Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1826-08-25


NOUNS her yotary-Lberty in every cline weers N,
son,-wlic sovereign nations forgetting in the nagp
tude Of their grief those imaginary boundaries whic
distinguish 'hem-sacrihce the little chickering's of tb
heart, and become participants in an universal woei
The fame OF this great man. will bear the incest ,,,,
ysis; II challenges the test of scrutnv ,nl t;,,.
Inc CIVIC wreath awarded TO him by an admirnc world
compared with the laurel ciaplct which adorns ,,
conftiorors brow, stands the E,ircs, IRON,
cd with the fouIest eartLn Ii is then VIII, No feai,
o apprehension, that look back upon his eventual LIFE
t; .'c "o' res, may Ind IN the multitude of his
actions one base deed 10 uy the bright escutchcon %
his character But revert to cyery period of his M.
1ai career w'h the proud consciousness of findnp
pattiotisn me motive upon which every important acc
uoh Oh ms e was based. Ycs-his heart was AL his
counrys, and he sacrificed every selfish cons;Jer.,
upon The altar of that couutry,s good
FROM The earliest tcur in which he rises 10 clair, e
attention OF mankind find him the APOSTLE of !;
berry, and the stern, inlexiblc defender NJ lilo ;,
rights OF inan--rghts which had for agcs silent beneath
The siavsh doctrine of European tyranny I'VE cannot
iu3 cs''na'e ms character unless we view him in the
h9ht OF great rciormer. He not only the cham
p'on OF FREEDOM but he overturned tie fortrosses Of
dcspotisn, made llaowed by the hand of tne-tlo Lc
might erect upon lhcir ruins tic Temple of Liberty
Tie proposition had been promued 10 the world that
man was incapable of scIf-goyerninent and its ado
Gates pointed in exuation TO Rome in her rnins--to
Athens in her downfal-and 10 the cnitan Repubiic
gaspns IN desoatiop as the sublime aud irresistible
evidences of its truth,-Tie sophisry was successful
and tile mass of mankind becoming proseytcs TO the
uoctrine OF dcne rights, believed themselves ..bun
WIN saddles upon their backs, that iavonred few
ready booted and spurred might ride them
by the grace of Godn IL w.s from this fa;tl1 Thai LET,
ierson Claimed exemption. lie believed in the sovc
eghy OF man. and he determined TO risk every thing
III defence of the political creed he had adopted
AT the time when the voice of the infant colonies
was lifted up against British usurpation and oppression
emerson became of age He found himself in posses
SION OF hereditary wealth. This appendage OF ROYALTY
iied nott attract attention, and the heir of AIonceiio
WasScoured by all the "A ris;ocrats of the land lie
we're bind indeed net 10 That by adopting their
principles regal honours awaited him Tic sublime
prospect of riding, booted and spurre,l over tle pros
ra'e liberties of the people set before his eyes,
PM fortunately Tor the Of Freedom he had drawn
his principles from the pure fountain of lbcry's wa
tiers. lle saw IN perspective 'o future tiny of inc-
RIGA, ana he hcstated not, about c caui Sc he should
ursur, he scrupicd butter tie 10Y of crIlv 40
grandizcincnt for that Immortality which would i.c
awarded him as the need Of 4 well spent life. We
accordingly find him protesting against The tous
Of the British Ministry, and .aiding ol!h the able and
fearless defender Of colonial rights His active onposi-
ton drew down upon him the frowns az the usurniro
party-hit Jefferson was no courcr Ia live only that
nc might baSS and iuttcr iii the smiles royaity-his
resolution was not Disturbed, fur il was resolution moi
TO he shaken by events.
We dwell with pleasure upon this period OF his hiso-
rv IL WAS the FIRST evidence of that warm de votiop In
the of liberty, which distinguished his orer III,
he Tune too lends not to il small portion of interest
was the age when free principles begun their march
Man was Jist learning again to for hsclf-hc
Was lust awakng TO knowledge OF his condition-and
the .''tvc opposition Lord North mtt with eynced
determination on the part of the people, battle for
tic principles deduced from of the reason,
r2 power IL loo in point of time but one, wear
the precursor of that event, which of itself gave nor.
tay 10 the subject Of my eulogy and proclaimed H.
berry TO civilized mani On the .lih OF July following
in instrument renncl by Jefferson we published 10
the world, that we GIcI he free! Oh. s'it is great
and glorious day" May ii eyer be hailed bv frccmeu
with kinng rapt;,rcor il is the brightest annver-
sary IN the annals OF mani For half n century il has
been greeted throughout the western LcmispAere-by
half
tury has heard the racans of nations jut,ce But
that my sterious dissolution of te patriot and tie sage
upon the very day and hour wien man burst from lis
chains, has stamped upon il the impress az divinity and
rendered lis celebration cocva with the fame of fer
son-coeval with the existence of liberty urcn Tic
carU fes-lere Is spirit UP and doing, which. IL,
ITS extent and progressive march, WORKING Tie o,ar-
cipation of man. She >uLiei her fires in tic bosom,
OF North America; upon the ..ndcs of the South She
erected her temple, distant Greece feels the Iu
ence OF her Illuminating rays Such Iobt cannot f,
TO awaken The worilsuch spirit cannot fail To rouse
man 10 knowledge Of iis Northumberland when Tia
happy hour shall have arrir the edcmp;ion al
the human race from dcspotisrn and idnatous srcr-
sutton shall be chcced-'hc Declaration of cur In.
dependence will be tic charter Of fl.e rights of man
and lis author be haiicd the bcnellCtor Of man
kind,n
But it was not enough, that our revolution was eject
ed and our independence declared. There VA, ct al,
important task 10 accomplish. 1t nrcee,ar. &, res
cue our laws from The poisonous spirit al niarchical
and arsocraical principles m which they we're I'M
D.
it necessary CHAT rcpubcan;stn Should stamp upon
our CODE the impress oi 5erality equality; and il,
eficcting this object, IciieIson efforts were perhaps
more vitality important to our country than any he hes.
lowed upon her after she took her standing among the
nations of the earth.
The first act of importance 10 which would cal,
Eour attention is the law prohibiting the further mpor-
Ration of slaves This evil was cIrtailrtf us By
Great Britain. Pursuing with vigor 4 short sighted
policy; Dururing in bosom tic fatal adder
which was 10 prove destruction Already had the
black population assumed an alarming ratio with that
of the withstand but for the timely interference of
Jefferson, 1t would have BECOME evil irrc,ncdiaLc
and destructive. But why coinmentupon the law. II
was founded IN ciarythe experience OF nearly hall
century procaims its WISDOM and when in tic pro-
gress of time, liberty and religion shall have erected
their temples in the burning sands Of the east-hc
eniranChised African shall venerae the name of Jc
SOD, for he rescued his ancestors from scrve bondage
TO beings whom the God of nature proclaimed but
their equals!
This law but The forerunner of another OF vet