iWoi. on the constitution, 16^ 



Perfectly convinced of these important truths, 

 the society of " the friends of the people," are so far 

 from adopting the wild ideas which some have attri- 

 buted to them, of wifliing to destroy hereditary mo- 

 narchy, that they will employ their most strenuous 

 efforts to protect this wise institution, against the 

 machinations of fliort sighted innovators, whose feeble 

 understandings, onlylkimmmg the surface, are struck 

 with the apparent absurdities that catch every one wha 

 cannot look deeper to mark the real state of things. 

 Such childifli ideas we fhould be afhamed to adopt. 



Even the French legislators, whose efforts at for- 

 ming a constitution we by no means hold up to 

 the world as a model of perfection,, have recognised 

 the justnefs of this principle. And though, by emas- 

 culating the powel of their hereditary representative 

 of the people, as they are pleased absurdly enough 

 to stile the king, they have conferred upon the army 

 a power that it never ought to pofsefs in a well con- 

 stituted state, dear bought experience will probably 

 soon teach them their error ; and we hope will enable 

 tl.em to correct that, together with several other ra- 

 dical errors, into which the natural vivacity of that 

 perple Jias inadvertently precipitated them. 



But while we thus despise the stupid rage for in- 

 discriminate innovation, which some turbulent spi- 

 rits wifh to encourage, we fliall strenuously strive, 

 by every constitutional means in our power, to bring 

 about such alterations, "as reason and experience fhall 

 cltarly prove to be salutary and expedient ; for of all 

 absurd things that can be conceived, surely the most 

 absurd is tliat winch suppjocs that any kuman in^ 



