■XZi,. mk :5;.;«^ .(■."^.'.v; 'V.'\< ww; i AN i TO THE ^^REEMEN OF RHODE ISLAND BY TT. PROVIDENCE : PRIKTED AT THE HERALD-OFFICE. 1S31. f?'^ ^^L M^ jiiDiDmmm^ TO THE FREEMBN OF RHODE-ISLAND, On the twentieth of April next, you will again select your rulers for the ensuing political year. Although I am no preacher, I shall take the liberty ^n this occasion to take a text, which you may find in Adam Smith's Theory of Moral Sentiments, (vol. 1. 3. 3.) in the words fol- lowing : : ^'Examine the Records of History, recollect what has happened within the circle of your own experience, con- sider with attention what has been the conduct of all the greatly unfortunate, either m public or private life, whom you have either read of^ heard of or remember, and you will find, that the misfortunes of by far the greatest part of them, have arisen from their not knowing when they were well off, when it was proper for them to sit still and be contented. The inscription upon the tombstone of the man who had en- deavoured to mend a tolerable constitution by taking physic, "I WAS WELL, I WISHED TO BE BETTER; HERE I AM :" may generally be applied with great justness to the distress of disappointed avarice and ambition." "^ Although I may not handle my text with much skill on this occasion, I would recommend it to your serious consideration, as it may answer a good purpose in politics and business, as well as in sickness and in health. You are now called upon by a party heretofore unknown in this State, the leaders and most active of whom are neither of the whole or half blood of our native citizens; and have no settlement among us either by purchase or inheritance; to turn out our present Governor, together with the Senate, and put in his place, a young gentlemen from Vermont. When a man, who has served the public as long and as well as Governor Fenner, and for a very small compensation, is to be opposed, the first questions that occur are — what has he done? and who are his accusers? It has been said that he and the members of the Senate have aided a few members of the House of Representatives, in establishing and continuing a system of internal taxes for nearly ten years past ; by which moans, the sum of one hundred and ninety seven thousand SEVENTY EIGHT DOLLARS AND SEVENTY CENTS, have bcCn COl- leaUd and paid into the treasury. This sum has been paid voluntarily, as no man is obliged to hold his Bank charter buy a ticket in a lottery, or take a license for any purpose, un^ less he pleases ; and it has kept the same sums for the same time from being paid by the Landholders of this State,exclusiv6- Jy and by compulsion. The question is noW fairly before you (o settle, whether you will aid this National Party (as they call themselves) in turning out the Governor, and pay two hundred thousand dol- lars by land tax exclusively for the next ten years, to support the Government,— or, whether, you will help the State Repub- lican party keep him in, and pay the taxes as they are now paid. This you will find the whole question at issue. If the Landhoiders should so far forget their own interest, and what is due to themselves and families, as to join the Nationals and turn out thd present Governor and Senate, they will find out when It is too late, what Pyrrhus, a celebrated General and King of Epirus said, after he had obtained a great victory over the Romans, (many being slain on both sides) *' that such another victory would totally ruin him." You are no doubt conversant with the Scriptures. If so you will find a passage that you may hereafter have cause to re- member, if you neglect to take care of yourselves at this time. It IS in these words : " There went out a decree in the days Claudius Ca3sar, that all the world should be taxed." Let the Nationals get into power in this State, and they will soon issue a decree, that all youu land sJio.ll he taxed, and all the internal taxes abolished. ^ When President Adams laid his land tax, the people in this State could hardly bear to hear his name mentioned. If yoa now want to change your rulers, introduce strangerSj increase your expenses and pay them all by a land tax, you will on the 20th day of April next, issue your decree accord- ingly. If you do not, hold on where you are, being wcHofr, and having the power in your own hands, you will have abun- dant cause to remember my text—" we were ivcll, we wished to be better ; here we arc.'''' Would any prudent shipowner having a ship returned from a long voyage with a valuable cargo, Captain and crew ail well, ship in good order, having no portage bills to pay, when he got her again ready for sea, with a valuable cargo, bound to the same port, employ a young green hand for Captain (and the crew no better) who would be as likely to put to sea in a storm, as with a fair wind, and perhaps not find the port ; un- til he had enquired of his old Captain and crew whether thev would take charge of hi3 ship again? and if thev would take tharge of it again, which ought he to etiiploy / Your hoiiQHi tinswer to this question ouglit to be youf guide al the eusuinor election. If he did not take his old Captain and cre\r, he Would have cause to remember ray text ; — ''Iliad a ship icith an experienced Captain and crew ; / tcanted a better ; here I am icithoiit ship or carboy Whenever prudence does not direct, of justice require you to attempt to change your rulers, or your situation in life, what- ever it may be ; those, \Vho do attempt it, play at the most un- equal game of hazard and stake every thing, against nothing; 'i'hose of you, who shall help change the administration in tliTs Sta^e (if you should succeed) will lose to the State, about 125,000, annually in internal taxes, and bring that sum on your land, which you must pay at all events. Government has its origin in the weakness of individuals, and has for its object, the protection of thb whole. Monctf must be had. The National party are strongest in the House of Representatives, and most of them have always been opposed to the whole system of internal taxes. Their opposi- tion now is only smothered, because they knoW if they should pass an act to abolish the internal taxes and put on a land tax, that such an act would not pass the Senate. Turn out your present Governor and Senate, and the National party would soon issue their decree, that all your land should be taxed. My advice to you is, when almost the whole civilized world is in a state of commotion, revolution and warfare, to be pa- tient; consent to be happy and remain contented a little long- er until those troubles subside, to pause and reflect upon what you are about to do before it is too late, as it is much easier to keep out of difficulty than to get out when you are in. And in public as in private affairs, you ought never to change a certainty for an uncertainty. In changing the administration of this State (while you have nothing to complain of) you have every thing to lose, and noth- ing to L^ain, but a new high sounding title. ^ In France we hear of nothing but a republican, citizen King. In absolute governments, titles are on the decline, when in this little State it seems they are on the rise ; as those, who coma among us from other Siatcs, who now offer to school us in the science of government,and to take the whole trouble of governing ourselves, off of our hands, are not satisfied with being called merely >S'^«^^: Republicans, but assume the sounds ing name of Nationals. I believe that with all our money the Nation can look cut for itself, and that we had better see to our own cofjcerns, I should advise my brother farmers to support the present Prox. o They own the soil, and ought to govern it. Yoar property is visible and tangible ; and in the days of adversity must bear all the burdens. If one of yoaown an estate worth 810,000 and owes $5,000, you would have to pay a tax for $10,000 and interest for the t>,000 ; while the man to whom you owe the 5,000 receives more money for interest, than you receive from the income of the whole estate, and the labour of an industrious family be- sides; when he can keep his money or security out of sight and not pay a cent of tax for it. I would advise those, who have an interest in Banks to be quiet and not quarrel with their own bread and butter. They have put the State to much trouble and very great expense in a very plain case. Still the Legislature are not disposed to meddle with them. If you consider the present Bank lax an evil (which 1 do not, J I beg of you not to increase it by this opposition, since you have not the power to remove it. If yoQ join thisojjposition wiihaviewofchangingthe administration, in- creasing the expenses and laying all the tax on the land, and fail in the attempt, as you surely will; you must not blame any one if you have to pay as much bank tax as they pay in Massachussetts; from whence you have derived your title and politics. If you give us their title we will give you their tax; and you will have no one to blame, as you will have brought it upon yourselves. Yerily I think you will have some cause to re- member my text. ^'JVe iccre jvell, we wished to he better; here we are."" 1 would also advise the manufacturers in this state to bo quiet, and not to be so blinded, that they cannot see their ow-n interest. You are doing very well ; we wish you may prosper ; provoke no inquiry into your affairs ; we will make no com- parison between your present prosperity and the depression of the Landholders. As long as you can make cotton goods and send them to Europe and India, and after paying freight, insu- rance, commission &:-c, can sell better cloth for less money than they can where they make it, you have nothing to ap- prehend from foreirrn competition. You have much more to apprehend from a Yankee competition. By inducing men to go into the business without capital, ndio, when pushed for money, will sell at any price and compel you to seU for the same or keep your goods to your ruin. Tho Tariff has been a hobby heretofore for political men on both sides ; but, it does not appear that it has benefitted the manufacturers or injured the purchasers. 1 have looked in vain for a reason, for the opposition made by these nationals the lai-t year and the present one. They say, they have a large majority in this state, and it is certaiu, that they hold nearly all the offices of any profit, both in the state and under the authority of the United States Most of the persons in these offices are opposed to us; but, we do not rely on office holders or office seekers, but on the justice of our cause, which is great and must and will prevail against all its enemies. This NATIONAL DIRECTORY In Providcnce Called a convention last Spring, which was attended by delegates from nearly ail parts of the State where Gov. Fenner, was nominated without a dissenting voice,upon the motion of Lemuel II. Arnold, who now is his opponent. After they had separated, this Utth directory rebelled, and put up Eider Messer ; and ail the nationals fol- lowed on, even, after they had pledged their honor (as ia usual on such occasions) to use all fair and honorable means to secure Gov. Fenner's election. The Elder was from Massachusetts, and although a very re- spectable gentlemen, was not then a freemen of this state and knew very little of its concerns; and having been left out of the Presidency of Brown University, because he had very lit- tle faculty of governing boys, could not be supposed very capa* ble of governing men. This year the directory advertised for another Convention to meet at East Greenwich, and set there with closed doors, protesting^ before the convention met, that they would not have Gov. Fenner for their candidate. The last year they overruled a unanimous decree of the con- vention, this year they called a convention merely for the pur- pose of ratifying a decree, which they had previously made in se- cret conclave, for the good of the sovereign people, whom they turaed out into the street,for fear the public should see &. know the hand that directed them : and all this at length resulted in the nomination of a young gentlemen from Vermont. But, it is said by some, that he came to this state young : I believe it was Dr. Johnson, who said that an Irishman caught when very young &. educated in England,made a tolerably good Englishmen. But any man, who is not more attached to the place of his nativity where he fir^t inhaled his breath and where his eyes first be- held the glorious light of Heaven, than to any one a- dopted by him from interest, or even from necessity, is not fit to hold any office. We have such an attachment to our birth place and home, that time,distance or change of place can but seldom eradicate it. It appears that the directory , who assume the name of na- tional republicans treat the people of this State in the same manner the crowned heads of Europe treated the French na- tion in their revolution ; saying to them that they should ncr- er live In peace, until the.y would have a King to rule oyer them. Thus the x\ationals tell us, that we have no native born citizen among us of education and talent, equal to the task of ruling us, and that we shall have no peace until w© will accept one of their nationals and a foreigner for a Gov- ernor. Some of the printers say we ought to change our Gov- ernor and Senate, because when any of them go to Washinfr- ton and tell a Jackson man that this is a Clay stale, they are reminded that our Governor and Senate are in favor of the present administration ; and that this is very mortifijing. Oh t fie, fie, tohat a pity ! as my grandmother used to say ; has It come to this, that we must change our administration i'n this State every time some printer goes to Washingion and is mor- tified at hearing the truth, or whenever they represent things for facts, that they know to be otherwise ? If so, miserably pitiful would be ou,r condition, and we should, be obliged to have a loeekly instead of an annual election, and turn^'everv man out of office who is not for Mr. Clay, of whose eleva'- tion to the Presidency, there is not the least probability as three fourths of the freemen of the United States, have already rendered a verdict against him, and nine tenths will, before the election. Besides H. Clay, is too well advised to become the Candidate of the national party. He understands him- self better than to risque the remnant of his fame in the hands of such a combination. The fate of De Witt Clinton, whose ambition led him to aspire to the Presidency, before his proper time, will be suffi- cient to deter H. Clay, from being the disappointed victim of the COALITION. I should think that after Mr. Clay had spent four or five years of the best of his life in standing in almost all the public places in his own state, haranguing the people, making speech- es in favour of himself and against the President,delivering lec- tures on war, pestilence and famine at his barbacues, being an orator of persuasive eloquence, a great gallant, a great promot- er of the American System and the cause of temperance, by eating roast pigs and increasing the consumption of whiskey, able and willing to play or fight to accommodate his constitu- ents ; if after all this and with all these accomplishments, he cannot get the vote of his own state where he is well known, it IS time for those who do not know him so well, to give him. up and take some Jack at a pinch. I Should as soon of think run- ning against Eclipse with Purdy on his back for all I was worth with a horse that could not get out first when he run alone, as of running Mr. Clay for the Presidency against the present incumbent under such circumstlfnces. 9 I have wandered from my text, but as it is the first and in all probability will be the last sermon I shall ever deliver, 1 must be excused. My intention was to confine myself to our state affairs and not to meddle with national politics. Suffi- cient for the day is the evil thereof. I had been inadvertently drawn off the subject by casting my eye on a newspaoer. But whenever tiie great political contest for the Presidency shall ar- rive, I shall be willing to meet the nationals in the field of reason, and if I cannot convince any reasonable man, who neither holds nor wishes for an office, it is more for his in- terest and the public good to support the present administra^ tion, than those opposed to it, I will vote with him against it. The object of the present administration is to pay the na- tional debt, which by strict economy they have reduced to about FORTY MILLIONS OF DOLLAKS. This will put that SUM INTO CIRCULATION IN THE COUNTRV ; LOWER THE RATE OF INTEREST OP MONEY, AND INCREASE THE VALUE of [and and produce ; and enable the government to reduce the duties on -all such articles as are not of the growth and manufacture of this country. The object and policy of the opposition are to keep on the national debt, and all the duties and taxes for the purpose of making roads and canals, with your money, in the western country ; to enable people, who either had their land given to them, or paid very little for it, to bring their produce here, at your expense and undersell you, who have given from ten to one hundred dollars per acre for your land. The experiments of internal improvements and what is falsely called the Amer- ican System, which were actually before Congress in 1830, were estimated at about 895,000,000. Had not a check been put upon these experiments, the national debt would have been augmented, and the very expenses of Government must have been defrayed by direct taxes. The administration is de- termined first to get out of debt, relieve the people from taxes, and, if a surplus of revenue remains after defraying the government expenses, to divide it among the States, that the Legislatures may appropriate it among their own citi- zens as their wisdom or necessity requires. This will be found to be the true American System, which you can all see and realize. Any man whose property is in farming land, who cannot choose between two such parties, is fit only to be a slave. Fellow-citizens of Rhode-Island, you are descended from the real puritans, the purest of the pure, from those who were compelled to flee to this region from a reign of terror and a second persecution, ?nd came hither " to demonstrate to 10 the World by lively experiment, that a most flourishing civil state may best stand and be maintained vrith a full liberty in religious concernments," without any compulsion or reg- ulation by law ; and their experiment has been hitherto suc- cessful. You have been in war, by sea and land, among the bravest of the brave ; in peace, industrious, intelligent and honest ; in commerce, enterprising ; in manufacturing, skillful and persevering ; and in every situation, good citizens»- Your ancestors have left you a goodly inheritance, and yoa hold your rights, privileges and estates, by an honorable ten<- ure. Your fethers gave them to their sons and they again to theirs ; and I hope you will transmit them safely down to your succeeding heirs, saying to them "this is a land your forefa^ tliers sought as a place of rational liberty and religious tolera- tion : as we have received it from them, so we leave it to you." A public station is a situation that gives a man power and' req^uires energy in him to do his duty to his country and his friends ; and if he does not, but sleeps upon his posl, he is as blamable as the man who goes over to the enemy in time of war. Judging what may be from what has been, you have every reason to believe that Gov. Fenner, who is a gentleman' of sound mind, of good common sense, and great experience, with a liberal education and in every respect well qualified, will fearlessly do his duty according to the best of his understand- ing and to the promotion of the best interests of the State. I would now seriously ask you what yoa have to expect from Mr. Arnold, if he should be chosen. If he should come ovei: to our side and pursue the same measures with us, keep on the internal and keep off the land taxes, his own party would call him as great n traitor to them as Gen. Arnold was to his coun- try, when he sold his^ brethren in arms for British gold. But he is an honorable man and cannot do it. I should have a very different opinion of him, if he could thus change side». You have then^ nothing to expert from his election, but an en- tire change in your revenue system, taxes and expenses. Else why all this party commotion 1 It cannot be for a mere title : the object is to effect an entire change in your system of gov- ernment. Whenever you choose men to office, you will be safest in choosing those whose interest is similar to yours ; and then, if they impose any burden upon you, they do upon themselves at the same time. All Gov. Fenner's estate is in land, and if he takes care of himself he must of you. What Mr. Arnold's property is in, I know not : I believe he has been a lawyer, a commission merchant, and a specula- tor in banks and turnpikes. The NATIONALS say that Gov. Fenner has been in office rr long enough, and ought to be turned out for that reason. They have been trying for several years and yet cannot find a native citizen among their whole party, (although they claim a very large majority and almost all the men of education, wealth, and talent on their side) but are obliged to go to Vermont and Massachusetts for candidates. The opposition say that Gov. Fenner ought to be turned out because lie is m favour of the present administration of the JNational Government. This comes with a very ill grace from those, who but a few years since held up, that if a man was opposed to any of th^ measures of Mr. Adams's administra- tion, It disqualified him from holding any office in town or State ; and who now are continually grumbling and tellinfr us lime? The country interest lessening and divided among themselves ; few men of talents to rindieate or defend them in (he House of Representaatives. The other party who calls themselves nationals and represent the monied interest, are increasing in numbers, wealth and talent, with a bank capital of nearly seven millions to operate in their favor, besides all their notes, bonds and mortgages. If this class of men in former times contended so long against what was so manifestly just, do you expect that now, if they gel into power, they will continue the internal taxes, which they say are not only unjust but unconstitutional, and to get rid of Avhich, they have already spent .$3,000, to try the case before the Supreme Court of the United States 7 This would be tod much to expect of any men. What would have been your sit- uation if they had succeeded in these five suits against the state ? You would have had to pay all the money back by land tax with all the interest and costs. What guarantee have you against these measures, if L. H* Arnold and his Senate are elected 7 He and some of them were members of the Assembly, in 1828--9, when the ques- tion was debated whether the 27th Section of the Act, relating to the collecting and assessing of taxes, should be repealed, and all property real and personal made liable to be assessed in taxes. What was his and their course on that occasion* They spoke and voted against the proposition. He the.i ad- vocated the doctrine that corporations might hold property to an almost indefinite amount, and ought not to be assessed in taxes. When a man sits down to mortgage his estate with all the formality of signing, sealing and delivering, it naturally caus- es some serious reflections. When you sign a prox in favor of the Nationals, you will find it the same in effect as a mortgage of your real estate for your part of the slate debt and state expenses ; as much so as though you had actually mortgaged it in a formal manner. Annexed you have ai list of the internal taxes, as they have been paid into the treasury, by which you will see, that of late, they have considerably increased. If the present Governor and Senate can be supported, this internal revenue will soon increase, so that the avails will support the State Government, pay your State debt, and support Free Schools. And remem- ber, that your only refuge against oppression, in the last resort, is in your Governor and Senate. We have had no land tax in this State since 3822; and since that time the internal rev- enue system, as it is called, has produced the following same, annually : 13 ¥eav ending May, iS'^U, ft 8,031) 77 c\&. is^n, »s,om r/ 182B, 16,482 7G 1824, 23,7a 1 37 1825, 18,010 38 1820, 8,534 24 1827, 14,403 37 1828, 28,239 47 1829, 28.651 56 1830, 30,959 98 Six months, ending Oct. 1830, 19,365 80 Slim total j 1197,018 70 If the revenue for the current half year equals that of llio last, you will perceive an increase of about $8000 over that of the last year. Thus, arc ail the expenses of government met and defrayed without direct taxation. Having now got through with my text, it only remains for me to make some icVf remarks by way of application, and then leaVe you in your oU il hands, as you have the power to protect or ruin yourselves. But for the editors of the Journal and American, thcro would have been no opposition to the Governor the last year or this. These men disagree about most things. But altljough they appear to differ by day-light, yet they can unite at mid- night in secret conclave, for your destruction. They have learnt (in the words of the Apostle) to "become all things to all men." One of them indeed seems to have more liberalily than the other, and is not for condemning a whole society, be- cause all its members are not perfect, nor for calling all men tiplers and drunkards merely because they have a license to retail liquor. The other, having been uncommonly moral, honest and temperate himself, has no charity for battJcrvpts^ frcanasons, or those who buy or sell strong drink. Notwith- standing their apparent division, they and their employers have agreed to join together to effect your downfall. The coutry is filled with their papers without expense to those, to whom they are sent. Who pays for them ? You can hardly see ar,ourt- tryman take off his hat but it is full of them. This is written by a landholder who, is in debt fof his land j and it is addressed to landholders whether they are masons or antimasons ; tariff or anti-tariff; Jack-on, Adams or Clay men ; administration or opposition men. These are all names of little consequence to you, compared with your homes and families. It is best to try one question at a timc^ The ques- tion now on trial is — whether you shall pay a heavy land tax, which will continue and increase as long as you live, — or not. And, if it goes against you this time, remember you can have Jio appeal or new trial. 14 JVll eonlpafisoris arc odious ; bat wheR we compare our lit- *iauon with that of other States, it is an enviable one. Our lijegislalure and Suprerne Court sit in every county in the ^tate. We have a probate court in each tovvn, where also we 4iavo all our deeds recorded : we have thns an opportunity to become acquainted with our Legislators and with our Courts, and of knowing all about the seltlemont of insolvent and intes- 'ato estates, the duty and powers of Executors and Adminis- trators; and thus have a belter opportunity of gaining infor- mation about our common business, than the peaple of most of the States. We have paid a great part of our state debt contracted in tlie revolution for the common defence. We have a Governor for ^400 as well qualified by nature and education as atiy Governor in the United States, let his ealary be what it may. We pay but ♦one eighth as much bank tax as they do in some of the Naiional States ; and besides our banks have exclusive privileges, in other States they have !;ot. We have got a good Court, who are well paid ; and our members of the General Assembly, and Jurors, who a few years since received nothing from the Treasury, are now paid by the day. We support free schools and have commenced a fund for Iheir support in future. The Legislature have relieved the youth and the poor from Ivvo-thirds of their burdens under the militia system, whioh served only to oppress the poor, and as a nursery to train our youth for the dram shop ; and to do all this they have laid no 4and tax, no poll-tax, nor any tax, but what is paid voluntarily ; smd at the end of every year they have a surplus in their trea- sury, while many states with all their taxes are running in debt. i would now ask you if you wish to change your present tu- *lcrs with their system of economy, supported by internal taxes, for this great National System of office and honor, with high salaries, supported entirely by land taxes. I know the feel- ings and sentiments of Lemuel H. Arnold towards the good old fashioned usages of this State. The subjects on which he has always been very solicitous are our judicial system, espe- cially our courts of Common Pleas — which are to be abolished and a Circuit Judge, with a competent salary to take their places ; the impropriety of vesting town-councils with probate authority; the improper mode of registering deeds in Town Clerk's otfices of each town, the impropriety of retaining the old Charter as the form of our Government, which he has al- ways wanted to obliterate, and supply its place by a Constitution, defining the powers of the people, giving the J5 ?eto power to the Governor, and the power of pardon in crim- inal cases, a competent and respectable salary, relieving hinr from setting in the Senate and presiding in Grand Committee, surrounded by a chamber of Counsellors with salaries auitablo to their rank, in imitation of other States, and finally fixing the seat of Government at Providence. These are some of the reforms, which are most predominant in his ambition^ and which it is secretly understood the Nationals have pledcred themselves to accomplish as a condition of his becoming Chief Magistrate. If you want a Constitution, such a one as Benjamin IJazard, and Lemuel H. Arnold shall' dictate to you : If you want to. have the tov^n of Providence the seat of government ; the Gov- erner, and Senate chosen for three years, instead of one ; the Attorney General, Treasurer and Secretary to reside in Provi- dence ; your courts of common pleas abolislied or reduced ; your deeds recorded in the County clerk's office as they arc in some of the iVa^ionaZ States ; — if, you wish to Viave a Judge of Probate in each county instead of each town, to whom you must go to have a will proved and to have your administration business ^done ; if you wish to be obliged to go to the great eity of Providence to do all your business, as the subjects of the King of England go up to his royal city of London to hav2 theirs done : — if you wish to be governed by lainjcrs and prin- terSj to do away the internal and lay land taxes ; to do away the whole system of economical legislation; to have your taxes boundless in amount and endless in duratiori ; to increase your happiness by increasing your debts, burdens and taxes ; and finally to forge your own chains and rivet them on, and lay a foundation to enslave your children, — Now is your time ; and my word for it, you will have cause to remember my text until your epitaph shall be written on your tombston* ; '* i was well off; I toished to be better ; Here I am.'^ There are times that call forth the activity and unanimity of honest men, and if I am not greatly mistaken, this is one of them. When the farmers see all the large towns and villages, the manufactures and nearly all the printers and lawyers, bank- ers, brokers and usurers, and all those who live without labour by buying and selling, writing and talking, arrayed and united against them, they must see the necessity of an honest association to protect themselves from oppression and destruc- tion ; and he that will not do it for the purpose of defence is a traitor to his family. If this was an intricate or doubtful question to decide, a wise man might be perplexed, and a bold man stago-ered ; but it is neither intricate, nor doubtful ; we all see what^we have to contend for, and whom we have to con- tend with. We have a great battle to fight for our liberty, 16 property and the right of self government : we have powerful enemies In the field who will spare neither money nor pains. But our cause is a glorious one, and lee must unite, Jigi,t and ionqner, or consent to be slaves. A LANDHOLDER