The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1823-01-24

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which contains less than one hundred
voters; many less than ten voters; and
some no more than one voter. The Par
lament may continue rs long as they, witt,
the king, please nj present the period is
seven years; il bias been sometimes one,
and sometimes three years but par!ia-
mrnts have cortintied twelve and eighteen
ycars.-The kiug has a negative ON the
laws, appoints the bishops and arehbishops,
and conteues aud dssolyes the conyoea-
tons OF the clergy. Such is this most stu
lpendous fabric of human invention, and
the most perfect of all forms OF govern
nent, according TO President Adams.
Sir. Adams, IN his papers signed " Pub
lic0la,' aud written IN 1871, apparently
for the purpose OF preventing any reform
IN the British government. ahimadyerts on
the work entitled "The Rights of Man"
written by Mr.. Paine, in answer To an es-
say written by Mr.. Burke, who denied the
right Of people to change their govern
ment. MIR. Burke, in speaking of the
French revolution, affirmed that 1" il the
ma lority of any other people, the people
of England for instance, wish TO make the
same change, they have the same right
/
/ nj all" The doctrine of Mr.. Paine was
different He sand that the end of all
i political associations is the preservation of
i the rights Of man, hich rights are liberty,
property, and security that the nation is
! he source of all sovereignty derived from
/ it, That when a nation changes its la-
/ bits oil thinking, ii is no longer TO be go
yerned as before" He spoke the language
of our declaration ofindependence, and of
our bills of rights. Mr. Adams took up
the pen on the side Of Burke, the advocate
| for established abuses, and argucdk that,
for the British government To call a con-
venton w@iId be llagrant breach of trust,
and tue abdlcation of the authority lawful
ly committed To them. They might, he
said, dissolve themselves but calling a
conHentIon, by act Of parliament appear cd
10 hfin 10 involve All absnrdlty. +" 1t is
not says Nr. Adams, "a mechanical
" horror against the name Of King, or Of
" aristocracy, nor a physical autipathy to
+" The Sound of an extrdyagant title, or to
" the sight OF an innocent ribband, that can
" authorize people to lay violent hands
upon the constitution which protects
" THIN rights and guards their liberties"
II Is Il singular circumstance, that the
enemy of reterm whose arguments were
most relied on III England, in 1899, in OPP
position 10 THE rights OF man." was
native American citi2eu--Mr. Adams
When the prosecution against Mr.. Paine
Tor writing the Rights Of Man came on To
be tired, the attorney general relied on the
arguments OF Mir. Adams to prove that, to
write against hereditary government, the
crown and parliament, was a libel. The
principles of liberty must indeed be scorn-
ed .ld abhorred by that American citizen,
who, IN a contest for human rights ON the
other side of The Atlantic, should take the
SIDE OF the enemies of reform, against an
oPpresscdpeople, tell them that they have
delegated all Their collective power; and in
suit them by saying that their tyranuical ,
government "protects their rights, and
guards their lbrrtiys."
IL Is worthy Of particular remark, II , !
what time these essays were writen-in
June, 1871, when all the friends OF liberty
hid high hopes OF the happy examinations
of the French revolution. some excesscs.
II is true, had been committed but II was
not until january, 1898, that the King was
put to dcy.h. Al such time, to.wIite a.
gainst changes OF government favourable
10 the rights of the people, proposed To be
effected by conventions, was an offence
against liberty, that the friends of free go
'ernment ought not To pardon.
! AS Mr.. Adams complains that one Of his
expressions has been distorted and misfe-
presented III the newspapers, | will copy
! 1t. Mr. Jefferson having written, with re
terence 10 The Rights of Man, thus: ."
ha1e no doubt our citizens VIII rally
"scoond time round the standard OF cong
mon sense, Mr.. Adams, speaking ofihis
and other expressions, says "They seem,
like the .Robidn prophet, To call upon all
true believers in the Islam of democracy,
"to draw their swords, and in the feryor
"ol their devotion, 10 compel all them
countrymen tn cry out "there is but one
"Goddess of Liberty, and Common Sense
lis her prophet" This was skirmish of
the wit Of Mr.. Adams.
Mr. Adams says his opinion OF Paine
and his writings was not thcn ca 1871 w.
ny exalted. His opinion then Vas very diff
terent, net only from that of Nlr. Jefferson,
but from other distinguished men of that
day, az well as from the opinion of the
Congress of the UAitcd States, expressed
after the close Of the revolution. Aud
Mr.. Adams himself, in 1871, has coupled
the name of Mr.. Paine with that Of Mr.
Jefferson, and said, " both those gentlemen
"afe entitled to the gratitude Of their
country" Mr.. Burke spoke Of MIR.
Pane as g the author Of the celebrated
: pamphlet which Prepared the minds ofhe
|" peope for iadsPendence.' Lord E.rskine
said, IN 1903, - | can only say that Mr.
Paine may be right throughout, but that
4 Mr.. Burke cannot. Mr. Paine has been
UNIFORM in his opinions but Mr. Burke
E" has not" Yet it seems Nh Adams o.
plnon OF Mr.. PANE was net very exalted ;
although he unitrs him with Mr. jefferson,