Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1843-07-06


social and personal relations and CON
duct of men, came also. The jury came;
the habeas cor pus came, except that part
of it which recognizes the rights OF pr-
moseniture, which either did not come at
all, or soon gave way to the rule OF equal
partition of estates among cililtren.-
But the monarchy did not come, nor the
aristocracy, nor the church as ar estate
Of the realn. Political institutions were
to be framed anew, such as should be
ADAPTED to the state of things. But it
could not be doubtful, what should De
the nature and character OF these lnstftu-
tions. A general social equality of po-
liticaI rights seemed the natural ii not
the necessary consequence. After for
ty years of revolution, violence and war,
the people of France have placed at the
head of the Fundamental instrument ei
their government, as the great boon OBJ
tanned BY all their sufferings and sacrlfi-
ces, the declaration, that all Frencbmen
are equal before the law. What France
had reached only by the expenditure of
SO mach blood and treasure, and the ex-
hibition of so much crime, the English
colonists obtained, by simply changing
their place, carving with them the in
| tellectual and moral culture of Europe.
and the personal and social relations to
which they were accustomed, but leaving
behind their political Institutions 1t
has been said with much veracity, that
the felicity Of the American coloniats
consisted in their escape from the past.
This is true, SO far as respects political
establishments, but no farther. They
brought with them full portion of all the
riches Of the past, in science. in art, 10
marals, religion and literature. The
Bible came with them. And it is not
20 be doubted, that to the free and uni
versal reading of The Bible, is to be as
cribed in that age, ascrit ed in every age,
| that men were much indebted for right
views of civil liberty. The Bible is
book of faith, ard book of doctrine; but
it is also book which teaches man his
own individual responsibility, his own
dignity, ard his equality with his fellow
man. Bacon, and Locke, and Milton,
and Shakespeare also came with them.
They came to form new political sys-
J tens. but all that belonged to cultivated
man, to family. to neiehborhoCu. to So
cial relations. accompanied them. In the
Doric phrase of one of our own historians.
I they came to settle CD bare creation;'
but their settlement in the wilderness
nevertheless, was not a lodsment Of nom
inaI tribes. mere resting place of roam
ing savages. 1t was the beginning of
permanent community, the fixed resi-
dence of cultivated men. Not only was
English literature read, but Enelish,g good
English. was spoken and written, before
the axe had made way to let in the sun
upon the habitations and fields of the
settlers. And whatever may be said to
the contrary, correct use of the English
language is. at this day. more general
throughout the u. States, shan it is
throu ghout England herself But an
other grand characteristic is, that in the
English colonies. political affairs were
left to be managed by the ceonists them
selves.
There is another fact wholly distin-
gushing them in character as it has dis
tinguished them in fortune, from the COL
onists IF Spain. Here lies the founda-
ton of that experience in self-govern-
ment. which had preserved order, and
security, and regularity amid the play of
popular institutions. Home government
was the secret of the prosperity of the
North American settlements. The more
distinguished of the New England colo
nists, with most remarkable sagacity,
and long sighted reach into futurity,
refused to come to America, unless they
could bring with them charters providing
for the administration of their affairs in
this country. They saw from the FIST.
the evils of being governed in the new
world, by councils held in the old
Acknowledging the general superiority
of the crown, they still insisted on the
right of passing local laws, and Of local
administration. And history teaches US
the Justice and the value of this deter
animation, in the example of Virginia -
The attempts early to settle that colony
failed, sometimes with the most melan-
choly and fatal consequences, from want
OF knowledge, care and attention on the
part o! those who had The charge of their
affairs in England; and it was only after
the issuing of the third charter, that the
people Qor by this time they SO deserve
to be called were allowed to constitute
and establish the FIRST popular representa-
tive Assembly, which ever convened on
this continent, the Virginia House of
Bargesses.
Here then, are the great elements of
our political system originally intro
dueed, early in operation, and ready to
be developed more and more as the pro-
gress of events should justify or demand
Escape from the existing political sys-
TENS of Europe; but the continued en-
joyment Of its sciences and arts, its liter
ature, and its manners; with series Of
Improvements upon its religious and NOR
al sentiments and habits; Home govern
ments; or the power Of passing local
laws, with local administration.
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