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ST S ORULY
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- New-Hampthire Gazette.
[ Nokal ]
The INTEREST of AMERICA.
LET VY ER &
PROPERLY to adjust our political aflairs,
or fettle the civil government of Ame
rica, is 2 matter of vait importance. Too
‘much care and pains cannot well be bestow
ed upon it. ’T'is we hope, doing the work
of ages, 'tis"aéting for our pofiterity as well as
for ourselves ; ’tis an arduous, ’tis a difficult
aftair, and every man that will contribute
his mite towa:ds it, may be thought chari
table in doing’it. He that will suggest any
thing ufeful, and guard againt any thing
that would be pernicious will do an accept
_able service. No man can fee or compre
“hend all things, and even the wisest, in im
portant and difficult undertakings, will be
glad of help, though but in a {fmall degree.
No one can comprehend the complexed af
fairs of an whole country. Farmers will not
be fully acquainted with, or attentive to ma
_ritime or mercantile affairs, nor will the mer
chant fully underfiand or attend to affairs'in
the country. People in high life do not con
fider or fully understand the concerns of the
poorer fort, who are perhaps nine tenths of
-the ufeful part of mankind ; on the other
_hand, the poorer fort, by ignorance or pre
" judice, or both, have very wrong notions of
“the rich and great. "There ought to be all
_forts of men in that aflembly or body that
Ihall be entrusted and employed, tc adjust and
fettle the affairs of our country; and every
“man thould, as much as poflible, put him
felf in the place of those that 3re in a situa
tion different from his own ; and not set him
felf to carry things in favour of his own
opinion, without properly regarding the gocd
of the whole. Was there a 2 man who had
been pocr and rich, who had been a farmer
~in the country, and 2 merchant in the city,
who had an acquaintance with, or had well
considered the several cccupations and ma
nufa&iures in town and country, acquainted
with ¢ivil law and courts of judicature, a
. friend to religion, but a bigot to no particu
lar party, not haughty or- felf fuflicient, but
y public spirited, condescending and truly be
nevolent ; such a Pheenix would be a fit per
son to fettle our public affairs. But as it is
fmpoflible that all these things should fully
_be in one man, there ought to be men of va
rious knowledge, and of a condescending
disposition, who will attend to one another,
in fettling the important interefls of America.
—— Before 1 proceed to propose or con
~ sider the form of American government, |
beg the patience of my readers, v hile I offer
a few general observations onthe nature, de
sign, and life of civil government, =
e "T'is most evident that civil govern
“ment is not designed for one man, or a few
in the society, but for the whole body. To
suppose, that an hundred or a thousand are
made for one m =, ts contrary to nature, for
we are a!l equal by nature ; and conirary to
reason and equity, for the greatest of all laws
~ that refpe¢t mankind, is, to love our neigh
bours as ourselves, and do as we would be
doneby, Mankiad, all equal by nature, and
SATURDAY, Fune 15, 1770.
having equal rights, form into f{ocieties, for
mutual detence, and proper enjoyment of
their natural rights. In the days of Adam
and Noah, every man had an equal right to
the unoccupied earth, which (God f{aid he had
given to the children of men. " The whole
world was before them,there was much more
land than they could occupy or enjoy.——
Itlach man had a right to cccupy new land
where he pleased, and to take wild beasts by
hunting. This was what civilians call a
state of nature. In thisftate every man had
a right to enjoy himfelf, a 2 right to his en
closure, to what he tock in hunting, and to
feed his flocks where he j:lealed, 10 that in
any of these, he did not interfere with any
pre-occupant. In such a state every man
had a right to detend himfelf, and repel in
juries, as he thought best. Injuries there
would be in a state of imperfection, Had
mankind continued innocent, there would
have been such perte&t and mutual love, as
would have excluded injuries. But mankind,
being depraved, proved inordinately craving
and jealous, their ichemes would clath, and
injuries ensue. Every man had an equal
right to judge between himfelt & his neigh
bour, and to do that which was right in his
owneyes. Thenatural consequences would
be,that the firong would overcome the weak,
the greatest natural power would prevail, and
might would often overcome right,———r
This was frequently the case soon after the
flood. Genesis xiv, &c.———This no doubt
induced mankind to enter into societies for
their mutual defence, and for the equitable
and peaceable enjoyment of their lives and
properties.————>Societies formed at firft for
mutual defence, were very small, but by de
gr es became larger.——War soon became
a business in the world, much like hunting.
‘We find that our kings, with a few men,
took a warlike hunting march of several
hundred miles. Gen, xiv. Theycameacrofs
five kingdoms in the plain of Sodom, (which
were only five cities) overcame them, took
what plunder and captives they pleased, and
went on their way. '
- In those days, any flout aétive enterprising
man, at the head of a humber of free-boot
ers, became a king ; and as he prevailed a
gainst others, they also were added to his
kingdom, which increasing thus by degrees,
sometimes became very large and extensive,
Thus kingly government took place and pre
vailed in the world, & ’tis because that war
and ‘plundering other nations has been so
much the business of mankind, that kingly
government has {o generally prevailed in the
wortd, | | '
The forms of civil government that have
taken place in the world, are supposed to be
four,not including the theocracy of the Jews.
1. Monarchy. 2. Aristocracy. 3. Demo
cracy. 4. Mixed government,
Monarchy, or kingly goverdment, which has
also generally aimed at being hereditary, is
where one man or woman rules the whole ;
and - this, (for reasons before mentioned, or
easily gathered from what has been said)
has been much the most common form of
government in the world. Under absolute
Monarchy people are treated as the sove
reign pleases, juit as 2 man treats his cattle,
horse or slave. He must often favour and
be kind to them for his own advantage, that
they may serve him the better ; but ke va
lues not their heaith or lives, more than he
thinks ’tjs for bis own intereft,————— Ari-
Stocracy or Oligarchy, is where a few rule the
whole. These are called noble,and are sup
posed to be hereditarily above the bulk of
the people. This form of government dif
fers little from {fo many Kings ruling by con
sent, and people have but little more advan
tage under several tyrantsthan under one.—
Proper Democracy is where the people have all
the power in themselves, who choose whom
they please for their head for a time, and
dismiss him when they please ; make their
own laws, choose all their own. oflicers, and
replace them at pleasure. A mixed govern
ment has several branches of legiflaiure, as
that of Great-Britain, where one branch is
supposed to be a check upon the others,
Let the form of government be what it
will, the design of it is, or ought to be, the
good of the whole bedy governed.
Let us now confider what men relinquifls,
and what they o)tain, by pailing out of a slate
of nature, and entering into fociety,or a state
of civil governrment. Ift.— They give up
their right to judge between themselves and
those that offend or injure them, and leave
this to the civil inagiftrate ; consequently
they give up the right to vindicate or re
venge themfeves, any other way than by the
magifirate ar proper officers. 2d.—~ They
give up part of their efiates, for the support
of government. 3d, They are under obli
gation to expose their lives for the fafety of
the slate when neceflary, and when called
upon to do it. If money will not answer,
each man must bear his proper part in the
defence of the whole, The proper support
of government, {uppofes that we are ready,
with our lives and fortunes, to engage in it’s
defence. Shall it now be atked, what we
obtain by entering into civil government ?
I answer we gain protefiion, the protection of
our lives and properties ; that we may with=
out violence enjoy our c¢trn, The weakest
the poorest member of fcciety, has all the
power and strength of the government for
his defence. Every man has aright to ask
and receive protection and help when inju
red, or when molested contrary to the rule or
laws of the slate. An inspired writer gives
us briefly the nature of civil government, in
these words :~ ““ He is the minister of God
‘“ to thee for good.”—A revenger to execute
‘“ wrath upon him that doth evil :—he bear
*“ eth not the sword in vain—For this cause
‘““ pay yeu ftribute also, for they are God’s
“ miniflers, attending continually upon this
‘“ very thing—Render therefore to all their
‘“ due, tribute to whom tribute is due, &¢.”
I thall in my next, offer fomethmg.finA* “
merican government, S e
| SPARTANUS;
| No. 4. ]