298 NATURAL AND CIVIL 



* 1:^ your last resolution, you say *' that cdfii 

 ' fidence is every where the parent of despotism » 



* fi"'ee government is founded in jealousy, and 



* not in confidence." This i« a sentiment pal- 



* pably erroneous, and hostile to the social na- 



* lure of man : The experience of ages evinces 



* the reverse is true, and that jealousy is the 



* meanest passion of narrow minds, and tends to 

 ' despotism ; and that honesty always begets 

 ' confidence, while those who are dishonest 



* themselv^cs, are most apt to suspect others."^ 

 •^ 'No questions could ha\'e ascertained the 

 strength of politicil parties, with more clearness 

 and certainty, than the votes on these resolu- 

 tions. In favor of adopting the answer to the 

 Virginia resolutions, the yeas were 104, the 

 nays 52. With regard to the answer to the 

 state of Kentucky, the yeas were 101, the nays 

 50. t The minority however were neither quiet 

 nor silent, when these resolves were passed. 

 Thirty.three of them entered their protest on 

 the journal, and assigned twelve reasons why 

 they dissented from the majority. Those rea- 

 sons were meant to express higher sentiments 

 of the extent, and a stronger attachment to the 

 principles of republicanism, and the powers of 

 individual states, than the resolves of the as- 

 sembly had asserted.! 



A question came before this assembly res- 

 pecting an amendment to the federal constitu- 

 tion, which at that time seems to have beeri 

 contemplated' more as a matter of expediency, 

 than of political principles. The state of Nev- 



* Journal for l 799, p. loj — xojt. 

 •f Page 1 08, 109, 

 "X Page 148 — 15*. 



