The Rhode Island Republican

ADDRESS.

OF THE
Republican General Committee of the City and County
of New-York,

TO
The Republican Young Men-The Columbian Society-
and The Republican Literary Debating Society-

ESTEEMED YOUNG FRIENDS,

OUR time of service, as a committee, being
on the point of expiring, we have thought
proper to embrace this opportunity in addressing
a few sentiments, to your consideration,
on topics which we deem of primary importance
to the prosperity of our republick.
The first duty which man is bound by the
strongest moral obligation, to discharge, must
be a reverence towards his GREAT CREATOR:
a subordinate, but very interesting duty, is a
sincere attachment to the land of his nativity.
Love of country. in all ages. and in every
part of the world where civilization has prevailed,
is noticed by historians as one of the
noblest virtues of human nature. Philosophers
and Poets, throughout the republick of
letters, bear honourable testimony in favour
of those worthy citizens whose patriotism
have signalized them from the general mass
of mankind.
AMERICA, the proud residence of freemen,
has presented to the world a constellation of
worthies,whose virtues and patriotism can
never be eclipsed by a comparison with the
venerable conscript fathers of Rome, or the
most illustrious citizens of ancient Greece.
From a multitude we shall only select a few :
--a WASHINGTON--Franklin--Rittenhouse--MERCER--MONTGOMERY--JEFFERSON--and a MADISON. What native graces,
inherent virtues, and exalted dignity
have they not displayed, to the view of the
world in favour of their country. ADMIRABLE
Men. What are the courtly trappings,
"feathered fopperies." and external splendour
of Emperours and Kings, when compared to
the noble and solid excellence of such eminent
CHARACTERS? They are as empty as
the bubble on the surface of the water, and
as light as vanity.
By an inscrutable providence our country
is elevated to distinction in the scale of nations.
Independent, sovereign, and free, the
United States present a spectacle to the view
of a wondering world truly grand and sublime.
Our territory immense. Rich in resources,
rapid in population, and equally enterprising
in agriculture, manufactures and
commerce, with any people, America will
ere long excel all the nations of the earth.
Our Federal constitution, constructed and
founded on the broad basis of the equal rights
of man, together with our strong attachment
to liberty, induces a belief that freedom, peace
and general happiness, will long continue to
be the portion of our beloved country.
The General Committee are highly gratified
in witnessing the animated exertions, and
increasing zeal, of the Republican Young
Men and other political societies established
in this great metropolis,in supporting the dignity
of their country, their rights and liberties
as intimately connected with the cause of
republicanism. Your elder friends in this
city, as well as those throughout the state,
view your laudable exertions in the cause of
freedom, with emotions of inexpressible pleasure.
Since our appointment we have not ceased
to support the dignity of the general administration,
as well as the government of this state,
on every occasion--and our humble efforts
have also been uniformly devoted to the support
of the fundamental principles of republicanism.
We have no acrimony to indulge
against any individual for an honest difference
of sentiment. As far as we are acquainted
with our own minds and shall be permitted to
judge of our motives,we presume our conduct
has been correct and uniform. We consider
every man,in society,entitled to respect and applause,
whose conduct is undeviating in his
politicks, and founded on virtue and the public
good. Mere personal attachments we
consider the bane of a republick. Ancient
history is replete with fatal examples of this
kind. Cataline, nor even Caesar, could not
have been able to carry on either of their designs
and schemes of ambition, but for a surrender
of principle, connected with a blindfold confidence
on the part of some of the Roman people.
We wish to impress your minds with the
propriety of cultivating an honourable confidence
in those men of talents and integrity,
who are chosen by the people to fill important
situations. Guard against extremes.
which, like Charybdis and Scylla, in their
turn, have proved fatal to unwary thousands :
suspicion on the one hand, is like poison in
the body politic, it paralizes its energies by
destroying rational confidence, while, on the
other, a blind attachment to men, is calculated
to subvert the great fabrick of our rights,
and eventually exterminate every vestige of
principle ; the only foundation on which our
republick will be enabled to encounter the
shocks of faction, and the hostile attack of
despotism.
A great deal depends on the rising generation.
The future destinies of our beloved
country, under Divine Providence, materially
depends on the political character which
may be assumed by the Youth of these United
States, in the course of a few years.
Your creed in politicks may be safely formed
from the inimitable Constitution of your
country, the noble examples of WASHINGTON,
the illustrious character and sound
political aphorisms of JEFFERSON, and from the
wisdom, firmness, and eminent policy of
Madison, all sons of excellence, whose
memories will survive the shock of ages
command the admiration of the world, the
live in the purest affections of their countrymen,
as long as the luminaries of heaven
shall continue, alternately, to diffuse the rays
of light on our Globe.
As your sincere friends and Senior Republican
brethren, we ardently wish you to enrich
your minds with a knowledge of every
useful science, as far as your time and circumstances
will permit. Remember that
RELIGION AND MORAL VIRTUE SHOULD BE the
foundation of all your actions. United with
these. in your pursuits in society, are the love
of country and Republican principles. These
taken together, will be your polar stars
Without such guides you will grope in the
dark, mistake your way, and finally contribute
to plunge yourselves and your country into
the awful gulph of despotism.
Since the first creation of man, there never
was found a generation whose situation
and prospects were so interesting as yours.
Generous youths ! ye promising sons of freedom,
the pride of your fathers, and the glory
of your country, how enviable your condition?
Fair Science blooming o'er your heads: knowledge
courting your attention : a country, fertile,
vast, and almost unbounded, presents it-
self to your view.-.Blest with a government
unparalleled in the history of mankind, for
its solid excellence, ceded to you by the high
chancery of Heaven, confirming your rights
and liberties, what can you wish for or desire
more ?--Contemplate your beloved country
your opening, pleasing prospects, and then
tell us, what are the sensations of your
bosoms ?
In the course of but a very few years your
country will rise in grandeur, unfolding in
the greatness of majesty, its stupendous
powers, moral and physical. Millions upon
millions, whose eyes have not saluted the
light of Heaven, will hail this land of freedom,
and recount with wonder and gratitude
the benefits derived from the perseverance
of those patriots who accomplished our revolution,
and the integrity of those distinguished
Americans who have devoted their talents
and their lives to establish a Republican form
of government in the bosom of their country.
Reason, as well as the dictates of prudence
will suggest to you the propriety of firmly adopting
and pursuing our good old rules :~
Supporting the decisions of majorities, when
fairly expressed and known by our Republican
friends. Discord and division are always
to be deprecated as our greatest misfortunes
United we bid defiance to all the arts and little
subterfuges of our disorganizing opponents
If principle shall be abandoned on any consideration
whatever, with a view to gratify
any individual, then farewell Republicanism
the labor of years will soon dwindle into
empty sound, and our republic the only one
on earth, become the easy prey of some unprincipled
demagogue.
The leaders of the federal party, who are
mostly guided by the false and destructive
maxims of Alexander Hamilton, have not
ceased, for years, to embarrass, as much as
possible, our general government, and the
progress of Republican principle. However
plausible in their professions,their actions are
emphatically hostile to the honour, independence,
union, peace and prosperity of their
country.
Government has a right to our cordial support,
because it is bound to pursue our general
interests. This course it has followed
with every characteristic of integrity, justice
and impartiality. Slender, indeed, are
the claims of those who unite with our unprincipled
opposers in their endeavors to
sink the fair fame of the Jeffersonian or Madisonian
administrations. Turn with indignation
from such persons, as from vipers, who
would poison your minds against the government,
and attempt to impress judgments
with disaffection to the union of the States.-
They are enemies in disguise ; perhaps British
emissaries. Dwell frequently on the patriotick
lessons of the sage of Mount Vernon
expressed in the following impressive
lines :--" The unity of government, which
constitutes you one people, is also now dear
to you.' It is justly so ; or it is a main pillar
in the edifice of your real independence : the
support of your tranquillity at home ; your
peace abroad : of your safety, of your prosperity,
of that liberty which you so highly
prize."- and again he most emphatically remarks :
" while then every part of your
country feels an immediate and particular interest
in union, all the parts combined cannot
fail to find in the united mass of means
and efforts, greater strength, greater resource
proportionably greater security from external
danger, a less frequent interruption of the
imitable value, they most derive from union
peace by foreign nations and what is of inestimable
value, they most derive from union
between themselves which so frequently afford
an exemption from those broils and wars
by the same government : which their own
neighbouring countries, not tied together
by the same government, have experienced
and which so frequently afford
an exemption from those broils and wars
ships alone would be sufficient to produce
but which opposite foreign alliances, attachments
and intrigues, would stimulate and
embitter." Such are the strong and full throated
sentiments of the immortal WASHINGTON.
the father and founder of our liberties. Invincible man!

An impartial world will decide who, or which of the two great parties in the United States, have most scrupulously maintained doctrines and followed the advice of Washington. As Republicans, we have uniformly advocated the union of the States, in opposition to the dismemberment of the States so pointedly threatened by the federalists, who still have the daring effrontery to call themselves his disciples. How indelibly on the characters of hypocrisy and shame, fixed on those pretended followers, of that great and good Man. Firm Republicans are, in principle and practise, the sincere admirers of Washington. Messrs. Jefferson and Madison have imitated his example in the great feature of his administration.

Our partial success in the election just terminated in this city may be attributed to several causes. The federalists seem to have abandoned all sense of reason, justice, and even prudence, they were determined to get the election at the hazard of enormous sums of money, and the small remains of honour attached to their cause. A rare example of wisdom and discretion has been presented to the view of the United States, in their zeal by obtaining votes from a set of men, to determine the fate of a great State, who, more than two thirds of them, can neither read or write; and the most of them are held in real slavery. This single circumstance is pregnant with serious alarm to the citizens of the whole state. This signal mark of temerity on the part of the federalists may, at some future period, afflict their hearts with all the horrors of a second Negro Plot, unless prevented by the timely interference of Republican virtue.

We conclude this address in behalf of ourselves and our constituents by wishing you the uninterrupted enjoyment of your rights and liberties, that you may be useful members of society, respected for your exemplary conduct, faithful to your excellent principles, and lasting ornaments to your country.

ABM. BLOODGOOD, Chairman.
J. HAMMOND, Secretary.

New-York, May 1, 1810.