To give freedom is ftill more eafy. It is not necessary to guide; it only requires to let go the rein. But to form a free government; that is, to temper together thefe oppofite elements of liberty and restraint in one confiftent work, requires much thought, deep reflection, a fagacious, powerful, and combining mind. This I do not find in those who take the lead in the National Affembly. Perhaps they are not fo miferably deficient as they appear. I rather believe it. It would put them below the common level of human understanding. But when the leaders choose to make themselves bidders at an auction of popularity, their talents, in the conftruction of the ftate, will be of no fervice. They will become flatterers instead of legiflators; the inftruments, not the guides of the people. If any of them fhould happen to propofe a scheme of liberty, foberly limited, and defined with proper qualifica tions, he will be immediately outbid by his com petitors, who will produce fomething more fplendidly popular. Sufpicions will be raised of his fidelity to his caufe. Moderation will be ftigmatized as the virtue of cowards; and compromise as the prudence of traitors; until, in hopes of preferving the credit which may enable him to temper and moderate on fome occafions, the popular leader is obliged to become active in propagating doctrines, and establishing powers, that will afterwards defeat any fober purpose at which he ultimately might have aimed,

But am I fo unreasonable as to fee nothing at all that deferves commendation in the indefatigable labours of this affembly? I do not deny that among an infinite number of acts of violence and

folly,

folly, fome good may have been done. They who deftroy every thing certainly will remove fome grievance. They who make every thing new, have a chance that they may establish fomething beneficial. To give them credit for what they have done in virtue of the authority they have ufurped, or which can excuse them in the crimes by which that authority has been acquired, it must appear, that the fame things could not have been accomplished without producing fuch a revolution. Moft affuredly they might; because almost every one of the regulations made by them, which is not very equivocal, was either in the ceffion of the king, voluntarily made at the meeting of the ftates, or in the concurrent inftructions to the orders. Some ufages have been abolished on juft grounds; but they were fuch that if they had ftood as they were to all eternity, they would little detract from the happinefs and profperity of any ftate. The improvements of the National Affembly are fuperficial, their errors fundamental.

Whatever they are, I with my countrymen rather to recommend to our neighbours the example of the British conftitution, then to take models from them for the improvement of our own. In the former they have got an invaluable treafure. They' are not, I think, without fome causes of apprehenfion and complaint; but these they do not owe to their conftitution, but to their own conduct. I think our happy fituation owing to our conftitution; but owing to the whole of it, and not to any part fingly, owing in a great measure to what we have left standing in our feveral reviews and reformations, as well as to what we have altered or fuperadded. Our people

people will find employment enough. for a truly patriotic, free, and independent fpirit, in guarding what they poffefs, from violation. I would not exclude, alteration neither; but even when I changed, it should be to preserve. I should be led to my remedy by a great grievance. In what I did, I fhould follow the example of our ancestors. I would make the reparation as nearly as poffible in the ftyle of the building. A politic caution, a guarded circumfpection, a moral rather than a complexional timidity were among the ruling principles of our forefathers in their moft decided conduct. Not being illuminated with the light of which the gentlemen of France tell us they have got fo abundant a fhare, they acted under a ftrong impreffion of the ignorance and fallibility of mankind. He that had made them thus fallible, rewarded them for having in their conduct attended to their nature. Let us imitate their caution, if we wish to deferve their fortune, or to retain their bequests. Let us add, if we please, but let us preferve what they have left; and, ftanding on the firm ground of the British conftitution, let us be fatisfied to admire rather than attempt to follow in their defperate flights the aeronauts of France..

I have told you candidly my fentiments. I think they are not likely to alter yours. I do not know that they ought. You are young; you cannot guide, but muft follow the fortune of your country. But hereafter they may be of fome use to you, in fome future form which your commonwealth may take. In the prefent it can hardly remain; but before its final fettlement it may be obliged to pass, as one of our poets fays, "through

grear

great varieties of untried being," and in all its tranfmigrations to be purified by fire and blood.

I have little to recommend my opinions, but long obfervation and much impartiality. They come from one who has been no tool of power, no flatterer of greatnefs; and who in his last acts does not wish to belye the tenour of his life. They come from one, almoft the whole of whofe public exertion has been a ftruggle for the liberty of others; from one in whofe breaft no anger durable or vehement has ever been kindled, but by what he confidered as tyranny; and who fnatches from his fhare in the endeavours which are used by good men to difcredit opulent oppreffion, the hours he has employed on your affairs; and who in fo doing perfuades himself he has not departed from his ufual office: they come from one who defires honours, diftinctions, and emoluments, but little, and who expects them not at all; who has no contempt for fame, and no fear of obloquy; who fhuns contention, though he will hazard an opinion: from one who wishes to preferve consistency; but who would preferve confiftency by varying his means to fecure the unity of his end; and, when the equipoife of the veffel in which he fails, may be endangered by overloading it upon one fide, is defirous of carrying the fmall weight of his reafons to that which may preferve its equipoife.

FINI S.