Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-05-26

does not feel that these political institutions are
Tor him They are for good or evil, and the ve-
ry elements of his personal freedom. 1t is true
it is very true-that mans personal condition
may dependvery much upon his personal circuni-
| stances, his health the state of his family his
means oflivlng, his means of educating his chill
dren, his fortune, good evil. But all these
things are influenced deepy-mainIy-e
| " influenced by the laws and the constitution of
the country i'll which he lives. And that take
it, is the great solution-the gre solution of the
question now no longer doubted, but heretofore ex-
listing all over Europe-of the true nature of the
prosperity and the happiness of the people of the
United States. | therefore say, at once, you,
gentlemen, know all my sentiments. But l. say to
my whole country, you know them also. And
say more especially to all the crowned heads, and
and all the aristocratic powers of all the eudal
systems of Europe, that it is to self government
1t Is to tlie principle of public representation aud
admnistration-it is to a system that lets in all to
partake IN the councils, which are to effect the
good or evil of all that we owe what we are under
the sanction of Divine Providence, and all we
hope to be- (Applause.) Why, gentlemen, who
does not see this!-who is there among us that
supposes that anything but the independence of
the country could have made us what we are .
Suppose that mother England had treated us with
the utmost indulgence-suppose that the coun-
ellis most favorable to the colonies had prevailed
/
child. l say, as I have said to my friend on
my left that it is not possible for any gov
ernment OIL. any country at distance, to raise
| a nation by any line OF policy to the height to
which this has attained. 1t is independence, it is
self government, it is the liberty OF the people to
make laws for themselves that has raised us
above the subdued feeling of colonial subugation,
and placed us where we are. 1t is independence
hail, thou best gift of life and immortal spirit
| Gentlemen, | have said that our blessings and
our prosperity flow essentially from our form of
| government, from the satisfaction of the people
with that form, and from their desire to forward
the general progress of the country. There are
but few Americans in the country but what re-
joice at the general prosperity of the country
Who does not take delight day and night in learn
ing that the progress of the country is generally
onward-that the people are happy, and that we
grow more and more successful and renowned
every day! Now this is of itself source of par
| ticular happiness to every honest American heart
The truth is, that whatever mans personal con-
dition may be, however prosperous unprosper-
Gus, however fortunate unfortunate i'll what
ever circumstances of elevation or depression he
may find himself, he still participates in the gen
eral prosperity of the country. He has, in short
| a dividend, if | may be allowed to use CONNER
cial expression-he has dividend, payable, not
quarterly, but daily not in gold silver, but in
the general happiness and prosperity that he en-.
joys. (Hear, hear.) And now, let me ask, on
what portion of the globe, in how many regions
| that called civilized, does the same thing &C.
cur! There are some instances-there are some
nations among the people, of whom great respect
and ardent attachment for the honor of their gov
eminent, and the diffusion of its principles exist;
but take the whole OF them--look over the CONT
nent OF Europe-and among the millions and mil
lions who constitute the subjects of the despotc
governments Of Europe, how many there that
curao f,rt l,ai.
honor or its renown but whose only hope it is,
that the government Of their country will cease
| to be SO oppressive upon their indusry-wi cease
| to be so burdensome by their taxation and instead
| of considering the means by which one govern
ment may be the rival of another government,
and by which their government may maintain its
position and power among other governments,
which is done by means of constant taxation, that
they would consider somewhat the thoughts of
those that are governed, and their strenuous exer
lions to maintain themselves while they are obliged
to sustain the gorgeous appendages of military
power III order to support their monarehical in-
| situations !! Compare our position with that. Why
there are more men in the United States had
almost said, attached to their government, loving
their government feeling keenly everything that
tends to the disparagement of their government,
alive to everything that conduces to the interest
OF their government, and rejoicing that they live
under this government than you can find in the
thousand million of acres among nations called civ
iized in the old world, but living under their des-
| potic governments.
Now, gentlemen, we are all Bostonians, we live
here on this little peninsula, little in territory not
little in intelligence circumscribed in acres, not
circumscribed by any known boundary in the res
| pect OF the civilized world. But we as Bostoni-
| ans, live here on this peninsula of ours, and we
partake Of the general prosperity of our country
We are not exclusive. We desire that every en-
joyment that we possess should be participated in
by others; and enjoy the reputation of our
| whole country, its renown, and its honor. We
may onsiderourselves, commercially, as nation,
constantly increasing as sovereign power,
growing daily more powerful We may consider
that the national spirit AMI enterprise is gathering
strength with its growth and further than that,
we may consider that in those mental and intel
ectual Efforts which mark the age, we have made
| respectable progress. Thirty years ago. it was
| asked, "Who reads an American book!'' 1t NAV
now be asked, What intelligent in all Eu-
rope does not read an American book! (Applause.)
Who is there! Sam Rogers reads them, Henry
Harlan reads them, McCuoch reads them, Lord
Mahon reads them and sometimes finds himself
answered when he comments on them. laugh
ter. And there is not an intelligent man in all
Europe who does not read our American authors.
and especially our legal and historical works; and
in France, Theirs and Guizot read them; and
throughout the vast population of France, there is
no doubt that there is greater devotion paid to
the study of our popular Institutions to the prin-
cpes which have raised us to tie point at which
we now stand, than there is paid to the monar-
chcal institutions and principles of government
of every other part of Europe. America is no lon
ger undstinguished for letters for literature. l
will not mention those authors of our own day,
now living, who have much attracted the at
tention of the world by their literary produc-
tons.
Gentlemen, circumstance occurred in the city
of Madrid, which l ought not to forget. There
it was that an event took place, which raised me
to eminenca in the literary world, in my position,
of which was not previously aware. Under the