Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-07-08
(Correspondent Of The Patriot.)

Correspondent Of the Pat'fot.)
BEAVER Dam, July S, 1858.
MY DEAR SMITH Why not let the eagle
loose this morning, and permit him to take a
turn in the Empyrean? This yesterday is
has day-let the owls and bats and kites fee
to their holes While the bird of Liberty
| scars, let not the wing of the political jack
daw cleave the air. Whereupon. l consider
| him on his glorious pinnions, taking a survey
CT this broad and bright land teeming with
| everything that makes men and nations great,
catching in the sweep of his eye all that Won
dertul scene that lies, like gorgeous picture,
| between the two great Oceans and transverse
| ly between the Cult and the Lakes But par
| don me. do not mean to follow him. am
content to feel the shddo,O Of has ,ring as he
! circles over united, happy and prosperous
nation, of which ctris sum. Here we are four
score years and two after the Declaration.
The last man that kindled bonfire, threw up
his hat. or felt deep and silent thrill of joy
at its proclamation, has gone down TO the
dust. And for what was it and its immediate
most perilous consequences? We of the pre-
sent are too apt to forget the true causes
which led to this Declaration, and lose its par
amount lesson, in the supposed oppression of
the English government and the hardships
attending the Revolution. We cannot revert
too often, or learn too well that the Revolu-
ton grew out of the assertion of a principle,
which in respect to the immediate welfare of
the American colonies was almost an abstrac-
ton. The fathers of those of that day brought
with them the charters of their rights and
liberties among which habeos corpus, trial by
jury and the indivisibility of taxation and re-
presentation. The duty on stamped paper
was but slightly onerOus; yet it was laid
without the voice of the colonies, and no stamp
,cas used. The majesty of the people rose
above majesty itself" and in less than year,
and several years before the Revolution, the
Stamp Act was repealed. Instantly the people
of New York voted the king an equestrian
statue as mark of their loyalty. Afterwards
a duty of three pence pound on tea le-
vied-also without the consent of the colonies.
This did not go down any better, and the tea
went to the bottom of the harbor at Boston
and New York. Another more insidious at
tempt was made upon the right of trial by
jury, by an extension of the jurisdiction of
Admiralty courts, in which jury trials were
unknown. This indeed an arm for the en-
forcement of the stamp and duty Acts. The
American plantations blazed with indgna-
ton. They sent petitions and remonstranccs
to the king and Parliament. They were piled
on the table OF the Commons from every CO.
lony. The prosperity of the colonies opened
a golden field of taxation which England
found no hand to offer them.
Thus insult followed injury. This occurred
eleven years before the declaration, and at
this early day the keen eye of FRANKLIN
foresaw the result, and he then said to the |
Agent of New York. with the utilitarianism |
that was his leading characteristic: AGO |
home, and tell your cOuntrymen to get chill |
dreu as fast as they can" The colonies held |
a General Council and recommended non
Importation and nOn-eXportation associations, |
which were speedily formed. Then came |
efforts to reduce them to submission. These |
were repeled-and so the breach widened |
and spread throughout the "original Thir- |
teen" The feeling of resistance was general |
the pulpit, the press, the merchants, the
farmers, all classes were vehement in denounc-
ing the invasion of colonial liberty. 1t even
took possession of the Bench, and found ex-
preston in charges to grand juries. AS an
instance little known, cannot forbear to
quote the remarkable language of Judge
DRAYToN, of South Carolina, in 1776. He
aid IN as my duty TO declare The La,c that George
he Third, King Of Great Britain, has a5dioated
he government, and that The throne is uaereIq pa-
ant that IS he has ao authority orer u.s. and zee o,ee
10 obedience 10 ham. The -Iigaghfy
Teated Amcica 10 be ihdepeadent Of Great Britdinr
Then came the Mecklenburg declaraiion-the
'oice of North Carolina was heard through
,ut the colonies; and in time the Philadelphia
Declaration. In the meantime the war was
begun at Lexington and at Boston. Thus
,rose the grand Epic. 1t was all for PRINCE
'LE, for the liberty which was theirs by the
British constitution. Ii was but a small in
ractioR Of right, but great enough, in the
of our fathers, To justify any
amount of hardship and suffering TO resist.
By coming the lesson may we not be better
prepared to meet the troubles that now en-
iron us
But l am satisfied fatigue you. II is a
brilliant morning-and while the brook bah
,lcs at my feet, and the shades of these dim
Id woods are throwing their spell Of life and
,ealth and ioyousuess over me these rrcolIee- I
ions Of history and the day come trooping
o my head and so they find their way forth.
NJ