|VOL. L)
T HE
V
(NUMB.
E N. E R A E A D t E R T I S E’R.
S p A ^ Y, - ,D*:gembei^-i8, 1788.
For C E N T I N E L.
[Contifiued from our /j/?.]
Xo the Members whp compofed the
Majority in the late Convention.
Gentkmeny
H aving found you upon exam
ination, to fall infinitely Ihort of
the lead grounds, or colour ot reafon
vpon which you can be jufiified for
your coiiCucl as it is couched under
the fccond point, which you know was
the condition upon which you were to
try on the fccondary pofition, and fee
w hether or not it might fit, and wear
it, if you faw fit, until you grew, or
ihrunk from its dimenfions; w'hich ypu
remember is the fourth point, which
is :—
When the aflent of the mind cannot
be commanded by the intern?! evi
dence of primaiy Troths orfirtlprinci-
p’es, it muff proceed from a defeat in
the organs perception, or from the
predominancy of lome ftrong intereil
or paffion.
There are certain points of depreffi-
on, as well as exaltation (or oppofice
extremes) betwixt which human affairs
andpalfions are in a perpetual and con
trary progrefs. This will not only
hold good with refpc6t to individuals,
and Imaller focicties, but will apply
to Stales and Empires, and even the
'vorld of mankind in one collective
view. And not a contemptible example
of its verification f though upon a fmall
fcale) lies in cafe now before us.
Thofe perfons who were moft remark
able for their oppofition to the caufe \
of freedom during the war, arc now
equally remarkable for their oppofition j
to the Federal Conflitution: where the i
obfervation will not hold, itTs, clearly i
refol/able upon the latter; or disjunc
tive part of the pofition. Again, the
extreme and groundlefsjealoufies, and
which can fo eafily be blown into a
pitch of violence, among the weak and
uninformed part of mankind, together
with the felfifh and interefted views
of individuals, and Ignorance the mo
ther, and Piide herfirfi born, and bro
ther of all the reft of this hopeful pro
geny, will enable me, 1 hope, to
come up to my engagement under the
third point*
As ignorance entbraces objefts^of
the firft magnTtudeV .and as felfilh and
contra6Ied view's arc endangered by^a .
due application of an efficient and juft
fy ftem of laws ; np wonder then the
Federal Conftitution has furnifhtd.
matter for luch ctnipent difplays in
both thefe points of view. Of The
above ftrange inconfiilcncy, which we
find atone time quietly acquielcing
to unlimited tranfailantic coercion—at
another, not delegate a truft of ac
knowledged utility^ to their own citj-
zens. Citizens to anfwcr .pUrpofes of
acknowledged utility,,we find imme
diate advantage taken by a dlafs in .
whofe compofitions, ignorance, intcr-
eft and pride altcfnatelY and occafion-
ally prevailed. Atidin proportion, as
the concei ved opep^ions of the Fede-,
ral Government vypuld militate againft
’ their particular, views of iptereft, was
‘ihe degree of bppafilion generally af-
certained ; oppofition thus flowing
from fuch fourccs, what might not be
produced ? No wonder the united
councils of Amepta fhould be treats
ed as tlie ofl>pring of tyranny and am-,
bition ; and its authors, as well as the
feveral majorities in ten States, vir
tually be declared to be deftitute.of
any reputable fhare of underftanding.
From the vociferating and remote po-,
litician, w ho from ftrengih of lungs,
and corporeal adivity, moved in an
orb of perhaps fome miles diamiter,
down to the numerous Satellites,,
whole fplendaur was circumferibed by
the walls of a Dram.-fhop, has the
united wifdom of America 'been
trampled upon, and deemed unfit for
the reception of luch a catalogue of..
worthies. Men are fond of being im
portant, and according to the mumber
of defers difcovefablc in the confti-
tution^ were their feveral degrees of
importance eftimated. 1/ the ctnfti-
tution had been adopted, North-Caro-
lina would *^havc appeared no wiler
than the other ftates-7-would have been
(the m^ajofity I mean) no greater than
thofe gentlemen who compofed the
trifling.minority.; but now the majori
ty rifes fuperior to all the ftates—yta
to the very univerfe itfelf. Again, as
the operation of the Federal laws
would be anticipated to the difadvan-
tage of.particul^tf view^^.and local in^
- I
terefts, would a proportionable de
gree ©f oppofition be created, and thefe
two deferiptions mutually acl upon
each other ; the objeef of the one being
important—the other of importance
alio, but coupled with an intereft.
From thefe fources w ould neceffarily
flow, unanimity and difpatch in your
conventional bufinefs, and the pro
priety of inveftigation be conlequent-
jy dilcarded. , Idont fay, Gentlemen,
that each- of you come ablolutely un
der this defeription, but 1 alfcrt that
ill ere can no other rational folution be
given both of the condud: and iflue of
, ycur convention.floth your condud
during the . co;aWntion, and final re-
jedion, cannot be the refult of fuperi-
of know ledge, and experience, becanfe
( ha^e already made it fufficiently ob
vious, that you are not pofldfed of the
univcrla]Jy..rcknowIedirtd criterion, or
Miaiceuui of thefe divine acq uirements,,
but rather of their reverie, cuiifcquent-
ly the. folution mu it come exadly
home to your cafe, *and exhibit your,
condud as diieded by interefted view's,.,
and ultimately merging in ignorance,
the great refervoir ^of the fcotfges of
human nature-7which concliufj^^hat
I had to fay on the fourth particular.
Gentlemen, you fie where you are pla
ced, you may make any further appli
cations which you fee neceflary, J anv
fprry it has turned out no better wdth
you, rather forry yon had not endea
voured to deferve a better place.
be continued^
t
To be L E T,
(And entered immediately)
That Commodious
, 0 U S E,
i!LLjl.lfj belonging to the Subferiber
fituate in Market* ftreet.
L. A. Dorfey.
To the PUBLIC.
T H E fuhfcriber propofri cp ning a Schooi in thit
town, for the purpofe of tcacl.ing Writings
Arithmetic. En Ufj Grammar^ and Geografhf -.—AHot
'txW-i Lathi mA Greek Languaget. Thofe geiitJeniCn who"
wifh to hqve their ( hildren inltruilcd as above, may* depen4
ttiat tbeRreaceft care fliall be tak^ to give fatisfaaion.
FAjHti-Jniitf NiV. 15, J7II,
ilfaac SeJJionv.
35—39