Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-09-13


gorson terrors with which cruel and absolute w.
ranny had been so long invested, seem to have 70.
pressed thcy did not crush the spirit of the phi,os
ophers OF that day, who full well and must keen.
ly have felt. the unmeri,cd degradation of their own
lot aud the abect servitude OF the people. Some in
decd amongst them found insensiblc To the
call Of humanity, lost TO the dignity of letters,
ater the vices and TO Justify the cXccsscs OF the ty
rant But il beautiful attribute of the nature of
truth, that she finds champion in the advocate
OF error-that her cause 10 indicated even by her
assailans-fcr every attempt To sustain and Justify
!alschood tends only to exhibit IN more naked de-
formlty, and expose It to more general deestat
Vhus the efforts 10 advance and recommend tyranny,
served only 10 recommend and 10 vndicatc the great
and then unfriendcd cause of human liberty.
Not in the diffusion Of knowledge only was the reign
of Lewis XIV, promotivc Of the ultimate triumph of
free principles The rage of conquest which possessed
him could not fortunately, for after times however
happily for his own, be gratieJ but the price Of
vast and lavish expenditures of money. His immediate
successors inherited with the crown the same mad g.
infatuated ambition. Wanlony and wssteFuy were
expended the immense sums, extortcd, year after
year, from people, the very OF whose wealth
their Gbour, drawn also into the vortex of these
magnificent but fatal and vicious projects At length
under the reign Of Louis XVI the treasury was
exhausted not only oil its money, but of it's credit
the finances We're fallen into hopeless embarrassment
"a yearly deficit of more than twenty millions of
dollars, deticd alike the strong hand OF extorton and
the subtle ingenuity of finance wiring from reuc-
tant and impoverished people
France the verge Of national bankruprcv
1t was then it became necessary to appeal to the
people, to sustain the sinkng credit of the crown;
and 1t is this period may hail the dawn Of that
liberty which soon alter retulgent upon France,
and which now, after partial eclipse we INDULGE the
hope IL again TO burst forth III full meridian spendor
We may now, like the events which followed, pass
rapidly on with our sketch. An appeal for aid
mnde 10 the assembly OF Notabics. To be sure these
were men taken wheresoever the king pleased, and
dismissed at w-but yet, they were men taken from
the body otthe people. 1t was the first ime for two
hundred years that the people had been allowed ,(fI
may say SOY TO feel their consequence. II n most
nauspcious period for royalty hazard the teaching
OF that lesson AT the same time, they thus made
OF their Importance, they suffering under
CALLING oppression & accumulated wrongs. Alike in
adequate TO render efcctue aid To monarch, sub
Jec but having yet served the important purpose of
making known the true state of public affairs. the
Assembly oil Notables ceased To attract respect
and dissolved IN its own weakness
About this time, The Parliament of Paris, whose
Junction was 10 record the Royal Edics, refused
to register iva for the creation Of lmposts asserting
that taxes could only be laid 10y the National Rep
resentatNcs, whose immediate convocation they de
nanded. Justly fearful of the consequences of this
measure TO his crown, Lewis essayed all that art or
policy or threats could effect, elude or repel the
demand. In vain. Prospects of future happiness
had been opened. Rccoilections of former freedom
had been awGkcned-the sense of present ills nor
words, nor flatrcry, nor promises, could alay-nor
threats subduc The personal amableness of Lewis:
The unquestioned Probty and great popularity Of
Necker; the power of tho Crown could present no
adequate check to the irresistible torrent of public
sontInent-a convocation of the States General was
Diet ermined on-and on the 5th day OF May. 1889,
tho Il st important popular triumph was accomplish
ed IN France, by the memorable meeting OF that DO
dy at Versailles
Now was TO take place that long deferred and
mighty struggle between the King and the people to
Vfleh tho curren of events must sooner or later
have inevitably led nation weighed down under
load OF taxes, with scarce the vesige of right
Their Properly-their lberty-ther lives held by the
~ 1T I'm -rfla
stimulated By The thought of ores of ty
rnnnica Ggrcsson-called aloud for reform Never
owed nation larger debt of gratitude than pr rance
owed to the patriotic and devoted band on whose
nrmness q patriotic spirit her desnies then hung
Never had liberty votares-ncvcr had the RIGHTS
OF man, mere jealous and intrepid advocates. than
those noble representatives Who nclosed within the
very precincts of the under the frowuna brow
OF the 1yrant, surrounded by thousands Of armed
myrmidons-hIrcd rncrccnaries pantnq for the pricc
OF 6lood-dared reply to the Royal Messenger who
I'D the klngs name, ordered them TO dispense, 9Th,
Nation assembled, has order to receive" From
TINT moment II was struggle of force. Seventy
thousand mon, chiefly mcrccnares had been assem-
olsd around the throne, to enforce the royal w-to
and overawe the National Legislature
TO stIlc the voice and crush the riaDr discontcn,s
oil the people The people rose against despotIsm
as lgnoulnIous as u was oppressive. In the words
Of great Irish orator. they broke their chains over
the heads OF their oppressors." The life ofhim who
from weakness guilt, 6ported with the llyes the
his crimes for one, do not hesitate in language not
unfamiliar to the cars Of Virgnians, to eScinm .'sic
Semper tgrannis!"
anu admonshed by Obvious considerations, not to
enter upon the events, nor TO engage IN the discus
SONS OF which the revolution of 1889 was so snpu-
lsrly fruitful. Events Of such astonishing magnitude
following one another with rapldity so unexamplcd
Hhd no parallel IN the annals Of the world. Time /
on ms occasion IS wanting for their enumeration
oi Iess caH stop TO expose the allacics or unmask
the bypocrtlca and absurd Jeremnds that have been
whlrled thro all time, by preenders to humanity over
g. men, whose Patrclan sensbilty shocked at even
the mcT:.ed pains of royalty, but feel 20 touch of
pity for the suiierlus5 Of whole people. "In the
great affairs of men," 1t has been well rcmaf led .
tine only humanity that claims respect, is that manly
ma expanded humanity that fixes its steady eve on
he object Of general happiness" Guided by this
principle IN forming our judgment Of the first French
Revolution looking not merely its immediate OWLS
lut weighing them against its resulting benefits to
.Gc French nation and TO mankind the enlightened
DhlIanthropist will udampe cause Join IN the rcio
;ings ofthe friends offfccdon at that memorable and
most interesting event.
IL was at that ers that certain lending and G,ndo