Gazette Of The United States

NATIONAL MONITOR.
NUMBER III.

"Common consent, gives currency to many errors."

It has been observed, that a proper sense of the importance of government, diffused generally among the people, would prove a most powerful principle to perpetuate their freedom and happiness.

The more this idea is revolved in the mind, the stronger will be the impression of its truth; and the more extensive its application to the circumstances of human nature, the greater will be the conviction of its competency to produce the most salutary effects upon society.

It is a given principle, that the first step towards the acquisition of any object, is a feeling sense of its being necessary to our happiness: Government has been too long considered as the harbinger of human weakness, and depravity, rather than the result of the best and most exalted reasoning. Hence it is reflected upon, as "a necessary evil," when in fact, it is part of the divine economy in the plan of human nature.—"Order is Heaven's first law."—A deviation from this Economy, produces the great complaint of evils in the system of morals and of humanity. Government then is of divine origin—the divine government is absolute—is perfect; and for this reason—because it is founded in infinite wisdom, and all its operations are perfectly wise, just and good: And for this reason also, human governments never should be absolute; because the imperfections of our natures render it impossible, that a perfect government should ever be founded and administered by imperfect beings.

From this idea has mankind been inspired to devise a balance in Government, or mutual checks; by which in a gradual way, such a degree of perfection may be attained in legislation, and that security in society, for which government was originally intended by Heaven.

These observations may serve in some degree to impress the necessity and importance of government upon our minds—in our next, its competency to its design, will be attended to.

C.