4^5 



muft be beft by Vvhich thofe I love are made 

 happy" — but, perhaps, it might be laid, with 

 ftill greater corredlnefs, that that fyficm of 

 government mujl he bejl^ where virtue^ among the 

 people^ mojl prevails. 



It Is Idle to declaim agalnft a government, 

 while individuals — while even thofe who 

 complain have not virtue enough to with- 

 ftand the feducing lures of corruption ! Let 

 the people be virtuous, and the government 

 will never be corrupt. Were men to refift 

 bribery, and to expofe their feducers to pub- 

 lic reproach, few attempts would be made 

 upon their independence. But alas ! even thofe 

 who are loudeft in railing againft corruption, 

 but too commonly, when the magic wand ap- 

 proaches themfelves evince that it Vv^as not 

 virtue ralfed their voices ! Too often the 

 difordered appetite, which calls aloud for the 

 high condiments of privation and patriotifm, 

 feels no naufeafrom a change of diet, but finds 

 all its acrid gnawings fpeedily appeafed by a 

 well-drefTed difh of - - - - - loaves and ffhes I 



Perhaps It may be doubted whether a 

 true patriot^ in the full extent of the term, 



