The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-09-25


spect TO the continental powers, that Of Athens,
when contending, first with Persia, ana afterwards
| for the supremacy in Greece Ihe hthenians were
told by the Oracle put their trust IN their wooden
walls. The sound sense o. Cromwell dictated the
fleets led by the republican Blake. France wasawed
| the Dutch were crippled; and the English naval
power was fast advancing to height whence might
be its final triumph over the combined fleets of
Europe. Her commerce spread TO every sea, and
was protected in every ocean. In some places she
planted colonies like Athens, in others established
factories Her colonies haze grown into States; her
factories have been changed into the residences of
her governors, controlling the destiny of millions.
Islands IN every sea acknowledge her dominion.
Her military posts are TO be found on every con-
tinent The sun never goes down upon places sub
ject 10 her power. Such has been the course of
things. To attribute il to any other than that
of the emancipation of the English mind from the
spiritual despotsm of the clergy by the intelligence
and frmness Of the Puritans, and to the more en-
larged views and security Of civil liberty which such
emancipation induced, would be to betray as much
blindness to the operation Of principles as ignorance
| Of history.
In contemplating this immense power, we at once
become suspicious and believe that It has not been
fairly acquired. But this may be conclusion, GER
tainly hasty, and to some extent, unjust To judge
the question mpartiay, il should be first ascertain
ed that these vast acquisitions were predetermined
when English trading establishments were first fix
ed, colonies FIRST planted. But can it seriously be
argued that the present British dominion in Hindos-
tan appeared, even in DREAM TO the first East In
dia directors in Londoni Or that in the then state
of the world the future growth of col0nes was fore
seen? The idea 10 prcposterous. The extension OF
English commerce was the primary object, and the
acquisition of territory by colonies the result of adj
ventitious circumstances aided by the superiority
Of the English mind. The insular position of Great
1 Britain made her dependent upen commerce for her
prosperity. She wrested Gibraltar from the Span
ards. Could i be expected she would surrender
place 30 essential for the protection of her commerce
i in the Levan4 Her North American colonies were
\ rising into great importance, and the French
girding them with fortresses She then tore Cana
| da from the French Grown. Could it be expected
she would return II at the peace and again subject
they had just escaped This was impossible. The
same reasoning will apply to many Of her acquisi-
| tons, and thus show that the course of things in
the expansion Of English power, was irresistible.
/ But while this ought to be admitted, II must not
he forgotten that when the great Sovereign of all the
earth gives permits this vast power to nation
that nation becomes amenable to Him for its abuse
The mother country has right to say to her de-
tendencies, "You shall not make "a hob-nail' if it
interfere with the interest Of Sheffield; nor yard Of
cloth, il it interfere with that Of Manchester Of
Yorkshire: all your products shall serve towards the
accumulation Of our wealth and power and we will
send bishops Of our church to establish spiritual
tyranny over you" II is in this abuse Of power,
long the policy Of Great Britain, that her guilt and
danger now consist. A century has horribly added
to the frst--much less may prove the latter; for
from the divine economy respecting nations, may
well be asserted that power If abused must, in the
course Of things, meet with the most awful retribu
| ton. t3
distinct class-the nobility. But, in nobility,
we find false principle operating eventually to
| the degradation and ruin Of the In civil gov.
eminent il is what bishops in the church. In
| Great Britain, nobility is compounded Of spiritual
and temporal lords legisating together all affairs of
the state, and constituting the House Of Peers The
first vote to all the privileges of the latter
! especially their exemption from tax upon legaces
on landed propery--which Mr. Pitt, in 1795, strong
as he was, not able to wiring from these united
powers. The latter vote to secure to the first their
enormous revenue az their Kingdom Of this world"
established by law. With some slight departure
from the spiritual tyranny of Rome, here is still left
false principle, which, though it waves like the
sword Of the angel in Eden to keep off Romanism,
has often borne heavily upon the Dissentcrs, and
still brushes the Catholics This spiritual and tenn
/ poral nobility, thus united, have now abased the
| mass of the people to so low degree of physical
suffering and moral turptude, that the whole sys-
tenn of government is threatened with destruction
4 Lord Ashley thus fearlessy announced il, in his
spssch in Parliament on education, but two years
\ since. The boom of The first British cannon an
nouncing war against the United States France,
tolls the funeral Of London.
|
crimes and atrocities that attended il. But this is
false view. It would have been more just to have
! first investigated the causes which produced it.
These clearly traced to the spiritual tyr
amy of Rome-always inadequate to produce a
| great moral power, (,cithop whch government by
civilized man can erisi long in this age) which had,
by the revocation of the Edic Of Nantes, destroyed
| the only counteractiDg agency TO the despotsm of
the clergy, and thus undermined the only founda-
/ ton on which civil liberty could, in any degree, be
established In the nature Of things, was not pos
sible that France, debased by ages Of monarchical
arstocratical, clerical tyranny, could know any
ameoration of her condition, until all the elements
were fused into one mass, preparatory to new and
/ better reconstruction Of society Nor could it in
4 reason be expected that she could pass through
revolution, without the crimes for which nges of
despotism had prepared her. The course of the
4 revolution led to crimes, doubt; but France
emerged last from her chaos into ORDER in despite
of the combined power of Europe. She saw the
liberty of conscience secured better than she had
ever known it before She saw the confscation of
the immense property of the clergy and the nobili-
4 ty--the abolition Of the law of the majordt--of
tithes-of feudal rights-ber soil in possession Of
ten millions OF her people--and she obtained legsla
ton by Chamber Of Deputies. Much then, was
gained by the revolution and il full liberty has not
been secured, to use the words of M Theirs, sit
j will yet comes" and all the clergy and crowned
heads Of the earth cannot prevent it.
/ The inquiry comes home to ourselves, What is to
be the course Of things in the United States'
u History affords no instance Of as much wisdom
and patriotism as found in the convention which
formed the constitution of the United States. The
experience Of ages and of nations was before it, and
in securing liberty of conscience to all, by con-
stuonal law, they left Christianity free to operate
on the morals of society by the efforts Of the clergy
combined with their members, separated fully and
absolutely from the state. Still, it is matter of
doubt if the men Of the convention were
fully aware of the vast results which this
principle might produce, or dreaded danger to
the future from "the onward march and ac-
f emulation of the power Of the clergy" The sew
eral States have recognised the great princ-
; ple-the right Of suffrage is given to ALL Thus
every particular class guard its own interests by
its representatives in the Legislative body and at
achment is secured to the country from all. Rep
resentation in annual legislation, adapting itself to
progressive knowledge and to the wants Of society,
adds improvements to condition. or corrects the
2 mistakes which some momentary impulse naval have