Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-01-22

OnS, Tie unchecked application OF titi:
tremendous power, To the slavery of man
antl 10 the failure repose and security q
despOtic governments. One hope only
| remains 10 the rejecting philan,hropist
aud that Is, ia spite of all the destruction o
the human species, in spite OF al. tile POM
q circumstance OF glorious war, IN spite %
temporal power, and IN spite OF spiritna
craii-i!ie lessons Of liberty, aud of ihe
freedom OF conscience, have becom,
more generally diitnsed amongst man.
KIND, than AT ANY former period. Lessons
OF such high value, and of such umSlis
puied truth, being once learned, cannot
be again unlearned; and in their eAiensi-
on, and from their influence, hope sill
reiiains, that mankind may y et shake of
his degrading sliackles, proclaim the dig
niiy oi his nature, and assert his right
against The efforts of all The poteniates mp
on eariiI-But IN the mean time, Tie SYM
pathetic mind can but mourn over the
fallen condition of man, even in the most
enlightened countries. What individual
can cast his eye upon unhappy France,
without seeing the present dynasty ac-
lively employed III propping its lettering
authority, by ciinglng 10 The Pope, coun-
trnanclug andrenewing all the discarded
ceremUnlcs and superstitions of the
church; and thus degrading, and enslav-
ing the mino of man, that he may be
more easily made TO bear his temporal
chains. When the eye is turned on
Spain, how much more horrible the pie
lure! A gallant nation, recently e.
merged from scenes of devastation, and
from seas of blood, shed To redeem their
legitimate imprisoned sovereignt-The
legitimate is redeemed, and scarcely had
the shouts of Joy for his delivrrance
ceased quverIng Oh the tongue, before
lie stripped the shouters of every vestiee
of liberty and of human rights !! and
10 secure their slavery, and his despotism,
he called in The aid of the priests with
the abhorred and exploded inquisition in
their hands, as the best and surest instru-
meDt of terror and of vengeance What
tragic scenes have since eusued? Amongst
other acts too shocking for reflection,
II is lately announced, that some of the
mDst patriotic, the most brave, and most
skilful of his generals, who riShed their
lives, their fortunes, and their all, for his
deliverance, and for their own rights, but
who fell some reluctance at Welding these
rights up, without a murmur, when so
dearly bought, are found guilty of high
treason, and are sentenced 10 the follow
ing dreadful doon-"To be hung by the
neck till death ensue; to have their
&c heads severed from their bodies, then
&c both to be burned, and the ashes scat
tered into the sea Up What melan-
cho!y catastrophe What depravlty in
Pripce!! What wanton waste of cru
city and of vengeance What horrible
effects from the connection ofclurcl and
state! What lesson TO mankind I! |!
For the temporal prince wonld not have
dared IL perpetrate this most sinful deed,
but for the sanctiticalions and benedict
ons of the church !! Nor are these gioo-
my reflections rendered more consolato-
ry by the recollection, that more than
three centuries and half, should lave
elapsed, since the invention of printing
had facilitated the communication of
ideas from man 10 man, without utterly
obiterating the supeISiliious Ihraldom of
the mind and that al the present day,
the press itself should be placed in The
hands OF the lnquisitlon, and thus by the
craft OF priests, converted inio AN mstru-
meDt, Tor daTkeniDg and enslaviDg, rather
than en.ig hiening and iibcraling tie mind
OF man-can any consolation be Srawn
by casting our eyes upon Great Britain,
celebrated amongst nations, for her love
OF liberty, her power, her wisdom, and
her laws! Here too, will be found, the
strictest union OF church and state. Here
too Will be found, rigid conformity TO The
dominant sect. Here too, will be seen the
protestant, stripping his catholic bro
ther OF his most precious rights, q; hold
ing HIM down to the degraded state of sec
iarlan thraldom. And, even in the present
moment, This awful moment for the rights
OF man, Is presented wonderful anomaly
OF seciarlan capriciousness. For, whilst
the emancipation OF the catholics of Ire
land is peremptorilv denied, and their reIi-
glous tiTaldom more rigidly and imper-
ously demanded, the British nation was
lately seen, and now justihes, pouring
out Incalculable sums oil treasure, and
shedding torrents of blood, not merely
10 establish the doctrine of legitimacy
upon the European continent bit to re-
nOrate and rec StaJHSh TIE Pope az all his
hereSieS, pFcfdndtlO1lS md pJ'etenSiOnS, &C. SC.
whilst lis faithful and Jealous followers
within us own bosom, are treated, lis out
casts from the government, and from So
ciety, exclusively on account OF that very
faith, and that very zeal i'll favor of all
these mysterious prOianatI9ns-Wh
tlieH we look at home or abroad, we are
awlully admonished by the most instruc-
tive lessons, that the present Is tile most
InauspicloUs moment TO put al hazard,
any civil or religious right, TO hold out
any temptation 10 the resilessness of sec
tartan zeal, by granting III perpetuiIy, To
an assemblage OF corporations, any unde-
fined powers, involving the remotest con-
t'..'rIe Legitimate is redeemed" tits insinu.
ated by some, that this Legitimate has found
favor in the eyes OF lhe General Government
This would be wonderful, 1t true-but not the
ORy wonder Of the times. Party spirit can
work wonders, as well as seclarian spirit
The executive encToachments of tic last adj
mIuistratiOn, prove, that the one is as little
under the influence Of correct principles, a,