*834 NATURAL AND CIVIL 



js able to resist their violence, or prevent their 

 pulling down the governments which they have 

 set up. It is by moral principles, and those of 

 social utility^ by reason, wisdom, virtue, and 

 their own interest, that such governments can 

 alone be preserved. When any party becomes 

 sufficiendy powerful, popular, and disposed, to 

 set aside moral and social considerations, all 

 that b'^ongs to a free government is actually 

 lost ; and it is vain to expect that any thing 

 which is written on a piece of paper, can in such 

 cases prevent the dreadful catastrophe. Nor 

 can monarchy, or any otlier form of government, 

 secure iiseif against such an event. 



The annual session of tlie legislature in Oc- 

 tober 1804, was at Rutland. The course of 

 political proceedings had now taken a regular 

 form and aspect ; and it was known that the 

 federalists had nothing to expect from the offices 

 and emoluments of government. Among the 

 subjects proposed by the governor for the con- 

 sideration of the assembly, one related to the 

 situation of the northern line of the state. It 

 was not known by whom this line was run, at 

 what time,' or with what accuracy ; but it was 

 universally believed that it was run in a direc- 

 tion deviating from the parallel of latitude, and 

 much to the injury of Vermont. The inhabit- 

 ants near the reputed northern boundary were 

 persuaded that the direction of the line was to- 

 wards the southeast, that the state was on that 

 account deprived of a large tract of valuable 

 land which belonged to it ; and as the adjacent 

 townships were rapidly settling, that they should 

 eventually be involved m cxpence and trouble* 



