The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-06-21

~s But IL tho keyo nsion A. an era ." wy "a ho
man favorable TO human hsppiness-'in "as - i,
'h .,l "A The uroa eos oi man, all o'sf VIC '
,,I from, ,l,s,,oi I'M 10 liberty then uis u.' -
nn, ,a,ssd without cause. Then, the battle o. p'n \
-, U,ilis moi an event undessrsing eeie'f~ I.
aud reJoeings' , ..fusl "a
What then IN the true and peculiar prime .,, i
oerie.n ltssolutlon, and Of the systems OF - n
o.nt uh,eh il HIS confirmed and e'iaulsheo naa y
ne truth is that the American Revolution ".is =,
ns'I NV tbe instantaneous discovery OF ph"e'fa T.,
= G,synn,,nt before unheara 81, the pfaene.os IT.
do,a,en of panl,cal ideas such as had pew" - t.
n cred into the minds OF men IL was out 'ns mes "a Ia
i,lopunent OF principles - pos.'nmsn y" "a .hich III
,y ami n,h,ical 5, ntllnents the origin OF 81 t.
ID b.rk tsso centuries in English and hmefeA" US
DRY. 49, t,,;..,;on hy the IA
The discovery Of America, its copnlzauon y" ,hc '
nations OF Eurups, the history and prnsfess nan q,
colonies from their establishments 70 ,ne hi
h. o,neinsi of them threw oil their allegiance 70 ~
ates which had planted them, apo ~ "
ed eo,ernments of their own constitute o"e '. ~ -
most interesting trains OF events !" hu"a" ,,,iny,
These events o, cupied three hunoied years 80 r
bich nerod civilization aud knowledge made s'sy
,r.ss m the old world 10 at Europe, at tne I'm 20
'.,usment of the nineteenth century, htn pe'op'ln'
greatly changed rom that Eurol wh'eh pss ,hI =.
Polarization of America at The eommeneen'e" "
6ieeuth Aud what 10 most material 10 my FhN''
. \ ,h,, IN the III gross of The hrst OF 'n'''h
c.ntnre, thai il to say, from The discovery Oh ~
"a to the elements of Virginia anu MasSs 49, -
,liticaI and religious events took place. WIZ n,;F
| Iy alrs y
of especially in England, and IN pa,ll
| of continental Europe. Amer few ieeoio e' ~ a.
| successful ,Iolts by England unuef iien'y al
| seventh tn plaui colonies la America no "ssE
thai kind were prosecuted Tor '""s p,' 1vuhr
| the Enosh government VI any OF its sunjeou, r. y
, ,,an,,ny into the causes OF thus long o''Hi 70
cop,cga o6es ,g,apee6i' tSntif,,s ~" MN TO her
2 h,, under the Providence OF God, ana u.e inRu-
SCH W ,ents was fitting herself for the work OF co
ionizng Nortb America, on such principles, and by
Lena shn he mol sh me n
English blood, in time, over great portion OF the
Western hemisphe The commercial rit was
greatly encouraged by several laws passed in Henry
the Seventies reign and in the same reign encou-
ragement given 10 arts and manufactures IN the
East I'm countries, and some not unimportant modih-
cations Of the Feudal system, 10y allowing the break
ing Of entails These, ana other assures, and other
occurrences, were making way for new ella OF So
clety 10 emerge, and show itset IN military and
feudaI age. middle class, neither Barons nor great
landholders on the side, nor the mere rctainers
of the Crown, nor Barons mere agricultural la.
borers on the other. With the rise and growth Of
this class of society, not only did Commerce and
the increase, but better education, greater de-
gree Of knowledge uster notions OF the true ends OF
government and sentiments favorable to civil liberty
began to spread abroad, and become more and more
common. But the plants sprDging from these seeds
were slow growth. The character of Engllsh So
cicty had indeed begun to undergo a change but
changes of national character are ordinarily the work
Of time. Operative causes were, however, evidently
IN existence and sure 10 produce ultimately, their
proper effect. From the accession of Henry 7th, to
the breaking out of the civil wars, England enjoy ed
much more exemption from war, foreign and domes-
tic, than for long period before, and during the
troyersy between The houses OF York and Lancaster.
These years Of peace were favorable 10 commerce
and the arts Commerce and the augmented
general and individual knowledge; and knowledge is
the only first fountain both of the love and the prin-
ciples of human liberty. Other powerful causes
soon came into active play. The reformation Of LII
thur broke out kinding up the minds OF men airesh,
leading TO new habits of thought, and awakening IN
individuals energies before unknown, to them
selves. The religious controversies OF this period
changed society well religion; indeed, it would
be easy to prove if this occasion proper for it,
that they changed society to considerable extent,
where they did not change the religion of the Stale.
The spirit of commercial and foreign adventure,
therefore, the hand, which had gained so much
strength and influence, since the time of the discoye-
~ of America, and the other, the assertion and
maintenance of religious liberty, having their
indeed IN tie Reformation but continued diversified,
and continually strenC thcned by The subsequent d.
visions OF sentiments and opIni smoDg the reformers
themselves, and this love of religious liberty drawing
after them, bringing along with them, they al
u..u, i--.-v, powerIuT Innucnrrz, under
which character was formed and men trained for the
great work of introducing English civilization, Eng
lsh law, and what Is more than all, Anglo-SaXo n
blood, into the wilderness Of North America. Ra.
leigh aud his companions may be considered as the
creatures principally, of the first Of tese causes
IIgh-spirlted 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, AMI not unwilling 10 diversity the labors Of
settling colony with occasional cruising against the
Spaniards IN the West Indian seas they crossed and
recrossed the ocean, with frequency which surprises
US, when we consider the state Of navigation, aud
which eyinces most daring spirit The other cause
peopled New England. I he May Flower sought our
shores under no high wrought spirit of commercial
adventure, no love OF gold no mixture OF purpose,
warlIke or hostile, 10 any humsa being. Like the
dove on tie ark she had put forth only To find rest
Solemn prayers from the shores of the sea IN Hol-
land had invoked for her. at her departure the hes-
sings Of Providence. The stars which guided her
were the unobscured consultations of civil and rel,-
\ glous liberty. Her deck the altar of the living
! God. Ferent prayers from Blended knees, mingled
morning and evening, with the voices of ocean, aud
the signing Of the wind IN her shrouds Every pros
porous breeze, which, gently swelling her sails, help
ed the Pilgrims onward IN their course awoke 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 or woman, the firm and settled purpose ofiheir
souls TO undergo all, and TO do ALL that the meekes
patience the bodest resolution and the highest trust
IN God, could enable human bongs 10 suffer or TO
! perform.
Some differences may, doubtless be traced at this
day, between the descendants Of the early coonists
| of Virginia and those Of New England owing 10 the
4 o"N NlltuithlaHtfS unuer
which the respective settlements were made. But
only enough to create pleasing variety in the midst
of general Iesenbi nee.
"---froies, non omnibus una,
" Nee dirsrsd tnD'e,', quaien deed essc so1orenn
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 d.
mInIshed They gradually disappeared toy the prog
ress OF time, and the influence OF intercourse The
necessity OF some degree Of union and cooperation TO
defend themselves against the savage tribes tended |
a Ia fhat uttf