Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1838-05-02
EXTRACTS
From Rev. Mr.. ROss's Gem
tennial Discourse.

iii
tennial Discourse.
"It ought by US never to be forgotten,
but inscribed upon our hearts and trans
mitted to the remotest generation, that
Rhode Island was settlement for con-
science sake that our Fathers have
sought an asylum of rest, not only for
themselves, but for the oppressed Of all
nations. Their original compact, their
acts of Legislation, and the uncomPro-
missing firmness with which they main
tanned the most unlimited tolcration and
liberty Of conscience, fully demonstrate
that the first settlers of Rhode Island,
as Mr.. Calender justly observes, "hed
not from religion, order or good 60
vernment, but to have liberty to wor-
ship God and enjoy their own religious
opinions and belief" The same prin-
ciple that induced the first settlers of
New England to escape from the op-
pressivc power of the LoRD's BIsHOPs
in England, induced the first settlers of
Rhode Island to escape from the per-
scouting spirit of the LoRD's BRETHREN
Il in MASSACHUSETTS.
/ The great principles Of civil and re-
Iligious freedom, seem to have been in
scribed by the Author of our being on
the temple of the human heart. Liber-
||ty is the spontaneous language of the
soul. Every attempt to suppress or
control the free and unrestricted excr-
else of it's own volitions, is an act of
violence on the laws of our moral ma
ture, and tyranny against which it has
right to rebel. And how long-soever
the human mind may be chained to the
iron car of civil or religious despotism,
still its inherent, unconquerable spirit
scorns to bow in servile homage, and
sighs to breathe its native air offrecdom.
1t was in Rhode Island man first breath
ed the pure, untainted air of civil and
religious freedom, and claimed the I'M
disputed, unrestricted right, to worship
God according to the dictates Of his
own conscience, unmolested. Nor was
the spirit that planted the ensign Of re-
ligious freedom in Rhode Island, the
spirit of fanaticism the wild cbulli-
tions Of feverish and distempered i'm
Iagination, but Of enlie htened reason and
sanctfed intellect the holy aspirations
of mind, influenced and controlled by
principles no less commanding than the
bcncvolcnce of God, which like the
overfowing light ofHeaven settles down
upon every object capable Of its recep-
ton.
Il No people under Heaven, can dwell
on the pages of their own history with
more supreme satisfaction than the peo-
/ ple OF this State. Rhode Island is en-
/ 'phatically the birthplace Of freedom. -
She justly claims, and is entitled to the
honor of establishing form Of govern
ment, in which the great principles of
religious federation and liberty Of con-
science, were fully recognised and Sc
cured, while all other States and King
doms Of the world, condemned il as the
delusivc dream of visionary and disor-
dercd minds. The principles adopted
by the founders of Rhode Island, were
so exclusively original-so entirely be-
yond the ordinary range of tlought in
that agc--that we feel less disposed to
ccnsuro than to pity the early histori-
ans Of New England, who seem to have
been incapable Of approaching the prin-
ciples of Rhode Island or of doing her
| Justice. The features Of those venera-
BILE men who planted the tree of liberty
on this Island of the sea, are not indeed
left on the flowing canvass, nor their
form and stature, given to the marble.
No splendid sopulchral monument per-
petuates their fame, nor even points the
passing stranger to the green sod where
sleep the mouldcring ashes of the il
lustrious dead yet their names are in
scribed on monuments more durable
than Parian marble, and their memory
shall live till time itself expires.
The principal glory of our nation is,
that her government is the government
of the people.--A people acknowledge
ing no sovereignty independent of them
selvcs.-A people claiming the unre-
strictcd right to "know, utter and argue
freely" every question Of popular lc-
gislation. Under the influence Of these
principles, our prosperity as a nation,
has been unexampled in the history of
the world. But let us not be beguilcd
by theHeleterious influence of national
prosperity, nor lullcd into security with
the fond expectation that the ineSima-
BILE blessings by us now enjoyed, will