169 



ther the people of this country would suffer an execu- 

 tion for heresy, or a three years imprisonment for not 

 cotTipreliendiiig tlie mysteries of the Trinity. But is 

 the spirit of the j)eople an iiifalhble, a perinaiient re- 

 liance? Is it fTovernnient ? Is this the kind of j)rorec- 

 tion we receive in return for the rij^hts we give up? 

 Besides, tlie spirit of the tiujes may aher, will aher. 

 <Jur rulers will become corrupt, our people careless. 

 A single zealot may commence persecutor, and better 

 men be his victims. It can never be too often repeat- 

 ed, that the time for fixing every essential right on a 

 legal basis is while our riders are honest, and ourselves 

 uinted. From the conclusion of this war we shall be 

 going down hill. It will not then be necessary to resort 

 every moment to the people for support. They will 

 be forgotten, therefore, and their rights disregarded. 

 They will forget themselves, but in the sole factdry of 

 making money, and will never think of uniting to effect 

 a due respect for their rights. The shackles, therefore, 

 which shall not be knocked offat the conclusion of this 

 war, will remain on us long, will be made heavier and 

 heavier, till our rights shall revive or expire in a con- 

 Tulsion. 



QUERY XVIII. 



The /jarfjcu/ar customs and manners that may hap- 

 pen to be received in that slate ? 



It is difficult to determine on the standard by which 

 ihe maimers of a nation may be tried, whether catholic, 

 or particular. It is more difficult for a native to bring to 

 that statulard the manners of his own itation, familiar- 

 ized to him by habit. There must doubtless be an im- 

 happy influence on the maimers of our people produced 

 by the existence of slavery among us. The whole com- 

 merce between master and slave is a perpetual exer- 

 cise of the most boisterous passions, the most unremit- 



15 



