The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1821-07-25

Delivered az the re9uesf Of a Cos,missee orths
Gnsens Of Hash'ngfon |; on rae accession OF
reading the Declaration of Indentndenee, o.,
ne Fourh Of Jnty, 1891
BY JOHN QUINcY ADAMS.
FELLOH CITIZENS.

4
which we have again assembled 10 com me mo-
rate, our fathers, the people of this uc,on, had
constituted portion Of the ID i,ish patton; q
nation renowned in arts and arms, who, i,out
| q small island IN the Atlantic Ocean, had ex.
| teoded their dominion over con side able parts
| OF every suarter OF the Glcbe. Cove med
themselves by race OF kings, whose title TO
| sovereignty had originally been founded in
| conquest, spcll-bound Tor a succession OF ages
under that poucptous systen m OF dcspo,ism and
| OF superstition which, IN the name oil the meek
| and humble Jesus, had been spread over tho
Christian world, The history OF this nation, had,
tor period OF seven hundred years, from The
days OF the conquest ill our owe, exhibited d
couhict almost continual, between the oppres-
s'obs OF power and claims of right. In the
theo''cs oi the Crown and the Mue, man had
no rights. Neither the body nor the soul Of
the individual was his own. From the mpene-
trabie gloom OF this intellectual dar kness, end
the deep degradation OF this servi,ode. tho
British nation had partially emoreec. The
martyrs OF religious freedom had consumed ID
ashes ct the stake the champions oi tempo,
ral liberty had bowed their heads upon thd
scaho'd; aud the spirits OF many . bloody day
had left thci' earthly vcs,u'e Upon tn, field Of
battle, and scared TO plead the cause OF Lib
erty before tho throne of Heaven. The peo-
| pie OF B'i,airr-ihroueh long oges OF civil war,
had exiortcd from their ,ytsnts no, oeknospts
eaSf'reD!s, bu, grants, oil right, with his con
ccss'on they had been content TO stop in tho
progress oi human imp ovemoDt. They re.
ceised their freedom rs q dons,ion from ,heit
sovereigDs they appealed Tor their privileges
10 eigE manual and seal they held their
title TO lands, from The bounty OF man and
\ r. nj oph olt Al hm
great charter Of RuUny Mead was the begin
ming ol the world.
From the earliest ages Of their recorded
history, the inhabi,snts Of the d tdsh Islands
have been Distinguished 10, their intelligence
and their spirit. How much Of these two
Qualities, the ioun ans Of all amelio, alton III
the condition OF men was s,ifl d Ivy these two
principles OF subse v,ency to ecclesiastical u.
surpalion, end ot holding riyhfs as the do0aS
uon oil kings, this is not The oceasion TO ens
| quire.
Of their tendency to pasey the vigoI and
enetVe'e The faculties OF man, all pbiIosophc.
al reasoning, ond all actual expe eticnce, concuf
In testimony.
! These principles, however, were not u
liar 20 the people OF Britain. They w--
5eusiobs Of oil Europe, still the most enlig =
ened and mos, improvablc portion OF the carth.
| The temporal chain was riveusd upon the
people OF Britain by tho Conquest. Their
spiritual letters were forg, BY s,lb.eI,y work1
ing upon superstition. BsDeful as The eject
oi these principles was, they could not forever
extinguish the light OF reason in the hUmop
mind. The discovery Of the Mariners ComS
pass was soon followed by the extension o'ini
tcrcougse between ha,ions the mes, dsisUiI
ond which, witbou, that leh besming in dsrks
ness to guide the path Of man over the bound1
less waste OF waters, could never have been
known TO each o,her. The invention Of Prints
ing and the composition OF Gunpowde', whicf,
| rovolutioRizcd at once The art and sciences OF
war, and the relations Of peace the revelation
| OF India TO Vasco de Cana, and he disclosure
to Columbus of the American hemisphere, all
resulted from the incon pressIblc energies OF
the human intellect, bound and crippled as N
was by the double cords Of ecclesiastical i'ns
posture aud political oppressioA. To ,he,o
agents in the progressive improvement, OF
our species, Britain can lay no claim. For
them the children OF men are indebted 10 I'a..
~, 10 Germany, TO Portugal, and to Spain. All
these Improvements, however, consisted ~
successful resecre ehes into the pfopcrtie. ami
notifications Of external bo,u,e.--The Reliss
ious Refornla,io was an improvement in the
! science Of mind on improvement in The IN
tercourse Of man with his Creator, snd in his
scqusiniancc with himself. {, WIS on sdvonch
in tho knowledge Of his dnies end hi, righfA
It was a step in The progre" Of man in COM
parison with which the Magnet and GuopovI
der, fhe wonders Of either India, nay, the
/ Filming Ptess itself, we're bu, the PAGES of
pigmy to the stride Of giant. Ito ibis STEP
of human advance men, Germany likewise lay
| claim in the pcrsoB OF Martin luther, or i0
the earlier but inc ffec,usi mar,yrdom Of JohS
Huss, England may point 10 he' Wickiiffe az
yet mere primitive vindicsor Of the same
rigbteou, cause, snd msy insist on the gior1
OF having contributed her share 10 the impro.'
men, of tho moral condi'ion OF man.
The eorrup'ioos and usurps,ioo' OF the
Church we're the mmedia,e objects OF tbsse
reformer. bot, q, the foundation OF all iheif
exertions, there was q single, plain, end a'rost
seif.esdsn, prineiple-,b', man has r'gn,
| Gt... ~