The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1823-08-08

dOgnas OF the fUrHSn suptfstiuUu lnat
no great reform, either Of a civil OF religious
nature. unless perhaps under the direction
of iprrifcd agency, CORD we'll be accom-
plishud among tlfom, without running, IN
~ ineinieni stages, by The weight Of It's
own momentum, into extremes, and pro-
ducing general c<snfusioB. The national
mind oil France i0 its then morbid eondi- |
ten. reaaie=d errdual ami cautious re-
lease from The sla,isli and debasing forms
10 which II Ind been !mmemorially aceus-
toned il should have received the bles-
sing of civil aud religious freedom, drop by
drop whereas the generous, enthusiastic
reGormers OF The age, deeply affected al The
wreiched mor;h aud polite aspect Of
lFtcnehmen under the ancient order of
shings, and hearkenigg oIny TO the ardent
suggestions of heir own disposition 10 re-
lirve = miserable people, incsnIiouslysen.
trcd To open, nj once, upon IFS enieebled
vision, enlightened by a long and dreary
soianrn in The damp, dark dungeons of des-
potism, the hopd gates Of moral light
I The people Just attempting 10 emerge ont
Of the midnight Of superstition and slavery,
being thus Suddenly dazzled and made
drunk with redecming light, ere their minds
had been properly prepared for its reccp.
tina, burning with the remembrance of
their numberless wrongs, and fearful of
their aggravated renewal, rose up, as one
! man, aud went forth IN the awful majesty
of their desolatng might, with rather the
maddening hate of dcspotsn, than the
enlightened love Of liberty in their hearts,
in quest of their phantom, Freedom, over
| the ashes of the tiiroDc--the expiatiug
| blood of royaiiy-the graves of religion
and hufnanity--the iuios Of all that WAS
venerable, rs well as AL that was detesiable
| in France In contemplating the tremen-
1 dous throes and agonizing spasms,o of
revolutionary France, f" seeking through
oceans Of blood her long lost liberty we
should take care, ~ use the language of the
enlightened and iudicjous Somervlle, /" not
TO conlonnd the ebullitons ofexpiring roy
atty, with the eneryescence of established
liberty" II was then not the fallacy of
Paine's political principles which was de-
monsirated by the excuses Of the French
revolution, but the inaplitude of French
men To profit by them. For, as John Ran
dolph hnmorously observed of another ma
ton, would as soon have undertaken 10
build line of battle ship with pine sap
pings, ms TO fabricatc liberty ont of French
materials. fresh from the store house ofthe
d" Ancient Regime" II is ever the tender.
cy ofyice 10 render the practice of virtue
difficult. Yet, Notwithstanding the terrible
events aud unfortunate catastrophe of this
memorable revolution, see much in IL to
console the victims of oppression for the
temporary gloom which il casts over their
prospects. II has shaken to their centre
the pillars Of hoary error in relation TO
church and state il has communicated
quickening impulse to the human mind, and
infused into the soul romantic love of
generous hazards, 4" a wild aud fiery dream
of rebel granteur," which, however, they
may give rise 10 occasional excesscs
and miscariages, are yet destined, fondly
believe, in the finess OF time, to aicbieye
the political deliverance Of Europe. The
blood shed by the guiIlotne, and in the
streets Of Paris, may not inaptly be eonsi-
dered as a species Of political sacrifice To
the offended goddess Of liberty, in expia-
ton OF the fe,dal sins of preceding ages !;
whereby way hath been opened, though
beset with acknowledged difficulties and
dangers, by which all flesh" may approach
the hallowed temple Of freedom.
These preliminary observations done,
which were extorted from me by the
simple wish to render sheer justice TO the
memory OF n man to whom America owes
much, will now proceed to the discussion
of the MAN point in controversy between
Rutledge and myself stopping here only,
though without any design to offend by the
inliietion of inquistorial torture, 10 pro-
pound one significant interrogatory. How,
| then, +" Rntledge," comes il TO pass, that
you, whe profess TO be jealous disciple oil
the Jefferson school, should now be found
firmly advocating the production Publ
cola" which is known TO have been de-
nounced by the democratic party of this
country, when political consistency had
local habitatlon" among us-and republic
canlsm was term siguilying something
more than any thing? In the brief analy-
SIS of the principles Of Publcola,n which
] attempted in my last communication,
without deigning TO refine or sophisticate,
addressed myself at once to the plain I'M
| derstanding of the people produced Sc
! vcral striking quotations, whose unambigu-
Gus impor' had supposed could not well
he risapprehended. asserted, ia the first
place, that Mr.. Adams sanctioned the obi
Gus British doctrine, which inoulcates
transfer of the sovereignty of the people to
the government and ia support of this
assertion, | cited the following words from
" Publcola -" Wisdom must dictate to
them (the people) the necessity of delega-
ting their rhoie po'oer in such manner as
that it may be rendered beneficial to the
nation, because mhateper poicer Is retaiaed
BY the people cannotbe exercised for their qd-
ranfage any more than 10 their injury
Now, If Mr.. Adams, in this passage, inten.
ded, like Rutledge, by train of logical
reiinements, wishes TO make appear, to