Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1821-08-14

/ -
Other colonies were successfully
founded, and other charters granted un-
til, in the compass of a century and
half, thirteen distinct British Province
peopled the Atlantic shores of the North
American continent with two millions of
ireemen; possessing by their charters
the rights OF British Subjects, and nur-
tured by their position and education, in
the more comprehensive and original
doctrines Of human rights. From their
infancy they had been treated by the pa
rent state with neglect, harshness, and
injustice. Their charters had often been
lisregarded and violated; their COM
merce restricted and shackled !; their in
terest wantonly or spitefully sacrificed;
so that the hand of the parent had been
scarcely ever felt, but in the alternate
application of whips and scorpions.
When in spite Of all these persecu-
tons, by the natural vigor Of their con-
stitution, they were just attaining the ma
turty of political manhood, British, Par
lament, in contempt Of the clearest
maxims OF natural equity, in defiance OF
the fundamental principle upon which
British freedom itself had been cemented
with British blood; on the naked I'M
blushing allegation of absolute and UNI
conlrollabie power, undertook by their
act, to levy, without representation and
without consent, tares upon the people
of America, for the benefit of the people
OF Britain. This enormous proec OF
public .'obber, was no sooner made
known, than it eX, tied throughout the
colonies one general burst of indignant
resistance. Ii was abandoned, reassert-
cd and resumed, until fleets and armies
were transported, to record in the charac-
tiers of fire, famine, and desolation, the
transatlantic wisdom of British legisla-
ton, and the tender mercies of British
consanguini,y.
Fellow-ctizens, am speaking of days
long past. Ever faithful to the senti-
ment proclaimed in the papers which
am about to present once more to your
memory Of the past and to your forecast
of the future you will hold the people
Of Britain, as you hold the rest Of man
kind, enemies in war, in peace friends.
The conflict for independence is now l.
self but a record Of history. The re-
sentiments OF that age may be buried in
oblivion. The sloutcst hearts which
then supported the tug of war are cold
under the clod OF the valley. My pur-
pose is TO rekindleno angry passion from
It's enbers: bu, this annual solemn Pc
rusal Of the instrument which proclaim
ed to the world the causes of your exls-
ience as a nation, is not without its JUS;
and useful purpose.
1t is not by the yearly reiteration ofthe
wrongs endured by your fathers, to evoke
from the sepulchre OF Time, the shades
Of departed Tyranny; it is not to draw
from their dread abode the frailties of
an unfortunate monarch who now sleeps
with his fathers, and the suherings OF
whose latter days may have atoned at
the bar of Divine mercy, for the sins
which the accusing Angel will read from
this scroll to his charge; it is not to eX-
ult in the great moral triumph by which
the Supreme Governor of the world
crowned the cause of your country with
success. No, the purpose for which
you listen wit. renewed and never-lan-
gushing delight to the reading of this
paper is of purer and more exalted
cast. 1t is sullied with no vindictive re-
collection. 1t is degraded by no rank
ling resentment. 1t is inflated with no
vain and idle exulta,ion of victory. The
Declaration Of Independence in its pri-
mary purport was merely an occasional
state paper. 1t was solemn exposition
to the world, of the ceases which had
comhetled the people OF a small portion
of the British empire to cast off the al
legiance and renounce the protection Of
the British king; and to dissolve their
social connexion with the British people.
In the annals of the human race, the Sc
paration of one people into two, is an
event Of no uncommon occurrence. The
successful resistance ola people against
oppression, to the downfall of the ,yrant
and of tyranny itself, is the lesson ofma-
ny en- age, and of almost every cline.
1t lives in the venerable records of Holy
Writ. 1t beams in the brightest pages
of profane history. The names of Pha-
raoh and Moses, of Tarquin and Junius
8rutus, of Geisler and Tell, Of Christiern
and Gustavus Vasa, of Philip of Austria
and William of Orange, stand in long ar
ray through the vista OF Time like the
Spirit Of Evil and the Spirit Of Good in
cmbattlcd opposition to each other, from
the Wondering ages Of antiquity, to the
recen, memory of our fathers, and from
The burning plains of Palestine, to the
nnlar frost of Scandinavia. For the In.