272 NATURAL AND CIVIL 



ship and religion. To engage the Inexperience 

 and passions of youth, they treated the affectiom 

 and chastity of the sexes as a matter of ridicule 

 and folly ; and to derive assistance from the in- 

 clinations of the most licentious, universal liber- 

 ty was given to set aside, at the option of either 

 party, all the vows and obligations that had been 

 connected with the institution and laws of mar- 

 riage. All that had acquired and claimed res- 

 pect on account of its antiquity, universalitv, or 

 supposed sanctit}', was attempted to be destroy- 

 ed ; and the goddess of reason, the perfectibili- 

 ty of man, and the clamors of the mob, were 

 introduced in the room and place of the Eternal, 

 The novelty, the boldness, the daring and in- 

 trepid aspect of the new republican system, de- 

 ceived some, aiirighted others, perplexed many 

 rrv^re, and deeply engaged the attention of all. 

 From principle, the citizens of the United States 

 were almost unanimously in favor of the French 

 revolution ; and most of them expected it 

 would produce something more perfect, than 

 what their own country had attained. But 

 when it left the maxims and principles of com- 

 mon sense, morality, and virtue, and advanced 

 boldly and rapidly into the regions of chimera, 

 impossibility, and folly,, the Americans became 

 divided in their opinions and feelings : Part of 

 them wished to go forward, and adopt the French 

 attainments and perfectibility ; another part, 

 dreaded the experiment, and wished to remain 

 within the limits of reason, experience, and their 

 own constitutions. And like every other part 

 of the United States, the people of Vermont be- 

 fame resohed into parties ; the one of which 



