h al us w i l mi n g to n gazette thursday september 14 1797 not to efcape without giving toonrfeivti the chance of this recovery when go vernment is daily prelenting it'clt in die fhape ofweakneft that borders on diflolu tion unequal to all the functiouiof ufeful trength and formidable only in penu rious corruption weak in power andllionp only in influence am i to be told thac fuch a ilate of things can po on with ftfetj to any branch of the cotiltitution f if men think that under the impreflion of fuch a 1 item we can co on without a material recurrence to firlt principles they argue in direct oppefition to all theory and to all practice thefe difcontenn cannot intheii nature fubfide under detected weaknefs ujd expolel incapacity in that progrefs and increafe as focreafe they muft who batl fay that direction can he eireti to tiir torrent or that having bioken rhe lioutitle t can be kept front overwhelming the country ? sir it is not the pai t of ftatefmen it is not the part of rational beings 10 a mule themfelves with lucu fallacious dreams we mull not fit down and lament over a lielplefs ficuation ; we mull not de liver ourfelves up to an incredible delpon len'cy that would animate the approach ot hangert but by a feafbnable alert and vi gorous meafure of wifdom meet it with what we think a fufficient and feafbnablc emedy we may be difappointed ; we may fill i in the application for no man can be certain of a footing that is unex plored ; but we fhall at lea it have a chance for fuccefs we hall at lcalt lo what be longs to legilluors and to rational beings on the occalian ; and i have confidence thai our efforts would not be in vain 1 fay that we mould give ourfelves a chance and i may add the b«ft chance for deliverance , fince it would exhibit to the country p proof that we had conqueied the full great tiffienhy that itood in the way ot bettering ourcondition--wehad conquered oui pelves we had given a generous triumph to reafon over prejudice we had given the death blow to thofe miferahie diftiiu&ions f whijj and tory under which the warfare had been maintained between pride and privilege and through the contention of our rival jealoufjes the genuine right of the iv.anv bnd been gradually undermined and frit tered away 1 fay thac this would be giv ing the belt chance becaufe feeing e\ei thing go on from had to worfe feeing the progrefs of the molt fcandalous wnftr couutenancrj by the nioft criinirjal confi dence and tliat the effrontery of corruption nojlonger required the tnalk of concealment . feeing liberty daily infringed and the vital rpri-pes of the nation in4nfliciej)t for the ex travagance <;£ a diflipating government 1 muft believe that unjefs the people are mail ir tttipid they will fufpect that there is bmething fundamentally falfe and vicious in our f hem and which no reform woul be equal to correct tl mi to prevent al this and to try it we can poflilne effect a reform witho.it tonching the main pillars of the constitution without changing its forms or difturhing the harmony of its parts without putting any thing out of its place or a felt ing the fecurities which we juftly holil to be ib facred i fay that it is rhe only chance which we have for retriev ing our misfortunes by the road of quiet muj tranquility and by which national itrcngth may be recovered without diltur biug the property of a fingle individual we pflert that under the prefent form md practice of elections we cannot expect ro fee any remarkable change produced by a general election we mult argur r'rora experience let us lo»k back to the period of the american war it will no e contended by the right honorable gen tleman but that towards the end of that var it became extremely unpopular and he kind's miuiliers loft the confidence ol the nation in the year 1780 a diflblution took place and then it was naturally ima gined by fuperficial obfervers who did not examine the real tate of lepreleutation hat the people would have returned a par liament that would have unequivocally i'poken their fentiments on the occalion what was the cafe ? i am able to fpeak wiihconfide r al»le preci(ion at that time i was much more than j am at prefent in the way of knotting perfonally the indi viduals returned and of making an accu rate eltimate of the acceffion gained ro tue popular file by thac election lean take upon me to fay that the change was very mall indeed ; not more than three or tour perfons were added v to the number of thofi | who had from the beginning oppofed th lifaftroux career of the minilters in thai war i remember that upon that occafion lon north made uf ofprecifely the lame fttjju mentasisnow brought forward " what find he " can yoo contend the wir ii un popular after the declaration in i s fa 11 diac the people have made by ineii of reprefentatives the peneral election is the pi oof that the war continues ic he tht war c<f the people of england such vn s the argument of lord north and jet t was notoi ioiifly otherwife so tiotoi ioiifl other wife thai the right honorable gentle 1 man the prefent chancellor of the exche ijntr made a juft and ftriking u'e of it t demonftraie the nrrrfht of a parliamen tary reterm he referred to this event »•■ to a dcnionflratton ot this doctrine : " you ice laid he " thai fo defce'live fo ina.fe jiiate i the piefent pranftice at leaft ol the elective franchife that no impteflion of national calamity no conviction of min ifterial error no abhorrence of a dilaftroui war are fufneient to hand ainiiill that cor rupt influence which ha mixed in if vith clec'tion and which drowns imd ftifles the popular voice l^pon this ftateirferti and upon this unanfwerable argument the right honorable gentleman acted in ij8a when he propofed a parliamentary reform he did it expvefsly on the groiiiui of the xperience of 1780 and he made an explj 1 it declaration that we had no oihei fe 111 it y l>y which to guard ourfelves againii the reform of the lame evils lie repeated 1 his warning in 1^83 and 1 785 it w;s tl linking principle of his coruhnfi ' wi i out a reform fa id he * the nation emmo hefafe this war may be put an end to but will protect ju signii ll aiiothei f as certainly as the fpirii which enpeniler ed the prefent war actuates tie fecretcoun ril&of the crown will you under the in fluence of deiei'live 1 1 pi elevation be involved ap,aiii in new wars and in fjmilar calamities this was his argument this wfes his prophecy and the right hrnoratle gentleman whs a trr.e piopltt precifely as he pronounced it the eveiu happened 1 another war took place and lain fure ii will not he confidpred as an aggravation or its cliainc'ter tliat it is at le:dl equal 11 dtfaiterto the war of which the ip.iit ho notable gentleman complained 1 he de lw r t of reprefentation he laid is the national difenfe and unlefs you apply a re , n»e«ly directly to that difeak you inuft in etitably take the confequences with which it is ptegnwt wi.h fuch an ai.il ori;j c:ni any nan deny that 1 realon right ? did not the right honorable gentleman demon iliiire his cafe good god ! what a late is rhut of the riu,ht honorable gentleman and in what a ftate of whimfical contradic tion does he land ! during the whole courfe of his adminiftration stu particu lily during the courfe of the piefent war every prediction that he has made every hope that he has held out every prophecy t hat he has hazarded have failed ; he has difappoint,ed theexpediations he has railed and every prnmife that he has held out has proved to he a fallacy mid a phantom et for thefe very declarations and nntwith itanding th.rfe failure we have called him a wn'e mi^ilter we have given him our canfrlenc n account of his predictions & h?,ve coniinned it upon their iailuie ti10 uv lie event which he foretold has been verified we have c/nnrinued to behold him as the oracle of wifdom ; but in ihe «>. !> inilanre 1:1 which he reauy predicted s ii by divine i 11 pi 1 at ion what hoscome to pals in that we have treated him with itubbprn inctedulity in 178j he p'qnoonced the awful prophecy without a parliamentary reform tfce nation will be plunged into new wars without a parliamentary reform jou cannot be afe again it bad miniftets not ran good minifters be of u.fe to you such was his prediction and it has come upon • is it would feem as if the whole hie ot the right honorable gentleman from that period had been deltiued by providence for the illuftration of his warning it 1 were difpofed to co'ifmer him as a real en thufiaft and ahigoc indiviutition we might he apt to think that he had himfelf takei meafures for the verification of his prophe cy he might now exclaim to us with the proud fervour of fuccefs • you fee the con fequence of not liftening to your oracle ? i tohl jou what would happen ; it it true thai your deftruction is cqinplrte i have plun j;ed you into a new war ; i wave exhaulted vou as a people ; i have brought you to the brink of ruin hue i told you beforehand what would happen 1 told you that without a reform in the rept efentation of the people 110 minilter however wife could fave on ; you denied my means and you take ihe lonr-qtirnce i fay fir that if i were 10 confider him as a bijrnt ro his doctrine or har his mind was tinctured with fuperfti tion as we have heard ot enthufialts wholi ives have been devote to the fulfillment jt 1 heir own predictions the right hone il>le i!;ei 1 1 email's adininiuraiiou has been lhaped and ii'h rn«afiirf lirajntd for bring nij into a terrible deuinult ation the poli c 1 lo r trm wuh whicli he coinmenct j his iar«er let is not fir he detcrre«l from this act >.( piurlence by the falfe reprefentniiont i at are made tn us or the falfe deductions iat are made from the recent occurrence kkpo11m in parliament on the 261i1 of may mr cjrey in ought forward a motion in the euglifh honfe qi common for a reform in the reprefentation the motion was for the appointment ot a eoim.iiuee to bring in a bill with the in tention thac the modifications or the prin ciple mould be fettled when the bill was brsught in the ideas of the favourites ot this motion appeared to uo to extending the right of fuftvage '« houfe-holdersoiilv the f'peech of mr r'ox on this occafion is of extreme length 1 we have therefore thought that ettrrawsof the molt lrikiuj palt'.iues would be more acceptable ro the generality of our readers than the publica tion of the whole ( ilie world i do not care for milrepre filiation and i do not temple to give my pinion of thofe occurrences with fieedom hi am e is the phantom that is conltantly held lit tn terrify us from oor putpufe look nc kiance it will not be denied but thai 1 itaiid on the broad bafis of free reprcfen tat ion whatever other views the go vernnient of fiance may exhibit and which may afford juft alaun toother nati nni it cannot be denied tliat the repre fematite iyitem has proved itfclf capulle of vjgoiout exertion it cannot be denied i'ut that it has given her in truth gigantic ittcngih we reel ft too fenlitily fcuiop feels m too fenfibly for denial now fir though i do not wifli you to imitate france and tluuah 1 am perfuaded you have no nc-ccflif y for any terror of 1lc1 imitation being forced upon you j#t hay iharjcj ought to t?ke example of what is good in i i iy that you ovg};t to he as read to rtcinpr the virtues as you ait heady in veu up from the country the vices of fvanie i fay that it is demonitrated b yoml i he power of fibterfuge to queltion hat genuine ippefentation alone c:m give olid power and that people muft make ibe government i fay that you ought tq it't on ihis prand maxim of political v ifrfcni ihus demonftrated and call in the people according to the original principles ot jour i>htm to give strength and energy to jour government 1 ay that in doing this you will not innovate you will only recur to he true path of the cnnflitution of eng land in making the peopje a conltiiuen'c part of the government of england you <!<> no more than reltore the genuine edifice defigned and fiamcd by our anceliors an honorable baronet fpoke of the infta bility of democracies and fays that hiilory uotn.ot givf us the example of one ihac • as lalted eighty years sir i am not peakinjj of pure democracies and there ioie his allulion doe not apply to my ar u.mient jci^hty yea s however of peace tiiiv ltpofr v oiild be picn vrli foi any people to enjoy and would be no had re prckitation of a pure democracy i ant very leady however to agree w jth the hon orabl bamm-r that according to the expe rience of hiitory the ancient democracies of th world were viciousaiid objectionable ot miny accounts their inltability their injuiiice and many other vices cannot b overbeked ; b«t lurely when we look back to th ancient democracies of greece when we fee them in til the iplendor of the arts and of arms when we iee how they aronf ed aid invigorated genius and to what an elevation they carried the powers of man it cannot be denied that however vicious on the icore of ingratitude of injullice ; hey vere at lealt ihe pregnant and never iailini lout cc of iiationat drcngth and that in particular they bring forth and sfltord this li'engili in a peculi:ir manner in ihe iiiomtntof difc.cnliy and diflrefs when we look at the demon acies of the nncirnt world we are compelled to acknowledge tbeir oppr ffions thtjr horrible actsofin j n it ice and ingratitude but they compel illy admirai ion hy their vigor their con ilai.cy ilieir ipirit and thrir exertions in every great emergency in which they are called upon to a<ft we are compelled to own that it gives a power of which no other torm of government n capable why .' be caufe ic incoi point efc every man with the iute becaule it aroufes every thing that belongs 10 the foul as well ag to the body of man ; becaufe it makes every individual creature feel that he is fighting for hiinfelf and not for another that it is hisown caufe his own fafery , hit own concern his own dignity on the face of the earth and his own interelt in the identical oil which he uas to maintain ; and accordingly we find that whatever may be afctibed that what ever may be objected to them on account f the tin bulency of the paflions wjiich they engender their fhort duration and their diigultiug vices they have exacled from che common futtrage of mankind the palm of ltrength and viyor who that reads the hiitory of the per&m war what boy whofif heart is warmed by the grand and ft.wlimc actions which rhe democratic fpirit produc ed does not find in this principle key to all tt.e wonders which were atchieved and of which the recent and inarvellouft acfts of rhe french people are prrgnant examples f lie f*es that the principle of liberty only would create the fublime and inrfiitibie c notion and it is in vain to contend from the hiking illuftration th»c our own time have jiven that the principle is not in the heart of man shall we then refufe to take the banefir of this imrigitatirk principle ? shall e refufe tc take jat benefit which ue mr fox for myfvtf and nr cording to my view of eur c}rcttm(ta%ces all that parr f the argu ment again reform which relates to the danger of innovation is ftrangely mifpla ced : f far from procuring the mere clianct •» practical benefits by a reform it is only by a reform that we can have a chance o refcuing ourfelves from a date of extreme peril and diltrels such is my view of in situation i think it is fo perilous fo im ininent that though i do not feel confcious of delpair an emotion which the heart ought not to admit yet it comes nearer to time ltate of hazard when the tent infant ot dilpair rather than of hope may befuppofed to take polloflion of the mind i fee mxfelftobe inn community in which the boded man without any imputation of cowardice may dread that we are not mere y approaching to a hue of extreme peril but of abfolute diflolution with the ideas that i entertain i tannor lirten for a moment to fuggeftions that arc applicable only toother fituntiors and to other times ; for unleft we are refolvffd in a helplel's pufillanimity or in a ftopid tor pur to fuccumb and to wait with refi^na tiou the approach of our doom to lie down nd die we mutt take bold and decifivc ineaiures for our deliverance we mult not be deterred by meaner apprehenfions we mult corn-bine all our itength fonity one another by the co nmuuion of our coar age and by a fot'onahle exertion of tiaricn bl wildom patrioiifin and vi^or tal.e mea lures for the chance of falyatior and encounter with unappalled hearts all the enemies foreign and internal all the dan gers and calamities of every kind which prefs fo heavily upon us what is the leflon to be derived from the example of the lrifh but that thecompara tivelv fmall focictiesof 1791 becamr ftrong and formidable by the acceftion of the ma ny who had nothing in common with them in the outlet i wifli it were pofii'ole for us to draw the line more accurately between the fmall number that the report defcrine to hare had mifclieivons objects originall in view and the numerous bodies who were made converts by the neglect of their petitions for conftiiutional rights it is improbable that the original few were more than ten or twenty tboufand in num ber what then do 1 learn from this ? that the uuwile iuipolitic and unjuk refufal of government to attend to the application of the moderate made eighty or ninetj thaufand profelytes from moderation to violence this is the leflon which the book of ireland exhibits can you refufe your aflent to the moral ? will any man argue that if reform had been conceded to the eighty or ninety thoufund moderate petitioners you would have this clay to de plore the union of one hundred thouiand men bent on objects fo extenfive to al arming fo calamitous ; i wifh to warm you by this example ; every argument that you have i fed to-day was uled in dublin in the fhort lighted pride and obltinacy of government they turned a deaf ear to tin iiipplicant ; they have now perhaps in the opeufield tobravethe all'ertor unwarned untutored by example are you ftill to go on with the fame contemptuous and flub born pride i i by no means think that the difcontents of this country have rifentoa height as to make us fear for the genera peace of the country ; but 1 deprecate the courfe which was purftied in 1 1 elan i what england is now ireland was in 17 1 what was aid of the few they have now applied to the many ; and as there are discontents in this country which we can neither diflemble nor conceal let us not by an unwife and minal difdain irritate and fret them into violence and difordcr the difcontents may happily fubflle but a man mult be either fanguine indeed in his temper or dull in his intelled if he would leave to theoperati n of chance what he might more certainly obtain by theexercife of reafon hlvciy thing that is dear and tiemrto the minds of englishmen preftes ' pon us ; in the critical moment at which i now addrefi you a day an hour or.^ht no 37.3 vol i