, 1868-02-18

Consult the archives of the universe, observe
what government has produced the greatest
men; from whence do we derive our knowledge?
From Greece, from Rome. And since the des-
%truction of these republics, what nation has
made the greatest discoveries in philosophy, in
morality, in legislation Let us do homage to
the country which gave birth to Locke, Bacon,
Sydney, Milton, Newton. Other countries may
have given birth to better painters, more refined
wits but the country Of philosophic genius, the
country of truth, is that of liberty.
Without the liberty of thought, a0ithoUt the
liberty 9Me press, there is no true philosophy
consequently no science brought TO perfection.
In the former ages, a man was told, you shall
believe such an absurdity, or be burnt and he
must have been either a Martyr or an a~postate.
The philosopher now is not reduced to this cruel
extremity. In most civilized states, the liberty
of thought is allowed him but few where the
liberty of printing all his thoughts is granted.
Governors fear that men whose souls are too
ardent should spread maxims dangerous to their
authority. To have such fears, is making the
satire of their own government. Titus or Trajan
would net have felt such pusillanimity it never
can enter but into the mind of a Claudius or a
Nero; their conscience reproaches them with a
multiplicity of crimes, and they dread to behold
the too faithful mirror of truth. From selfin-
terest, our enlightened sovereign will permit the
liberty of the press but there is still greater
motive which ought to determine him; the desire
of promoting knowledge for if the author is
constrained in his opinions, if he p~erceives the
prison, the scaffold, to be the reward of his la
bOur, will he dare rend the veil of ignorance
which covers all eyes? Will he dare, faithful
readers, re-trace the evils which mankind
have suffered by the ambitious folly of the con-
queror? Will he dare to recur to the origin of
society, and shew the people, equal to their
Kings, STIMULATING with them their obedience
for their safety, their happiness for their fdeli-
ty Will he dare to paint, in dark and sombre
colours, the tyrants who have destroyed the
social pact, or crown the Brutuses, who, with a
courageous hand. punished them2 Will he dare,
IN viewing the confused mass Of modern legis-
l%ation, to point out their abuses without dread
of those who protect them ? Searching in the
heart of man, and Analysing his organization,
will he dare to declare to him his offence, his
duties, his rights shew him his law, the law of
his nature, the law which no other can contra
dict, without being criminal? Viii he venture
to dispel the mist of superstition, paint the evils
it has occasioned, substitute for her in human
tenents the sweet maxims of kind humanity ?
In a word, will he have courage to preach up
truth, when it is the signal of instant persecu-
ton
Notwithstanding all the efforts of oppression,
huoWIeuSo eAtSIS ana Will ever exist. 1nere
will always be in the darkest times, some en-
l~ightened beings but they are not always cou-
rageous enough to make the voice of truth re-
sound every where. Fear, weakness, or despair,
often prevents them; and a Tacitus, or Sydney,
are seldom to be found, when the scaffOld awaits
to reward their exertions.
That tyrants detest the very name of public
speakers and writer's, no man will deny to be other
wise than extremely natural; for it is from them
we may date the origin ofmost revolutions which
Europe has experienced nor will l here refer
to those of ancient times, they would be uninter-
esting, when our own days afford such eminent
examples. It need not be said, I allude to
America and France, both of which though
previously oppressed, might to this day have
Rugged their chains, had there not existed among
them men of ingenious minds, who dared draw
aside the veil that concealed tyranny, and drag
the hideous monster into day. It may not be
here amiss to quote one instance from the his
tory of Athens. After the liberty of Greece
had expired upon the plains of Chaeronea. and