Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1843-07-15

thy The regard or mankind IN tne heVOIu'
tion--then is there nothing worthy of re-
gard in the battle of Bunker Hill, and the
consequences flowing from it. But if the
American revolution be an era in the histo-
ry of man favorable to human happiness
if il be an event which has marked the pro-
gress of the human race from despotism to
| lbertv-if it be an event which has shed q
vast influence on not only this continent.
but the world, then that monument is not
raised without cause--then is Bunker Hill
not unworthy of perpetual memorial
What, then, is the principle Of the Ameri.
can revolution and of this system Of polit
ical government, which it has established
and confirmed! Now the truth is, that the
American Revolution was not caused by
any instantaneous adoption Of a theory Of
government which had ever before entered
into the minds Of men, nor the embracing
the ideas and sentiments of liberty before
altogether unknown. On the contrary. il
was but the better development and app-
cation of sentiments and opinions, which
had their origin far back in American and
English history.--The discovery of Amer
lea, its colonization by the several States of
Europe, the history of the colonies from
the time of their establishment 10 the time
when the principal of them threw off their
allegiance to the States by which they had
been planted constitute train of events a
mong the most important recorded in hui
man annals. These events occupied 800
years, during which whole period knowl.
edge made steady progress in the old world;
so that Europe herself at the time of the
establishment of the New England States
10 ,to
from that Europe which had commenced
the colonization of the continent three hun
bred years before. And what is most ma
terial to my purpose is. that in the first of
these centuries--that is TO say, from the dis
covery Of America to the settlement Of
Virginia and Massachusetts,. the events oc-
Cured especially in England and some
parts Of the continent of Europe which
materially changed the whole condition Of
society. Now we know that. after some
few attempts in the reign of Henry VII 10
plant colonies in America, no effective eff.
, fort was made for that purpose, either by
the crown or by the subjects under its pro
lection, for almost a century. Without in
curing into the cause of this long delay, ii:
n consequences are sufficiently clear and stri
: king England, in this lapse Of century
: unknown to herself, was becoming fit ano
e competent to colonize North America; ant
: men were training for that purpose, comPe
i, tent to introduce the English name and tn;
! AngIo-Saxon race into great portion o
r this western world.
The commercial spirit was much encour
aged by several laws passed in the reign o
! Henry VII, and countenance was giver
also to arts and manufactures in the east
ern couaties of England; and some not IN
important notifications of the Feudal Sys
} tenn were effected by the power of break
d, ing the entailment of estates. These, and
; other measures at that period, and other
= causes produced new class of society, and
l caused it to emerge from the bosom of the
, Feudal System. Thus was commercial
= or middle class--a class neither barons MOI
e great landowners on the one side, nor or
} the other mere retainers of the great bar
:. ons or the crown: but class of industry
=; of commerce, of education, produced {
change on the face of Europe. Operative
! causes were arising and our land produced
4 an effect, which from the accession of Hen
e ry VII. 10 the breaking out Of the civil
S wars enabled them to enjoy much more o.
e peace than during the controversy of tht
/, Houses of York and Lancaster. Causes O.
] another description also came into play
-, the reformation of Luther broke out, kind
. ling ND the minds of men afresh, leading t.
, new habits of thought and dissension, anc
waking he energies Of individuals that be
; fore were wholly unknown even TO them
selves The religious controversies of tha
t period changed the state as well as religion
, and indeed i! were easy 10 prove, If TIN
c were the proper occasion. that they chang
t ed the state in instances in which they di,
I not change the religion of the state.
q The spirit of foreign commercial enter
t prise and adventure followed the revival o
1 commerce, and this spirit, on the one hand
! was the spirit of commercial enterprise
n which had gained much strength and influ
e ence since the discovery of America, and
!, on the other, the spirit Of religious reform
d alton, were the great causes of the intro
# duction of English Coloniss into what i
/ now called the United States. Sir Waite
4 Raleigh and his associates, who settled Vii
# ginia, may be considered the creation Q
l. The first of these causes; that is, the spir
= of adventure mixed with hope Of CONNER
!. cia gain, and seduced TOO much by the el
: pectation of discovering mines of grea
) wealth in America. They were not unw
!. ing, also, to diversity their pursuits of col
c loniLation by occasional cruizing agains
!, the Spaniards. They therefore crosses
It this ocean with a frequency and DARN
n which may well surprise us when We con
L. slider the state of navigation of that day.
n 1t was the other cause that settled NeN