4.  And that no Man’s Person shall be restrained, or imprisoned, by any Authority whatsoever, before the Law hat sentenced him thereunto, if he can and will give sufficient Security, Bail, or Mainprize for his Appearance and good Behaviour in the mean Time, unless it be for Capital Crimes, Contempt in open Court, or in such Cases wherein some express Law doth allow of, or order the same.”

These proceedings have been regarded as the ark of our political safety by the great and the good of all parties, who have gone before us.  Never till this year have we heard, or even suspected that our state was governed by lawless mobs.  Now, as a means to effect a revolution, for the first time, have a few designing men endeavored to excite alarm—­ they have indeed excited alarm—­sober men of their own party are alarmed—­honest men, who are not misguided, see the whole extent of this project and they will frown it into contempt.

5.  Mr. Edwards, as chairman of a body of men whom he calls a State Committee, on the 30th of July, without consulting even his brethren of the Committee, ordered delegates to meet at New-Haven on the 5th Wednesday of August.  In those towns where enough could not be assembled to elect a member, the person written to, was authorized to attend and take a seat.  In some towns the proposition was rejected even by Republicans.  The delegates thus chosen, with all who united with their opinions, and chose to attend, met at the time and place appointed—­shut their doors against every eye and ear—­sat one day, formed an address, ordered ten thousand copies printed and dissolved.  This address we have seen.  It deserves some notice: 

The first thing that attracts our attention is, that William Judd, Esq. of Farmington, is appointed chairman.  This was an admirable provision —­such a meeting should certainly have such a head.  A man with the habit of devoting his feeble talents to intrigue, and who is noticeable only for an ostentatious parade, would preside in such an assembly with peculiar grace.  His acquaintance could not but approve of this exhibition of the power of inflammable air and be pleased with its effects [on] an exhausted receiver.  The meeting thus organized proceeded to stile this Convention as follows:  “At a meeting of Delegates from ninety-seven towns of the state of Connecticut, convened at New-Haven on the 29th of August, 1804.”  Delegates—­Delegates do they stile themselves?  The people would be obliged to this Convention to disclose their authority.  Who commissioned these gentlemen for this important labor of providing them with a Constitution?  The truth is not a man in that Convention was chosen by a majority of the people of [their] town—­in many instances with less than a quarter part, and in general with less than a tenth——­yet they call themselves Delegates.  Thus [the] Convention with Major Judd in the chair, precede their address [with] a grosly deceptive declaration—–­a declaration