North Carolina Gazette

              ■ r;i i!t£a.?l2l ina gazettf vol x s a t u r d a y january o : 795 . no 469 j furresjons among the citizens ? have e hy letter or otherwrfs exhorted rheig to peifev<re in oppoiition to the laws h-ivo we lynpathized with them mtiie grievances cither ren or pretended which tixy atr'tcl ed to labour undt r ? have we to this day exprefied an opinion civ-the hw cf excife ei ther t way or the otkv.r ■ to all thefe qi:eilun with our hands upon our hearts and appealing to him who lnoweth tl c fe cretsofall inen we pofitively apfwer no why then h.isour conduct been rcprtient ed asl ke that or io uauy crocodiles vietping over thoie very laws and that coifftituuon which inwardly we were refolveu io de troy w.is ic becauie rhat m thiscountrs dungeons thwins and death awaited ihe man wiso w u'd tiare to exprels a tiii:.ppro hition which he ttk cefpecting the icim or the mealiires of government vv'af it betiiute that it real grievances oppreffed us there was ro other mode ol getting rid it ti cm than by the diie;ul ard precsrioufe refort to civil war ? was it bt caufc that it would n t have ieemed wiier io ietk reparation in the good ie»?fe andjuit ice than in the blond of our countrymen • hove tned them by petition before we pro , k.rn"~iittni to liebcii'o ? ' vv as it be i cauiet-.a anicngus rhe jit-erty ot he pre's was interoided and iibertv effpeecb^eckoi - ed edition tlj;n we ihotlu be under the nt c«ffityri purfbing the licit jauiul end b the moil unlawful means and of " rneeti/rr in the duijk ro perform ii;ca t;,ti..ns cigaii-ft a law which we bad an avei ion to or againii c conitnution h ch we iiu1 not approve ? : t would kok indeed as it perlenal ranctur or impatience of pu"o!ic ircuriiy wh.ch we thank god is yet tbe natural find cinftituti onal rights of all our citizens wjiether iiidi vidualiy or coufciivdy h c no httje f';2i in the conduct of otu accaiejte or as i that the cenftire which for sught we know forrie other iocieae may have dejerved jja i atiiy at leait been extended ro us let ou ful'j.v citiz rs judge on tbe«pjnk>r.s of men accuuouieo to v'aink ti.v tht'iuittves we rrly : well aftureti that '•' ojong aikni i ns without proof wijj iw t readily be ere dited iigair.it us mul ihat even ihould tliey we have ft i the conicicuinefs lett of nor having deserved them with rf freer to the reafons and principles of our inftiuuion that th public has not before bee 1 , pdffffed cftren has bten more ov ing to want of attention t'.an of reipt-dt in us to their good opinion when ve con templated the hiiiory cf nations which bad left their freedom fome from ignorar.ee fomefrom jupirenels ami joint from ht in trigues and artifices of ar bid hu men it ap pearcd to us that a wi't people coi id not ex hibit too much care and activity in the pie ervation of that invaluable bleding a mong ethers which occu red the eitabliih ment of a fociety whefe ebjeer it mould be to ftudv the laws and ci uiiitution of tieir own anrl other countries to warch the ope rations ot government and icrutinize the principles and conduct of menmpo-ver ap peared a very likely means of aftccling th t great end ; as being well calculattd to dif pel ignorance to route lupinenels and to tounteraci ambition auation which un derftands its right will not be apt td'neg'ecl them and a nation anxious fur the prtfer vationoftts rights will • nor eafily fall a lacrifke to artitice or power slavery has ever been the confequer.ee of ignorance and no people ever yet joft their liberties till they had firit loll tne knowledge of them now how is this knowledge mere likely to be acquired and maintained than ainong a fo ciety of men who to the cjnitant habit of inveftigating their rights adds like^ife that ot applying wiem to all the proceedings of our public bodies ; and who enjoy ng the perfection of faience couftamiy combine | principle with pradice ? ncr doe m appj?i r . that politics is tefs a fcience or deperxdentjon lefs iteady and inflexible principles than any otner which as ih object oi huoaah rclearch ; nor s the ide 3 of a fchool for ,,,, rrffj knowledge of the mrure of hws^dz c ur;,ge,,,en % o f he mes m t men mktwith.be pul.mc ad|t c t ', n 1 ;«"« ulr.f oc e , i "^ dy of the i.ohleii ot a'l ar • ,,,! / ir le.vin.cm and adicn u^vowa fc torhe adniiffion of flavery the man vrho to the natur love adds exhibit but the appear.net nixhoot the rtl truth orjuft.ee he uillc*ci p e n j refect cpftom and prejudice no fojiher ,!,„ ?? t appear to b £ founded fere nature la i uared to corfider hili:k ,?'^ cqi^y e ; tuled ui.h all cthe.s f i m r | e gut of hi creator to he t/joyn jt nts u f h^s life j.i umderii ndng hi 3 property and hii liberty he wlj » cft . re h rtj rh ip any nan or lit ot n,e be prompted to enquire by vhat right it is rh#y de«a§ded tnem and thi8 wiil admirahly fir him for promoiing a th : rd tfthl tontenulued {* mr.nituution-rhat ofr.fiftihg the ia^igue nd violence cf ambitious men that there have been fuch men in all conmries hiitory but too well convinces us 5 that there may be fuch in ouro n c m mon prudence yould prompt u to fu'r-ecl and that thefe men fhoi d have fnrre j-her coniroul over the than what barely refill 6 frortf tie confhtuion ai.d the laws ilan opi nion derived from experience v hen q conilder how cselar by preferring the fa cred nan.eii of senate and \. o.iful had srt o change the whole nature ( f government ii rome j and now in lucceed ng t,mts tjje free governments of venice ge ev ' he ljoited provinces and of fever w uther coun trirsof europe have been ch uged the njoft into a iftocracies ami yet retained rhe nar t ot republics — the arfyance o ambit on ? c often t r.u<ththe no(l fecr t v-ays ; it h s ppeartd under tt.e dilie.ei u ik«'o i 1 gion of patrictijni ai.d even of icoin ut public life there arc in ftan;ces of men v ho 1 sve ventured their health theii fortunes and their livt sin the f race of their country hat they might terwards amidit the ttupid gaze of popular admiration flu.e down like molten gold ino its very vi lals there are inltances a"gain of o thers who fetti g^out v.iih the poreit 7^ji for the lideities cf m nkii.d hai e been cor rupted in their pi ogrefs and cukf never aiterwards be induced to hy down the au thority which the gratitude of a nation or the r.eceflities of the times i ad entrufted to them and ir appeared to us tha add d to thofe pioedin^s from the laws from a perfect freedom ot \\ eech and t f the prefs f a locicty-of men vi ole duty it ihould be to . watch the proceedings of our pubic officers would form not the leait refpeclable r ef ft&ual check to fuch nien in times of put lie neceflity this cc e:y wtuld h aid me larm and mixing aitaong rhehr fell w c zens roule them to a ctmtetpjation a fenl'e of their danger and what ike the alarm be fometime , fj l f " that reafun never betjue \ — y a good man lomttimcs luffer larity rd reputation will ib that reafoh never be de;e rome produced a fibius wile a cacfir ? whatr ted a sidney did fhe wel i tvhat thtu^hj / a w afiiin^ton may i i :■..-.■ £\ r an-n pf.-p.ji : ini i ed states . cltlze$s ■ f iatt thrown oo"t en ail mi :- defies with n the uifited .- i;e fi ) ■ • relnrctabie a fource • • ■.■./ ; • pnblif attention ■ ■ •■, ■ riipie foc'?::es are , •■ ... ■■<-. ' .! i p omoiinrj t e .< ; . • ' • • ' .? v . t .- d ; in their vfv have b.'en decided w 7 il government no ■ ■ . ■■ . : ■ ;- harih and indecent that . ';...: i ':'»'. u.i iu t clelerve ; no * . • ■ r dark and horrid that .. ■ an attributed to t h : i hh t . re • • i ••>',!: t have adorned an a f - • r e\oim hns been iib ured ro ; ci : • ■ . •• adiohs and tueir principles a : e ■■ li^s a:iri fritters ot fos.:*:r'y h ■■-. ■- ■ n i j on iio.-i one end oi tne i me •;■■ t • . - . ■:■ i{.f - ; i idifcrimhia re reproach : e h.n r e corne from t!>e rie n ; '■• . ■■•-. uu-ivnumrally excite inji,;:i.u ; t •. re ut i rhe i moceiu ; but c in irg fi i -. *•; '<•'• ii fuppoled t comuiiie • . vild--"n and duii-m as well a =■;■ oi the nation mu(f farther i^iire to wipe them away and them pus on unnoticed would p i>f*.he ii p liiiicaii 8 c.ety ct • . , lie to lubi rlbtt io iheir own con .• ; . nj tu merit thole injurious ap is ot t he liiiurberi of public happi : e incendiaries snd the petty tyrants iv the altallins of virtue and charac au have been fo liberally heaped up hpm aid though from a cpnfcious pi ety ( f c^eir own views and conduct :- fee no neceflity f;>r a pubkc vmdicaron * thrtnfelves t j . refped to the rult-rs ot qx country which uotwhfaftar<!ing the . -■'""( r ns of t"o^•e men they have never loll ' ■ j\ir o ; to ne:rovvy character whicn thev r ab ! u e : r ot'ie good opinion o t eir f ! c?v.en which it is their pride as we iotereit to revere and to tiiat coh i u i \ * h ch rhey 1 ok upon as the no')!eit 11 ' te g iardof hu;n..r rights evoryet dev . fed ' fie vikiu'ii o^'inan promp tl^e;n to / r t ruth both as o the p.irt they fray -• te-d r^fpeciwig the late infurreclion as f r'e gc er^l rta;ons aiid principles ot hi rftitu'ion a rii t.'sat we fliould b tlioaght to have <'. aov manner contributed to the on gin-or fuppoi't of an in'urreciion which we cieplore as the rnufi grievous dishonour that ev.r u ei il tnir country aftlcls us the mrrc ienfibiy in mar ut the very e.irly period we hastened bv reiolutions inserted in the pub lie papers toexprefs our entire d;fapprobati o of it ; and have lince by every means inonrpejver and many of us by obeying the cafr of the executive to arms as has tv n uu'y oblervpd by a vvor hy repre feniativc rf cur ftate endeavoured to d;f ci-nicnance and to quell it well convin ced of the inieperable connrx'on between lavu and liberty ; and that tbe principle in ri;'r conftitut on which enjoins that " the will of the majority fhall prevail is not on lj the inoit " luminous but the only prac tic*ble pruic'ple of rational freedom we be held witi as much indignation at lealr as all others of our fellow-citizens an attempt to violate both ; andhefiuted not a moment u^mru<<ufly and pub'iciy to exprefs it did oit jeeufers derive the fentimemsthey have iw coafidentsy imputed to us from tlfefe our reful ition ? it cannot be lef then then declare to xhe people who have a right to be n llfe£jjjp from iame conduil of ours or frotnlflstet other fource o information they li-a-egf it from the report of the iecreta-y f me trcafury h written vith a profelfed view " to gi^e.the citizens at large full im jcprioiaripif on the fubje of the diftiirbatj cts >" v e ice nothing rhere to warrant : the op iion bi ajgain have emiftaries trom ljs bven derecied ift the weitern counties of pennf iv'fcj.ia ioijeiitin uifcontent and in