But There Are Some Persons

Among The Natural Rights Of The Colonists Are These: First A Right To Life, Secondly To Liberty, And Thirdly To Property; Together With The Right To Defend Them In The Best Manner They Can.

If Men Of Wisdom And Knowledge, Of Moderation And Temperance, Of Patience, Fortitude And Perseverance, Of Sobriety And True Republican Simplicity Of Manners, Of Zeal For The Honour Of The Supreme Being And The Welfare Of The Commonwealth; If Men Possessed Of These Other Excellent Qualities Are Chosen To Fill The Seats Of Government, We May Expect That Our Affairs Will Rest On A Solid And Permanent Foundation.

Is It Not High Time For The People Of This Country Explicitly To Declare, Whether They Will Be Freemen Or Slaves? It Is An Important Question Which Ought To Be Decided. It Concerns Us More Than Any Thing In This Life. The Salvation Of Our Souls Is Interested In The Event: For Wherever Tyranny Is Establish'd, Immorality Of Every Kind Comes In Like A Torrent. It Is In The Interest Of Tyrants To Reduce The People To Ignorance And Vice.

The Utopian Schemes Of Leveling And A Community Of Goods, Are As Visionary And Impractical As Those Which Vest All Property In The Crown. These Ideas Are Arbitrary, Despotic, And, In Our Government Unconstitutional.

'revelation Assures Us That 'righteousness Exalteth A Nation.' Communities Are Dealt With In This World By The Wise And Just Ruler Of The Universe. He Rewards Or Punishes Them According To Their General Character. The Diminution Of Public Virtue Is Usually Attended With That Of Public Happiness, And The Public Liberty Will Not Long Survive The Total Extinction Of Morals.