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Show [52] corcerning the unity of empire, and the iden- [ 53 l tity or difiinclion of legiflative powers, and praétical purpol'e, it is what the people think inflaming our pallions with the heat and pride of controverly, it was our duty, in all fobernets, to conform our Government to the cha- rafier and crrcurnfi'antes of the {everal people who compole this mighty and firangely diverlified mals. lnever was wild enough to conceive, that one method would ferve for the whole; I could never conceive that the na- tives of Hz'mz'o/Zan and thofe of Virginia could be ordered in the fame manner; or that the Carr/my Court and the grand Jury of Salem could be regulated on a fimilar plan. I was perfuaded, that Government was a praé‘tical thing, made for the happinefs of mankind, and not to furnilh out a fpeétacle of uniformity, to gratify the fchemes of vifionary politicians. Our bulinefs was to rule, not to wrangie; and it would have been a poor compenlation that we had triumphed in a difpute, whillt we loll an empire. If there be one faé'c in the world perfeélly clear, it is this ; " That the difpolition of the " people of America is wholly averfe to any " other than a free Government ;" and this known charaéter of the people is indication enough to any honeft fiatefman, how he ought to adapt whatever power he finds in his hands to their cafe. If any aik me what a free Government is? I anfwer, that, for any 5 practical 10 ; ‘and that they, and not I, are the natural, lawful, and competent judges of this matter. It they praflically allow me a greater degree of authority over them than is coriliflent with any correct ideas of perfeé't freedom, I ouaht to thank them for {0 great a trufl, and nototo endeavour to prove from thence, that they have reafoned amifs, and that having gone f0 far, by analogy, they mull hereafter have no enjoyment but by my pleafure. If we had feen this done by any others, we mufl: have concluded them far gone in madnefs. It is melancholy as well as ridiculous, to obferve the kind of reafoning with which the publick has been amufed, in orde r to di- vert our minds from the common {cure of our American policy. There are people, who have fplit and anatomifed the doétrine of free Government, as if it were an abllraét que fiion concerning metaphylical liberty and necefiity ; and not a matter of moral prudence and narural feeling. They have difputed, Whethe r liberty be a pofitive or a negative idea; whe ther it does not confifi in being governed - by laws; without conlidering what are the law s or who are the makers ; they have queflion ed whether man has any rights by nature; and whether all the property he enjoys, be not the alms of his government, and his life itfelf their favour and indulgence. E 2 ' Others corrupting |