But anxieties for him are not yet
quieted. He is a great and good minister, and an accident to him might
endanger the peace of Europe.
The tumults in America I expected would have produced in Europe an
unfavorable opinion of our political state. But it has not. On the
contrary, the small effect of these tumults seems to have given more
confidence in the firmness of our governments. The interposition of the
people themselves on the side of government, has had a great effect
on the opinion here. I am persuaded myself, that the good sense of the
people will always be found to be the best army. They may be led astray
for a moment, but will soon correct themselves. The people are the only
censors of their governors; and even their errors will tend to keep
these to the true principles of their institution. To punish these
errors too severely, would be to suppress the only safeguard of the
public liberty. The way to prevent these irregular interpositions of the
people, is to give them full information of their affairs through the
channel of the public papers, and to contrive that those papers should
penetrate the whole mass of the people.
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