Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1843-07-06

other. With the rise and growth of this M
class of society, not only did commerce and I
arts increase, but better education, greater d
gree of knowledge, juster notions of the true en-
of government, and sentiments favorable TO CIV
liberty began to spread abroad, and become mo
and more common. But the plants springr
FROM these seeds were of slow growth. III
character oil English society had indeed begun
; undergo change; but changes of national cha,
acter are ordinarily the work of time. Operatiy
- causes were, however, evidently in existence arr
il sure to produce ultimately their proper effect
: From the accession of Henry the Seventh to thu
breaking out of the civil wars, England enjoyed
n much more exemption from war, foreign and do
nestle, than for long period before and during
the controversy between the houses Of York and
I Lancaster. These years Of peace were favorable
10 commerce and the arts. Commerce and the
, arts augmented general and individual knowledge
, and know ledge is the only first fountain both of
the love and the principles OF human liberty
Other powerful causes soon came into active play.
he reformation of Luther broke out, kindling up
the minds OF men airesh, leading TO new habits
OF thought, and awakening in individuals ener.
giles before unknown even to themselves. The
religious controversies of this period changed So
cieiy as well religion; indeed, it would be-
easy to prove It this occasion were proper for il,
that they changed society to a considerable extent
where they did not change tlfe religion of the
State. The spirit of commercial and foreign ad,
venture, therefore, on the one hand, which had
gained so much strength and influence since tho
time OF The discovery of America, and, on the
other the assertion and maintenance Of religious
ilberiy--having their indeed i'm the Refor-
nation, but continued diversified, and continually
strengthened by the subsequent divisions of sem
tihcnt and opinion among the reformcrs them
selves; anu this love of religious liberty drawing
alter them, or bringing along with them, as they
always do, an ardent devotion to the principles OF
civil liberty also-were the powerful influences
under which character was formed, and men
trained Tor The great work of introducing English
civilization, English law, and, what is more than
all, Anglo.SaNon blood into the wilderness OF
North America. Raleigh and his companions
may be considered as the creatures principally OF
the first OF these causes. Hjgh-spri.ed, full Of
the love OF personal adventure, excited too in
some degree by the hopes of sudden riches from
the discovery of mines Of the precious metals,
and not unwilling to diversity the labors Of set
Ting u colony with occasional cruising against
the Spanlards in the West Indian seas, thew
crossed and recrossed the ocean with frequency
which surprises us, when we consider the state OF
navigation, and which evinces a most daring spi-
rt. The other peopled New England.
lHe Mayiiower sought our shores under no high
wrought spirit OF commercial adventure no love
oil gold no mixture of purpose, warlike or hostile,
to any human being. Like the dove from the
ark, she put forth only to find rest. Solemn
prayers from the shores of the sea in Holland had
invoked for her at her departure the blessings o.
Providence. The stars which guided her were
the unobscured consultations of civil and reigi4
God. Fervent prayers from Bonded knees mn-
ged morning and evening with the voices OF
ocean and the sghmg of the wind in her shrcuds,
Every prosperous breeze, which, gently swelling
her sails, helped the Pilgrims onward theit
course, awcke new anthems of praise, and when
the elements were wrought into fury, neither the
tempest, tossing their fragile bark like feather,
nor the darkness and bowling of The midnight
storm, ever disturbed, in man woman, the firm
and settled purpose Of their souls to undergo ALI
mpeEPSt
and the highest trust in God could enable human
beings 10 suffer TO perform,
Some differences may doubtless be Traced at
this day between the descendants of the carly co,
lonlss of Virginia and those of New England,
owing to the different influences and different cir
cumstances under which the respective settle
mcnts were made but only enough to create g
pleasing variety in the midst OF general resem,
blance
------------ % facics, omnibus una,
" Nee divcrsa tarnen, qualcm deceit sororem"
but the habits, sentiments, and objects of both
soon became modified by local causes, growing
out OF their condition in the New World and as
this condition was essentially alike in both, and
as both at once adopted the same general rules
and principles OF English jurisprudence, these
differences gradually diminished. They gradual.
~ disappeared by the progress Of time and The in
huence Of intercourse. The necessity of SONS
degree of union and cooperation to defend thems
selves against the savage tribes tended TO excite
In them mu'ua! respect and regard. They fought
together In The wars against France. The great
and common cause of the Revolution bound i!,et;
together by new links OF brotherhood and, final
~, fortunately happily, and gloriously, the pre-
sent form OF government united them to form The
great Republic of the world. and bound up their .
interest and fortunes, I'LL The whole earth sses
That mere IS now for them in present possessoi
as well as future hope, only :. one County, onu
Constitution, and one Destiny
The colonization of The tropical fepioh and thn
whole OF the southern parts of the continent, by
Spain and Portugal, was conducted on other prins
cIpIes, under the influence of other mo:ves, and
followed by FAR different consequences. From tho
time of lis discovery, the Spanish Government.
pushed forward its settlements in America, nos
only with vIgor but with eagerness; so that long
before the first permanent English settlement had
been accomplished in what is now the United
States, Spain had conquered Mexico, Perm and
Chill, and stretched her power over nearly all the
territory she ever acquired in this continent. The
rapldiiy Of these conquess is to be ascrihei In
great degree 20 the eagernes5 not 20 say the rapa
city, OF those numerous bands of adventures who
were stimulated 10 subdue imine nse regions and
take possession OF them in the name Of the Crown
OF Spain. The mines of gold and silve. were tho
eXcitement5 10 these Efforts, and accordingly sci.
Elements were generally made, and Spanish an4
thorIty established on the Immediate eve Of tho
SubJugatlon OF territory, that the native popula.
ton might be set to work by their new Spanish
masters In the mines. From thess facts, the love
OF god-gold not produced by Industry nor au.
cumuated by commerce, but gold dug from IT'D
native bed III the bowels Of the earth, and that