Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-05-29

velvet yerdure Of gentle vale flushed with all the oyers
and enriched with all the fruits Of personal friendship and
social regard 1t is for Of these walks that
assembled here to-day leaving the rough road Of disputa
tous politics, and walking frozen and burning
mari but among gades Of lofty recolecons of the past
and grateful enjoyment of the present.
Gentlemen, cannot shut eyes, and the intelligent
part of mankind does not shut its eyes, to the extraor
nary degree Of prosperity which this country has risen
under the present popular form Of and that
is the secret OF all There may be things which
we might wish were better, many which might be
But on the whole where does the sum- from its rising to
its setting, throw its beams upon people pros
perous more happy, more growing in reputation and
nown, than these States Of United America
Now, gentlemen, whence do these blessings flow !?
Whence comes all the prosperity enjoyf How is It,
that, on this whole continent from the frozen zone to
Cape Horn, there is people like that of the United
States no people which can show growth like theirs;
no Government people that stand up before the
world like the Government and people Of the United
States and present themselves boldly and fearlessy to
the respect aye and even to the admraton of all natonsy
How is this? In my opinion, gentlemen, ALL OF great
part OF prosperity is to be referred to early ac
quantance with the principles Of regulated constitution
al popular liberty and early adoption Of these princ
pies in the establishment of the republican form OF gov
eminent The Tory writer's Of England, whose aim, as
you well know gentlemen it has generally been to show
that the people best governed when they have little
share in the Government maintain that those above
govern those below better than those below gov
themselves That is not our theory We hold that
there is nothing above, and nothing below that all stand
on an equality each enjoys his part of the public pros
perity and suffers his portion Of the public adyersity
each at the time bearing his part and exercising his
appropriate portion in the political of his
try Dr. johnson, Of the writer's of this school, says
/" How small, of all that human hearts endure,
The part that kings or laws curey'
Now, the truth u.s. that kings and laws
most evils belonging to social individual life they can
establish desp0sm; they restrain political opinion
they prevent from expressing their free thoughts
kings and laws impose intoerably burdensome taxes
they exclude the from all participation in the
Government they bring about state Of things un
der which the public good and the public liberties will
be destroyed and trodden down by military power; they
obstruc the progress of education and knowledge
they render men serve serfs and they darken
blind and almost exnguish the intellectual element Of
humanity Is not this much? Are not these great evils?
Who does not feel that the political institutions of his coun
try according good evil the very elements
of his happiness ormsery tits true very true that
may depend in many respects personal
circumstances on his health the state of his family
on his for living, his for the education
of his children but his fortune, good evil is influenced
deeply mainly and essentially by the laws Of his country
And that take it, is the great solution Of the question,
now no longer matter of doubt but heretofore ques-
ton subsistng all Europethe true nature Of the
happiness and prosperity of the people Of the United
States But say to you and to whole country, and
to all the crowned heads and arstocrac powers and e
dial systems that exist that it is to
great principle of popular representation and adminisra
ton, the system that lets in all to participate in the
counsels that to assign the good evil Of ahat
owe what we are and what we hope to be. [Cheers.
Why, gentlemen, who does notsee this? Who supposes
that any thing but the independence of the country would
have made us what are? Suppose that mother Eng
land had treated with the utmost indulgence that the
counses most favorable the colonies had prevailed,
that had been made spoiled child, said to you
have said before and shall continue to say till the time of
my DEATH that it is not in the nature of any colonial
system of to raise country and raise nation
the highest pitch of prosperity 1t is independence
of Tho nQ IN ala
for themselves that has elevated from the subdued
feeling of colonial subsection and placed where
1t is independence:
Hail, independence hail thou next best gift
To that of life and an immortal soul!"
Gentlemen have said that blessings grow
tally from form Of Government from the satisfaction
of the people with that FORM and their desire to help
the general progress of the country There is true
American who does not rejoice in the general prosperity
of the country whodoes take delight day and night
in rejecting that progress Sonward that the people
grow more happy and more and more enlightened,
cessf and renowned every day This is source Of par
his individual condition may be- however fortunate
unfortunate in whatever circumstances of elevation
depression he may find himself he still partakes of the
general prosperity of the country. Cheers. He has,
in Short dipidnd, iii may commercial express
sion) be has dpdnd, payable not quarterly but daily
out Of the fund of happiness and prosperity which
the country enjoys. stb
And now let ask on what portions of the globe, in
thing existf There undoubtedly other nations
in which the people feel the individual interest in
the proceedings of government but there few But
take nations whole; look the continent of Eu
rope and among the many millions who constitute the
subjects Of its arbitrary governments how many feel that
their individual happiness and respectabity OBJ
ecs Of the and kindness of the authority which is
hemf Does not the content itself with the
hope that the may to be oppressive
their industry, burdensome with taxation, and
fun Of restraint on their personal liberty? How many
arbitrary soyereigns mainly about the individual
prosperity Of their subjects and instead Of considering the
means by which their Government may become impor
tant rival to another and be able maintain contest by
standing armies and heavy taxation, themselves
for the interests Of those that governed who pay for
the gorgeous appendages Of military power and the
and appliances Of despotismg
The truth is that the general theory Of politics which
has sprung out of the feuda system has mainly been to
Governments against another TO make
throne match for other thrones; and to this end
to maintain armies and nayies by and op-
pressve taxation the people The theory Of the feuda
system is that Of leader and dependent and the better
instruction greater elevation of the in their
character men never entered into its notions. n
Compare condition with theirs. Why, there are
more in the United States had almost said, attach
ed to their Governments loving their Government feeling
keeny every thing that tends to the dsparagement Of
their Government alive To every thing that conduces to
the interest Of their Government and rejoicing that they
live under this Government than you find ten thou
sand millions Of among nations called civilized in the
old world, but living under arbitrary sway. n a4s
Now, gentlemen we all Bostonians. We live here
this little peninsulate In territory, not little in
intelligence crcumscribed in acres circumscribed by
But We Bosonans live here and partake Of the general
prosperity of our country. We exclusive. We