IV. CONVENTION ELECTIONS

there not seven men, let us ask our insulted fellow citizens, are there
not seven men, who have firmness and honor enough to oppose tyr-
anny, and defend the rights of their country? Must we call in the assis-
tance of strangers and New-York merchants? If so, we had better at
once, renounce our existence as a county. Experience however, teaches
us a contrary lesson. We find the impost system to have been opposed
the last year by our members in Assembly,3 and the bow string fastened
around its neck by a magnanimous band in defiance of the machina-
tions of Congress, the struggles of genius, and the charming persua-
sions of eloquence.
We mean not, however, to insinuate any thing disrespectful to the
character of Mr. Smith.-It is not the individual singly, but the individ-
ual as a Citizen of New York, that we object to. It is said however (and
we apprehend the information may be relied on) that Mr. Smith has
grown cool on the question, and that he considers the adoption of the
new Constitution by Massachusetts, as decisive for the continent, and
that it would be as fruitless as it would be inexpedient for this State,
even if there should be a majority against it, to stand out against the
general sense and ardent feelings of America. If this be the case, we
should oppose such a Delegate even if he lived in this county. We have
such a deep & calm conviction of the despotic tendency of the new
scheme, that we think it the duty of every true patriot and intelligent
citizen, to oppose it to the greatest extremity-that we ought to set at
naught all consequences, or account them as but dust in the balance,
in comparison with our freedom, and that rather than submit ourselves
and our posterity to the galling yoke of tyranny-we had better at once
shake and subvert the very foundations of the Union. For surely the
means ought to be sacrificed to the end, and not the end to the means.
The means in the present case is the Union of the State [s], but the
great end is the freedom and happiness of the people.
We are by no means satisfied with some other parts of the nomina-
tion. We wish however, to express ourselves with a prudence and deli-
cacy which become men embarked in the same common cause, but
still we cannot but be of opinion, that in a case of such magnitude as
the present, our representatives ought to consist of the highest and
most distinguished officers in the county, provided they happen not to
live too close together, and provided they happen to be of the same
way of thinking with ourselves. If there be any departure from this rule,
it ought to be only in favour of those who have been heretofore in
public office, and proved themselves faithful stewards of their trust. We
are further of opinion, that representatives ought to be pretty generally
distributed in the county. This is a rule never departed from among a

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