IV. CONVENTION ELECTIONS

the advantages of your enviable situation. At this moment you are the
devoted creatures of the G******r;2 made so by his inimitable manage-
ment in selecting such among you, as are calculated to mould you to
his purposes. I beseech you, my friends, look at your humiliating situ-
ation. Will you allow yourselves to continue the dupes of Sycophants,
who would trifle with your best interests, for the honor of smoaking a
pipe of tobacco with a great man? Will you make no exertion to effect
the establishment of a Government, which, by the blessing of God,
promises to give permanency to peace; encouragement to industry; and
security to property; by laws, not made for the few, but for all? Such a
Government is now within our reach, as is fully adequate to these glo-
rious purposes, and it is well worth contending for.
Rouse then from that unconcerned torpor, which appears to have
seized you; shake off without hesitation, that baneful influence which
has laid such fast hold of the County; say, that you will think for your-
selves; that you are resolved to knock off the shackles of those ambitious
men, who owe their own power to their talents of deceiving the people.
Methinks I see many of you rise with honest indignation, and with
fervor exclaim, What, is this our abject condition! Are we unwittingly
made slavish instruments, for the iron hands of power to make mischief
with! It is high time to look round us. But what shall we; what can we
do? Now this is coming to the point, and I will tell you in a few words,
what I honestly believe, will extricate you from all your difficulties.
A Convention will be chosen in April to decide whether the new plan
of Government submitted to the people of America shall be adopted
or rejected by this State. This is a business of infinite moment to the
Union, to this State, and to yourselves in a proportionate degree. Al-
ready six States have given it solemn ratification, and it is worthy of your
reflection, that we are surrounded on all sides by enterprizing people,
who view the conservation of the Union as the only means of happiness
to America;3 should we defeat their patriotic design by selfishly and
unreasonably rejecting the proffered Constitution, I shudder at the
probable (I might have said) the certain consequences which will en-
sue. Look about then without loss of time for two honest, thinking,
independent freeholders, to represent you in Convention; be governed
as much as may be in your choice, by the policy on this subject, which
predominates in the city of New-York; be persuaded that your interest is
inseparably connected with that of the city, and be assured at the same
time, that a general energetic Government is best calculated for both,
and that they are enemies to your prosperity, whether they know it or
not, who maintain the contrary.-Your present Representatives in As-
sembly have abused their trust; by their late vote in the Legislature,
they attempted to deprive you even of the power of deliberating without

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