Hey friends, it's Rhi!
Before I get started I just want to give a
huge thanks to Shrillard on Instagram for drawing me this really nice thing!
I wasn't feeling well at the time and
whenever I go back and look at it, it still makes me feel just as fuzzy as it did the first day I saw it.
They have really cool art,
you can go click the link in the description to see more of their stuff.
I'm sure they'd enjoy it.
If you want your art featured, just message me on any of these places listed on the screen.
But, make sure before you enter, it's safe for work
and it has one of my characters in it.
But please,
don't make it because you want it to be just featured,
make it because you want to make it.
Thank you.
So, if you're wondering what this giveaway actually is,
it's for an eighty (80)-piece Touch Five marker set.
And here's some ~cool~ photos!
((hi not part of the audio here but i just wanted to add that rhi is a massive dork and i love them to bits.))
((please participate in this if you can, it'd mean the world to them. - liz <3))
You need to subscribe and comment to join,
and these are your first entries.
But in your comment, make sure you put the word
"Sunny", because if you don't then you're not gonna get
your number and I'm not gonna respond.
And in addition, you can get ~extra entries~ by
following my deviantArt, my Instagram, or telling me
on how you think you'll benefit from markers.
So in total, you can get four (4) entries in this giveaway.
When you enter you have to be willing to give me your
address. Don't worry - there's no fees, even if you live
internationally!
Whoever wins will also get a custom card of an OC that
has to be theirs unless you show me permission that
you can use somebody else's character.
By that, I mean you need to ask the person "Hey, can I
have your character drawn?"
I wanna give back to everyone. I'm doing this because I
want to thank you all for two-thousand, four hundred
plus (2,400+) followers!
I don't look at it often, but every time I look at it,
it's gone up by like fifty (50) subscribers, which
is insane!
For more infomation >> 2,400+ Subs celebration - !!!ART SUPPLY GIVEAWAY!!! - Duration: 3:09.-------------------------------------------
I Didn't Believe It Could Happen To Me - Duration: 11:17.
- When I found my friend after it happened,
the only thing I could get out of my mouth
was I just had sex, but I said no.
- Before I learned to read, I was twice forced
to perform oral sex on my neighbor.
Once after I had told people about it.
- When I was about six or seven years old,
I was raped by a cousin.
- Seven years ago this February I was at a frat party
off campus at a different university, actually,
with my sorority sisters and I had been looking
at this guy throughout the night
and he came over and offered me a drink
and then he told me he really couldn't hear what I was
saying because the music was playing,
so he wanted to go upstairs and I got really foggy
and I couldn't remember what was happening next,
but the next thing I remember was being on a mattress.
- In elementary school, I moved to a new state
with my mother and in the house nextdoor to us
there was a family with an older teenage boy.
And one time, he and I were left alone together
and he had me perform oral sex on him, but I had no idea
what it was and what happened.
I just knew it was bad.
- I was about 14 or 15 years old at the time
and I was placed in a bed with him and several other
cousins sleeping around in the basement of my aunt's house.
My aunt climbs the stairs and shuts off the light
and closes the door to the basement and he grabs me.
And he grabs me so that I can't get away.
I'm pushing him off, trying to get him off
and from there, I blacked out.
- While I was on a mattress, I was aware that I got there,
but I don't know how I got there and I started
feeling this pain and when I realized what the pain was,
I started yelling at him, "Wait, are you having
"sex with me?
"No, get off!"
And he kept on responding how much I enjoyed it
and how much I liked it.
Finally, after physically trying and begging
for a few minutes, he got up and threw my pants at me
like I was nothing and I came to bear my surroundings
and I went to my phone and I saw my friends
were looking for me because I had been missing
for about 20 minutes.
When that hit me, I ran out of the house.
- I come to in the morning and I'm incredibly sore,
but I run for it.
I get out of his grasp.
My little brother and my other younger cousin
are playing tiny checkers and I'm sitting next to them
with soiled underwear,
sore, and deathly afraid.
- I run over to my friend and I said to her
I just had sex.
- And she got really excited because she knew I was a virgin
and the next thing I said was, "But I said no."
And she said, "Wait, were you raped?"
And at that point, it hit me.
Every Law and Order SUV episode I've ever seen in my life,
I couldn't believe that happened.
It couldn't have happened to me.
I'm not that type of person.
- A few days later, I was in the kitchen of his house
and not knowing exactly what had happened, I described
what happened to his parents and my mother.
We were kept apart for a number of months,
but circumstances happened where my babysitter forgot
that she was supposed to pick me up that day
and was unavailable.
So after being picked up by the boy's parents,
I was brought back to his house and he forced me
to do it again.
- I went to the hospital and I had a male nurse
tell me not to tell my family while he was walking
through everything because he told me
my heart was already broken, why else
should anyone else's heart be broken?
And I was just in such shock over everything
and so afraid and then the detectives came in
and I remember their first question was,
"Are you sure this was rape?
"Are you sure you just didn't make a mistake
"and you don't want to admit it?"
And I remember screaming at them I was a virgin
and I was going to wait until marriage.
No, that's not a mistake, and it shuttered me
and it gave me that first inkling of hey,
it's your fault, right?
You were asking for it.
I left the hospital that morning.
I went about my life as if nothing happened.
- I described what happened and his parents
reacted, I mean, the whole room reacted with shock
and horror and then there was a flood of questions
and I could tell that something was wrong
and it really felt like I had done something wrong
and had been wrong to then tell people about it.
- Years later, I was about 12 or 13 years old
and I was in the kitchen of my aunt's house
who has no relation to the cousin that assaulted me.
I confided in her, I told her, and she kind of just
screwed up her face like ooh, you know?
Kind of in disgust.
She told no one.
My aunt also was like, you're crazy, what is wrong with you?
This never happened.
I put him in his own room, he had his own room,
you were nowhere near him.
And when this happens to children, they scream.
You should have screamed or something.
Why are you telling us now and what's with
this delayed story?
And it's just like, that's what happens with trauma.
It's buried until you can actually handle it.
That was the first and only adult that I can tell that to
and it also sent a message to me that even if you tell
someone, nothing's going to happen.
So I didn't tell anyone since her.
- For about two weeks, I just was happy and smiling
and my best friend said, "Stop your bullshit.
"I know that you're upset, I know that you're trying
"to hid it, but you need to start realizing what happened."
- Even after it happened again, I never told anyone else.
I never spoke to a member of law enforcement,
I never really brought it up because it was so clear
from that conversation in the kitchen
that I shouldn't do that.
- I didn't even believe myself.
I was still like, did it even happen?
Did I make this up, am I crazy?
I buried it and I told myself it didn't happen,
but as I continued to dig
and continue therapy and get closer to myself,
I realized it was very real.
It happened.
I needed me out of any other person
because my father was there, yes.
My mother, she couldn't deal.
I was too much for her.
It was too much for everybody.
- There was one time I said I was raped
and I barely got it out without being in hysterics.
I always said I had sex and I said no,
and then I would just refer to it as, you know,
that night in February, the time that thing happened.
And then I would get to the assault
and I would refer to it as the assault
as if it were an event that I attended
as opposed to something that happened to me.
What's the different between sexual assault
and what's rape?
Sexual assault is a lot easier on the ears of everyone else
because rape is such a vile term.
But to say I was raped and not sexually assaulted,
I can probably say it with confidence now
in the past two years and it's been about seven years
since it's happened.
- As a guy there is certainly a stigma, I think,
attached to being a victim of sexual violence
because we are expected to not be victims
and if you are, it's because you failed
or you were weak, or there was something wrong with you.
There is a difficulty in this society of believing
victims at all and I think that's what's really tough
is that it can happen to anybody.
Society programs us to see a victim in their head
and it's not me.
You really start to doubt if you actually
were a victim and it makes it harder
to believe your own story.
- Not only was I admitting to something that happened
to me, but I was also admitting that something
that society has always pushed so negatively
and it really isn't a gender issue.
- For the person who is struggling to believe
themselves, first check in with yourself,
understand those gut feelings
and from there, have the courage to dig.
Now is the time to start the healing
because it's never your fault.
- I understand that there are certainly other guys
out there like me.
The key thing to remember is you're not at fault
for being a victim.
It's always and only the fault of the perpetrator.
- Bad things happen to good people,
but good people become beautiful people
and I don't mean that physically.
I mean that in that your trials and the tribulations
you're going through make you so much stronger
as a person later on.
- It's a courageous act to actually get past the fear
and understand your trauma and understand
what you've been through.
I commend anyone who attempts to do it.
Don't do it alone.
- If it just happened, please, please, please
go get checked out, go get a rape kit.
You do not have to prosecute right away,
you don't have to decide to, but give yourself
time to process.
- I can identify with my body now.
Before, this was just a thing I carried around
because I was so detached from my body.
I was detached from myself and now I am a whole being.
Too many of us are halves or were pieces
because of the traumatic experience we've had
and I'm slowly but surely regaining that confidence
and it's only going to get better from here.
- It hurts and it's the worst feeling in the world
and for the longest time, I thought nothing worse
can happen to me.
Healing has brought me such clarity,
embracing every part of me, the good, the bad,
and what happened to make me into who I am today.
- I have a therapist.
I also go to group therapy.
I am well aware that this is tough and I cannot
do this alone.
So survivor, believe yourself and get the help.
Get the help to actually heal from what was done to you.
(acoustic guitar music)
(squeaking hinges effect)
-------------------------------------------
Spiritual Awakening – Why Traditional Grounding Doesn't Work For Us - Duration: 5:11.
Spiritual Awakening � Why Traditional Grounding Doesn�t Work For Us
by Kelly Ashley,
If you�re reading this article it�s likely that you�ve discovered exactly what I did
� that grounding either doesn�t work, doesn�t last or actually makes our symptoms
worse during the awakening process.
That�s not to say that grounding doesn�t work at all.
For the average person, who rarely becomes ungrounded, often some essential oil or a
walk through a wooded area is enough to do the trick.
Unfortunately, traditional grounding just isn�t enough for us, which is a real concern,
considering that being ungrounded in the first place is the exact reason why we�re experiencing
such challenging signs and symptoms.
The good news is that it can be changed.
You can get grounded, and that will reduce the difficult signs and symptoms you�re
experiencing such as anxiety, overwhelm and emotional sensitivity amongst others.
But for now, let�s get a clear understanding of why traditional grounding doesn�t seem
to work for us during spiritual awakening so that we can get a handle on this thing.
The main issue that we have is that awakening is a naturally ungrounding process.
It all begins with an intense influx of high vibrational energy that is designed to awaken
us, open our psychic senses and heighten our emotions.
Everything is designed for the purpose of healing our souls and clearing our connection
to source.
However, that initial influx of ungrounding energy was only necessary to kick start the
process.
The problem begins when we are unable to ground the new energy that is coming in.
Having that much light in your system is extremely ungrounding, not to mention hard on the body,
and there�s not enough density in the physical body to balance it out.
So we stay ungrounded, we continue to be charged and opened and heightened, and it all just
becomes one big awakening mess � sometimes, even a crisis.
So, there are 2 main reasons why traditional grounding often doesn�t work for those of
us going through spiritual awakening.
Let�s take a look at them here:
We�re too charged to be grounded � Unfortunately, most traditional grounding methods list the
likes of oils, crystals, yoga or mediation.
Like I said before, for the average person yes, these are grounding, but for us, with
our energies already so highly charged and opened by the initial awakening process, anything
that alters energy will only charge us further.
Yep, it sounds weird I know, but it�s true.
Anything at all that alters your energy will inadvertently stimulate it further and will
make your symptoms worse.
So, if you�re experiencing difficult symptoms or heightened sensitivities then you�re
best taking a break from these things for a little while to let your energy ground back
down.
Our energies literally don�t know how to ground us � We need to remember that this
incredible shift in humanity towards 5D living is an entirely new vibration, the likes of
which may have never been experienced before.
The truth is, your energies are just as confused as you are.
Often times with these new changes in place, our energies don�t actually know how to
adjust to, manage or integrate with it and we get charged up (and our symptoms get worse
in the process).
We need to teach our energies how to ground with this new energy in place.
We need to show them how to adjust and reassure them that its safe and that everything is
ok.
That�s when it begins to shift in your body and you can relax more into the transformation
without fear (or hellish symptoms for that matter).
If you�re struggling with signs or symptoms, feeling out of control or overwhelmed by the
awakening process my most important advice would be:
Remove energetic stimulants from your main living space and lifestyle (bedroom, living
room etc).
Learn what to avoid in our FREE 5-day course
Use some energetic downloads to teach your energies how to remain grounded (which will
reduce symptoms in the process).
Downloads are healing programs that teach your energy how to manage the awakening process
more easily.
They are very relaxing and safe to use during awakening without overcharging your energy.
You can access a video with some free downloads (which are in the last 10 minutes) here:
Removing energetic stimulants will certainly allow your energies to ground back down, but
if you want to help them stay steady and grounded daily, these energetic downloads can really
help.
-------------------------------------------
How to Make a Leather Cord Taco - HGTV - Duration: 1:17.
For more infomation >> How to Make a Leather Cord Taco - HGTV - Duration: 1:17. -------------------------------------------
My Life in Canada: Niagara Falls - Duration: 7:36.
Esther: It's...
Esther: Already
Casino worker: Hi, no pictures please
Esther: No pictures
Casino worker: No pictures
"Hi!" "Hello!!"
Today we came to an amazing place
Can you see?
We are in Niagara Falls
This is Kury, you remember Esther from another video
and she is Yu
And here is... Miho
And Yayoi is hiding, what?
I don't know if you can see in the camera but this is really weird
Looks like rain but it's not
Look at us!
We are wet like, from head to feet, but
I still recommend this boat ride to everyone
If you come here, you have to be here in this boat ride
It's like a short thing but
It was worth
Awesome!
Awesome!
So fun!
Look how much I won in the casino
I just lost money
But she won
She's lucky
I won the money!
Ok, we are leaving now
We have to go back to Toronto,
to the reality,
to our works,
to our boring lives
But it was fun, wasn't it?
What do you think?
It's good, so beautiful
I want to stay here
Yeah, me too
I have more money than Esther, she only has* 10 cents
Casino is not good
But everything else is very good
I have to study about casino
Say goodbye!
See you later! Thank you to my special guests today. Bye! Subscribe!
-------------------------------------------
How to Draw Santa Hat for Kids - Christmas Coloring Pages for Children - Drawing and Painting - Duration: 10:33.
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
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[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
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[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
[Music]
Magic
Coloring Pages
-------------------------------------------
The Release: Part Two | Episode 69 | Middlemarch: The Series - Duration: 2:14.
[Episode 69 - The Release: Part Two]
Oh my god.
Oh my god.
- Dot, they love it!
- Wait, what?
- Look at the comments!
- Do you even know this person?
- I don't think so.
- What are they saying?
- This is so funny.
Exclamation mark.
Smiley face.
- Wait, wait, look at this one.
- These people are great.
Who are they?
- Dot, read this one.
- I can't wait for the documentary.
Where can we watch it? When does it come out?
I mean, do you think I could?
- Could what?
- Put the whole documentary online,
I mean once it's edited and everything.
- I think that's a great idea.
Any objections?
Going once, going twice,
Sold?
- Well, I guess that's it then.
♪ I had a dream last night, ♪
♪ You came back to me after our goodbye ♪
♪ My arms you fell into, ♪
♪ And you asked if I'd run away with you. ♪
♪ I ain't felt that way before, ♪
♪ Like I couldn't wait just a minute more, ♪
♪ And I don't want to let you go, ♪
♪ But dreams slip away, I know. ♪
♪ Come on, come on over, ♪
♪ Come on, come on over, ♪
♪ Come on, come on over, ♪
♪ Come on. ♪
-------------------------------------------
GTA 5 - Mission #33 - MINOR TURBULENCE [100% Gold Medal Walkthrough] - Duration: 15:51.
Where you at man your house is empty
I had to kind of lay low for a while yeah, that nice Mexican we met
Me and T Did that job for him and we fell out.
You gotta be joking
I wish I was
So where you at now?
Desert
Out by Alamo Sea
Alright,well, I'll hit you if I find anything.
Absolutely
Trevor's got his wife
Trevor's got a wife?
No, no
The Mexican's wife
What
Sh*t I don't know what to say about that one
Nothing
Nothing to say about that
Ron
Ron, I'am back
Coming Trevor
And bring me my coffee or I'm gonna cut your arm off
Absolutely
Who is that
Your maid
Business partner partner good guy very loyal
Ron
Ron,That is Michael and this is Patricia
Listen
Beautiful, you know I'm sorry about everything that's happened and that you know I can't guarantee no arms gonna come to you
I might have to chop you up into little pieces before spraying your pulp mess down the drain, but I
really, hope it doesn't come to that I
I Appreciate your honesty
You're a good man. I can see that you need your eyes examined then
Ron
You miss me
Yeah Trevor a bit I mean
How's the f*cking business
I tried
If you're gonna give me a sob story. I'm gonna rip your fuckin throat out and shove a turd down the hole
It's not a sob story
It's just not quite come good yet
But I heard about something to do with Merryweather those
Big cache of weapons they got coming in so I thought you might want to
requisition it
Fantastic let's go man whoa no. No not you sit down. You're a wanted, man
Stay low and watch her. Okay. She's good lady. Let's go Ron. Good to meet you Michael fucking come on. Let's go
The weapons are coming in by air. We've got a plane over at the airstrip all right. Let's go
What are you gonna?
Do we're not gonna take out a private army on the ground Ron we gotta meet them in the air
Uh um okay
Okay, well, I knew that you were pissed after the Merryweather heist give him back the hardware that
Was bullshit, right?
right
So I've been monitoring chatter tapping into Merryweather
Networks feels good to be back in the company of a professional
I gotta say I got I was expecting something a little more impressive the late great
Michael Townley
Not too late, and not so great right and no longer called Townley the years have not been terribly kind
What's the endgame man? We all good thing going without him if it's such a good thing
Where's my money? Huh? Where's my consultants being my big fat evident?
I want a franchise Network Ron home reward card, merchandise
I Want to make gun violence and drug dependency accessible to every man and beast?
Just the plane I need to take on a heavily armed tax-funded militia
Cooler guys south of the border tell them there's a fire sale
I'll get you on the radio
The merryweather planes over in a holding pattern
Over Mount chilliad try keep under the radar air traffic
Air traffic bieng monitored from the military base
You're on the radar Trevor. Lose altitude
I got the cargo plane right ahead of me
They got the wepons they use to enslave us on board, if we can get a hold of them
Are you planning on forcing them to land
Didn't I say we had to take them in the air if we're to have any kind of shot at this
I thought I said that
You're Approaching Fort Zancudo Trevor final don't fly right over it yes squadron leader
Now the cargo planes got four jets two hundred foot wingspan yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm in a crop duster
This is something. I'm acutely aware of
Altitude corrected you know Ronald Ronald you there
Ronny old boy, I never thought I'd say this let alone make it, but it's good to be working together again
I can't tell you what a pleasure
Every team needs a leader a leader and a mindless bull word do
You speak to Oscar the Mexicans this deal on
The one the work, I'm not risking life and limb press terminates all
The guns are Buddha stars, okay?
Here we go
Come in light aircraft identify yourself and make it repent
Me. I'm just a lonely guy of dust in this garage. Who are you?
Shooting me down now. That's not very sociable
Faith in your hand
Actually firing rockets
Get out of my car haffley got a pilot on board
Merriweather cargo dead crab control, please be advised of a change of destination. We are now landing in McKenzie feel
Changing frequency over Ronnie the cargo jet is now part of the TV Enterprise leave you with the Mac
These guys
Are you little yourself Ron hereupon me
10% of what's in the hall?
Takedown is authorized
Thank you understand the effort of God to be here pal
You wouldn't show me down anyway think of the ground casualties
They gotta shoot small bales one
Look at this motherfucker you're doing it big niggas on the set tomorrow. What the fuck are you doing here?
Oh chirps ooh boy Trevor
-------------------------------------------
Mario Party Top 100 előzetes - Nintendo 3DS - Duration: 0:21.
For more infomation >> Mario Party Top 100 előzetes - Nintendo 3DS - Duration: 0:21. -------------------------------------------
YouTube Creators for Change: Omar Hussein - Duration: 2:55.
What am I looking to address?
I think accepting difference.
If I am able to have people laugh about something
then we can have a discussion, we can completely disagree.
It doesn't mean that they have to change their minds.
But they're okay with what they believe in being discussed.
And I think this alone is successful.
Alright, so, my name is Omar Hussein.
I'm a YouTuber based in Saudi.
I have a variety of experiences.
Starting a YouTube channel was to express myself
to find an area where I can speak my mind,
discuss ideas.
So you have all this freedom whether it's creatively or content-wise.
I try to take complicated, political changes
and then break it down, simplify it again and present it
in three minutes.
The 3-minutes this week are about an airline company
known for its racism towards Muslims and Arabs
and a young, Arab Muslim guy who's known for the fake videos he's made
in which he claimed he was discriminate against
because he's an Arab Muslim.
When you put it in a comical context
it's less tense and when it's funny it's better.
That is the statement.
Friends, I need your help with something very simple.
I'll be crossing now a total viewership
of 100 million views.
That amount of audience is powerful.
It makes you think a lot, you know, and how can I utilize this?
You know, you make a video, you upload it and...
Everything moves, everything changes.
Having that kind of impact drives you and you know what,
to continue, to do more.
So being chosen for the YouTube Creators for Change
enables you to create something about
a specific cause that you believe in, that's pretty cool.
That's me!
My goal is to enable people who were victims of
or will be facing some sort of hate online of offline
and empower them to overcome it.
I thought the best way to do it
is to actually reach out to the rapper community
across the Arabic world
We all experienced hate. It's a global issue.
And so we wanted to do a rap that acknowledges that.
There is hate, we overcome it.
Study hard and don't let anybody pass you.
If you get too personal with me, uncle Omar will get you.
Rappers are telling the audience,
I have been through what you are going through.
Someone needs to ensure to the younger generation,
it's okay to be different.
We're all in a sense different, in one way or another.
YouTube is about, you know, seeing the world, seeing people, accepting differences.
But the main thing that YouTube does is get you out of the comfort zone.
Listen to people outside your circle who you're not following,
who you're not subscribed to, who you're not friends with.
I see the potential if you could bring people together
across boundaries and geographies.
I think it's already happening. I don't think it's potential,
I think it's happening, you see it.
-------------------------------------------
The Anti-Federalist Papers | Federal Farmer I - Duration: 19:56.
DEAR SIR,
MY letters to you last winter, on the subject of a well balanced national government for
the United States, were the result of a free enquiry; when I passed from that subject to
enquiries relative to our commerce, revenues, past administration, &c.
I anticipated the anxieties I feel, on carefully examining the plan of government proposed
by the convention.
It appears to be a plan retaining some federal features; but to be the first important step,
and to aim strongly at one consolidated government of the United States.
It leaves the powers of government, and the representation of the people, so unnaturally
divided between the general and state governments, that the operations of our system must be
very uncertain.
My uniform federal attachments, and the interest I have in the protection of property, and
a steady execution of the laws, will convince you, that, if I am under any bias at all,
it is in favor of any general system which shall promise those advantages.
The instability of our laws increases my wishes for firm and steady government; but then,
I can consent to no government, which, in my opinion, is not calculated equally to preserve
the rights of all orders of men in the community.
My object has been to join with those who have endeavored to supply the defects in the
forms of our governments by a steady and proper administration of them.
Though I have long apprehended that fraudulent debtors, and embarrassed men, on the one hand,
and men, on the other, unfriendly to republican equality, would produce an uneasiness among
the people, and prepare the way, not for cool and deliberate reforms in the governments,
but for changes calculated to promote the interests of particular orders of men.
Acquit me, sir, of any agency in the formation of the new system; I shall be satisfied with
seeing, if it shall be adopted with a prudent administration.
Indeed I am so much convinced of the truth of Pope's maxim, that "That which is best
administered is best," that I am much inclined to subscribe to it from experience.
I am not disposed to unreasonably contend about forms.
I know our situation is critical, and it behooves us to make the best of it.
A federal government of some sort is necessary.
We have suffered the present to languish; and whether the confederation was capable
or not originally of answering any valuable purposes, it is now but of little importance.
I will pass by the men, and states, who have been particularly instrumental in preparing
the way for a change, and perhaps, for governments not very favorable to the people at large.
A constitution is now presented which we may reject, or which we may accept with or without
amendments, and to which point we ought to direct our exertions is the question.
To determine this question with propriety; we must attentively examine the system itself,
and the probable consequences of either step.
This I shall endeavor to do, so far as I am able, with candor and fairness; and leave
you to decide upon the propriety of my opinions, the weight of my reasons, and how far my conclusions
are well drawn.
Whatever may be the conduct of others, on the present occasion, I do not mean hastily
and positively to decide on the merits of the constitution proposed.
I shall be open to conviction and always disposed to adopt that which, all things considered,
shall appear to me to be most for the happiness of the community.
It must be granted, that if men hastily and blindly adopt a system of government, they
will as hastily and as blindly be led to alter or abolish it; and changes must ensue, one
after another, till the peaceable and better part of the community will grow weary with
changes, tumults and disorders, and be disposed to accept any government however despotic,
that shall promise stability and firmness.
The first principal question that occurs, is, Whether, considering our situation, we
ought to precipitate the adoption of the proposed constitution?
If we remain cool and temperate, we are in no immediate danger of any commotions; we
are in a state of perfect peace, and in no danger of invasions; the state governments
are in the full exercise of their powers; and our governments answer all present exigencies,
except the regulation of trade, securing credit, in some cases, and providing for the interest,
in some instances, of the public debts; and whether we adopt a change three or nine months
hence, can make but little odds with the private circumstances of individuals; their happiness
and prosperity, after all, depend principally upon their own exertions.
We are hardly recovered from a long and distressing war: The farmers, fishermen, &c. have not
fully repaired the waste made by it.
Industry and frugality are again assuming their proper station.
Private debts are lessened, and public debts incurred by the war have been, by various
ways, diminished; and the public lands have now become a productive source for diminishing
them much more.
I know uneasy men, who with very much to precipitate, do not admit all these facts; but they are
facts well known to all men who are thoroughly informed in the affairs of this country.
It must, however, be admitted, that our federal system is defective, and that some of the
state governments are not well administered; but, then, we impute to the defects in our
governments many evils and embarrassments which are most clearly the result of the late
war.
We must allow men to conduct on the present occasion, as on all similar one's.
They will urge a thousand pretenses to answer their purposes on both sides.
When we want a man to change his condition, we describe it as wretched, miserable, and
despised; and draw a pleasing picture of that which we would have him assume.
And when we wish the contrary, we reverse our descriptions.
Whenever a clamor is raised, and idle men get to work, it is highly necessary to examine
facts carefully, and without unreasonably suspecting men of falsehood, to examine, and
enquire attentively, under what impressions they act.
It is too often the case in political concerns that men state facts not as they are, but
as they wish them to be; and almost every man, by calling to mind past scenes, will
find this to be true.
Nothing but the passions of ambitious, impatient, or disorderly men, I conceive, will plunge
us into commotions, if time should be taken fully to examine and consider the system proposed.
Men who feel easy in their circumstances, and such as are not sanguine in their expectations
relative to the consequences of the proposed change, will remain quiet under the existing
governments.
Many commercial and monied men, who are uneasy, not without just cause, ought to be respected;
and by no means, unreasonably disappointed in their expectations and hopes; but as to
those who expect employments under the new constitution; as to those weak and ardent
men who always expect to be gainers by revolutions, and whose lot it generally is to get out of
one difficulty into another, they are very little to be regarded; and as to those who
designedly avail themselves of this weakness and ardor, they are to be despised.
It is natural for men, who wish to hasten the adoption of a measure, to tell us, now
is the crisis-now is the critical moment which must be seized or all will be lost; and to
shut the door against free enquiry, whenever conscious the thing presented has defects
in it, which time and investigation will probably discover.
This has been the custom of tyrants, and their dependents in all ages.
If it is true, what has been so often said, that the people of this country cannot change
their condition for the worse, I presume it still behooves them to endeavor deliberately
to change it for the better.
The fickle and ardent, in any community are the proper tools for establishing despotic
government.
But it is deliberate and thinking men, who must establish and secure governments on free
principles.
Before they decide on the plan proposed, they will enquire whether it will probably be a
blessing or a curse to this people.
The present moment discovers a new face in our affairs.
Our object has been all along, to reform our federal system and to strengthen our governments-to
establish peace, order and justice in the community-but a new object now presents.
The plan of government now proposed is evidently calculated totally to change, in time, our
condition as a people.
Instead of being thirteen republics, under a federal head, it is clearly designed to
make us one consolidated government.
Of this, I think, I shall fully convince you, in my following letters on this subject.
This consolidation of the states has been the object of several men in this country
for some time past.
Whether such a change can ever be effected, in any manner; whether it can be effected
without convulsions and civil wars; whether such a change will not totally destroy the
liberties of this country-time only can determine.
To have a just idea of the government before us, and to show that a consolidated one is
the object in view, it is necessary not only to examine the plan, but also its history,
and the politics of its particular friends.
The confederation was formed when great confidence was placed in the voluntary exertions of individuals,
and of the respective states; and the framers of it, to guard against usurpation, so limited,
and checked the powers, that, in many respects, they are inadequate to the exigencies of the
union.
We find, therefore, members of congress urging alterations in the federal system almost as
soon as it was adopted.
It was early proposed to vest congress with powers to levy an impost, to regulate trade,
&c. but such was known to be the caution of the states in parting with power, that the
vestment even of these, was proposed to be under several checks and limitations.
During the war, the general confusion, and the introduction of paper money, infused in
the minds of people vague ideas respecting government and credit.
We expected too much from the return of peace, and of course we have been disappointed.
Our governments have been new and unsettled; and several legislatures, by making tender,
suspension, and paper money laws, have given just cause of uneasiness to creditors.
By these and other causes, several orders of men in the community have been prepared,
by degrees, for a change of government; and this very abuse of power in the legislatures,
which in some cases has been charged upon the democratic part of the community, has
furnished aristocratical men with those very weapons, and those very means, with which,
in great measure, they are rapidly effecting their favorite object.
And should an oppressive government be the consequence of the proposed change, prosperity
may reproach not only a few overbearing, unprincipled men, but those parties in the states which
have misused their powers.
The conduct of several legislatures, touching paper money, and tender laws, has prepared
many honest men for changes in government, which otherwise they would not have thought
of-when by the evils, on the one hand, and by the secret instigations of artful men,
on the other, the minds of men were become sufficiently uneasy, a bold step was taken,
which is usually followed by a revolution, or a civil war.
A general convention for mere commercial purposes was moved for-the authors of this measure
saw that the people's attention was turned solely to the amendment of the federal system;
and that, had the idea of a total change been started, probably no state would have appointed
members to the convention.
The idea of destroying ultimately, the state government, and forming one consolidated system,
could not have been admitted-a convention, therefore, merely for vesting in congress
power to regulate trade was proposed.
This was pleasing to the commercial towns; and the landed people had little or no concern
about it.
September, 1786, a few men from the middle states met at Annapolis, and hastily proposed
a convention to be held in May, 1787, for the purpose, generally, of amending the confederation-this
was done before the delegates of Massachusetts, and of the other states arrived-still not
a word was said about destroying the old constitution, and making a new one.The states still unsuspecting,
and not aware that they were passing the Rubicon, appointed members to the new convention, for
the sole and express purpose of revising and amending the confederation-and, probably,
not one man in ten thousand in the United States, till within these ten or twelve days,
had an idea that the old ship was to be destroyed, and he put to the alternative of embarking
in the new ship presented, or of being left in danger of sinking.The States, I believe,
universally supposed the convention would report alterations in the confederation, which
would pass an examination in congress, and after being agreed to there, would be confirmed
by all the legislatures, or be rejected.
Virginia made a very respectable appointment, and placed at the head of it the first man
in America.
In this appointment there was a mixture of political characters; but Pennsylvania appointed
principally those men who are esteemed aristocratical.
Here the favorite moment for changing the government was evidently discerned by a few
men, who seized it with address.
Ten other states appointed, and tho- they chose men principally connected with commerce
and the judicial department yet they appointed many good republican characters-had they all
attended we should now see, I am persuaded, a better system presented.
The non-attendance of eight or nine men, who were appointed members of the convention,
I shall ever consider as a very unfortunate event to the United States.-Had they attended,
I am pretty clear that the result of the convention would not have had that strong tendency to
aristocracy now discernable in every part of the plan.
There would not have been so great an accumulation of powers, especially as to the internal police
of this country in a few hands as the constitution reported proposes to vest in them-the young
visionary men, and the consolidating aristocracy, would have been more restrained than they
have been.
Eleven states met in the convention, and after four months close attention presented the
new constitution, to be adopted or rejected by the people.
The uneasy and fickle part of the community may be prepared to receive any form of government;
but I presume the enlightened and substantial part will give any constitution presented
for their adoption a candid and thorough examination; and silence those designing or empty men,
who weakly and rashly attempt to precipitate the adoption of a system of so much importance.
We shall view the convention with proper respect-and, at the same time, that we reflect there were
men of abilities and integrity in it, we must recollect how disproportionately the democratic
and aristocratic parts of the community were represented.Perhaps the judicious friends
and opposers of the new constitution will agree, that it is best to let it rely solely
on its own merits, or be condemned for its own defects.
In the first place, I shall premise, that the plan proposed is a plan of accommodation-and
that it is in this way only, and by giving up a part of our opinions, that we can ever
expect to obtain a government founded in freedom and compact.
This circumstance candid men will always keep in view, in the discussion of this subject.
The plan proposed appears to be partly federal, but principally however, calculated ultimately
to make the states one consolidated government.
The first interesting question, therefore suggested, is, how far the states can be consolidated
into one entire government on free principles.
In considering this question extensive objects are to be taken into view, and important changes
in the forms of government to be carefully attended to in all their consequences.
The happiness of the people at large must be the great object with every honest statesman,
and he will direct every movement to this point.
If we are so situated as a people, as not to be able to enjoy equal happiness and advantages
under one government, the consolidation of the states cannot be admitted.
There are three different forms of free government under which the United States may exist as
one nation; and now is, perhaps, the time to determine to which we will direct our views.
1.
Distinct republics connected under a federal head.
In this case the respective state governments must be the principal guardians of the peoples
rights, and exclusively regulate their internal police; in them must rest the balance of government.
The congress of the states, or federal head, must consist of delegates amenable to, and
removable by the respective states: This congress must have general directing powers; powers
to require men and monies of the states; to make treaties; peace and war; to direct the
operations of armies, &c.
Under this federal modification of government, the powers of congress would be rather advisory
or recommendatory than coercive.
2.
We may do away the federal state governments, and form or consolidate all the states into
one entire government, with one executive, one judiciary, and one legislature, consisting
of senators and representatives collected from all parts of the union: In this case
there would be a complete consolidation of the states.
3.
We may consolidate the states as to certain national objects, and leave them severally
distinct independent republics, as to internal police generally.
Let the general government consist of an executive, a judiciary, and balanced legislature, and
its powers extend exclusively to all foreign concerns, causes arising on the seas to commerce,
imports, armies, navies, Indian affairs, peace and war, and to a few internal concerns of
the community; to the coin, post offices, weights and measures, a general plan for the
militia, to naturalization, and, perhaps to bankruptcies, leaving the internal police
of the community, in other respects, exclusively to the state governments; as the administration
of justice in all causes arising internally, the laying and collecting of internal taxes,
and the forming of the militia according to a general plan prescribed.
In this case there would be a complete consolidation, quoad certain objects only.
Touching the first, or federal plan, I do not think much can be said in its favor: The
sovereignty of the nation, without coercive and efficient powers to collect the strength
of it, cannot always be depended on to answer the purposes of government; and in a congress
of representatives of foreign states, there must necessarily be an unreasonable mixture
of powers in the same hands.
As to the second, or complete consolidating plan, it deserves to be carefully considered
at this time by every American: If it be impracticable, it is a fatal error to model our governments,
directing our views ultimately to it.
The third plan, or partial consolidation, is, in my opinion, the only one that can secure
the freedom and happiness of this people.
I once had some general ideas that the second plan was practicable, but from long attention,
and the proceedings of the convention, I am fully satisfied, that this third plan is the
only one we can with safety and propriety proceed upon.
Making this the standard to point out, with candor and fairness, the parts of the new
constitution which appear to be improper, is my object.
The convention appears to have proposed the partial consolidation evidently with a view
to collect all powers ultimately, in the United States into one entire government; and from
its views in this respect, and from the tenacity of the small states to have an equal vote
in the senate, probably originated the greatest defects in the proposed plan.
Independent of the opinions of many great authors, that a free elective government cannot
be extended over large territories, a few reflections must evince, that one government
and general legislation alone never can extend equal benefits to all parts of the United
States: Different laws, customs, and opinions exist in the different states, which by a
uniform system of laws would be unreasonably invaded.
The United States contain about a million of square miles, and in half a century will,
probably, contain ten millions of people; and from the center to the extremes is about
800 miles.
Before we do away the state governments or adopt measures that will tend to abolish them,
and to consolidate the states into one entire government several principles should be considered
and facts ascertained:-These, and my examination into the essential parts of the proposed plan,
I shall pursue in my next.
Your's, &c.
THE FEDERAL FARMER.
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