^^a •« t^ constitution. -^vg. 22. 



Teloped. Can any thing be more absurd than to 

 accuse of precipitancy those who wifli/ to proceed 

 with such cautious circumspection ? 



We have been represented as wifliing to proceed 

 with a reform in the same manner as has happened 

 in France ; and as wiftiing to establish in this coun- 

 try a similar form of. government, if government it 

 can be called, as that which there prevails. Had 

 this been our intention, our conduct must have been 

 -very different from that which we have adopted : — we 

 fhould, in that case, have proceeded with all pofsible 

 precipitancy, that while the furor for innovation, 

 which we know prevailed among the lefs considerate 

 part of the community, was at its full height, we 

 might have availed ourselves of it. So far, however, 

 was this from being our intention, that we studious- 

 ly delayed bringing forward any motion till a future 

 day, before which time, we doubt not, such events 

 will have taken place as to moderate the fervour of 

 that patriotic enthusiasm, which hath seized so great 

 a proportion of the generous and' well-meaning, 

 though ill-informed parts of the community.. It is 

 our decided opinion, that the constitution of our go- 

 yerninent will acquire much stability from the revo- 

 lution in France ; not by adopting the plans that 

 nation has purbued, but by i tending, to the conse- 

 quences of thtse innovations. Even already, many 

 men who six months ago could see nothing defective 

 in that constitution, begin to think that many things 

 might have been more happily contrived. Those 

 who thought that the mode of tlectirg members of 

 the legislative, afstmbly. was perfectly unexception" 



