Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1839-06-21

pcNSi W TtUUIdlp commerce
WIN ioreign nations and among the several
s'aies' that an express provision was inser-
tfu IN The Constitution restraining them
nom the exercise of that power for twenty
ye little was il imagined that the day
wo~ld come when, within these United
S.htes, public men, ambitious OF name and
aspranis 10 popular favor, would be found TO
lsophlsicate slavery into blessing. and TO
Icharge the signCrs Of the Declaration of In.
dependence with deliberate filselood and
peuury-wnh treason TO their country and
blasphemy to God. Yet so il is. If the
principles proclaimed in the Declaration of
Independence as selEevidenl ruth are not
nue. II II be s0ttrue that all men nre created
equal ifthey are not endowed by their Gre
a'or with unailenable rights. among which
are life liberty, and the pursuit Of happi-
ness II Governments are not Instituted to
secure these rights, and no mol derive their
INST powers from the consent OF the g0rera
ed--then the People OF the United Colonies
had no right to renounce their allegiance TO
the Government OF Great Britain--no right
to declare themselves independents right
TO take their separate and equal station
among the Powers of the earth In assum-
ing that station, they declare themselves enti-
tledto it by the laws Of Nature and OF Natures
God By the laws OF that same God they
had been bound in allegiance to their king.
To this tie ofallegiance, binding upon them
from their birth, mulltudcs Of them had SUI.
Peradded the obligations Of solemn and vol
uwrsy onths VINO could. absoIve them
from these sacred pledges ofihe hith2 Who
but that people themselves And for what
cause but that the Government itself had
forfeited the right TO their allegiance, by
perverting its power 10 the destruction OF the
ends for which Governments are Instituted
Take away from the Declaration OF indie.
pendence its self-evident truths, the natural
and inalienable rights of man, and YOU rob
the North American Revolution OF all its
moral principle, and proclaim it foul and
unnatural rebellion.
In the Days of the Declaration of Inde
pendence, were politicians, ay, and moral
lists. profound, conscientious moralis,s-who
maintained that doctrine but they were not
American patriots. statesmen. o; jurists.-
North and MANSFIELD, the prime minis
ter and the chief dispenser of the Justice Of
the realm OF England, verify believed that
the people oil The colonies were rebels and
traitors. and were prepared 10 hang, draw,
quarter, and endowed them. 10 prove the sim
lreTity of their faith. Nor were they alone
Junius, the great unknown-Junus, the
grave. the didaclc, the sublime champion OF
English liberty, utterly repudlating the dog
masc and goddess English lawyers creed OF
the omRipotence Of Parliament, still formally
dlSclaims the concession Of CHATHAM that
the legislative power of Parliament was not
the same over the colonies us over the Island
of Britain. DIR SAMUEL JOHNSON, the most
renowned moraist OF the age, could earn his
pension OF three hundred pounds year by
proving in sesquipedalan prose, that taxa
lion without representation was no tyranny.
And SoAME JENyNs,lhc philosopher aud DO.
ct, the ingenious author ofthe Internal Evil
dence Of Christianity, 10 whom PALEy is so
deeply indebled-SoAME JsNyNs, the poet
and metaphyscon, the profound discourser
upon the nature Of time and the origin OF
evil, and the elegant translator OF the Latin
poem of BROWNE on the Immortality Of the
Soul, not only considered The right and en-
pediency oftaxing the colonies BY Paria-
ment indisputably clear; but, in n dsqus-
ton on government aud civil liberty. has so
completely forestalled the philosophers OF
notification oithe present day in their war
fare against the sell-evident truths OF the
Declaration of Independence, that their
omission 10 give him credit for their argu-
ments leaves them not entirely free from the
imputation of plagiarism.
| In estimating the opinions OF others upon
politics, religion, and morals, while we are
bound TO follow exclusively the dictates of
our own judgement. enlightened by the hon
es; and faithful search after truth, we must
make large allowances and exercise liberal
spirit of tolerhiion. In the moral question
OF the North American Revolution, the pri-
mary source Of all The arguments on the
British side was constituted poicer. The
arguments on the American side were all
drawn from elementary right When the
basement.story Of the edifice is laid, the SUI
perstruclure naturally rise upon correspon.
ding principles OF architecture, The fra
mers of the Declaration of independence
could Justify themselves and their country
| first, for their resistance against oppression ;
and, finally, for undertaking and accomplish
ing the Revolution-upon no other princ-
plies than those which they declared lftheir
principles were unsound, American indie
pendence was nothing more than successful
rebellion
adhere to the ethics Of the Revolution
The seltevident truths of the Declaration of
independence are still self-evdent truths,
whether contested by the Chancellor Of the
British Exchequer or by professor at the
College Of William and Mary; whether
clashing with the law Of a Chief Justice Of
the Court of Kings Bench or with the
equity of Chancellor of the State of South
| ~