Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-08-14
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
CoRRESpoNDENcE FROM ENGLAND.
LONDON, July Is, 1917.


ratiye, will the causes appear which, by their con
tinued action for centuries, have placed Great Bri-
tain in the proud position which she at present oc-
crpies among the nations of the earth.
These principal causes may probably be stated
as being the insular nature and geographical posi-
ton of Great Britain the character of the people,
as formed by climate and the institutions of the
country I: and those institutions, as acted upon by
the reflected thought and feeling Of the people.
These causes, although very brief in enumeration
and simple in definition, will be found 10 be most
extensively operative in their application, and quite
adequate in their results TO produce the state of
things visible in Great Britain.
Nature did not originally do much more for Great
Britain than give her an nsular formation and po-
stion in temperate climate, with an almost abso-
lutte contiguitv 10 the continents of the Old World.
Every where probably on the surface of the earth
does the soil want lin Scripture phraseology) sub
DUNG and rendering fiji Tor the support OF man, by
his labor and the sweat of his brow' and Eng
land was originally not an exception to the general
Remuneration after Adams trangression in Eden.
1t was a wilderness of wild woods when Caesar
landed there, and undoubtedly produced an ample
crop Of : thorns and thistes' Eighteen centuries
of labor and skill and hundreds of millions of mo-
ney have made 8 little England what she now is
a garden What will the same time and expense
do for your "wide domain - But this is getting
TOO forward with my subject. The insular forma-
ton of Great Britain furnished her with abundance
of harbors for the purposes OF commerce; whilst
sufclency of navigable rivers and the shape OF the
island brought every part OF the country within a
reasonable distance Of the sea. On the eastern
coast she was within few leagues OF the continent
OF Europe whilst on the opposite one she was the
nearest neghbor excepting her sister island Ire
land) 10 the then unknown great western continent.
e IL, leln
than fifteen hundred wears afterwards destined to
colonze. and 10 plant there the rudments of mighty
empire. most probably intended, by wise Provi-
dence to be the of art, science, political lber-
", and vrtuous enjoyment, when England shall
be TO America what Greece and Rome are now to
her. But England shall be more enduring in her
fame and character than even Greece and Rome
for she shall be transferred, not destroyed. The
inhabitants Of the Potomac and the Hudson, of the
Ohio and the Mississippi SHALL in after ages, claim
kindred and descent with and from the present oc-
cupers of the banks of the Thames and the Mer-
sey the Tweed and the Tav "St in their
breasts will $ live the woned fires the same love
of liberty, of law Of religion Of knowledge, and of
human progress" But this is running into the f.
tire, when the intention is 10 show what were the
operative principles OF lie past, which had produ-
ced the present To return.
1t has been stated that Great Britain had, in her
Insular form and geographical position, the natural
prerequisites for commerce. She had from her
position also the security OF temperate climate,
hardy population, and pcntituy productive soil.
Did not Nature do all that she could for her If,
then, man and art and science have acted in unison
with Nature for eighteen hundred years, need we
wonder at the result
There is no doubt but that the first state of So
ciely was patrarchal this would, as population in
creased lead TO clanship and chiefdom; and these,
by very natural graduation, and as mind and thought
became, with the progress OF Society, more active
ingredients in lis composition and more powerful in
their influence and control, would lead 10 feudalism
We have nothing 10 do with leudalism here, but 10
mention it crave excuse, however, for saving
that we DO not know where half an hours more
delightful and instructive reading is to he met with
than IN those chapters Of " Gt6eofs History of the
Progress Of Civilization which relate TO this
subject. William the Conqueror found the island
subject to Sarou and Danish feudalsm, which he
changed into Norman The vassals or feudatorics
OF England, whether Saxon, Danish, or Norman,
must not be COMPOUNDED with the slaves of Eastern
Europe or Of Asia, or even with the serfs OF modern
Russia They held their lands for certain services
OF their liege lords pretty much they the ords)
held theirs Of the king 1t was well for the majo-
rlty OF the people that this middle rank in society,
these eudal lords. afterwards the barons of Eng
land, mad an existence, and that they curbed the
tyranny OF kingly power and priesily usurpation.
II i unnecessary TO enter into the question how
kings and priests obtained an undue influence in
England, TO need the wholesome restraints Of
the middle rank, the barons England formed no
exception TO the other parts Of Europe in Welding
to kingly and ecclesiastical domination but she has
shown repeatedly that her people can teach both OF
these classes that there certain bounds which
they will not be allowed TO transrrcss. The frs,
great lessons which the Barons read to a King o
England when, at Runnymede the foolish ".
rant John was compelled to sign the famous MAGN
CHARTA, the great foundation Of English rights and
the basis OF the British Constitution. We admi.
however, with the late very honest but exremel~
impraccable Major john CARTWRIGHT, that Their,
is no such thing IN existence the British Const.
tution-nowhere can we find such document
The Constitution consists entirely of grants wrest
cd from the monarch, or of provisions enacted by
Parliament and sanctioned by the Crown-the frs
Of these grants being the Great Charter. The lead
ing principle Of this charter is tina, the consent d
the community is essential to just taxation this
admission has been the life Of the British Consti
tuition; strange 10 think that it was so ohstinately
overlooked in the Of the American Colonies il
l774! Magma Char,a also secured to Englis.mer
the right of trial BY jury aud the writ of habeas cor
pUs. These concessions would much advance tn.
Al