Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-04-26

Statcsinan diITer-
enI Coours, at that day, who proposed who
conceived, 80 Tar know the wild aud mad project OF
establishing single Society. be composed Of all the
revoled Colonies, and TO DO regulated by consolidated
atonar Government stretching itself over all. This
conception was the product of an aer.day. How it
Treated when 1t was hrst presented, will shew al some
other time
Does any one doubt now whether the first
established in these United States were ordained by
The several revolted colonies, each acting Sovereign
or se and by ITSELF without any reference to, de-
Pendence upon amy other Colony? Let him consult the
history OF that day, and he will hnd that the Revolt
not simultaneous sovement of all these Colonies but
WAS effected in each by several acts
at different times Nay, that independent governments
had actually been established in several OF these Colonies
anu were in full operation, before any declaration OF indie
pendehce was uttered by them all when assembled in
general Congress So true is this that even to this day
IL Is matter OF amcable contest among several OF these
uiierent communities States, which of them is
ned TO the honour OF first annuling the Royal authority
wlhn ITS own domains, and procaming itself patriot
Rebel Massachusetts, claims it, and points to the fields OF
Concord aud OF Lexington TO prove her claim Virginia
Claims IT, and mentions prior acts of Treason which
sue hau Jared 10 do N Carolina claims it, and shews heI
"th declaration oil independence, tearessly promul
gated TO the world, while some others were vet in doubt
which side to take in the struggle maintain their rights
Massachusetts, and Virginia she might say your acts
OF treason We're but distractions, for when you perform
ed them, you still protested acknowledge yourselves
dependents oil he authority you then resisted arms but
NINE was the hrs act of glorious Rebellion for by il re-
nouhced my former allegiance and proclaimed my
Sovereignty
Does any Virgnian sceptic still doubt refer him to
oil government ordained and declared by the Dele
gates and Representatives of the good People of Virginia
assembled III Convention before the date of the de-
caaoh OF independence, and long before the signing and
promugaton OF that act. Referring him also to the Ian
guage OF mat constitution and of its accompanying Dccla
ton OF Rights, ask him tell me- 10 whom after the
PRONUNCIATION at these Instruments did the peopc of yir
gina, owe amy allegiance
He will not say that their allegiance wa. then due TO
ther iorner iege Lord the King OF Great Britain for i'm
these acts, after first asserting "h all powe. il invest
Ell III anu consequently derived from the Peope-tha
government is or ought be- instituted for the common
oeh'h' protection and security, Of the Pcoplc-that when
any government shall be found Inadequate or contrary TO
these purposes majority OF the community hath an in.
dubltbe unalienable, and indie feasible right TO reform
alter or abolish 1.-THE authors proceed TO declare ..Ih,
the government oft coatrV as FORMERLY exercised
under The Crown OF Great Britain, totally
lie VIII not say either, that this allegiance was due to
any oil the other Colonies, Tor none OF them had any
stronger claims 10 the allegiance of Virginia than she had
w. G "Shor 'nat II was due TO any government, formed
ny az the reVoed Colonies for there was no such go
yernment al that ,imc-nor the People of the Unified
Colonies Tor no such People had ever existed nor were
these Colonies then united by any political tie whatever
Were we then gang OF Band a wretched horde of
bAtharan savage tribe withou, law or any insii
tuon oil civil polty 10 bind society together by the
strong bond OF common allegiance? Assuredly we were
nor sucn; ior 10 prevent this deporable condition. to
winch this one happy country must be reduced unless
some regular adequate mode OF civil poliy speedily
auopeh The same convention in the very act which de-
cred me Total dissolution OF the former government Or
uained the future form OF Government Of Virginia" In
ms form oil Government, proclaimed the name of
this new body polite sovereign by whicht was created
Tins sovereign called "rhe Commonwealth of Yir.
gina and all our people pledged themselves through
heir representatives, "to be faithful true TO this Com
monwealth and called upon their to ate the solemn
pledge.(d)
was this pledge violated by any of orce' The
ACT was declared 10 be Treason, and the proper punish.
ment OF this crime announced lit be true then as
tnc rresne"t IN his Proclamation says. that Treason
an offence against sovereignty, and must re-
SIDE with the power to punish it, the Commonw ealth of
Virginia. which defined this crime gan itself provided
LOT It's punishment aud once at least inflicted il, have
Rttti
such at The moment when she "totay dissolved the for
mer government, and in establishing new form of 90.
yernmen Tor herself, thereby her absolute in
uePenuehce' Al these acts were done 6eOre fourth
day OF July, l776By these acts she then became free
sovereign ana independent; AMI from the bottom of nv
hear do unite with the President the erveut PRAYER
nay the greater Ruler OF Nations grant that the signal
blessings with which he has us may not by the
madness oil party personal AMBITION be and
lost" 1890
But what is this ideal being OF which every Virginian
'heh acknow lodged, aud every VTginan still acknowl.
edges himself to be liege, and which we have called
he Commonwealth OF Virginia" II is the People of
Virginia The members OF that established society within
TINS Ahcent DomniOn," who renouncing all allegiance
TO former sovereign incorporated themselves into body
polite chose to bestow upon themselves this new cor
poate name in order to preserve and perpetuAte the sue
cesslon oil the sovereign rights which they had then
assumed Most OF these patriots have sunk into the tomb
and the few who remain must follow them ere long
but long after the last Of them shall be 10 more that bodv
polite aud corporate styled the Commonwealth of Wiz.
gina, WILL by the blessings oil God still live; and while
II does Ive this name will denote the People of Virginia
OF any other day, eXpressivey and as Justly as did
those ny whom The name was assumed. That Common
weaih yet ves, and remains sovereign now as then
unless 1t has done suffered act in the interim to
abrogate its powers, annul its rights
The people OF Virginia. in shaking off their former allie
glance, establishing form government for them
selves and so assuming sovereignty and independence
uid no more man was done later by each and
every one OF the thirteen revOlted Colonies of Great B
tam Each OF these like Virginia. became in virtue of
such acls d ree sovereign and Independent body poll
tic called State; and becoming SUCH took upon Itself
q dIOD ltfa al H.
vernments then established were Representative Demo
cracies this corporate name, whether was the common
wealth or any other designed denote the free peo
pie OF that Pre-existing and established society before
known oY tie name OF some OF the reyoted British Coin
niys. 80
II then, we ask who constituted that time that gre
Corporation and sovereign body polite which have call
ed The People, which is the Lord of all in these NOW II
States The answer is, not the people of oil the revoed
Colonies collectively, but the people Of each of them re-
PecuVey All individuals, being members of any one of
these separate, distinct and ndepe ndent masses owed
iath, and truth, and allegiance TO that particular mass
winch under some selected corporate name, designed to
distinguish II from all others then proclaimed as their
only earthly sovereign.
Such were the People Of these Colonies then Az ind
vuuas they were subjects body polite and corporate
hey were the sovereign Of these subjects Such sove
reigns and such subjects these People have been ever
since, aud still are, unless, las have said before) thew
nave done or suffered some act during the interval of time
which has elapsed since they took upon themselves these
characters 10 change this their moral aud political cond
hon Have they done so This is the question which
propose to examine in my next number.
la/ Inc form OF the present Oath Of
INC assurance oi hdehty as II here called, n
Poftant instrument which a o,a
time. IL runs thus; ~ ~
do declare mysera Citizen Of the Common wealth