If in her general system, just to all, We nature an impartial parent call, Why did she not on man's whole race bestow, Those fine sensations angels only know; Who, sway'd by reason, with superior mind In nature's state all nature's blessings find, Which shed through all, does all their race pervade, In streams not niggard by a despot made? Leave this a secret in great nature's breast, Confess that all her works tend to the best, Or own that man's neglected culture here Breeds all the mischiefs that we feel or fear. In all, except the skill to rule her race, Man, wise and skilful, gives each part its place: Each nice machine he plans, to reason true, Adapting all things to the end in view, But taught in this, the art himself to rule His sense is folly, and himself a fool. Where social strength resides, there rests, 'tis plain, The power, mankind to govern and restrain: This strength is not but in the social plan Controling all, the common good of man, That power concentred by the general voice, In honest men, an honest people's choice, With frequent change, to keep the patriot pure, And from vain views of power the heart secure: Here lies the secret, hid from Rome or Greece, That holds a state in awe, yet holds in peace. See through the world, in ages now retired, Man foe to man, as policy required: At some proud tyrant's nod what millions rose, To extend their sway, and make a world their foes. View Asia ravaged, Europe drench'd with blood, In feuds whose cause no nation understood. The cause we fear, of so much misery sown, Known at the helm of state, and there alone. Left to himself, wherever man is found, In peace he aims to walk life's little round; In peace to sail, in peace to till the soil, Nor force false grandeur from a brother's toil. All but the base, designing, scheming, few, Who seize on nations with a robber's view, With crowns and sceptres awe his dazzled eye, And priests that hold the artillery of the sky; These, these, with armies, navies, potent grown, Impoverish man and bid the nations groan. These with pretended balances of states Keep worlds at variance, breed eternal hates, Make man the poor base slave of low design, Degrade his nature to its last decline, Shed hell's worse blots on his exalted race, And make them poor and mean, to make them base. Shall views like these assail our happy land, Where embryo monarchs thirst for wide command, Shall a whole nation's strength and fair renown Be sacrificed, to prop a tottering throne, That, ages past, the world's great curse has stood, Has throve on plunder, and been fed on blood.-- Americans! will you control such views? Speak--for you must--you have no hour to lose. [161] From the 1815 edition. COMMERCE[162]