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In: Essays, Letters & Speeches·History - American
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The opening · free to read
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1787.
For the Massachusetts Gazette.
To Numa’s long list of evils, which he says, in some of his productions, are prevalent in the commonwealth, he might have added, that when priests became Jesuits, the liberties of the people were in danger—in almost all countries, we shall find, that when sedition and discontent were brewing, Political Jesuits were often at the bottom of the affair.
Unhappily for Numa, the citizens of Massachusetts are not so blinded by ignorance, nor so devoted to prejudice and superstition, as the common people in those arbitrary and despotick governments, where clerical imposition reigns paramount almost to everything else; where the freedom of speech is suppressed, and the liberty of the people, with regard to examining for themselves, totally restrained.
It is, however, the case that, even in this country, the weak and ignorant are often led too implicitly to put their faith wholly upon what their spiritual teachers think proper to inform them, and precipitately imbibe sentiments from them, which, if their teacher is a designing knave, may prove detrimental to society. The Jesuit will, however, find it very difficult, notwithstanding many circumstances may seem to favor his views, to carry the point of altering a free government to one more arbitrary, in such a country as this.
The cloak of religion too often answers to promote plans detrimental to the peace and happiness of mankind. The priests, who accompanied the Spaniards when they first invaded the kingdoms of Mexico and Peru, urged on those blood-hounds to perpetrate scenes of cruelty and horror (at the bare recital of which human nature shudders), with assurances that it would tend to promote the cause of the Christian religion, if they effected the conquest of those unhappy people, and that any conduct was justifiable to bring infidels to a sense of their duty.
The teacher of the benign and peaceable doctrine of the Saviour of mankind, often thinks he can, with greater security, on account of his profession, disseminate the seeds of sedition and discontent, without being suspected. This thought no doubt occurred to Numa before he exhibited his designing productions to the publick. Sheltered under the sacred wing of religion, how many an impious wretch stalks secure from publick justice,
“Whose mem’ries ought, and will perhaps yet live, In all the glare which infamy can give.”
Numa indicates that he means to prepare the minds of the people for the reception of that government which the Federal Convention shall think most proper for them to adopt. In the name of common sense, what can that scribbler mean by this assertion? Is a scandalous abuse of our rulers—the propagation of sentiments which are calculated to set the publick mind in a ferment—if they are so far attended to as to have any influence among the people—a fit preparation for such a measure? Surely, by no means, and every thinking mind will discover that the productions of Numa are either intended to effect secret purposes, or that they are merely effusions of the fanatick brain of that Quixote of the day.
Instead of vile insinuations and falsehoods being spread among the people, in regard to their rulers, in order to prepare their minds for the reception of that form of government which the Federal Convention may propose, sentiments the very reverse ought to be propagated. The people ought to be inspired with the highest confidence in those who preside over the affairs of the state. It ought to be implanted in their minds, that their rulers are men fit to conduct every plan which might be proposed, to promote the general welfare of the people; and this with truth may be asserted. But Numa has no more intention of preparing the minds of the people for the government which the Federal Convention may propose, than Queen Catharine has of abdicating the throne of Russia.
The people of Massachusetts ought to be cautioned, above everything, to be on their guard with respect to the conduct of Political Jesuits. They have generally been the curse of almost every country that has cherished; they have often been the promoters of revolution and bloodshed. A set of infernal fiends, let loose from the dreary mansions of Beelzebub, cannot be more detrimental to the place and happiness of society, than a band of Political Jesuits.
Citizens of Massachusetts! those men who now preside over you are, and ever have been, the patrons of freedom and independence! men whose exertions have been unceasing to promote and secure to you the blessings of a free government; whose grand stimulus to act is the advancement of your welfare and happiness!—men whose conduct is not stinted by the narrow concerns of self, and who, “when their country calls, can yield their treasure up, and know no wish beyond the publick good.” Such are the men who now wield the affairs of state, and whose deeds will, when those of that vile clan of calumniators who exist in this state are rotting in the tomb of oblivion, conspicuously adorn the brightest pages of the American revolution.
Numa(5) and his band, the calumniators of true worth, may bustle away for a while; but they will ere long be obliged to retire from the bright flashes of patriotism and merit; and, after finding their endeavours fruitless, to sully The Character of the Brightest Luminary that ever Adorned the Hemisphere of Massachusetts,(6) and many other illustrious patriots, who compose the present administration, they will retire to gnash their teeth in anguish and disappointment, in the caverns of obscurity—a punishment their conduct most justly merits.
CASSIUS.
Cassius, III.
It was the saying of an eminent legislator, that if we had angels to govern us, we should quarrel with them. The conduct of some among us has repeatedly evinced, beyond a doubt, that this would actually be the case; we have proof of this in a more particular manner in the opposition now made by some (but I sincerely hope the number is few) to the form of government agreed upon by the late federal Convention. I firmly believe, if a form of government was proposed to some of the inhabitants of the United States by the great Author of Nature himself, founded on the basis of eternal rectitude, and sanctioned in the courts above, that they would object to it.
It is a happy circumstance for the citizens of the United States that they are acquainted with the motives which actuate the present opposers to the plan of federal government; as they now, instead of listening with candour to the dictates of mad frenzy and wild ambition, will treat with the deserved contempt all their productions.
The opposers to the plan of federal government, are composed of such as are either deeply in debt and know not how to extricate themselves, should a strict administration of law and justice take place, or those who are determined not to be contented under any form of government, or of such as mean to “owe their greatness to their country’s ruin.”—Are such fit men to point out objections to a government, proposed by the first characters in the universe, after a long and candid discussion of the subject?—Are such fit characters to propose a government for ruling a free and enlightened people?—Can those who are known to be divested of honour, justice and integrity, expect to propagate sentiments that will outweigh those of men whose character as true republicans and wise statesmen, are known from pole to pole—men, whose wisdom and firmness have emancipated the United States from the yoke of bondage, and laid the foundation of an empire, which (if the people will still follow their precepts) will last till time shall be swallowed up in the “wasteless ages of eternity?”—Can scribblers whose fame is but of a day, think to influence the citizens of the United States so far as to cause them to respect a form of government calculated to diffuse the blessings of civil society far and wide?—If they can harbour ideas of such a nature, I pity their weakness and despise their villainy.
Some writers in Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts, have displayed their scribbling talents in opposition to the plan of federal government; but it is easy to perceive by their arguments, that they are men who are fearful of not being noticed in a federal government, or are some of the stamp before mentioned. Their arguments are without weight, and their assertions and insinuations as foreign to the real state of facts as anything possibly can be: they anticipate evils, which, in the nature of things, it is almost impossible should ever happen, and, for the most part, their reasoning (if it is not a degradation to reason to call such jargon by its name) is incoherent, nonsensical and absurd.
Some writers in Massachusetts have discovered such weakness, inconsistency and folly in their productions, that it discovers them to be entirely ignorant of the subject they pretend to discuss, and totally unacquainted with the plan of government proposed by the federal convention. Among this number, is a scribbler under the signature of Vox Populi;(7) whose signature, to have been consistent with his productions, should have been Vox Insania. This pompous and very learned scribbler, goes on to harangue the public about the danger, hazard, terror and destruction which will attend the adoption of the federal Constitution. He pleads, in a mournful strain, much about woful experience. From this circumstance, I am induced to suppose Vox Populi was an adherent of the celebrated Shays, in his unfortunate expedition the last winter, and wofully experienced the misfortune attendant on the insurgents, through the energy of government. However, the inhabitants of Massachusetts may be assured, that they will have Woful Experience with a witness, if they suffer themselves to be led away by such ignorant, knavish and designing numbheads as Vox Populi and his clan, so far as to reject the plan of federal government proposed by the Convention. Vox Populi complains that our source for taxes is exhausted, and says we must have a new system for taxation: but he must consider, that if the federal government is adopted, we shall not have occasion to employ the legislature so great a part of the year as we are now obliged to do; of consequence, government will be able to apply their money to better uses than paying anti-federalists, while they are spreading their poisonous vapours through the already too much infected atmosphere.
Mr. Vox Populi remarks, that some people are already taxed more than their estates are worth; in this instance I sincerely believe he speaks the truth. But what is the occasion of their being thus taxed?—It is because they make a show as though they have property, though in fact it belongs to another; they live sumptuously, and riot in the property of their unfortunate creditors. Perhaps Mr. Vox Populi is one of this class, and has wofully experienced a taxation more than his whole estate is worth: if he is, I would advise him, instead of employing his time in belching out his “de factos, plene proofs” and other chit-chat of the like kind, and disseminating his execrable “ideas,” to go about adjusting his affairs, as it will tend more to his honour, and perhaps be the means of saving him from the woful experience of confinement in a place much more fit for him than that in which he now is.
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