PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS BY JOHN FENNO, No. 41 3RO AD-STREET, NEAR THE EXCHAXGE, NLW-YOIIK. [No. 29, cf Vol. ll.j FOR THE GAZETTE OF THE UNITED STATES. DISCOURSES ON DAVILA. No. XV. First follow nature and your judgment frame By her just ftaodard which isftill the fame. THE world grows more enlightened : Know ledge is more equally diffused -• News pa pers, Magazines, and circulating libraries, have made mankind wil'er : Titles ai*d diltinitions, ranks and orders, parade and ceremony, are all going out of fafhion. This is roundly and fre quently asserted in the streets, and foinetimes on theatres of higher rank. Some truth there is in it : and if the opportunity were temperately im proved, to the reformation of abuses, the rectifi cation of errors, and the diflipation of pernicious prejudices, a great advantage it might be. But, on the other hand, falfe inferences may be drawn from it, which may make mankind wiih for the age of Dragons, Giants and Fairies. If all decorum, discipline and fubordir.ation arc to be destroyed, and universal pyrrhonifin, anarchy, and insecurity of property are to be introduced, nations will soon vifh their books in allies, seek for darkness and ignorance, faperftition and fa viaticifrn, as bleHzngs, and follow the standard of the firft mad despot who, wuli the enthusiasm of another Mahomet, will endeavour to obtain them. Are riches, honors and beauty g'->ing out of f.ilhion ? Is not the rage for them, on the contra ry, increased fafter than improvement, i« know ledge ? As long as either of these arc in vogue, will there not be emulations and rivalries ? Does not the increase of knowledge in any man, ia creafe his emulation ; and the diffusion of know ledge among men, multiply rivalries ? Has the progress of faience, arts and letters, yet difiover ed that there are no passions in human nature ? No ambition, avarice and a desire of lame ? Are these pailions cooled,diminished or extinguished ? Is the rage for admiration less ardent in men or •women ' Have these propenfitieslefs a tendency Cty -divjfi&ns, c«ntr»*«»f.i |, Seditions, rau;.;>iis, and civil wars, than formerly ? On the contrary, the more knowledge is difFufed, the more the pailions are extended, and the more fijrioui tliey grow ? Had Cicero less vanity, or Celar lei's am bition, for their vast erudition ? Had the King «fPrulfia less of one, than the other ? I here is no connection in the mind between science and paflion, by which the former can extinguijh or diminish the latter : it on the contrary Sometimes increases them, by giving them exercise. Were the pailions of the Romans less vivid, in the age of Ponipey, than in the lime of Mummius ? Are those of the Britons, more moderate at this hour than in the reigns of the Tndors ? Are the paili ons ol Monks, the weaker forall their learning ? Are not jealousy, envy, hatred, malice and re ■venge, as well as emulation and ambition, as ran corous in the cells of Carmelites, as in the courts of Princes ? Goto the Royal Society of London : is there less emulation for the chair of Sir Isaac Newton, than there was, and commonly will be for all elective presidencies i Is there less animo lity and rancour, arising from mutual emulations in that region of science, than there is among the inoft ignorant of mankind ? Go to Paris : how do you find the men of letters ? United, friendly, harmonious, ineek, humble, modest, charitable? prompt to mutual forbearance .' un ofl'uming ? ready to acknowledge superior me rit ? zealous to encourage the firft symptoms ol genius ? Alk Voltaire and Piolieau, Marrnontel and De Mably. The increase and diiTemination of knowledge, instead of rendering unneceliary, the checks of emulation and the balances of rivalry, in the or ders of society and conftitntion of government, augment the neceflity of both. It becomes the more indispensable, that every man lhouldknow his place and be made to keep it. Bad men increase in knowledge as fall as good men, and science, arts, taste, sense and letters, are employed for the purpoies of iniuftice and tyranny, as well as those of law and liberty : f»r corruption as well as for virtue. Frenchmen ! Ast and ihink like youifclves ! confefling human nature, be magnanimous and wife. Acknowledging and boalting yourselves to be inen, avow the feelings of men. The af ic&ation of being exempted from passions, is in liuman. The grave pretention to such fingulaii ty is solemn hypocrisy. Bouh are unworthy of your frank and generous natures. Consider that government is intended to set bounds to pafSor.s WEDNESDAY, JL,VC 2t, 179°- which nature has not limitte 1: and to assist rca fon, confidence, jufticc and trjih In comrouling intefefts, which, without it, vould be as unjuli as uncontroulable. Americans ! rejoice, that from experience, you have learned wifdoin : and i • 'read of whimsical and fantaftical projedts, you -jve adopted a pro mising eflay, towards a wel'. v' defed government. Infte.ul of following any tr - ;n examples, to re turn to the legislation of. jj V/ contemplate the means of restoring decency,-<4otierty and order in society, by preserving, an . -ompleating, if any thing Ihould be found necelK ry to compleat, the balance of your governinen In a well' balanc ed government, reason, c< jfcience, truth and virtue mult be refpetfled by ril parties, aiid ex erted for the public good. Advert to the princi ples on which you comnien<vd that glorious felt defence, which, if you bt nve with fleadinefs and eonfiftency, inay ultimately loosen the chains of all mankind. If you will take the trouble to read over the memorable proceedings of the town of Boston, on the 28thday of Otftober 1 772, when the Committee of Correfpon-tence of twenty one per sons. was appointed to state the rights of the Colonics as men, as christians and as iubjetfls, and to publilh them to the world, with the in fringements and violations of them, you will find the great principles of civil 1 'id religious liberty, for which you have eontesided so fuccefsfully, and which the world is contending for after your example. I could tranferibe with plcafure, the whole of this immortal pamphlet, which is a real pidlure of the fun of liberty, riling on the hu man race : but shall feletfi only a few words, more dire<ftly to the preient purpose. " Ihe " firll fundamental positive law of all common " wealths or states, is the eftabliihment of the " legislative power." Page 9. " It is absolutely neceliary, in a mixed govern " ment, like that ofthis Province, that a due pro " portion, or balance ofpov f Ihould be ellablifli " ed anifng the fcW s' cratfiches of the lcgifla " tive< Our ancestors fefeeived from King Wil " liam and Queen Mary, a charter, by which it '< was understood by both parties in the contravfl, " that such a proportion or balance was fixed ; " and therefore every thing which renders any " one branch of the legiflauve more indepen dent of the other two, than it was originally " designed, is an alteration of the Conftitu " tion." (To be continued.) TRANSLATED FOR THE GAZETTE OF THE US IT ED STATES. PARIS. INSTRUCTIONS KOR THE COLONIES, Presented to the National Afitmbly, in the name of the Committee appointed Jor that purpose, the 23 d March, I 790. By Mr. Barnavi, Deputy from Dauphiny. CON T I N U 18. THESE forms being agreed upon, the Nation, a! Afl'embly should point one the measures which ought to bepurfued, to putthem in execu tion The most prompt and moll simple appear to be the belt; transcription, publication and the autho rity ofitribunals, are in general, means little fui tablfc to the eftablilhiiient of representative ailem blies. They would suit ltill less in the present circumstances. It has appeared to the National Aflembly, that the diligence of the governor ot each colony, fe curedby the vigilance ofthe citizens, and by his responsibility, is fuflicient to forward proclama tions, and fix up in all the parilhes, its decrees and inllrucftions. This form being accomplished, the decrees and inftrudiiotis being authentically known, the zeal and understanding of the citizens will secure their execution. , They will of tliemfelves form into parochial aflemblies—they will verify those who fulfil the conditions required to vote therein—they will calculate the number to ascertain that of the de puties .bey ought to fend to the colonial aflembly ; they will in short eledt these deputies, who shall immediately repair to the central town, pointed out in this inftrutftion, and who, in concert, will there form the colonial aflembly, or will transfer it to such placf as fliall appear most suitable to C The only difficulties which can arise, will be I such as relate to the colonial aflemblies already [ farmed and existing in some ofthe colonies. 529 If tliefe aflemblies after being informed of the decrees and inftruftions of the National AHem bly, conceive that the forming a new a-flbmbly, ru conformity to these inftrudtions, is snore advan tageous to the colony than their own continuati on, there is no doubt but that their declaration will be perfectly fufficient, and that they will immediately proceed to new eleifiions. But if they are not of this opinion, it will be their business to colledt the sentiments of the in habitants in this refpe<ft. The National Auembly lias announced that thele aflemblies can fulfil the funclions pointed out by its decrees of the Bth March, whenever they lhall have been duly ele<fted and avowed by the citizens. Far from having by this disposition interditfled rhe inhabitants of the colonies,the power of choo sing between the existing aflemblies, and those which may be formed, after the prefetit convoca tion, the National Aflembly has on the contrary implicitly exprcfled itfelf. But even if it had not acknowledged this right, they would have naturally poflefled it—and noth ing could oblige either the metropolis or the colony to treat together, by the intervention of an aflembly which they themselves who had ele<ft ed it, should not acknowledge,. The question then is to trace a form, agreea ble to which this «ption may be speedily and peaceably effed:ed. This can only be accompli/lied by the deliber ation of the pariflies. It is neceflary therefore that each explains it felf, and this obje«sl of deliberation ought to be the firft business of the parochial aflemblies. In the space of fifteen days, after the procla mation and fixing it up, they shall be bound to announce their wiflies, and shall immediately for ward them to the governor of the colo«y, and the colonial aflembly. ' Such as shall have decided in favor of forming a new aflembly, shall not nominate their deputies before the wishes of the majority has been ack nowledged conformably to their opinion, for an anticipated election would only tend to excite troubles and Cornells. As long as the wilh of the colony lhall not be known, the existing colonial afletnbly may com mence the business pointed out by the decree of the National Aflembly—but it is evident that the right of executing and provilionally modifying the decrees of the National the mu nicipalities, and the administrative aflemblies, cannot belong to it, before the voice of the parilh es has confirmed its powers and existence. After the titne has elapsed, when ail the paro chial assemblies lhall have explained themfelve# on this head, the governor lhall notify in the molt public manner, the result of the deliberations which thall have come to hand, and lhall give each pariih a particular and authentic acknow ledgment of it. If the majority of the fuffrages of the pariihea which lhall have deliberated demands the forma tion of a new afletnbly it will clearly follow that: the existing afiembly is not avowed and authori zed by the colony—its powers (hall cease-"-it lhali immediately proceed to the formation of a new afiembly, agreeable to the forms indicated in this inftro&ion, and confeouently all the parochial afl'etnblies /hall proceed in the fame manner they* would have done, if at the time of the firft pro clamation no colonial afiembly had existed. If on the contrary one half of the fuffrages of the deliberating parishes vote for the continua tion of the colonial atfembly, it shall b« preserved. and shall fully exercise the fun<stions and powers attributed to it by the decree of the National As sembly. Thus, .time will not be uselessly con fumed, the form freely admitted by the inhabitants for the formation of their AiTembly will not be contra vened—but the powers shall be withdrawn or confirmned, at the moment when new functions and new circumstances, no longer admit of a foun dation on tliofe which it formerly received, the adhelion of the colony and the confidence of the metropolis. No doubts, no disorder, no dangerous delay can result froi» the observation of these forms, if the colonists are penetrated with the idea that their dearell interests and the most sacred duties of a citizen oblige them to submit without a murmur to the voice of the majority, if they perceive t,hat promptitude and unanimity in the execution of £Whole NO. 133.]
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