His.T-ORY¥ .0.F. EU R,0,P.E, 
in the world to do, that which none 
did. Opinions multiplied. upon 
opiniors in the «ffzmbly, every 
time the fubjeét was canvafled; 
every line teemed with new diffi- 
culties; the mutual jealoufies and 
diitrufts of the parties led them to 
fulpect fome dangerous myftery or 
hidden fraud to be involved in the 
moft fimple and obvious axioms ; 
and while they reciprocally accufed 
each other without ceremony, ei- 
ther of intending to give the reins 
entirely to licentjoufnefs, or of with- 
ing to check the progrefs of liber- 
ty, cool debate and difpaffionate dif- 
cuffion were in fuch circumftances 
things to be wifhed for but not ex- 
pected, 
A declaration which was pro- 
ofed by one of the fections into 
which the aflembly was divided, 
was at length fo far received, as to 
become the fubject of general de- 
bate, with a view to its affording 
the foundations for the grand fu- 
perftructure, Every article became 
a fubjec&t of much difcuffion, and 
was not unfrequently produttive of 
great heat and bjtternefs. The 
debates were exceedingly tedious 
and yninterefting: being in many 
cafes a mere war of words, running 
much into metaphyfical abftraCtions, 
grammatical niceties, and verbal 
difputes of no yalue. They were 
rendered ftill more irkfome and dif- 
ficult from its being fcarcely poffi- 
ble to arrange any number of words 
in fuch a form, as would equally 
ftrike the ears, and be received 
with the fame degree of compre- 
henfion, by fo great an affemblage 
of men as twelve hundred, even 
fuppofing that they were all equally 
fincere in thejr purfuit of the truth,’ 
and tbat none were prompted by 
Patticular motives to deviate from 
(34 
the right line of direction. It be- 
came indeed now evident, if it had 
been before doubted, that fo nume- 
rous a body was by no means pro- 
perly calculated for a deliberative 
affembly. 
The debates were not, how- 
‘ever, entirely confined ta the fub~ 
je or compofition of the declara~ 
tion, for one of the. mof& confider- 
able, and perhaps the moft intere- 
ing with regard to matter, arofe 
upon the queftion of adopting the 
meafure, confidered with refpect to 
its expedience and propriety. It 
was faid, by thofe who oppofed the 
meafure, that this American idea, 
was, in fact, more brilliant than 
folid; that it originated from a new. 
and peculiar ftate of things, which 
did not exift with refpect to Frances 
but that whether it. fuited or not, 
the circumftances and condition of 
thofe by whom it was firft adopt- 
ed, was not the queltion to be con. 
fidered, but whether it fuited their 
own? ‘This they endeavoured to 
difprove. They ftated in the firft 
place, that fuch a declaration, in 
the prefent ftate aad temper of the 
nation, would not only be inexpe-. 
dient, but might probably prove 
dangerous, from an impyoper ufe 
being made of it; that the people, 
jut Mtetet a from oppreffion, and 
indulging themfelyes in a momen~ 
tary licentioufnefs, were unprepared 
for fuch new doétrines; that when 
they were intoxicated with the un-~ 
accultomed fpirit of independence, 
they would no longer acknowledge 
the authority of the Jaws, but would 
he too apt to confider them only as 
remaining appendages of that {yf, 
tem of ancient tyranny, from whofe 
other fhackles they had fo lately fet 
themfelves free; and under this 
blind delusion they would eagerly 
exert 
