PAPERS OF :l\lmAugAu BcoNAP.ARTE LA)UR 61 It is all owing to the demon spirit of party. what change will it not effect- what revolution in the character of man will it not operate? It arms friend against friend; kindred against kindred. The heart that is given up to its dominion becomes a Pandimonium of remorse- less passions; and an Angel of light, drunk with its madning spirit is converted into .a demon of darkness. 0 ! if there be in the sound of my voice one who feels that he hath given way too muc:h to its evil workings; or if there be one who feels that his too confiding heart hath been won by designing friends only to be dragged into error- who has yielded assent too readily to cloctrins without comprehending their danger, and who now finds himself in an attitude of hostility to his State which it was 11ever his deliberate intention to assume: I would entreat him in the most solemn manner, with an earnest desire for his own as well as the public weal, to come forward and step boldly on the side of truth; on tbe side of the Constitution; on the side of liberty- and by an open and independent stand for the rights of his State make amends for his former errors and counteract the injury which his example and influence have done to the cause of free gov- ernment. To the leaders of the Party, I have no argument to offer and no appeal to make. The perverted mind can never be reached, that holds truth in contempt and looks upon patriotism as a crime- But you whose consciences are not callous- who are not utterly aban- doned to selfishness- who still cherish some respect for virtue, and a lingering attachment to your country- to you I would appeal in the name of all that is sacred to the manly heart; by every feeling that prompts to noble conduct- by the blood which was once shed in de- fense of the very principles which you are now opposing; to assume once more your mental jndependence- break the disgraceful shackles that bind you to the purposes of selfish demagogues & throwing off the serpent coils which the wiley leaders of party would twine around the yirtuous & just, come from amongst a people whose highest patriotism 1s to fight against the Sovreignty and independence of their State; and who hold to the blackest treason to stand in defence of her violated rights. I have alluded to the blood of the Revolution. It would be well, my friends, if we were to recur oftener to those dark and desperate times that tested the patriotism and the souls of men. Whenever our principles & conduct shall tally with that of the actors in that glorious but sanguinary struggle, we may safely infer that we are not very far out of the path of duty. It is known to you all that the American Colonies, feeling themselves agrieved by the selfish legislation of the Mother-government, remonstrated against the oppression and insisted upon the repeal of the offensive acts. But these remonstrances, instead of affecting the object desired, were answered by the assertion of the ri~ht on the part of Government to legislate in-all cases wliatsoever, without suffering her laws to be supervised or annulled by the Col- lonies. A power so comprehensive and unlimited as this was too dan- gerous to liberty; too subversive of free govermeut to be acknowledged or acquiesed in by the American people. They began to hold public meetings for the purpose of discussing their relation to the ~!other goverment and consulting amongst themseh-es what was l>est to be done for the mentanunce of their rights and the preservation of free-
Powered by FlippingBook