The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-10-15


banner Of the republic, either that red ensign,
which has made the tour Of the "Champ de Mars
drenched in the blood of her citizens, or the
splendid tri color. which gathers the joyful laurel
for France, while it plants the mourning cypress
throughout Europe? The reason is SIMPLE.
Hers is the giant power of centralism: the
same, whether clothed in the gorgeous trappngs
Of royalty, the splendid gories Of the empire, or
the simpler garb of democracy.
Take her insulated neighbor. In the history
OF British progress, you will early find bitter
and fierce contention between the elements OF
her society. II is not for me to do more than
TO suggest some of these elements
The epgrafting Of Norman feudaty upon the
freedom Of Anglo Saxon institutions; the prin.
cpe Of feudalism itself; the success Of the re,
ligions reformation amongst her peoples the
accessions to the throne Of the house pf Stuart
with its Popish memories and inclinations, and
its arbitrary conceptions of power gathered from
influential e1ucation--these national, feudal, re
ligions and civil jealouses, produced in England
| an early struggle between the elements of hel
society, resulting in their outward manifestation
| and Incorporation in her constitution by the Clio,
rious revolution of 1888.
| And with all her faults; with all her corrup.
tons; with all her oppressive and onerous sys.
TEN; where, in EUROPEAN civilization, have the
principles of noble and conservative freedom
been more highly developed than in our own
father- land?
| have thus briefly suggested some of the
| facts which history furnishes in confirmation OF
the great truth have advanced. If mistake
not, they demonstrate that centralism and indi-
yidualsm are the respective modes in which
despotism and liberty manifest themselves and
Int in fha of hafu 10 he
traced the history of the progress of free insti-
tutions.
How, then, stands Virginias action, recalled
by the return of this day, in the history of this
mighty struggle!
To answer this question intelgibly, requires
clear views of the former relation Of Virginia TO
Great Britain, and to her sister colonies
ln respect to Great Britain, her relations were
those Of dependence and subordinatlon, through
the participation of the crown in her govern
ment, and of PARLIAMENT in the single matter of
regulating her commerce. The same relation
subsisted In one form or another in each colony,
but separately and distinctly from the relations
of every o her, The bond which bound Vir.
ginia to the parent kingdom was entirely dis.
tinct and dissimiar from that of the other COL
ones. So great vas this variety, as to give rise
to the remark, that there was scarcely any form
of government, which did not prevail in one or
other of the colonies. Certain it is that there
were thrse several modes of union between
England and her American colonies the royal,
the proprietary, End the charter governments ;
and at one time in the early history of Carolina
the political views of Mr. Locke were realized
in her form Of government.
One leading principle, inherent, it seems, in
Anglo-Saxon liberty, was developed in them all.
| Il ma tha inyarahla
with the represerton of the colonial will in Its
own separate Legislature.
II is with pride thatI revert to the fact, that as
early as 1924, the colony of Virginia maintained
this principle, against which, few years later,
English monarchy staked its existence and FELL
But this transient assertion of this sacred
right was followed by an event in her history,
which should be well remembered.
Upon the death Of Charles the First, and the
ascendency of parliamentary power, Virginia, as
she had only acknowledged the external control
Of England, through the crown, refused to ad,
NIT the usurped authority Of the Parliament, the
soh remaining one in that country. A strong
naval force appeared upon her cast, which com
PEELED her to make terms in 1851, when she
could not successfully defend herseltt
! a treaty, the terms Of which are well known,
was entered into between England and Virginia,
BY this treaty il was agreed that Virginia should
"remain in due obedience and subsection 10 the
commonwealth Of England, according to the
laws there established," and that such subms-
sion q be acknowledged a voluntary act, not
forced nor constrained by c)nquest upon the
country. and thst they shall have and enjoy
such freedoms and privileges as belong 10 The
free born people Of England &c. Security to
her territory was agreed upon the rights of the
grand assembly fully recognised free trade, as
the people of England do enjoy, 10 all places
and with all nations, according 10 the laws oI
that commonwealth" accorded to her; and the
exemption Of her people from all taxes, and oil
her territory from all forts or garrisons, except
by consent Of her own grand assembly distinct
ly acknowledged t-(March ~, l65l.)
Subsequently and prior 10 the restoration
the colony Of Virginia, by ordinance Of hel
grand assembly, assumed all supreme power
within her limits, and exercised IL; elected al
her own officers regulated her own trade and
in fact, during The continuance Of the common
wealth Of England, was not only Independent,
Of the other colonies, bat even Of the mother
country.
After the restoration Of the house Of Stuart
the great principles Of English liberty were in
vaded on both sides Of the Atlantic: but while
the corruptions Of a court and the depravity o
royal judiciary, crushed the spirit OF freedom
IN the old world, in the new, the struggle wa,
maintained with manly and noble courage. Tn,
constant asser ion by Virginia of her rights; tn,
outbreak OF Bacon; Is s1pprss ion; the bolc
and turbulent spirit Of the noble burgesses the
sole, bat obstinate opponents Of the rapidly GER
trallzlng tendency OF the royal government, arc
prominent circumstances marking her strugVl,
for liberty with the crown, which was hnaly
ended IN the rapturous delight with which tn,
Anglo Saxon race on both sides Of the Atlantic
hailed, in the accession Of the Prince Of Opnge
the restoration Of free principles and the olive
branch Of peace,
The separate power Of each colony, restored
10 il after this period, was never seriously in
vaded until The passage Of those acts Of usur
patton by The Parliament Of the mother country
which finally drove Virginia TO the assertion O
her individual rights as political unit, in tina
event which irnDortalzes our anniversary 7
was the maintenance Of indvidualism against IN,
centralism Of the British government: and
stands forth prominently in history as an even
marked by the bold opposition Of liberty and