmit their wiflies refpe<fting the Con
stitution, the administration, the laws, and in ge
neral refpefting every rfieafurethat may conduce
to their prosperity, has announced that there
should be annexed to its decree, some inftruiftions
necessary to attain this in the surest and most ex
peditious manner. ,
The{e inftrutftions ought to have for tlieir ob
je«ft, the formation of allemblies, destined to ex
press the views of thecoloniei, and some general
points which may serve as the basis of their labor.
In order to know the wish of the colonies, it is
indifpeufably neceflary to convoke colonial al
lemblies, as well in those colonies where none as
yet exifts,as in those where the existing afiemblies
are not authorised by the confidence of the citi-
zens.
The National Afl'embly being obliged to trace
prov i{tonally a mode for their formation, conceive
it necefl'ary to choose the simplest forms, refein
bling the nearest mode which have been adopted
in the colonies where the citizens have freely as
fembled of themselves—in Ihort the molt suitable
to Allemblies, whose principal objedt ought to be
I to prep re plans of a constitution.
These afiemblies will judge for themselves,
when preparing the constitution of the colonies,
what ought to be in future the conipoiition and
mode of convoking colonial allemblies. 1 o prel •
cribe at this time multiplied and complicated
regulations on this head, to do any thing more
tl.an what isabfolutely neceflary, would not on-
ly be running a rilk of committing errors, not
only creating difficulties in the execution, but
would be altering the spirit of the decree pafl'ed
in favor of the colonies, by tracing as it were be
fore hand, the constitution they are invited to
propole.
With these confederations, the National Aflem
bly are of opinion, that the deputation to the firft
colonial allemblies, should be dire<ft, and without
any intermediate degree of ele«£lors.
That it ought to be made by parifha.
That each parifli ought to depute, in proportion
to the number ot acftive citizens ic contains.
That for this convocation, and until the con
stitution is agreed upon, the qualifications oi
an atftive citizen should be, a man of lawful age,
and a freeholder, or if not a freeholder, a ie(i
dence in the pariihof two years, ajid payment of
taxes.
525
CONTINU ED
The rcafons common to all these articles, are
the extreme facility of the execution, their re
semblance to what has been pratflifetl in tHose co
lonies, where the inhabitants of themselves have
formed aflembliea—in fllort, the character of a
pure, diretft and universal representation, which
particularly agrees with assemblies, designed to
prepare plans of a constitution.
It may be added wi'h efpedl to dire-il depu
tation, ttei the popi: ic . . > tl*a rdAonaei is >07
favorable to it, and that this mode of represen
tation is the only one that nature points out', and
which the severity of principles avows, and ought
to be rigoroully observed wherever it is poflible.
As to deputation by parishes, these at this in j
ftant are the only political division in the colo
nies which can conveniently answer the purpose
of representation.
As to the reprefentationbeing proportioned to
the number of adlive citizens, it is the only pof
lible measure that at present offers itfelf, and
which appertains to the principal foundation of
thealfeniblies, which prepare conftitutions—for
these aflemblies exeicifing a right which essen
tially belongs to the people, by no means offer
ing a magistracy or an instituted power, but the
image and representation of the people them
selves, all those who enjoy the right of citizen
lhip are naturally called to ic ; every o.ne ought
to take his place there, were it not for the im
possibility resulting from their numbers, or from
some other motives. The nomination of depu
ties is nothing else to these Aflemblies, than a re
duction which circumstances render neceflary,
and can consequently only be proportioned to
the number of thole who, in a natural order
ought to have concurred in the deliberation*
It will hereafter be seen what precautions have
been taken in order to prevent this form of re
presentation being disadvantageous to the coun*
tr^.
With refpeft to the conditions provisionally
annexed" to rhc qarrfificaiions »fact ch'zcn,
it may be added to what has been said before,
that it is for the general interest of each colony
to multiply the number as much as poifible, and
that the fame number exilfs in each particular
parilh, since the number of their deputies will
be proportioned to that of their aiftive citizens.
It appeared, however, that for want of freehold
ellate, the limple condition of taxation would
not be fulTicient, and that in colonies where ma
ny people refidebut for a short time, and with
out any design of fixing themselves there, the re
sidence of two years appeared indispensably ne
celfary to confer the qualification of an a<flive ci
tizen on a taxable, not a freeholder.
This disposition is one of those which will
contribute to protect the country againll the pre
dominant influence of the cities.
The proportion of the number of deputies to
that of adhve citizens, cannot be the fame in all
the colonies. The difference of their populati
on is too considerable, and alt ho the bell peopled
colonies ought to have the mod numerous colo
nial allemblies, it is impoflible to eftablifli this
proportion to the number of their citizens.
The number ofdeputiestoeach colonial aflem
bly ought to be fufficiently large to authorize the
confidence of the colony, and that of the mother
country ; it ought to be fufficiently confined so as
not to become too heavy a charge to the people,
and that the celerity of operations, which every
circumstance renders desirable, may not be re
tarded.
The National Aflembly are of opinion that the
colonial aflembly of St. Domingo, to which is at
tached the uninhabited Islands of la Toriue, la
Gonave and la Nache, ought to consist of about
one hundred and fifty deputies.
It has conceived that this result may be obtain
ed by appointing one deputy for every hundred
active citizens, with the following modifications.
The deputation being made in eachparifh dif
tintftly and separately, justice requires that the
least parish fliould not be unrepi efented, and
consequently ought to appoint one deputy, even
though the number of its citizens fbould be be
low one hundred.
With respect to such parishes as (hall contain
more than one hundred citizens, it has appeared
juflthat the number which (hall be found above
the complete hundreds, ihould be entitled to a
deputy, even though they Ihould be fifty and.
less, feeing it is equally near the number where
the deputy is fully due, and that where there is
no pretentions, the l«nefit of representation and
("Whole No. 132.]