The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1824-03-22
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MIR. JEFFREY,s sPEEcH

4 DCiNCTCu az tnC anniversary dinner OF
the Fox Club in Edinburgh (Sco,landl
in January last:
Mr.. Jeffrey rose, and was welcomed
with long and loud applause. After this
had subsidized, he proceeded. Though il
IS the principal business Of a meeting
like this to do honor to the champions of
our own rights, and the principles of our
own freedom, I propose now, with your
'ordship's indulgence, to bring under its
notice the concerns and the merits Of ano-
Their country, which thought thank God,
now foreign and independent in relation
to us, trust never will be regarded as
alien either to the people of Britain, or
the common iD,ercs, Il iiterty, al.
Jude. my lords, to the United States of
America. (4hhlaMe.) 1t is not any
part, however, of mypurpose to enlarpe
on her present greatness and growing
importance, or the mighty influence
which she is desunedhereafter 70 eyer.
else on the fortunes Dr. the world. tn
that futurity il is aninntine TO Ioo,, for.
ward, and to think tina there is no,b;ne
in the prospect it preients to u. that !,
not orisht with the promise of great
improvement. Built is rather to her
present condition, and TO the ADVANTAGES
we have already derived from her, that
wish to call the attention of the meet
ing For, to my mind, that nation has
already done the most essential service
TO the cause OF freedom-nt perhaps SO
much by the conduct of her pc ople, or
oy the acts of her government, as by
her mere existcnce-in peace, respect,
and prosperity, under institutions more
practically popular, and constitution
more purely democratic, than has ever
prevailed among civilized men from the
beginning of the world-thus affordipp a
splendid illustration, and irrefraeable
proof OF the possibility of reconcilinr
the utmost extent of freedom with the
maintenance Of public authority and the
greatest order and tranquility, md secu.
ri'y to private rights, with the most un.
bounded exercise of political ONES
what else, indeed, can furnistso con.
elusive and triumphant recitation of
the pItitul sophisms and absurd predic.
tIons. by which the advocates Of exis,iro
abuse have at all times endeayored to
create jealousy and apprehension OF
reform I? You cannot touch the most
corrupt and imbecile government with
OUT unsettling the principles and unhine.
ing the frame of society-you cannot give
the people political rights without en-
couraging them to be disobedient to law>
tul authority and sowing the seeds of
continual rebellion and perpetual discon,
tent-nor recognize popular pretensions
IN any shape, without coming ultimately
to the abolition of all distinctions, and the
DIVISION and destruction of all property
without involving society, in short, in dis
orders at once frightful and contemplate,
and reducing allthings to the level of an
insecure and ignobIe, land bloody equality.
such are the reasonings by which we are
now to be persuaded that liberty is in
compatible with private happiness or
national prosperity, and that the despotic
governments OF the world ought to be
maintained, fit we're only to protect the
people from the consequences of allow
ing them any controul over the conduct
OF their rulers To these we need not
now answer in words, or by reference to
the past and questionable examples but
we put them down at once, and trample
them contemporary to the earth, by
short appeal to the erisfence and eondi-
ton Of america! { Great ahhLause. }
what IS the country of the universe,
would now ask, in which property is
most sacred, or industry most sure Of its
reward T? Where is the authority of law
most omnipoteRt ! Where is the intelli-
gence and wealth most widely difFused
and most rapidly progressive Where is
society in its general description most