Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1833-04-04

lesessesur soo gwen nun capacity 70 CISCO
yer and use them. Nor 10 s less plain, thai
these means were pro, ided, and this capacity
was bestowed, that they should be faithfully
applied 10 The object int ndcd by the xiver-
that Is, the promotion Of the receivers happi.
ness. II 10 moreover incoptcstsble, that tlss
I capacity which man has received from nj.
Maker, 10 associate himself with his felSvs
men, Tor the purpose Of acquiring q higher
degree Of happiness than hs coald reach b,
unassisted cxertion, forms an eminen, part o.
the general capacity to provide for his hap
plness, which God has bestowed on man. and
must OF eoure be subject 10 tho condition on
which the general capacity or gift has beer
inadc. Aud what 10 that coalition, Most OBJ
viously, that the highly favored receives
should neither attempt To alien, sure nder
barter, fettsr, or subject TO restraint, nor sui.
Ter his entrusted cndowInents to be fettered
or restrained, or even TO lie unemployed and
uncxerted, on any occ aston, " hen the promo
Ition Of his happiness requires them TO be pu,
IN action for that purpose; but on the CONTRA
~, should keep them at all times ready 10 be
employed according 10 their Giver's will. and
faithfully exert them when the accom- plish-
mcnt Of that " i'll demands il. Il is then plain
az sunbeams, that n mans capac ity to promote
his happiness by political association. as well
rs by other entrusted means, be not kept in a
state OF constant readiness TO answ err its pla in
iy Indicated purpose, and actually cxerted,
whenever the entrusted receivers happiness
requires d, that receiver must be regarded as
ia'thlcss depository, Is one who has peril
dionsiy betrayed the high confidence rcpossd
~ MN, abused the precious trust committed
to him, aud upn Tested the blacklist mgr ati-
tndc 10 the kindness and libcrality Of his Ma
kcr, rs well rs having laid q sure foundation
I Tor his own degradation and misery But il
such be the relations in which VIC, as entr,st-
cd creatures, stand 10 our CREATOR, and such
DC our responsibility 10 that Creator as our
indeclinablo judge, il is obvious that no man
can, without withdrawing hi. allegiance from,
and violating his duty To his Creator, enter
into any compact which requires in lis execu-
ton the alienation, surrender, barter, restraint
or inaciion Of that capacity 10 promote our
happiness which God has given Us, or the neg
loot or non-usc Of any Of the means of pro-
noting our happiness which he has pro, idcd
for Us and offered to US.
But IL no entrusted receiver can, without
iniidelity 10 the cntruster-in short, without
contracting guilt, and rendering himself OBJ
Ioxious TO Gods displeasure, attempt TO alien
letter, barter, place under restraint, or neg
iect 10 make the intended use of the capacity
TO promote his happiness, which God has IL
ven him himself, how absurd, how ridiculous
IS II Tor him to pretend to have right to f.t-
Ter or restrain the capacity which God has
given to other men, for the purpose Of pro-
noting their happiness! Is not the personali-
" oil the endowment an incontestable evil
dence that God, when he bestowed il, intend
ed a personal exercise Of it, Is not the re-
ceiver alone responsible for the use which he
makes of his endowmcnts, both corporal and
mentali Does God look to parents for the
use which children make Of their endow-
ments, any further than they have been the
cause OF that use Certainly not. The soul
That sinneth, u shall die. Nor have parents
OF predecessors right to abstract any part OF
the means which God has provided for The
promotion Of the happiness Of children and
successors from their use-their capacity 10
Judge OF the tendency OF fitness of their DO
iiticai association, TO promote their happiness,
being clear and certain indication, that il is
"od VIII and their duty TO do SO, and TO act
accordingly.
But we quit abstract discussion, to view the
doctrine and the practice Of the men who pro-
Jccted and effected our separation from Bril-
tain, and attempted to lay the foundation Of
Tree and rational institution in Virginia. In
their declaration Of independence, the former
Tell We, that in their Judgment, f." oil human
beings are sadotesd by their CREATOR trik eertain
unafienabk Tights, among ichieh are life, H5sris.
and the purswa Of happintss''-and the latter.
that all human beiags hare certain inherent
rights, ~ tohieh, ~hen fksy snter into a stat, or
society, ihey eaMnoi, by any compact, deprive or
d,essf their pcsteriiy-nsHlfty, tar enjoyment Of
I'VE and liberty, ieith the means e6 acquiring Gsd
possesstng property, and II pSrsuing and o6tain-
ing haPpinsss sad safsty." In short, they agree
to tell Us, rs already stated, that every re-
eeiver OF capacity TO discover and use the
nj mr. "a L.n 81
has provided for him. has The right of using
them so firmly secured to him, that il con nei-
ther be alienated by himself nor usurped by
others nor can preceding generation enter
into any compact which can diyest the suc-
eeeding generation of its free and unrestrain-
cd exercise. But how inconsistent with, how
directly opposite TO this language, IL that of
the unjust, oppressive, tyrannical majority of
the United States Ut this time. They tslIthe
minority, that though they have received from
their Creator capacity 10 judge Of the IL
Bess and tendency Of their political associa.
ton to Affect their happiness equal to theirs,
YET they shall moi exercise il that ihsy have
formed compact, which must forever divest
them and their descendants OF this precious
right-that they are determined To tear hi,
all.important and efficient part Of the means
OF promoting their happiness, their political
state, from them, though their Maker has o.
ven u TO them that under pain Of death, they
must attempt no alteration of IL, but continue
eternally TO groan under their burden. and
toii and labour, and spend their time, exhaust
their strength, not for their own benefit. bat
for the benefit of their tyrannicaI oppressors.
such Is moniies'iy the language Of our dcspo-
uc majority at this hour and In what ! ask
does u differ from the language sddres,ed bv
ihe desPots Of China, Persia, Turkey, Rus-iS.
Prussia, and Austria, 90 the degraded and en-
shaved inhabitants Of those wretched eouO-
tries,
To these reflections, shall only add. first.
that when there is mo- common Judge. eacb
party has a right 10 Judge for itself, tie op-
pressed ~ we'll a. the oppressor. Ard se.
condiy, that Il i impos'blc N surrender or
wave iiFs exercise Of the right which God
has given us, or 60 suffer them 10 be torn from
"a without involving ourselves in all the hit-
ter Feauffa a. nee ffrfeH dtfr a. A. "A. -.