The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1825-07-21

- a
M ay;J.uces Of sincere and undated al
are sbr,pnt 10 civil and religious freedom
aionurents, though they may display the
..al,b. aud fatter the pride of nation.
III over fail IN excite the emulation OF
al and glorious actions.-They are made
b,hor for the admiration of the living. than
..,,arnetuate the memory of the dead
or In shew the wealth of the state, than
-, fire us with the warriors ardnr s. the
'.,,;,,s' zeal" But fellow citizens, the
pfoIsbration of the anniversary of your In
coincidence is The living monument of your
.a,;,ude to the heroes of '76 and To the
hhLguzv First Cause" whose kind protection
. /, cbrd over and supported us amidst the
ba,rors and tempcsts Of n civil war, and Fl
lily brought us safely through Z" the val
-, &c the shadow Of" the revolution. And
:, hen yearly you assemble around the fes-
,;,e heard, YOU renew, with more than u
nal solemnty, on the altar of liberty, your
Denomination to transmit, unimpaired, to
.,oste,ity, the inheritance bequeqthed to
,on nv your ancestors proclaim to
- ,dniring world that you cling with all
xaor devotion to liberty and union, as the
n,incipal sources of your wealth, your
strength, and your happiness.
Fellow Citizens are assembled to
celebrate one of the most important events
oyer registered on the page of history an
.yant which filled the world with admira-
,,o, and Northumberland which annDun-
COG vour determination 10 dissolve forever
,l,p political bands which bound you To B1i-
t.;n-to assert that freedom which is your
h;rthright, and to assume that station in
,hr great community of nations, to which
Won we're invited by your distant situation
from the iarrins elements of European
world, and by all the blessings of ndepen-
dencc and liberty. Forty-nine years have
,Iapsrd since our ancestors, after having
rrttioned and demonstrated in vain against
The oppressive acts of the English Parla-
,rent were compelled to appeal to the
God Of battles, the last resort of injured
nations. " Aud though prudence will die
tate that governments long established
should not be changed for light and tran
sient causes" yet there is crisis in suffer.
ing, beyond which submissina were injus-
tice to ourselves, and treason 10 our poste-
yity. When resistance becomes necessary,
fnrbearance ceases TO be "a virtue. There
can be no doubt of the loyal and Affection
ate attachment the colonies to the moth
er country" They were disposed to suf-
fer while evils were sufferable' But
they had demonstrated with the King
they had petitloned the PArlihment-they
bad appealed to the justice and magnanim.
ity OF the English nation. Their repeat
ed petitions were answered only by repeat
I'd iniurIes.o 4 blind aud infatuated poll
ey had obtained The ascendant, aud they
rushed headlong into contest that result
I'D in the ses erance of the empire, and the
establishment of American Independence
mn a permanent basis, And even after the
of hOstihtirs, when Britain
had evinced a determination to enforce her
unjust pretenlsons by the sword, we still
Iooked forward with pleasing anticipations,
20 the period, when grim vi5as'd war
would smooth his wrinkled front - we
still fondly cherished the drlusive hope
sh / a returning sense of reason aud Justice
would impel the English Parliament to re-
dress our wrongs, and TO compose the dis
sensons so unhapplly existing, and which
to convulse the empire. But
IS the refusal of the executive TO sanction
laws the most wholesome and necessary
for the public good the forbdding of go
rernors To pass laws of immediate and
pressing importance, unless suspended in
their operation until the royal assent could
BE- ohtained-the calling together of le2is-
five bodies at places unusual, uncomtorta-
bile, and distant from the depository of the
public recerds-the repeated dissolution of
legislatures for opposing with manly firm
ness, the invasion on the rights Of the peo-
ple-the refusal to cause others to be
elected for a long time after sue h dissolu
tion-the most diabocal attempts to pre-
vent the population of these sta,es-the
keeping of standing armies amongu rs with
ont our conse0t, and cutting off Our trade
with al parts of the world the abolition
Of trial by jury, and imposing taxes on us
without our consent-in fine, the plum
drrluS our seas, the ravagcment of our
coasts the burning of our towns the de-
struction of the lives of our people g. the
transportation hither Of largo armies to
complete the wurl. OF death, desotation and
tyranny" were an earnest of the tender
mcrcies of an unnatural mOther--such
Were the wrongs heaped on us with perse-
yerance as steady and rs firm as the march
at time. But they 5000 6,Si1eiied the Se-
REST delnsion that ever ustllled an inglor.
ouS ielharey INTO Whoie hal'oh-a deilSl-
on that fascinated suffering people with
The deceptive hope, that ovid wars
dreary blasts would 5000 blow over : that
our wounds would be healed, ard tran
guilty again restored. But a douhly re-
doubted application of the scourge' thawed
Them into feeling" aud the trumpet's clan
sor, and the cannon's roar,"" the clash of
arms and the clnkins of chains dissolved
the fatal charm and reused them from
their slumbers. Then, and not tiii then,
was tn" accursrd purpose of Britain disco
Vered-then, and not till then, did we re-
solve on a fna' separation. "For never
tan true reconcieruent grow, where
wounds of deadly hate have pierced SO
Nrrn.N W. all rrnniikp nrrspntrl for our