Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-06-27


name of the Crown Spain. The mines of gold and
silver were the excteIhents 10 these efforts, aud nc
cordngly settlements were generally mads anc SPa
nish authority established or The immediate eve OF the
sublugaton OF territory, that the native population
might be set wcsk BY their Spanish masters y,
the mines. From these iaci:, the love "i goia-g
not produced by industry accumnistec oy cau,
merce, but gold dog from It's native ufd IN 'ne oo"e's
Of the EARTH and that earth raVshed from us rghui
possessors by every possible degree OF enormy cru
city aud cfme-saS long The governing passion IN
Spanish wars and Spanish settlements IN America
Even Columbus himself, d,d nc; wholly escape the
influence of this base motive Ia his early voyages,
we find him passing from island to island, inqniTing
every where for gold, If God had opened the New
World to the kno Wedge Of the Old only to Crafty
passion equally senseless and sordd and to oer up
millions OF an unoendiHg of to The deStruc-
ton Of the sword sGarpsed both b? cruelty aud :apa-
city. And yet COLUMBUS was far above hs age ara
country. Enthusiastic, indeed, but sober, regious,
and Experimentation 10 great things aud capaoie
OF high sentiments his noble discourse before er'
dinand and Isabella we'll the whole history oil ms
life .hows-prob-bly he sacrificed much 10 the known
sentiments Of others, and addressed his followers
motives likely TO influence them AT the same time,
is evident that he, himself, looked rpon the world
which he discovered, world 0! wealth: all ieaoy 10
be seized and enjoyed.
The conoaerors and the European settlers of Spanish
America were mainly military commanders and COM
mon soldiers The monarchy Of Spain was not trans
ferred this hemisphere bet acted in IL as 1t acted
presentatiye-m military furce The robbery and des-
tructon cf the native the achievement OF
standing armies, IN the right oil the King, and by Inc
authority; fighting IN his name Tor the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
of his power and the extension OF his prerogatives
with military ideas under arbitrary maxms portion
of that dreadful instrumentali,v by which perfect
des potsm governs people. As there no liberty
in SPAIN how could liberty be transmitted to Spanish
colonies?
The coonists of English America were ofthe people,
nd neone already They wsr OF the mode,
INDUSTRIOUS and already prosperous class, the lnhabi-
tan,s of commercial and manufacturing cities, among
whom liberty fist revived and respred, alter sleep
Of tho Island years, in the bosom OF The dark ages
Spain descer ded on the New World in The armed and
terrible image of her monarchy and her soldiery En-
gland appr ached ii in the winning and popular garb
OF personal fights, pubc protection, and civil freedom
England iransplan;ed liberty to America Spain trans
planted power England through the agency OF pr-
vae compsn aad the efforts Of individuals, colonzed
this part Of North America By industrious ndlv
making their way in the wilderness defending
hemseves against The savages, recognizing their right
TO the soil, and with general honest purpose OF m
PRODUCING Knowledge as well as Christianity, among
them Spain stopped on South America like falcon
on ii, prey. Every thing was gone Territories were
acquired by fire ond sword. Cities destroyed by
fire and sword. Hundreds of thousands of human be-
ngs fell by fire and sword Even conversion to Chris
tani,y attempted by fire and sword
Behold, then, fellow citizens, the difference result
ing from the operation of the two principles! Here,
TO day. The summit OF Bunker Hill, at the foot
of the monument, behold the difference | would thu,
the fifty thousand voices present, could proclaim II
with shout which should be heard over the globe .
Our inheritance Of liberty, secured and regulated
by law, and enlightened by religion and knowledge
that VI South Ame.ca Of power--ste.n, un.elent
ing, tyranncal, military power. And look to the re
suits the general and aggregate happiness OF the
human race. And behold the results, in all the re-
gons conquered by Corez and Pizarro, and the con
trasted results here. suppose the territory Of the IT,
S. may amount TO the one egh;t tenth of that
colonized by Spain on this continent, and yet IN all
that vast region there are but between one and two
millions Of Euronean color and European blood while
in the u S. there fourteen millions who rejoice in
their descent from the people of the Northern
part Of Europe.
But follow the difference in the original princi-
pie OF colonization, and IN It's character and objects,
still further We must look to neral and intellectual
results; we must consider consequences not only as
they show themselves in the greater or less multip
cation Of men or the supply OF their physical wants
but in their civilization, Improvement, and happiness
We must inquire what progress has been made in the
true science Of liberty, and in the knowledge Of the
great principles of self-government.
| would mol willlrg say any thing this occasion
discourteous 10 the Government founded on the
demolition Of the power of The Spanish monarchy =
They are yet their trial. and hope for favorable
result. But truth, sacred TRUTH and fidelity to the
cause OF civil Liberty, compes say, that hitherto
they have discovered quite too much Of the spirit Of
that monarchy rom which they separated themselves.
Quite too frequent resort made military force; and
guile too much OF tie substance Of the people consumed
~ MAINTAINING armies, not for dc fence against foreign
aggression only, but tor enforcing obedience does-
tic authority. Standing armies the oppressive in
strunents for governing the people in line hands Of he
reditary and arbitrary monarchs A military Republic,
Government founded mock elections and support
ed only by the sword is movement, indeed, but
trogade and disastrous movement, from the moaarch
cal systems II men would enjoy the blessings of Re
ynhl.n sla
reason, by mutual counsel and consultation by
and feeling OF general interest," and by acquiescence
of The minority IN the viii of the ma ory, properly
expressed; and, above ALL the military mu, be kept,
according 10 the language OF Dill of rights, in strict
subordlnatlon 10 the cyi authority. Where yer this
lesson is not bo,h learned and prscticed there csn
be no political freedom. absurd, ptepo9terous is il
"a scott and SATIRE free forms OF constitutional
liberty, for Constitutions and flames of Government
to be prescribed by military leaders, and the right OF
suffrage to be exercised al the point of sword
Making all allowance for situation and climate, it
cannot be doubted by intelligent minds that the differ
now existing between North and South America
Justly attributable great degree, 10 political in
situations. And how broad that difference is Sup
pose assembly, in one of The Valleys the side
of one of the mountains the Southern half of the he
misphere, TO be held this day in The neighborhood of a
large city, what would be the presented? fon.
der is a volcano flaming and smoking but shedding no
light, moral intellectual. At lis foot is the nine,
yielding, perhaps sometimes large gains to capital, but
in which labor is destined TO eternal and unreqred
toll, aad rewarded only by penury and heggary. The
city is filled with armed men; no; free people, armed
md coming forth voluntarily 10 rejoice in public es
tivy bat hlreng troops, supported by forced loans,
excessive lmpostons commerce, taxes wrung
from halffed and half Clothed population. For the
great, there palaces covered with god for the poor,
there novels OF The meauest There an
clesias,ical hierarchy enjoying the wealth Of princes;
but there means OF education to the people. Do
public Improvements favor intercourse between place
and place. So far from this that the traveller cannot
pass from town without danger, every mile, OF
robbery and assassination | would not overcharge or
exaggerae this picture; but its principal Sketches are
all too true.
And how does il contrast with the actual.
" before is? Look FOUND upon these fields they are
yerdant and beautiful, well cultivated, and at this
men loaded with the riches of the early harvest The
hands which Til them free of the soil,
Toying equal rights, and protected by law from oppres
and tyranny Look 10 the thousand vessels Gu,
sight, filing the harbor covering the neighboriDg
sea. They the instruments Of profitable com.
merce, carried by who know that the profits of
Lord mbpt how akaf haf,