Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-07-04

SATURDAY, JULY 4, 1857.
rae NatIonaI Anniversary.


history of all other nations, is but the passing
OF an early childhood. In the beginning we
were but three millions of people, stretching |
along the Atlantic coast in narrow belt, and
numbering thirteen separate colonies. In the
notuncommon age Of one man, our people are
multiplied by ten, the figures of the thirteen
colonies have been transpOsed, and now thirty
millions takes the place of three, and thirty.
one States of thirteen colonies, sweeping from
the Atlantic Westward over three thousand
five hundred miles to the Pacific ocean. In
all the elements of individual prosperity, we
have kept equal pace. And yet there is no
check or abatement. Our industry and pro-
gress at home are instinct with life, activity
and enlargement, while their results abroad
are manifest in the universally of our COM
merce, and in the fact that by our surplus
breadstuffs and raw material, we subsist one
half of the human family. We may we'll be
proud of such country, and it is no empty
boast or objectionable egotism to make fire.
quent and complacent mention of it. We
may well fire guns, ring bells make illumiua
tons and exchange congratulations, in token
of our triumphs and prosperity, and in memo
ry of the day and the circumstances which
gave it birth. 1t is the carnival of LIBERTY,
and ought to be fttingly celebrated. We are
no admirers of what is more forcbly than
elegantly termed the spread eagle" style of
oratory, but on this day we can excuse it; and
listen with satisfaction to the fervid rehearsal
of the scenes through which our Revolutionary
sires passed in the attainment of the estate
which we enjoy. We have no objection,
therefore, to seeing our ardent young orators
become warm and vehement in their declama-
ton on the GLORIOUS Fourth;" we are par
tial to the eagle, and think it ought to be al
lowed to "spread ITSELF" at least on our ma
tional anniversary. Let all business be sus-
pended, and let everybody, from one end of
this great country to the other, of all ages,
| sexes and conditions of life, rningle together
as members of one household, in Joy and
peace, in the festivities of this holiday; let
them turn out to their appointments for the
reading of the immortal Declaration, and pu6-
lie speaking; and let them learn to forget
party differences, and renew in their hearts,
the high inspirations of unselfish patriotism.
But while preparations are making thus early
in the morning for the exercises of the day,
let US reflect, for a few moments, upon the
! causes which led to the Declaration. We are
too often persuaded by over-enthusiastic speak
ers, that England was despOtism and King
| George a tyraut, under whose absolute sway
our fathers of the American Colonies, were
! grooming as under the lash of a task-mas ter,
This is a too highly colored picture. From
the days of Alfred the Great to the present,
England has uniformly enjoyed greater meas
ure of freedom, than any other nation of mod
| ern times, except our owG and it was from her
that the Colonies imbibed their ideas of liber-
| ty. MAGMA CHARTA, the right Of Habeas Cor
pus and trial By jury, the foundation and pill
lars of English freedom, had been presorip-
tive right of Englishmen, from time out OF
mind When it was invaded, the noble-heart-
ed liegemen of the realm, extorted a written
re-affirmation of it from King John, at Runny-
| mede. 1t was one of the most sacred and inn
| pregnable provisions of the great unwrtten
Constitution of Britain. 1t was incorporated
into all the original charters of the American
Colonies, and was part of the political life of
our ancestors. In addition to this the early set
tiers of America were careful to have inOorPo
rated into their charters the great principle that
| taxation and representation are inseparabe;
that no impost or tax should ever be levied or
| collected, without the colonies had voice in
its imposition. This Is the ground work OF
| our present liberty; we have engrafted Others
| upon it, such as the freedom of the press, &c
and have enlarged and extended it; but the
colonies originally enjoyed large measure o
freedom. The original charter IF one of The
States, was so consonant with the operation
and principles of our new government, that
continued in force until very late years, with
ont material change. The history of the re
cent Rhode Island constitution is familiar
From the year 1860, after the American, Ed
gish and French war of that period, there ap
peared disposition on the part of George III
who, that year, assembled the throne, an
was backed by many of the nobility in Parla
ment, to curtail and restrict the liberties whic
had heretofore been enjoyed by the Colonie,
This disposition was manifested in variou
forms. Yet none of them contemplated an
Pburdensome outrage upon the people then
selves individually. The Boston Port Bill, th
stamp act and the tax on tea, were the principa
The Stamp Act was an evasion of great priI
cple. 1t authorised government stamp I
be placed upon writing paper, for which ther
should be paid by the consumers of the pape
a specified fee or tax, and then forbid til
making of conveyances, or public records upo
any other paper, otherwise such conveyance
should be invalid. The colonies saw the in
Engagement and demonstrated. The Stamp Az
was finally repealed; aud a slight tax on tel
passing through the ports of England fror
China, was substituted. The tax itself was ,
the smallest moment. But the colonies sa
that if the principle were yielded, there woul
be no limit to its exercise; and hence the
protested, and trundled the tea caddies frol
the merchant ships into Boston Harbor, befoI
they would submit to the payment of the Ia
They might have paid the duty without incol
venienoe; and if they had had a voice in Ia,
: ing IL, they would likely have paid the du
. rather than forego the pleasures of q cup
, Gunpowder or Young Hyson. The penny
two To the pound tax, was Of the very lea
consequence; but the principle of taxatl'
without representation was everything. III
, was right which they had, by the Britt
: Constitution, recognized aud guaranteed
Z their charters, aud this right they would Il
aud did not waive. They repealed the attetl
l.. I ~, L..