Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-07-04
THE JUBILEE OF LIBERTY.

perishsble nature of cur Republican Institutions
They pronounced the fate of our Republic from the
downfall OF the free states of antiquity. Accord
ing to them, man was unable to govern himself:
by the violence of faction, corrupted by The in
tfigues OF demagogues assaied by the sword OF
ambition, were destined to undergo the same
mutation of government which had overloaded
the histories oil Greece and Rome: They predicted,
that however might boast of the glore- OF our
Revolution, or the inesiimable value OF Liberty,
many years could not pass away without obscurtng
those glores and consigning our liberties 10 the
grave.
The, made no sufficient allowance for the i'm
provemen,s which Society had received or the
peculiar advantages which continent enjoyed
They forgot the discovery of the Press; the dis.
coveries in nayigation he general diffusion OF light
which he progress of literature had produced:---
They forgot the nesi able benefits OF he Elective
Principle of government: and still less were they
able TO calculate the yigilant Iealous' the diminish
ell jurisdiction, and the reduced power and patro
mage which federal constitution occasions They
did not sufficiently allow for our great distance
from the theatre OF Europe; for our p,lon from
many OF the causes oil war with her monarS hcal
and bellIgerenl states. They did not caculse tie
I'D, ANITA consequently enjoy ed in he COTS
paraive reduction of our standing army. They were
sufficiently impressed with the important truth,
that we were ripe for the enjoyment OF liberty
that we had been already iauiiliarized with many
of her Institutions; and that had fe~ internal
enemies encounter, from the PROUD al,slocra
Cy and the established priesthood, which oppose the
revolutions and liberties of the Itas ern World.
The Prophets of i'll, the slayes of monarchy, the
enemies OF the human race, have consequently been
batied in al their calculations: aud this Republic
still sands, monument of the blessings Of free
government Fifty years have passed away; and
the wa;ch,fires still burn the watch tow err OF
liberty. We have passed through one Of The most
nj ,vhir th,a Df
produced; when g nfuriate ed man. has ATTEMPT ed
in agonies OF blood " his long lost her
ty. w have wlthsiood ali the spasms OF the
French Revolution: We have braved the WHIRLPOOL
OF general war IN Europe; We have defed every
shock - hic assailed Us from without, and every
struggle which annoyed us within our own bosom:
And he great pillars OF our edifce, vet remain
sou'd and I'M ouched. la vain did one bad admins
ration attack The principles of our Constitution
the people put them down by the mere virtues OF
she ballot box In vain lid little conspiracy
attempt 10 disturb the public repose: /, was dis
persed without the necessity of shedding one drop
OF blood Agans, the mischiefs of the p esenr adj
inInistration, trust io the same resource whic
has 50 often proved etfecuaI; we trust to the &c
deeTning spirit of free people
nor have the benefits OF lur Institutions been
confined 20 ourselves: In i776, we stood alone in
the assertion oi the rights OF man But our example
mas spread over other nations: We sowed he seed,
and others are also reapmg the fruits OF it, On tins
continent we have witnessed the establishment of
five new Republics animated BY O, r e.~uple and
enlightened by our pTecepts. And though for a
zine The progress of Liberty may seem to have been
arrested, in Italy, ia Spain, or in France vet it j.
impossible to prevent the dissemination of our
principles. Should continue TO be free The
oppressed nations OF Europe will be co WINGED o
The benefits OF liberty, and they will aspire to enjoy
them The fact alone OF our existence is equal "a
thousand arguments. So long as our beacon fire.
burn, the most distant nations mast profit by the
illumination.
Fifty years have hen elapsed since the Declare
ton OF our Independence; and this day we are to
hail as the Jubilee OF our Liberty We are this
day 10 remember with reVerenlial hearts the blood
which was shed for It's establishment: We are 10
pour forth our gratitude the heroes who louehi
and 10 the statesmen who watched over us: w {
? are TO impress upon children the solemn du '
oil guarding the invaluable legacy which is handed
down to them We tell then that The same
iirmness and virtue, which once achieved our loer-
ues' are stu necessary to preserve them; that a
people who 90 to sleep with the Constitution un-
der their heads will awaken in chains;' that ain
Dition is still 10 be rePressed, intrigue TO be bal
ned, entertainments to be resised; that power is
sly and gradual in its advances; and that Freedom
VIII never bless US with another Jubilee, unies.
we have virtue and vigilance enough TO deserve
the dirpensaton.
the sublime Document, which developes in
words which breathe and thoughts that burn, .
the causes ola Revolution, the greatness of whose
consequences" no eye hath seen, no ear hath heard
no tongue can adequately tell"
IN CONGRESS: JULY 4, 1916.
THE UNANIMOUS DECLaRaTIOW
or THE THIRTEEN
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
When, IN the course of human events il be
comes necessary for one people to dissolve the
political bands which have connected them with
another, and to assume among the powers Of the
earth, the separate end equal station TO which The
laws oil nature and of natures God entiile them
!. decent respect to the opinions OF mankind re-
quires that they should declare The causes which
impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident That
: all men are created equal That they endowed
by their Creator with certain unaenabe rights ;
That among these are life, liberty and The pur nit
OF happiness That 10 secure these rights, gov
erDments are instituted among them, deriving their
jus powers from the consent OF the governed /;
Thai whenever any ferns Of Government becomes
destructive Of these ends, it is the right OF the
leope 10 alter or abolish it, and 10 institute new
government, laying iOundgtlo such principles
aud organizing It's po', IN such form, as 10 them
shall seem most likely TO eGecl their safety and
happiness Prudence, indeed, will dictate, that
governments long established should not be chang
ed for light and transient causes and accordingly
Pill experience hath shewn, that mankind are more
disposed to suffer, while evils siderable, than
10 right themselves by abolishing the forms to
which they are accustomed. But when long train
oil abuses aRd usurpations, pursuing invariably the
same object, eyinces design 10 reduce them un-