Gazette Of The United States

NATIONAL MONITOR.

NUMBER II.

"No incidental events can make a nation little, while the principles remain, that made it great."

AS America is just setting out in her political course as a nation, it is of infinite importance to her future welfare, that her first principles should be drawn from the best sources—that they should bear the impressions of truth and right reason—These are superior guides to all the experience of ancient times—the force of precedent and power of example. The revolution of America is not the effect of causes that have operated to produce those mighty changes, which have marked the fluctuating periods of other nations. Ambition, fraud, and violence—faction, ignorance, and accident, have at different intervals, boasted the power to overturn one kingdom, and erect and establish another; but the dismemberment of this Western Empire from the crown of Britain, was the result of sentiment—a laborious investigation of the principles of Liberty, and the Rights of Humanity: Information and wisdom marked the road—Justice and fortitude supported our footsteps—and the favour of Heaven to our spirit, enterprise, and bravery, carried us triumphantly through.—Crowned with Peace, Liberty, and Independence, fairy land, and utopian prospects, cheated our deluded imaginations, 'till we almost began to doubt the eligibility of our present situation, compared to our former one.—Happily for us and our posterity, ere the Demon of Anarchy had worked up the political follies of the day to a phrenzy, we were arrested in our career to ruin.—And now, what are our prospects? All that wisdom, virtue, and patriotism, can fancy or desire. Diversified in principles, manners, views, and habits—Say, do we at this day feel the force of any of those maxims as a nation, which can make a people great? I think we do. It must be acknowledged, that a sense of the importance of Government, to preserve life, liberty and property, appears to pervade the mind of the people through the Union. This is a proper foundation, upon which may be reared the pillars of National Justice, National Happiness, and National Security: This principle has produced wonderful effects already—and it is the broad basis on which to erect national habits, manners and sentiments. A proper idea of the necessity and importance of a firm, efficient Government, is perhaps the strongest barrier to licentiousness, faction, and loss of freedom, that Deity itself can create: This is that principle for America, which will render her durably great and glorious.