The Writings of Samuel Adams - Volume 4Adams, Samuel
History
The Writings of Samuel Adams - Volume 4
Adams, Samuel
United States -- Politics and government -- 1775-1783; United States -- Politics and government -- 1783-1809
Agriculture and Commerce mutually depend upon each other. As foreign
markets are supplied from our fields, it is an object of importance,
that the transportation of heavy articles, and means of communication
from one part of the State to another, may be rendered as easy and
cheap as the nature of the country will admit. By the spirit of
enterprize, which so remarkably animates the citizens, countenanced by
the Legislature, much has been done and is still doing in various parts
of the Commonwealth.
The improvement of Arts and Manufactures is of interesting moment. The
encouragement of such manufactures in particular, as will diminish the
consumption of Foreign Articles and exhibit a real balance in our
favor, is the common concern of the whole Union--Such encouragement as
will spread the spirit of Industry individually through the body of the
people, will tend to increase their happy feelings of Independence, and
give them an exalted idea of the truly noble character of Free
Citizens. Industry naturally leads to sobriety of sentiment, rectitude
of manners, a due observance of wise and constitutional laws, and of
course to public and private virtue.
Fellow Citizens,
IT is wisdom often to recur to first principles. The people of this
Commonwealth, as well as those of the United States, have voluntarily
formed such constitutions of government, as they have judged well
adapted to secure their own political safety.--These Constitutions are
founded upon the same principles; and they avow the great and
fundamental political truth that all power is derived from the people.
As these and all new forms of Government which recognize principles,
never reduced to practice until the period of our illustrious
Revolution must be in their nature experiments, the provision of a
peaceable and constitutional remedy for such defects as experience may
point out, is with great propriety established in our State and
National Governments.--The citizens of this Commonwealth, have lately
discovered their acquiescence under their Constitution as it now
stands. But it still remains recorded in our declaration of rights,
that the people alone have an incontestible, unalienable and
indefeasible right to institute government; & to reform, alter, or
totally change the same when their protection, safety, prosperity and
happiness require it. And the Federal Constitution, according to the
mode prescribed therein has already undergone such amendments in
several parts of it, as from experience has been judged necessary.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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