Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-09-04


the " Vrgnian" to the structures by the "Alexan-
dra Gazette" on its first article. For the present
we shall leave the controversy in the able hands in
which we find it.
FROM THE LTNcHBuRG vIRGISIAS AUG. 20.
THE DATE OF AMERICAN LIBERTY.
Some days ago, taking paragraph of the speech
delivered at Monterey by Gen Caleb Gushing, the 4h Of
July last INDUCED in specuatons in regard TO the
condition of the American coonss before the Declaration of
Independence the of liberty they enjoyed and the
character Of the Of the Revolution We took occasion
say that ancestors understood well ourselves the
principles Of civil liberty, the of political power and
the object Of all legitimate government, that they enjoyed
high degree Of freedom that they aimed not to extot
rights and privileges, but content with what they
oyed and that the wagd for independence not for
the achievement Of franchises hitherto unknown that indie
pendence startling idea to the Of the colonss
that its declaration the 4h July l776, just not ahead
Of public sentiment and that the people induced to
tain mainly by the belief that their liberties could not be
preserved by any short of this decisive STEP We
sad ALSO that the coonsts abored under serious griev
ances, and that they to rather than permit the
slightest encoachmen upon their rights and that the reyolu
ton therefore, chiefly owing zeal for abstract prn
cpe, viz that the people should be taxed without their
consent and that this constituted its distinguishing character
istic and exclusive glory These briefly iustra
ted in hurried editorial article, written the spur Of the
moment not dreaming that advancing heretcal sem
ments Some attention to American ante revolutionary his
tory led long ago these opinions which uttered
from aectation Of sngulanty, and which will be
maintained though may be called "sublimated and
transcendental Gen. Gushing.
The National Intelgencer copied in full remarks,
saying, The doctrine of this article if original has the
merit OF freshness and, to perception, strong odor of
truth 1t will not want opponents, dare say And, sure
enough, in that paper of the 18th instant find article
copied from the Alexandra Gazette mpugnng opinions
all points, and adopting in the broadcast sense, views of
the character of the Revolution which, however popular
believe superficial and erroneous The Editor Of the Gazette
has he remarks opposed assertion assertion, and placed
his opinions with confidence in the opposite scale to that in
which have been thrown those OF the author and ppover Of
the views" We insert at length the remarks of the
Gazette, and hope has done the with respect
since its recapulaon gives very inadequate view Of
sentiments The Gazette says the views have nothing
to sustain them" We join with the Editor, and shall
proceed to show that they fully sustained by the history
of the times. Without admitting that the !" views" alluded
to have Gen. Gushing for their author that they
the Gazette thinks protest against their novelty
being alleged their prejudice In many instances of late
what were considered views Of history gem
orally received the What has become of the
of early Rome which used receive with implicit
credence Alas, Nebuhr and Arnold have shown them to
be baseless vision. Time when Hume regarded
authority who relies upon him such
We could wish for time and space TO devote to dis
cussion Of much historical interest and importance, and
that for the support of opinions which feel assured
correct we had ampe Of documents. But
with limited means of reference, think
quote enough sustain all that have advanced, however
novel il may
We certain that those who believe ancestors
have been slaves before the Revolution will admit they pos
sessed intelligence enough know what their political
condition We must therefore, beg the question
ask that their declarations this point be received
evidence and that when, various times and under diverse
circumstances in public documents and private letters
debate and conversation, they that they free and
always had been free and wanted nothing than be
permitted to enjoy unmoestedsheir bhrght Of civil liberty,
they knew the value Of words and uttered what they ondy
believed be the truth II believe their declarations
they enjoyed the amplest freedom-a freedom achieved
by the sword this continent but brought by their
from the mother country and handed down them pre-
cous inheritance If their evidence this point be not
taken conclusive, must be the hypothesis that their
minds ebased by slavery know what liberty
For part believe they are competent wit
nesses and shall cite few of their declarations respecting
their political state. We embarrassed with the
abundance of this sort Of testimony We might fill paper
with create whereas limits restrict very few and
short extracts.
We make first from the address the British
House Of Lords by the House of Burgesses Of VIRGINIA.
1894 when the reached the Colonies of the intention
of Ministers to impose stamp duies
Ths your memorialists hope application your Lord
Ships the fixed and hereditary guardians of British liberty
will not be thought improper this tme when
proposed, subversive they conceive Of that freedom
Which all men, especially those ho derfpe their Constitution
from Britain, hare right 10 enjoy; and they fa,ter them
selves that your Lodhps will look upon them objects
unworthy your attention TO regard any Improperly
in the form of their application for your Lordshps
protection Of their just and undoubted rights Bions
"Your memonass conceive il to be a fundamental prin-
cple Of the British constitution, without which freedom
nowhere exist that the people subject any
but such laid them by their CONSENT by
who legally appointed to represent them properly
become precarous for the genius Of free people, which
be taken from them the will of Others who cannot
know what people BEAR the of
raising them and who not under that restraint which
the greatest security against burdensome taxation, when
representatives themselves must be affected by every i'm
posed on the people"
This perhaps the ames paper which proceeded from
The House Of Burgesses We give the show what
the feeling before the passage of the stamp 1895
We refer the resolutions introduced by FArnIcK
HEsRr, and which passed the House in May, 1866
after the passage Of the stamp act The last of the series