Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-05-03
POLITICAL.

Il RevietJ Of the Proclamation Of President jackson
the ION IF December, 1892 series Of numbers orr.
ginduy published in the NOrf0ik and Portsmouth He.
No ~.
The Declaration of independence uttered in l776 was
considered, at that day, the most important which
had ever occurred in this Country, and quen time
has not weakened the sentiment il then intended to
ineulcate We still continue TO commemorate it annually,
the day OF its date when all the citizens these now
United States, join with accord, in humble alteration
and joyful giving that Divine ProyIence un.r
whose protection the great truths were alter
wards maintained aud established. But il the effect of
this Declaration, was 10 consolidate all the then Colonies
by whose representatives. 1t made nation and
TO ANAL gam"te their inhabitants into " One Peoc the
Fourth day Of July, instead OF being celebrated Ju-
bee, would probably be spent much appropriately
and intended eec, Of this Decaralon2 This is the oucs
ton propose now 10 examine
In speaking of this Declaration, the President saws in
.hs Prociamaon that decisive and important step was
taken jointlywe declared ourselves Nation by joint
u ca'aos tRe eXistene e Of Nation
not less by the manner in which this Declaration was
made, than by the actual assertions OF the
self: for, not satisfied with stating that this step was taken
Jointly he adds, tina, by such joint declared
selves Nation. | will examine into the truth of all
these assertions before give my views of the sub
ject.
joint act er vi fertnini Implies the cooperadon Of
several agents by whose united and io,ncd agencies il
has been produced Hence, il would be very great so
ecsm, to speak OF any act done by agent only as
joint act and therefore, corporate act properly
scbed as JOINT act OF Corporation, when such
body Is composed OF many members; Tor, although the
may De many, the Corporation bat nd
the act ii corporate act be performed by that one
body only. is every effected by the co-opera
ton OF several agents however, that is properly termed
aJoin act Because, although considered in reference to
the number OF its authors every single by
the cooperation OF several agents. be their Joint
yet considered reference to its intended effects a these
may be many, and attach all, each to some only of
Its agents. the act regarded either several ac
eording TO the nature of these intended effects But as
the intent OF the possibly be inferred from the
NUMBER oil agents co operating TO Its accomplishment
while ii is admitted, that several well as Joint effects
may and do result from joint act the nature OF such
an act can only be ascertained from the intention
agents This intention must always be sought for and
generally, IS best manifested in the declarations OF the
agents employed TO perform the act especially when these
declarations are uttered in the ITSELF and of course
the time of performing it,
If these plain pro positions hich every tyro has bther.
to acknowledged to be tFue still admitted be cor
rect 1t will be found difficult certainly, nay impossible
probably, to reconcile them with the assertions of the
President, when the effect intended be produced bv
these assertions is remembered The object in vie w in
making these assertions S prove thereby that by vir-
tue OF the Declaration of Independence acknovy edg
ed ourselves to he one Nation. Hence, the President
says, "hat decisive and important step was taken 5ointv
NOW, by this, he means 10 say merely, that this decIa-
Taon was The WORK oil many persons cooperating to pro-
duce no matter what character they acted asserts
fact so unimPorant 10 his purpose, and familiar to-
every one, that il really ludcrous To inter
with such apparent gravity if indeed necessary to
state il at all But IL he be understood as AZ.
serng that this declaration was the Joint act of the re-
personalities OF any single body previously known as
Community Nation besides the historical error com.
mitted, he states whit must be uninteligibe TO all
body can do any joint act should have been disposed
10 consider this sentence as naccurdcy caused by
the preciPate haste in which this paper was proba
bly, prepared, and therefore, have passed it by unno
uced, but that II is in exact keeping with all the previous
parts OF this argument aud moreover Is in substance
peaied more mpesiyely, in the next sentence wherein
II is said, that 1--WE declared ourselves Nation by a
joint not by several acts" Now, il were n alton
before the Declaration OF independence was uttered las
II the purpose Of all the previous parts OF this srg
men to prOve) 1t would have been impossible for us AZ
alton, TO proclaim this fact by any joint act: and if be-
fore that event occurred, Nation but sepa
rate communities individuals, seems difficult to con-
ccive hOw (wheher the Colonies or Colonists) could
have declared ourselves Nation. by any other than Sc
veral
The Of all this nysdfcaoD and apparent absur
diy, will be obvious, when consider the de-
cisrauons actually made IN the Declaration Of Indepen
dence itself We shall then find that Ibis iusrunen MI in
stead Of procaming the Colonies he one Nation de-
cidred them 10 be free lnd independent Sate in terms
Hence, asst impossible iuler the existence Of one
from such terms, In which this idea 10 90 plainly
and positively negadved resort had tho manner in
shch this declaration made; and are told ''hst
decisive and important step taken joiofy and that
eve declared ourselves Nation by JOINT not by seve
iseli, could be changed by any such exrnsic ercuu-
stances.
have now done with this part Of the argument Of the
President the design Of which is to show, that these
States sovereign ia showing thst they consh
tuted but pdrs Of another sovereignty called the Nation
will proceed 70 give my account Of the Declaration
81 independence; and hereih 70 state rty ideas Of s