Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-03-23

prevailed among civilized men from the he
ginning of the world-thus affordlnS splen-
did illustration, and irrefragable proof, "f the
possibility of recOnciling the ~ most extent of
freedom with the maintenance of public au-
thority, and the greatest order, tranquility and
security IN private rights, with the most un-
bounded exercise ofpolitca ones. What else,
indeed, can furnish so conclusive and trinm-
phant, a refuiatoD of the pitiful sophisms and
absurd predictions by which the advocates of
existing abuse have at all times rndeavoured
TO create jealousy and apprehension of re-
form You cannon touch the most corrupt ard
imbecile government without unsetiling the
principles and Infringing the frame ofsocirty
you cannot give the people political rights
without encouraging them to he dsobedient to
lawful authority and sowing the seeds of con-
tinual rebellion and perpetual observation-disclosures
recognize popular professions in any shape.
without coming ultimately to the abolition of
all distinctions, and the division and destrnc-
ton of all property-without involving socie-
~, in short, in disorders at once frightful and
contempiblc and reducing all things to the
level of an Insecure, and iguobe, and bloody
equality. Such are the reasonings by which
we are now to he persuaded that liberty is in
compatible with private happiness or national
prosperity. and that the despotc governments
of the world ought tn be maintained, IL IL were
only 10 protect the people from the consequent
ces of allowing them any controul over the
conduct of their rulers To these we need
mot now answer in words, or by reference 10
past and questionable examples hut we put
them down at once, and tIampe them con-
trmptuously TO the earth. by short appeal to
the fr'sience and condition Of America =
Great .4pp'ansc) What is the country OF
the universe, would now ask, III which pro-
perry is most sacred, or industry most sure of
IFS reward Where is the authority of law
most omnipotent Where is intelligence and
wealth most widely diffused and most rapidly
progressive Where is society in its general
description most reaccable, and orderly, and
moral, and coniented Where are popular
tumuits least known, and the spirit and ex-
Isience, and almost the name, of mob least
heard or Where, in short, is political ami
mostly least revalent-JJtction subdued-and.
nj this moment, even pdriy nearly extipguish
ed, in prevailing feeling Of national pride and
satisfaction Where, but in America (Im-
memse .3ppinuse.) America, that laid the
foundation Of ber Republican Constitution in
violent, radical, sanguinary revoulion-A-
merca. wit, her fundamental democracy,
made more numanageable, and apparently
more haza' dous, by being broken up INTO !
do not knc " how many confrdrrated and in
oePendeAt Observation-Disclosures, with Uni
yersal suffrage, and monthly or weekly cleo
tions-a free and unlicensed press without
an established priesthood, IN hereditary no
bility, or a permanent executive-with all that
is c"mbustbe, in short, and pregnant with
danger. on the hypothesis of tyranny, and
without one OF the checks safeguards by
which alone they contend the benefits or the
very being of society can be maintained p
(PeolS Of .1PPlause.) There is something AT
once audaciOus and ridiculous in maintaining
such doctrines in the face Of such experience.
Nor can any thing be founded on the no, ety
OF these institutions, or he,pretence that they
have not yet been put fairly on their trial.
America has gone on prospecting under them
for forty yecrs-and has exhibited picture of
uninterrupted, rapid, unprecedented advances
IN wealth, population, intelligence, and con-
cord, while NIL the arbitrary governments of
the old world have been overrnn with bank
ruptcIes, consplracies rebelioDs, and revolu-
tons, and are at this moment trembling in
the consciousness of their insecurity and
vainly endeavsurlng 10 reprPss irrepressibIe
discOntents, by coDfederated violence and
terror. (.4PptauSe.l If any thing more were
required TO show the superior security, as
well rs energy and happiness of free govern
ment, must beg merely to coutras. the CON
ditlon OF South America, as il was till very
'airiy-w"h that of the happy country 10
settlements had the advantage of being earlier
established, and followed from the first by
the fostering care ofthe parent state. They
were placed in more fertile soil and more
propItious climate but they were governed
by non resident despOts. and given over TO
bigoited priests and courtly favourites, and
wanting freedom, all the blessings of nature
were turned To curses. Their treasures were
exhansted-the population withered and
shrunk under them both races were degraded
by their mixture-and they became at last
among the governing classes degenerated and
corrupted mass, which meuldered away, and
dissolved in its own rotienness-tilIi il fortified
the soil owe; which L was scattered, for that
rising and glorious harvest of liberty which
now covered it with the beauty of its promise
In the North the lot of our pmigrant country
men was cast IN more ungena regiOns-and
their first struggles either totally neglected or
hut coldly supported by the mother coun-
try-but, carrying with them that innate
love of freedom, which trust will run forever
in the blood of all Britons, they surmounted
all dilicHlties--and even under the colonial
and not always equitable government of Eng
land, they made very considerable advances
in wealth and civilization and ever since thew
have been left to build for themselves ON this
firm foundation, have so multiplied and in
creased in The land, and advanced with such
miraculous rapidty in wealth, population,
industry and power, as not only to put IN shame
the stationary communities o. Europe, hut even
To make her statistsand political economists re-
wise and re-model their systems, to correspond
with unnaturatand excessive prosperity Such,
my Lord, are the services which conceive
America to have rendered To the cause of
liberty-and though they are, az apprehend
truly ncalculable in value and amount. il is
4 i. 4. IT. Il L A