curity to mankind.

I thought it was my duty to make the observations, in this behalf, which I
did, and to bear my testimony for God; and that it was also my duty to say
_the Constitution_, with this, and some other faults of another kind, was
yet too wise and too necessary to be rejected.

W. WILLIAMS.

P. S.--I could not have suspected the Landholder (if I know him) to be the
author of the piece referred to; but if he or any other is pleased to
reply, without the signature of his proper name, he will receive no
further answer or notice from me.

Feb. 2d, 1788.

THE LETTERS OF A COUNTRYMAN. WRITTEN BY ROGER SHERMAN.

Printed In
The New Haven Gazette,
November-December, 1787.

Note.

In the file of The New Haven Gazette formerly owned by Simeon Baldwin, an
intimate friend, and afterwards executor of Roger Sherman, it is noted by
the former that the essays of A Countryman were written by the latter.

Following this series are two essays written by Sherman under a different
signature, after the adoption of the Constitution, which are an
interesting contrast to these. It will be noted in the first of these,
that Sherman alludes to what he "had endeavored to show in a former
piece."

A Countryman, I.

The New Haven Gazette, (Number 39)

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1787.

TO THE PEOPLE OF CONNECTICUT.

You are now called on to make important alterations in your government, by
ratifying the new federal constitution.

There are, undoubtedly, such advantages to be expected from this measure,
as will be sufficient inducement to adopt the proposal, provided it can be
done without sacrificing more important advantages, which we now do or may
possess. By a wise provision in the constitution of man, whenever a
proposal is made to change any present habit or practice, he much more
minutely considers what he is to _lose_ by the alterations, what effect it
is to have on what he at present possesses, than what is to be _hoped_ for
in the proposed expedient.

Thus people are justly cautious how they exchange present advantages for
the hope of others in a system not yet experienced.

Hence all large states have dreaded a division into smaller parts, as
being nearly the same thing as ruin; and all smaller states have predicted
endless embarrassment from every attempt to unite them into larger. It is
no more than probable that if any corner of this State of ten miles
square, was now, and long had