Hi historical chronicle 



their zeal in its support. The public in this instance seem to have lost sight of] 

 a just principle they almost unanimously acknowledged, i;i!!i that " The Bri- 

 tiih constitution pofsefsesof itself powers sufficient to correct any lefser disor- 

 ders that may accidentally affect it for a time." In this instance do they 

 not imitate the absurd practice of the religious bigots of former times, who , 

 under the pretext of vindicating " 2T)f j'/ory q/" God," who certainly re- 

 quired no aid from such a weak creature as man, persecuted their fellow i 

 creatures, and establiftied at last the most cruel system of despotic tyranny \ 

 that ever existed upon the earth ? If our constitution is endowed with suf- i 

 ficient powers to purge itself from any peccant humours which may acci- 

 dentally arise, why not allow it to operate freely, and not raflily conjoin 

 the popular with the ministerial power, which tends to destroy that ba- 

 lance that constitutes the peculiar excellence of our truly enviable con- 

 stitution ? The liberty of the prefs is in all cases the greatest bulwark of 

 freedom ; and if left to itself it will be sufficient to inform the minds of the 

 people in regard to every particular that it is of importance for them to 

 know: but if popular committees, under ministerial influence, fliall be per- 

 mitted to waste the national treasure, in difseminating at an under price a- 

 mong the people, such doctrines as tend to forward their own views, while they 

 are by the same authority and influence, protected in the exercise of an 

 inquisitorial poiver ovet other writings, so as to deter men from exprefsing 

 their genuine sentiments with a becoming freedom, then, though we ihould 

 Still retain the name of a free people, that independence of mind which con- 

 stitutes its efsence would be for ever gone. Poisoned by political medi- ^ 

 cines, for which we had no occasion, we might then adopt the epitaph of , 

 the Italian who killed himself in the same way ; Sta bene, 6tc i. e "I was 

 in good health, I wiihed to be better, and here I am." 



The thing chiefly to be dreaded in this case is, that when the great body 

 of the people of this nation, if tliey fhall go too far in this train, fhall per- 

 ceive that they have done so, may turn with a voilent unanimity to the 

 opposite side ; and under the idea of correcting this evil, may totally over- 

 turn the power which fhall have incurred their displeasure, and thus may 

 long have occasion to mourn an excefs, which if moderated in time, would 

 •cession no political evil of lasting endurance. 



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