Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1845-11-27
Letter from John quincy ADAM.

The following letter addressed to c. Ed~ ards
Lester, the translator of ''CEBAs CITIZEN OF A
REPUBLIC" the book is said to be good one, but
Mr.. Adams's letter super-excellent 1t will be read
by old aud young with undivided interest. We copy
1t from the N Y. Mirror
-. QUINCY, Mass, llth Oct 1916.
DeGr Dir lndisposition has delayed the answer
which should have been Immediately returned to your
letter OF the I'D of last month, which received,
Ceba; for both | offer YOU INV cordial thanks. and
particularly for the dedication of the book
1t Is remark, believe, of Burke :. That liberty
nheres In some sensible object, and that every nation
has formed TO itself favorite point which, by
way of eminence, becomes the criterion of their
happiness That the great contests for freedom in
England were, from the earliest times, chiefly upon
the question of taxing. The most of the contests in
the ancient Commonwealths turned primarily on the
right of the election of magistrates or on the balance
among the several orders of the State The question
OF money was not with them immediate"
And, pursuing the same idea, he shows that the
question OF our Revolution contest of liberty
according to English ideas and English principles
and that the champions of liberty in England for
succession OF ages, had taken infinite pains to incul
cate as fundamental principle that In all monarcbes
The people must, IN effect, themselves, mediately or
immediately possess the power of granting their own
money, shadow of liberty could subsist 90 The
colonies he adds, 50 drew from England as with
their life-bood, these ideas and principles Their
love OF liberty as with the English fixed and attached
on this specific point of taxng-berty might be safe
or night be endangered in twenty other particulars
without their being much pleased alarmed; here
they felt Its pulse and they found that beat they
thought themselves sick or sound"
The cause of the American Revolution so far as
it contest between Great Britain and her colo
MES, was THIS question of property, limitation
merely of the power of Government to levy money
upon the people, by taxation it was, in principle
John Hampden's question of shp-money When The
progress of the Revolution changed the principle of
the controversy to war for independence, and the
colonies were called to form Constitutions of Govern
ment, and federate union for themselves the CUES
ton OF taxation became but Of many other prn-
clples In the organization Of Government involving
the whole theory of human rights and all the founda-
tons OF liberty staked upon the fabric of the social
compact
Perhaps the circumstances alluded to by Burke that
our controversy with Great Britain had originated in
those ideas Of liberty which our fathers had brought
with them from England, and which concentrated
upon the simple point of taxation has retained an
undue proportion OF Influence in estimate Of liberty
down to the present time.
The Italian Republics of the middle ages were
founded also upon principles of liberty differently
modified and indissoubly connected with the right OF
taxation Our statesmen, patriots, Legislators, and
people, are still confined by the ties of language in
great degree the literature of England. An Italian
writer of age preceding that of the civil wars in
England IN the seventeenth century, writing on the
duties of Citizen of Republic with the history
of Italy added to that of Greece and Rome before him.
must have embraced wider scope in the consideration
of liberty and of human rights than is be found in
the contracted sphere of the conflicting principle of
freedom and Of power in the English writers Of the
seventeenth century.
shall therefore make it point to read with atten-
ton the work of Ceba, aad should my state Of health
hereafter permit will freely give YOU nv opinion con-
corning 1t. Liberty is still in our country vital
question of politics, morals and religion. question
upon which have much TO learn, and our posterity
much to act The days of my participation in it are
passed, but the prayer for its progress and universal
prevalence remains to the last moment of my life.
am, dear sir, very respectfully your fellowc;izen
and friend JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.