&#z(fU of§ PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS BY JOHN fENHO, No. 69, HIGH-STREET, BETWEEN SECOND AND THIRD STREETS, PHILADKI.PHIA. [No. 99, of Vol. ll.] The Tablet No. 155. " A renown, acquired by error, is a phantom of glory, that is driven away by the firjl rays of truth and reason." SO ftronga paflion, as the love of fame, when flowing in a direction, which virtue does not di<state, and which discretion does not con trol, nuift become <i fruitful source of anxiety, delusion and mifchief. To whatever age or coun try we turn our attention, we find that no small share of the vices and mileries, with which focie ty is difgracedor tormented, owe their origin to a triifdireified ambition. And yet without the forcible impulses of this paflxon, men would fink into infignificance and depravity ; the elevated purfuics of life would be suspended ; and hard ly a glinipfe of science or virtue would shine over the face of the earth. As the propensity, of which I am speaking, exists more or less in every human being, and as it cannot be extinguilhed without eradicating the germe, from which springs an immense variety of ufeful and noble productions, we should nourilh it with care, and shape its windings with vigilance and skill. From a negletft of a proper cultivation, the sprouts take an ill course, are choaked with weeds, and bear a fruit that is useless and deformed. Remarks, like these, however common and familiar they may be, can often be repeated with some degree of utility ; because the most obvious truths are generally the most interesting ; and it is rather to awaken the attention, than to afford instruc tion, that eflays, similar to this, are put into cir culation. If any perfonfhould complain that the sentiments offered to his perusal are trite or dull, he lhould be told that this is of itfelf a reason why they deserve his inspection and regard.— Those maxims, which carry with them the sanc tion of ages, acquire a solidity and value which are apt to be overlooked, merely because they cease to be new and flriking. I: is not the no. veliy of ideas, so much as their intrinsic propri ety, that gives them a claim to be embraced and carried into practice. Under this imprelfion, I have veniured to introduce this speculation, j tho at the fame time I do not believe the i eader will confefs he collects one new idea from it. i Perhaps no circumltance has contributed so es sentially to the final prosperity of the United States, as the just fentimentsour leadingcharac ters have entertained on the score of reputation. The ambition of our nioft distinguished men has, in most inttances, been well-direifted: It has co operated with the suitable means to promote the public prosperity. There -are some exceptions ; but the art and management, requifue to preferre a character made of falfe materials, prove that it is too difficult a task to meet with general success. Moll of those men who have come forward into public view, through any other medium than that of virtue and talents, have been sent back to the (hades of obfeurity, from which no new stratagem can give them an elevation. It will be natural to ask, how it has happened that the affairs of the United States have been so generally managed by defervjng characters, while 111 other countries promotion has flowed from fa vor and intrigue, or foine cause extrinsic from the merit of the candidates ? The remark in my motto, furnifhes a Satisfactory Solution to the qucftion. In this country the information of the people is competent to invefligate the preten lions of those who Solicit public honors. There probably never was, nor will be, a race of en lightened men so depraved as to prefer ignorant and vicious magistrates to those of knowledge and probity When a person becomes conspicu ous he exposes hintfelf to a Scrutiny ; and if he reside among a knowing people, his qualifications at e truly estimated, and his destiny properly fix ed ; but if he take a station w here ignorance and ft 11 pidity chara<fterife the inhabitants, how are bis qualities to be diflinguifhed ? The glare of external pomp, the influence of connections, pretexts of patriotifni, and many other adventi tious causes, may palm him upon the world as an extraordinary man, one who deserves to be eiteemed and promoted. In such a fitnation, how can his pretentions be Scrutinized and weigh ed ! If the people are too ignorant and debaled to perform such a talk, they must quietly Submit to the caprice and oppreflion of those who govern them. There can be little inducement for pub lic mentobe at the pains of acquiring knowledge, Saturday, April 9, 1791. or cultivating virtuous qualities, where the bulk of the inhabitants are too uninformed to efliinate the value of such attainments. Nothing can se cure to a community the blefiings of a wife and virtuous adininiftration of affairs, but such a de gree ofinformationdiffeminated amongall grades of people, as can fairly examine, and rightly cal culate the relative qualifications of those, who seek fame and promotion. The natural indolence of the human mind is routed into virtuous exertions, in proportion as motives of responsibility are heightened by the circumfpecftion and wisdom of a discerning com munity. But where such attributes do not pre vail, it is easy to conje<fture that the love of cafe and pleasure will prevent public officers from maturing their talents and virtues, since they have no occasion to go through so irksome a trial. Men, in purfuic of fame, will acquire it in that mode which fubjetfs them to the feweft efforts of undemanding; and where falfliood or igno rance will attain the object there can be no (ti mulus to severe application. A celebrated wri ter asks, " Where is the philosopher, that to premote his own reputation, would not willing ly deceive the whole human race. An ingenious falfliood will pals current among a servile, illi terate people, and for a while seem fair to im mortalizethenameofitsinventorbut addsthe writer above quoted, " such aonedeceives him felf; truth alone can have a durable fuccefe." Error can assume no disguise that will not soon er or later be detected ; and the air-built hopes of fallacious projectors vanilh at the approach of reason and science. These reflections (hew the importance of eftablilhing the means of edu cation in all parts of the country. Such an ex pedient will try the characters of men, and those who have risen into diftindtion, by impressing falfe or exaggerated opinions of their talents, will have their career checked. Those gilded bubbles,which dazzle an ignorant multitude,will appear vain and ridiculous when the light of truth beams over society. The world has been too longamufed whh an idea that the pageantry of courts, and the mysteries of religion were ef fcntial to the proper government of mankind. It is no doubt true, that the fanftions of religi on, and the dignified Rations of public men,con tribute to produce subordination and virtue in society ; but these may be founded on a rational balls, and are something different from fuperlti tion or despotism. A blind attachment and love to an object that does not deserve admiration, does not seem, by the conllitution of nature, to be the best method to draw people to their duty. Let truth and reason have a fair chance, and men will be obedient to law without being slaves, and attentive to religion, without being bigots. CONGRESS. HOUSE OP REPRESENTATIVES SATURDAY, Feb. 7. The BANK BILL under consideration, MR. GERRY, SAID he should principally confine himfelf to the objections of the gentleman firft up from Virginia, (Mr. Madison) not from a difrefpe<ft to the observations of other gentlemen in the oppo sition, but because he considered their arguments as grafts on the original stock of those urged by the gentleman alluded to, and if the trunk fell, its appendages must fall also. The ohje<fls of t he bill, he said, were to render the fifcal adminillratioH fuccefsful—to give facil ity to loans 011 sudden emergencies, and to bene fit trade and industry in general—and that these were obje<fts of high importance had not been denied—neither had it been aflerted that they ought not if pollible to be attained. It is objected however that the mode proposed by the bill is uncon/litutional, and the bill itfelf defcßive. The mode proposed is a national bank—to es tablish which, he thought Cowgrefs were as com petent as either house were to adjourn from day to day. 809 [Whole No. 20^.] It is said that Congress have no power relating to this subject, except what is contained in the clauses for laying and collecting taxes, iinpofts, excises, &c.—for borrowing money—and for making all laws r.eceflary and proper for carry ing these powers into effect—and that these do not authorise the eflablifhment of a national bank. To ascertain this, the gentleman from Virginia proposes a candid interpretation of the conllitu tion, which we lhall agree to, and he offers to af nft us with his rules of interpretation for his good intentions in doing which, we give him full credit—but as he acknowledges that he has been long decided againll the authority of Congress to eftablilh a bank, and is theiefore prejudiced a gainst the measure—as his rules being made for the occasion, are the result of his interpretation, and not his interpretation of the rules—as they are not fandtionedby law exposition, or approved by experienced judges of the law, they cannot be considered as a criterion for regulatino- the judgment of the house—but may, if adumted, prove an ignis fatuus, that may lead to deftruc- tion We wilh not however, by eftablifliing our own rules of interpretation, to enjoy the privilege which is denied to thegentleman—but will meet him on fair ground by applying rules which have the fandiion mentioned—and as the learned Judge Blackstone has laid down such, it is pre lumed the gentleman from Virginia will not con tend for a preference, or refufe to be tried by this standard. The Judge observes, " That the faireft and molt rational method to interpret the will of the legislator, is by exploring his intentions at the time when the law was made, by signs the moil natural and probable—and these signs are either the words, the context, the fubjedt matter, the effetft and consequences, or the spirit and reason of the law." With refpedt to words, the Judge observes, that " they are generally understood in their usual and inoft ordinary fignification, not so much regarding the grammar as their general and popular use." The gentlemen on different fides of the ques tion do not disagree with refpetfl to the meaning of the terms taxes, dutia, impojls, excises, ire. or of borrowing money, but of the word itecejfary : And the question is, what is the genera] and po pular meaning of this term ? Perhaps the ans wer to the question will be truly this, that in a general and popular one, the word does not ad mit of a definite meaning, but that this varies, ac cording to the fubjetl and circumjlances. With refpe<ft to the fubjetft for instance—is the peo ple speaking of a garrison besieged by a superior force, and without provisions, or a profpedl of relief, should fay it was under the neceflity of sur rendering, they would mean a physical neceflity, for troops cannot subsist long without provisions, —but if speaking of a debtor the people should fay, he was frighted by his creditor, and then reduced to the neceflity of paying his debts, they would mean a legal, which is very different from a physical neceflity—for altho the debtor by re fufing payment might be confined, he would be allowed subsistence, and the neceflity he was un der to pay his debts would not extend beyond his confinement. Again ,if it should be said that a client is under the neceflity of giving to his law yer more than legal fees, the general popular meaningof neceflity would in this instance be very different from that in the other—the neceflity would neither be physical or legal, but artificial, or if I may be allowed the expreflion, a long robe neceflity. The meaning of the word " ncccffary," varies also according to circuniftances—for altho Con greft have power to levy and collect taxes, duties, &c. to borrow money, and to determine the time, quantum, mode and every regulation necessary and proper for supplying the treasury, yet the people would apply a different meaning to the word necessary, under different circumstances : For instance, without a fufficiency of precious metals for a medium, laws creating an artificial medium would be generally thought necessary for carrying into effetfi the power to levy and collecfr taxes—but if there was a fufficiency of such inetals, those laws would not generally be thought necessary. Again, if specie was scarce, and the credit of the government low, collateral measures would be by the people thought necef lary, for obtaining public loans—out not so, if tit&o
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