The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-09-06

tnreac'fsd civil rfsntS, dn,i tt,e
evils of u civil war; and to give one heart and ere
mind the people firmly oppofe every ii.vaion
of their liberties Similar resolutions adopted
anioft every where, and the fira of June became,
throughout the Colonies day Of fsling, huini,ia-
tion and prayer, the courie Of which ierions
universally preached to the people, well calculated
to inipre them with the utnloh horror againit the
authors &c te unjuG uiIerings Of their iellow-fub-
jeS.s in Bottom.
IN conlequence Vt this meafure the afTen,bly was
di!Inive, hrt, before their leparation, aocation
was entered into, hgned by eghty-nine members, III
which they declared tia, an attack on one Colony to
compel fuhr,iion arbitrary taxes, is attack on
al. Rritifh America and threatens ruin to the rights
Of all un.fs the nnited wifdo of the whole be APP
piled in preyep,io. They, therefore, recommended
70 the Committee Of Correspondence, to communi-
cate with the feversl Committees Of the other Pro-
vino-s, the expedency OF appointing Deputies
from the different Colonies annually gene
raj Congress aud to Deliberate thole general n,ea-
iure,, which the u,ted inierea of America might
from time to time render neceiiary." (e/
Thcfe fa9s feilov- citizens ! have Rated to YOU
in RE very words of niitor,an, whoe authenticity
will not De auea;oned You will permit me to add,
this was the third time the Houe Of Burgees of Viz
vua were droived. for their ipirited nlealures in
uppolision To parliamentary encroachments on our
common rights Their two lah dlolutions were III
CURED by exertions in iupport OF their brethren in
NaF.chuiatts, particularly the iufering citizens of
Bottom. Sush patriotic iympathy, iuch prompt and
effective cooperation in time of need, received 1t
that dag grateful acknow edgment, and is ftill ent-
tied honorable recollection. Many of my hear
ers, Whole heads are whitehead with age, and whole
memories reach back to thoie &c times which tried
mems fouls, living wneiIes OF the fact, that the
oldeh, the Target, the mott unanimous Of the States,
took as leading a part i'll the Republican ca,fe At
the commencement and through all the iucoeiive fla
nf ~ ,NI #,
government. But did then complain Of " Vir-
gnia Influence" " Virginia domination" and every
thing ellie that either was, aedged 20 be Vir-
gnian. Il not then thought excrfable much lers
patriotic, array the Northern ag,nG the Southern
States, and to itulate their mutual envy jeacuiy,
antpathy and hahtnai hatred, - soritrafing their
tutoms and laws by nIagnying their real or ina
ginary dvertes of interee, by sraducing ;her avo-
rite public characters and touching all the little diff
cordant rngs of local prejudices ard rival paions
On the contrary, 1t was eteened duty of primary
importance epjoined alike by policy and found mo-
rality, TO conciiiae, unite and Cooperate iii the
common cauie of our country. Maiiacbuf-trs and
Virginia preennenty harmonized in the general OBJ
leets of the Re volution. In fuch pirt OF union the
proPoed Congref met Philadelphia, in Septen-
Der 1874, and again i'll May 1875, and were thence
continued through the revolution.
The Brtiih troops commenced actual hoffili.ies IN
April 1875. An army wa. ra,fed for defence and
GEORGE WASHINGTON, OF Virginia, appointed
commander in chief The progrefled. But
there WAS an general hope of recon, Iiation. H.
dependence originally the ain, Of the Colo
MES in their opPoitnn to the claim of Brth iupre-
| macy. SAMOEL ADAMS, indeed, and few other
patriots OF iagacious and enterprzing minds foreavv
that there would be practicable medium between
unconditional tubnliillon, and abfolute Independence
and early took eaiures prepare for the latter. AT
flrit the idea whiipered in confidence BY de-
or ar,lI, .:U
it was directly and openly advocated The progrefs
OF the public ientnent to that neceIary conclufon
was accelerated by " Co9nun Senje" the mott popu-
arPaMph'e; ever pubifiied & admirably PATRIOTS who
with SAMUEL ADAMS, have repr obated and lament
ed iome later publications of the fame author OH the
ubje6f Of the Chritan religion. Bottom and feveral
other towns made rousadvances towardsa De-
caration OF Independence by their patriotic votes But
Virginia was the frit Colony that et the bold exam
pie. AS early as the 18th of May l776, their Legif-
latUre initrucied their Delegates move the Refl-
ton III Conyreis, and enforced their inltrutfons nv
declaring that Colony independent State, before
the mealure was lancfoneo by Congreis. On the fe-
venth OF June the motion was accordingly made by
RICHARD HENRY LEE. 1t was ably fupported by
JogN ADAMS. notwithstanding many ifrong OBJ
je6tions ard after fair and full diicufon, it prevailed
by vaft majority. The declaration was drawn BY
Thomas JsFFERsoN who, IN the hgurati.e Ian
guase of the late DR. Stiles, Prefident Of Yale Col
ese, poured the foul o the continent into the mo-
numenal acf of Independence" 1t is famiarly known
to you all that it fgned on the memorable fourth
cf July.
Ate, fuch lapfe Of years, fuch fucceaion of E.
vents, and fuch change of circumstances, it is diff
cult, indeed II IS in'Poiibe, for thofe OF yos
who were then on the hage of active life, to go back
and realize the anxious, intereling, evenfu lcene of
l776. Htory informs us, that IL one OF the ancient
nations, when any man propelled an alteration in their
government, lie as required to appear for that pur-
Poic, in an 4fenlbly of the people, with halter
round his neck; that, II his pFoPoiiton was rejected,
he might be hanged upon rhc fpot. With haters
about their necks, the igners of the Declaration of
independence iet their inifrumen,, which,
I'D cafe of failure, they knew ml be their death war
rant. Yes my friends, had the Revolution been
cru'hed they would have been diitneuifhed from
common rebels, and igualy executed or exied, like
the regicides OF Charles the n Of England or the
tnmets and other revolutionary martyrs of Ireland
HE uiual consequences of iupprehed rebellion
would have prevailed the land. Is any one curious
TO know the details of wreteht drefs which, in fuel
an event, would haze been the bitter portion of our
fathers, of us and children Let him li(len 70
the eroans OF wretched ireland. Let him read the
deicriPtion OF her oppreiions and meres, in tie v-
ng pages OF CUgKAN, till his eyes are fufIured with
tears and his heart nets with compaiion and when
he elofes the volume, to blefs God for the f,icce-