£50 
toa perpettity of fame, by writing in-a 
-language, - which, in all human probabi- 
lity, will never be dead, hke the Greek 
and Latin tongues, thould infule into Eng. 
ih authors, and animate them with an 
ardour, which can be expeiienced by thofe 
ef no other nation. Increafing time will 
bring incresfing readers, and their praifes 
be relounded by nations. 
But to return to the United States: 
When Congrefs. appointed Wafhingron 
commander in chief, their jealoufy of fu- 
preme power, in whofcever veiled, induced 
them in their addrefs to him when they 
conferred this high office, to tell him 
* they trufted, when thole ends were ob- 
tained for which they took up arms, he 
wou'd return to the ftation of a private 
citizen.” After the independence of the 
United States was fealed he, accordingly, 
vetired to Mount Vernon, leaving them to 
their own paffions and guidance. The 
confederation was the only compaét which 
held together, as it were by athread, thefe 
jarring democracies. Impotts were laid 
by fome of them upon others ; retaliation, 
and mutual recrimimations, brought on 
thole keen refentments which are feldom 
or never terminated among fiates, but by 
the fword. -The crifis between the revo- 
Jutionary ftruggle, and the adoption of the 
federal conftitution, was truly awful, and 
called the attention of Europe towards 
them, America. was debauched by the 
excefles of a civil war, and inebriated with 
the luxurianee of boundlefs liberty ; the 
Sates were fevered from their former 
head, overwhelmed with public and pri- 
vate debts, rent with jealoufies, and go- 
werned by different and undefined laws— 
each fovercign, and without any common 
bond. Out of this political chaos a pro- 
je& began to be talked of for forming 
three diftinét empires; the United States 
were totrering on the verge of anarchy 
and confufien, when all cait their eyes to- 
wards Wafhington, as the only man pof- 
fefling a fufficiency of command. over the 
populer paflions to confulidate them. As 
hehad difianced all rivality, he was unani- 
moufly chefen Prefident of the United 
States. Their prefent conftitution was 
carved out of thofe venerable codes of 
Britith legiflation, which have received 
the fanétion, and ftcod the teft of ages, 
altered and adapted to the particular na- 
ture of their government. A vifible and 
happy change was the confequence, and 
from that time, the real unien, and exiit- 
ence of the United States as a nation, 
may be dated. 
Thoughts on the Duration of the American Republic. [O&. f, 
The republic has fince experienced an 
unufual rapidity of growth; but, it is 
the naturai effect of the wonderful combi- 
nations of a plenty of fertile land, and a 
form of government adapted by themfelves, 
and fuited to their own conftitutions ; and, 
for thofe reafons, predi&ts no figns of 
as {fpeedy a decay. It poffeffes the. fin- 
gular felicity of being feparated by the 
vat Atlantic Ocean- from all danger of 
furprize ; and thofe foreign nations, whe 
may be capable of doing them an effential 
injury, muft encounter the greateft diffii- 
culties in attacking them. ae 
The extent of the United States.is com- 
menfurate with any probable increaie of 
population for ages to come ; and it pofs 
jefies all the folid advantages of the Chi- 
nefe empire, without the fatal neighbour- | 
hocd of the Tartars. By the cefiion of 
Louifiana the Americans have gained a 
vait increafe of territory ; and the free 
navigation ef the Miffiffippi, which is 
thereby fecured to them, will increafe the 
population of the Weftern parts, and form 
a complete barrier on that fide. The two 
Floridas can never be an object of terror 
to them, and in cafe of a rupture between 
Spain and the United States, will foon be . 
taken pofieflion of by the latter. The 
Britifh pofleffions on the North and Weft, 
are alone to be dreaded, and, in the latter 
quarter they are ftrongly guarded by the 
forts eftablithed by the Britifh, and lately 
delivered up to the Americans, according 
to the treaty of Paris. 
Thus fituated the United States appear 
formed by nature for a great, permanent, 
aud independent government. Such an 
extenfive traét of country, covered with a 
people fprung from an active and induf- 
trious nation, whofe example they feem 
anxious to emulate, ought-to form a com- 
monwealth as indiffoluble as humanity . 
will allow. They have, befides, a know~ 
ledge of thofe deftrutive principles which 
have haftened the downfall of other nations, 
and it is theirown fault if, guided by that 
unerring beacon, they de not avoid a fimi- 
lar fhipwreck. 
But it is not to be concealed that this 
rifiug republic contains the feeds of inter- 
nal defitruGion. The firt fhock the fede- 
ral conftitution received arofe from the 
French revolution. France had two 
views towards the United States: the one 
was to annoy her dreaded rival, Great 
Britain ; the other to render them fatel- 
lites of her boundlefs ambition. Grati- 
tude to France, for having infured the in- 
denendence of Untied States was fift 
inhifled 
the 
wie 
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