Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-07-17

| OF an University that it first kindcd into day.
From the discussion of religious rights and
duties, the transition to that of the politica! and
civil relations of men with ono another, was
natural and unavoidable in both, the
lrcforiners were met by the weapons OF
| temporal power At the same glance of rea-
son, the tiara would have fallen from the brow
of priesthood, and the despotic sceptre would
have departed from the hand of royalty, but
! for the sword by which they were protected
that sword which, like the flaming sword of
the Cherubim, turned every way to debar ac-
cess to the tree fife.
| The double contest against the oppressors
OF the Church and State was too appalling for
the vigor, or too comprehensive for the faculties
OF thereformers of the European Continent
In Britain alone was it undertaken, and in Dri-
tain but partially succeeded.
| 1t was in the midst of that fermentation OF
the human intellect which brought right and
power IN direct and deadly conflict with each
other, that the rival crowns Oftie two portions
oil the British Island were united on the same
head. 1t was then that, released from the
manacles oiecclesiastica domination, tho minds
| of men began TO investigate the foundations
of civil government. But the mass of the
nation surveyed the fabric of their institutions
as 1T existed in fact 1t had been founded in
conquest !; II had been ceinented in scrvitude,
and SO broken and moulded had been the
minds OF this brave and intelligent people to
their actual condition, that instead of solving
civil society into It's first elements in search OF
their rights, they locked back only TO con-
guest as the origin oftheir liberties, and claim
ed their rights but US donations from their
kings.
| This faltcring assertion Of freedom is no;
chargeablc indeed upon the whole nation.-
There Were spirits capable of tracing civil
| government to its foundation in the moral and
physical nature ofman but conquest and SER
vtude were 50 mingled up in every particle of
the social existence of the nation, that they
had become vitality necessary to them, as IA
portion iiuid, itself destructive OF life, is in
dispensabIy blended with the atmosphere in
which we live.
! Fellow-Citizcns, it was in the heat of this
war of moral clements, which brought one
Stuart to the block, and hurled another from
his throne, that our forcfathers sought refuge
from lis fury in the then wilderness Of this
Western World
They were willing cxilcs from Il country
dearer to them than life. But they were the
cXiics of liberty and of conscience, dc;ler 10
them even than their country. They came
too with Charters from their kings for; even
| IN removing TO another hemisphere, they
cast, longing, lingering looks behind" and
1
connection with their country, which, in the
solemn compact OF charter, they hoped By
corresponding links of allegiance ard pro
lection to preserve.
But. TO their sense ofright, the charter was
only the lgamen between them, their country,
and their king. Transported TO Il new world.
they had relations with ore another, and re-
lations with the aboriginal inhabitants of the
country to which they came, for which no
royal charter could provide. The first settlers
of the plymouth colony, at the eve OF .anding
from their ship, therefore, bound themselves
together by a written covenant; and, lnmc-
diaicly after landing, purchased from the In
dian natives the right Of settlement upon tlie
soil.
Thus was a social compact formed upon
the elementary principles of civil society, in
which conquest and seryitude had no part
The slough of brutal force was entirely cast
off: all was voluntary; all was unbiased
consent: all was the agreement Of soul with
suui
Other colonies Were successfully founded,
and other charters granted, until, III the com
| pass of century and a half thirteen distinct
British Provinces peopled the Atlantic shores
of the North American continent with two
millions of ireemen possessing by their char
| tiers the rights of British subjects, and nuf-
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 parent state with neglect,
harshness, and injustice. Their charters had
often been dsregarded and violated their
commerce restricted and shacklcd their in
| tcrests wantonly or spitefIlly sacrificed so
that the hand Of the parent had been scarcely
ever felt, but in the alternate application OF
whips and scorpions.
When, i'm spite of all these prosecutions, bv
the natural vgor of their constitution, they
were Just attaining the maturity of political
manhood, Il British Parliament, in contempt
| of the ccarest maxims of natural equity, in
defiance of fhe Fundamental principle upon
which British freedom itself had been cement
ed with British blood on the naked Iinblush-
ing allegation Of absolute and uncomfortable
power, undertook, by their act, to levy, with
ont representation and without consent, tares
upon the people Of America, for the benefit OF
the people of Britain. This enormous pro-
lect of public robbery was no sooner made
known than it excited throughout the colonies
one general burst OF indignant resistance. II
was abandoned, rcassertcd and resumed, unit
fleets and armies were transported, 70 record
in the characters Of fire. famine, and desola-
ton, the Transatlantic wisdom of British lc-
| gisatiOn, and the tender merces OF British
consanguinity.
! Fcllow-citizens, ] am speaking Of days lone
past. Ever iidthfuto the sentiment proclaim
ed in the papers which am about to present
once more to your memory Of the past, and
to your forecast Of the future Won will holt
the pcople Of Britain, as you hold the rest o
mankiud-Encmies III war, in peace Friends
The conflict for Independence is now itsel
but record of history. The resentments o
fhnf arc may he hurled In nhlivinn I'll,