Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-01-27

free Will and intelligent conviction of those
whom God has rendered responsible for power. u
ms principle, Mr.. ". said, carried Europe
oack az one remove, IT, tire middle of the dark
ages. ihis was t':c ior;r under which our stur-
dy ancestors obtained Magma Char.a. which
was given as concession from the Sovereign.
But, IN later age, IN the revolution which ia-
,roauced the family OF Orsnge, the British nation
mad grown wiser those things which AZ Ruh-
n!mead were gwen IL grants by the Bill of
nlghts, were afterwards iotW lily and explicitly
demanded and insisted t,.., rs rights of the ma
ton. They had been ,sscnteI TO as such-.ml
on tins basis ,he English Constitution rests at
| tnis hour. For THIS reason it was, that Britain
"hen she refused To unite in the principles of
.i'e f1oly alliance, declared those principles to
De suoverslvc OF the principles of the English
Constitution.
/ What, sand Mr.. w. is the nature of that ALL
ance. Alliances between nations, for the p,r-
pose of mutual advantage or defence, had been
often heard of--but an alliance such as that at
Laynach had never dared to he declared to the
world. was this an alliance of nation with ma
ton I! No, Mr.. w. said, it was an alliance of
| crowns against the people of sovereighs A.
gainst their own subjects it was, in word.
the union OF the physical f,,ce of all govern
ments against the rights of the people in all
countries. What was the natural tendency of
such an alhance' 1t was to put an end to all
nations, as such. Extend the principles of that
alliance, and the nations are no nore-there are
only Kings. 1t divided society horizontally, If
such figure was allowed to him,) ;.,d left
all the soVereigns above, and all the people be-
! low--lt set up the one above all rule or restraint
ana put down the other to be trampled beneath
their feet. Not satisfied, with demanding from
the subject allegiance 10 MS own master it ex
| acted double, triple, quadruple, AMI he be
| iteved, indeed, q quintuplc allegiance. Ac-
corling tn its principle, all people owe alleq-
| ance TO all sovercigns. What must oe, what
| has been, the practical operation of such prnci-
pies They lead, necessarily, TO mutual dis
| trust, to general discomfort, and TO universal
| war.-Ths alliance, MIR. w. sid, had changed
| the leading policy of Europe. 1t had made il
criminal for the people to combine, or to resist
| the will of either CT these Sovercigns.-Tf for
example, Spaniar1 attempted to resist the III
QUESTION, he oifendcd not only the King of Spain
but he sinned also against the Emperor of Rus
sla. Or, if a Greek attempted to resist the
Turkish cimetar, he, too, offended the Emperor
OF Russia. 10 use words of the Verona circu
lar, such man &C throws n frcbrand into the
| midst of the Ottoman Empire"
AT the Congress of Troppau, said NJ. w.
we lind the second of the doctrines to which /
before alluded, as now published to the would
TO be ITS law. The Declaration of Troppau
says, C The powers have an undoubtad riobt
| to take hostile attitude in regard to those
states IN which am overthrow of the government
may operate as an example," This right, be-
| tween states whose juxtaposition renders them
mutually exposed to the consequences of what
takes place IN either, is part of what is called
| the law or Vlclnage-and, when confined to ex-
IRENE cases, may, to a certain extent be de-
tended upon principles OF necessity and nations
al defence and preservation. On this principle.
the war of England against France, when the
latter was IN a state of revolution, was mderta-
ken, and this Is the ground on which it was de-
Tended on the floor of Parliament. But to main
tam that every sovereign in Europe may go to
war to repress an example, Mr.. w. said, was
monstrous indeed What was to be the limit
to such principle, or to the practice growing
out OF at /! II this principle is allowed, what,
SAID Mr. w. becomes of OUR example,? Why
are zoe not as legitimate objects for the opera
ton OF the principle as any who attempt to set
republican example on the other side of the At
| lantlc We certainly did not subscribe to this
principle In the days of the Revolution. Wei
did think, that, when oppressed, we might law
fully resist oppression and trust we are not
SO sick of our liberty and its effects as to be I'M
willing, by our example, and by the most pnb!ic
] expression Of our opinion, to recommend to 9TH
ers the same doctrine.
| Here, then, continued Mr.. W., is a cornbina
ton which expressly pledged against all who
setsnch an example, a manifesto which sets it.
self against the whole course Of the human IN
| tellect-against the character of the age, and
which would bring us back at once 10 ali The
| oppression OF the feudal system. Here is doc
| tr1ne which no writer, no diplonatiss which
even no courtler, ever thought of advancing.
Sir, said Mr.. w. it is fragrant irnovotion on
! the principles and practice of the Whole civilized
! world. hope, said he, l shall not he consi-
dered as exaggerating the case.--To convince
| this House that / state nothing but the sober
TRUTH that / draw no inference that the soyer
| eigns themselves have not drawn before me,
permit me to refer to an occurrence that took
| place at the Congress of Verona. In speech
made at that Congress, by the French minister,
Chateaubriand, he declared, that, in a personal
conversation with the Emperor Of Russia, he
had heard that august sovereign utter senti-
ments, which appeared to him so precious, that
ne Immediately hastened home, and wrote them,
down, while they were yet fresh in his recollec-
ton. The Emperor declared " that there can
no longer be such thing as an English, French,
Russian, Prussian or Austrian policy there is
henceforth but one policy, which, for the safety
of all, should be adopted both by people and
| kings. IT vas for me first to shew myself con-
vinced of the principles on which founded the
alliance. An occasion offered itself-the rising
| in Greece. Nothing, certainly, occurred more
for my interests, for the interests of my people
nothing more acceptable to my country, than a
religious war with Turkey; but Ihare thought
IperceiUed in The troubles of the .Norea The sigy,
| Of revolution; and have held back. Provi-
dence has not put under my command 900. 900
soldiers to satisfy my ambition, but to protect
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