222 GovERN'MEXT, Laws, [Part H. 



gery committed against honest men, who, when they 

 *^ promise to pay," mean to pay, and do pay when 

 called upon. " Briberij" is very properly set at the 

 head of the disqualifications; but, what a nest of vil- 

 lains it would exclude in England ! White men are 

 mentioned, but, another clause admits all the Blacks- 

 now free, though it shuts out future comers of that co- 

 lour, or of the yellow hue ; which is perfectly just ; for, 

 Connecticut is not to be the receptacle of those, whom 

 other States may choose to release from slavery, seeing 

 that she has now no slaves of her own. 



408. Thus, then, this new Constitution ; a constitu- 

 tion formed by the steadiest comm\mity in the Avhole' 

 world ; a constitution dictated by the most ample expe- 

 rience, gives to the people, as to the three branches of 

 the government (the Governor, Senate, and RepresentU" 

 lives) precisely what we reformers in England ask as- 

 to only one branch out of the three. Whoever has a 

 freehold worth a guinea and a half a year, though he 

 pay no tax, and though he be not enrolled in the mi- 

 litia, has a vote. Whoever pays a tax, though he be 

 not enrolled in the militia, and have np freehold, has a 

 vote. W^hoever is enrolled in the militia, though he 

 have no freehold and pay no tax, has a vote. So that 

 nothing but be2;gars, paupers, and criminals can ea- 

 sily be excluded ; and, you will observe, if you please. 

 Messieurs Boroughmongers, that the State taxes are all 

 direct, and so contemptible in amount, as not to be, all 

 taken together, enough to satisfy the maw of a single 

 sinecure place-man in England; and that the Iblectors 

 choose, and annually too. King, Lords, and Commons. 

 Now, mind, this change has been deliberately made by 

 the most deliberate people that ever lived on the earth. 

 New England is called, and trnly, " the Land of 

 " Steady Habits;" but, a Connecticut man is said to' 

 be a " f'ull-blnoded Yankey," and Yankey means New 

 Englander. So that, here are ihe steadiest of the steady 

 adopting, after all their usual deliberation and precau- 

 tion, in a time of profound tranquillity, and without any 

 party spirit or delusion, the plan of us " wild and 

 " mad" Reformers of Old England. Please God, I 



