Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1832-07-10

az wo do upon the unaing renewal of light and air
Ii must be owned that this confidence In the perpetuy
OF our free institutions however well founded Is rebukcd
by the experience of all the pas and if shall be vindi
Gated by the future in God will be- the new
world VIII have the glory of teaching to the old lesson
OF more value than all the treasures ofits wisdom
The general lot Of ga heritage OF servitide and
6hndoid bondage His efforts to be free have obtained
Tor nm only BRET rcspites from tyranny, hollow ,ruces
short and partial triumphs There mighty elements
in our nature hostile TO freedom-the selfish passions
the savish Tears the hereditary preudices men: TO
these are sometimes added their virtues the of peace
oil order OF tranquility, of securty and sometimes their
necessiesas when Rome than once in her extreme
dangers oade The dictator take that the Republic
ceive no detrimen and thereby resigned to him her ber
ties.
Follow the circle of the sun, and observe how rarely
and how briefly he has shone upon the free.
ASIA the "Ancient of days., upon whose head the pa
hered ages are unnumbered, can shew during all
bered ume no trace OF the footsteps OF Freedom upon her
broad and beautiful doman--save only on the narrow
VERGE where lona amidst her chains and looks ON
her parent Greece, with vain hope, Il NAV be- to catch
again from its re-knded affairs the flame of liberty
In Africa, Carthage, which alone aspired to free
dom rs buried In the burning sands Of tho desert
Ana Europe the empire OF arts aud arms, the mistress
unul the day we are ommemorang, OF earth and sea-
her annals oil thirty centuries fraugh with the long
victims Its true the petty States Of Greece enjoyed an
ireguated and umultuous freedom during brief inter
walls Then rose the arts to beauty and subimy, moc
Ing nitauon surprising praise and bcqueathng TO their
brh-place divine memory which has outlved its gods
and dctedits oppreSsoSuch the fruits of freedom
But in the destiny of the States of Greece tbero IL
OF more worth TO us, if will understand it, than all the
creations OF their genius. That moral is the eternal
truth that to cluster OF neghorng repubcs-no matter
how refined by philosophy and science and the arts-no
matter now strong III arms, and the indonitable spirit of
freedom there is safeguard again domestic aud
msrue no security against external force and influence
save only in unbroken union. For of this Sparta
dured the stern discipline and tumuts Of military camp
in Athens tyrants, one, thirty and three thousand held
alternate and caprcious sway with such iealons,, Of Or
tue and of wisdom, that presence of Sris,idcs a o
life oil Socrates could not be eudured-and Thebes wa. al
ternatey the subject and the spoil of her rival neighbors
| VI trnniO
OF splendid deeds and glorious arts; but how partial how
troubled, how precarous Rome yoked her citizens the
OF her riumphs and made them wear the feters ,bev
imposed And the republics of later day-Yence and
those who should have been her sisters-wased in mutual
STRIFE and domestic dssenson spirit and strength which
only want union now 10 redeem their feedon
Upon the Continent OF Europe at the period Of our In
dependence, Liberty had resting place for the sole of
her foo-save only with the sork in the marshes Of HI
land and her own eagle upon the of Switzerland
The men OF Europe seemed have hope and
spirit TO be ireei or il they were still cherished was on
y in the land of La Fayeue by few generous minds like
his, made of dviner mould, refined by pure piIo,onh
and inspired by old examples. ~
Yet 1t was with all this knowledge of the mast and v;e
oil e present. matt wise and good men-wser or bet
ter the world never saw-who composed the Congrpss o
10 determined and declared, that let the world do OF
suiier what II might, they at least would be free They
did this IN country OF yesterday just cut out of the will
deneSs, split up into thirteen scattered and binlv pop
lated Colonies, all differing i'm their laws and so1as I'm
habltated by people OF various origin and manners and
religion, collected hither by dssnilar motives from
ha the tribes OF Europe-comprising amongst them the
cavaliers OF Charles and the saints militant of CroS1e
OF the meek followers of Penn the stern unbend;n 50;
pies OF Brown and of those to whom Raleigh had he
queathed MS hery spirit OF enterprise and war-a peonIe
irtuous indeed, for they had neither wealth nor wants 70
corrupt them; but ignorant of all arts except the most
common, not much improved for the most par bv ltera
ure and science and too much engossed bv the care nj
their own honest and respectable but humble occnnains
10 nave sounded the depths and shoals of political phioso
phy or 10 De very convesant with the practical politics
the great world-a people little to war and wholly
uesu9'1 OF the ordinary means OF carrying it MOI
one OF the colonies could have mustered at the
ment Of me Revolutionary body of armed and
disciplined like that around methe men of that av could
| only muster the same gallant hearts
And yet the Congress of 10 trusting in no Grain i
relying upon their country and their God
TO throw off yoke bent their necks bv the migtc
power on Earth. They did more-thev deter,ni1ed n
keep II OIL They were not men of Incorporate vaour 10
hight Tor gasp, glimpse, holiday of irecdom-Tbey
went for the perpetuity the absolute inheritance
Upon what was it in their own country that the Con-
gess oil 30 reed not only for present victory, but for
secure establishment here of those free institutions which
every where else had ailed' They clearly the elo
ments OF weakness and dscod and anarchy which have
family skeched; but they ALSO and relied upon the
elements of strength, OF harmony and enduring freedom
which existed in the political condition and CAPACITY o
the country They saw, what Montcsquieu# rather de.
sired than ever beheld assemblage of small republic
capable ana apt 10 form common society, which might
Oy er division secure 10 each its internal happiness ant
by their union guard all against external force such wa.
the precise condition of these colonies Their interna
governments, formed in accordance with the
principles Of the English constitution excldin lie a;
ocratic and the regal and truly representing the
oil The community, had fully instructed the people i'm the
arr oil sell government, the most difficult of a had tan
them practical sense in the management of their pu6ic
affairs, without which the philosophy of politics is b..
wilerng and fatal defusion and by an exact
oil justice, had cherished among them all the vrues
which that indeed is the The colonies too haI
from the beginning, with some small exceptions been
united under the same head ranking dfscorIs had
sprung up between them they had shared the same dan
gers, had more than united their couuscls and were
then bound together by deep sense of common Injuries
III was IN the union OF these we'll constituted repnbcs.
an union then existing in fact and after more stron
y conpacted, that the Congress OF 10 saw the sure omen
and source oil present success and future freedom Ii was
this Union, against which during six years the Queen OIL
Ocean rolled, after wave her mighty power with ne
other effect than harden what she could NOT break n
IS this hli0 since perfected by the wes counses which
has borne these States prospefously through the most I'm
multuous tide OF human affairs queng faction within and
subduing without, making this land to those who i'm.
habit 1t, all that earth beO the miserable of othe
climcs refuge TO the patriot of other realms an insnro
ton and guide.
il has lately been made question not vet perhaps full,
decided in the minds OF all men, whether this Union 81
aught win blessings TO the past is worth preserving fol-
he future. Old modes have been discussed and new
modes invented OF getting out Of il: and all true rever.
ence Tor 1t seems to be lost between those OH the ono
hand, VINO render its authority weak well as odous b,
oversainng IT. forgetting that its true purpose is not only
to protect all against the World but each against all The
Others and that II possesses can confer no rio ht
power TO Cypress any; and those the other hand
not being able to control its administration seek TO re nde
II mpotent by denying 10 il the most necessary functions
and by arogaung to the least member Of it, tie power
paralyZe the whole body.
II does not become this dav consecrated 10 the ,e,,or,
OF glorious deed not less full of concord than of daring
II does not become this assembly, in which the fair and In
bravo are met together, to miDge their devoons m b
altar Of Liberty and to pay 10 the living and the dead