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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