t'jO OK TIIJ REVOIt-TION IN POLAND. JimC 8, 



On the Revolution in Poland. 



J^' f;:aire »gcs, t!ie cfghteent'h ccnf.iry will make a tnoft lirilliant ap- 

 pear ncc, when compaitd at Icaft with thofe that -went before ; " Then, 

 it will Ik faid, was laid the' fotindatron of thofe numerous iniprove- 

 Biciit'-, which fo niu«h diftinpaifh the modern times from thofe dark 

 ages of barliarifm, in wViich Euiope had been fo long involved. True, 

 indeed, the politicians of that^raltnew but Utrle ; — The erroneous no- 

 fioiis tliat had fo long prevailed, had warped their judgment to fnch a 

 dcqfrtc, tliat tbey were finable to reafon with tliat difcriminating accu- 

 racy which has fince prevailed. Bet they then began to think for them- 

 f Ives, and to reafon in their own fafhion. It was only by following 

 the route on which they then entered, that we have been able to attain 

 to that petfcdHon which conftitutes our higheft glory. Let us there- 

 fore revere the liberal exertions of our rude progenitors. Thouijh ig- 

 norant and unpoliflved, they are ftill -entitled to our higheft eftrern." 



Such, I dottbt not, will be the language of thofe who (hall live fome 

 cfnturies hence. Reafon beg;ins to dawn among mankind ; and when 

 the reign of fyfiematic error &all be totally abolilhed, who can form 

 an idea of the extent of thtiie impi ovements vvc fhall be able to at- 

 tain ? 



The feeds of this ba|>py rcvol-ution, if not firll (Town in Britain, were 

 firft cheriflied there, fo as to be produdive of any benfficial tfTeft. It 

 ivasin regard to religious fubjeifts that the human mind firft began 'to 

 <xcrcije it? powers, -and to fhake off fonie of thofe fetters that bad for- 

 merly enthralled it. But flow was its piogrefs, and feeble was its force. 

 Truth had fcarcely begun to appear, when it formed a league with error ; 

 a baneful coalition was formed, which has retarded our progreff, and 

 ftili will continue to retard it here ; while others, infpired by tire pro- 

 fpejft of what we have done, fliall have exerted their native powers with 

 ftill greater vigour, and left us perhaps far behind. The revolutions that 

 iiave taken place with rogardto government in America ana France, may 

 •perhaps be fluctuating and unftable ; bccaufe their political inftitution* 

 inav he tlefe^^ve and erroiieoui. But the grand revolution is th« 

 which lefpciSs the mind; anilthi?, if we may judge from jiaft events, 

 will be permanent and (ore. We know of no inftarce fince the art of 

 printing M^as invented, of any nation, in which the individuals had 

 once acquired theTiabi't'ofreafoiiing with perfect freedom on every fub- 

 ^c6^, who ever cculd be again fubje<?ted to the dominion bf abjecl ig- 

 norance. U is this empire cf reafon which 1 truft will be permanent, 

 iiecaufc ever/ exertion in the prefunt moment, will tend to facilitate 

 t'he acquifition of knowledge,' which ie the only fuie founda^ 

 rion on which reafon can eftablilh her throne. 



Among all the triumphs of reafon over prejudice, that haye cccurr- 

 ^(\ in the ^"refw age, that which h.ith recently taken place in Poland 



