spoils of their enemies, and bid defiance to the legislative, executive and judicial powers of goarmies of Britain, the mercenaries of Germany and vernment, as to promise permanence to the constithe savages of the wilderness?-But, however in-tution, and give energy and impartiality to the credible these things may in future appear, we distribution of justice. So that, while you possess know them to be true, and we should always re- wisdom to discern and virtue to appoint men of member, that the many remarkable and unexpect-worth and abilities to fill the offices of the state, ed means and events, by which our wants have been you will be happy at home and respectable abroad supplied, and our enemies repelled or restrained, Your life, your liberties, your property, will be are such strong and striking proofs of the interposi- at the disposal only of your Creator and yourtion of heaven, that our having been hitherto deli selves. You will know no power but such as you vered from the threatened bondage of Britain, will create; no authority unless derived from your ought, like the emancipation of the Jews from grant; no laws, but such as acquire all their obligaEgyptian servitude, to be forever ascribed to its tion from your consent. true cause, and instead of swelling our breasts with Adequate security is also given to the rights of arrogant ideas of our prowess and importance, conscience and private judgment. They are, by kindle in them a flame of gratitude and piety, nature, subject to no control but that of the Deity, which may consume all remains of vice and irreli- and in that free situation they are now left. Every gion. man is permitted to consider, to adore and to worBlessed be God! the time will now never arrive ship his Creator in the manner most agreeable to when the prince of a country, in another quarter of his conscience. No opinions are dictated; no rules the globe, will command your obedience and hold of faith prescribed; no preference given to one sect you in vassalage. His consent has ceased to be necessary to enable you to enact laws essential to to your welfare; nor will you, in future, be sub ject to the imperious sway of rulers, instructed to sacrifice your happiness, whenever it might be in. consistent with the ambitious views of their royal master. The Americans are the first people whom heaven has favored with an opportunity of deliberating upon, and choosing the forms of government under which they should live;-all other constitutions bave derived their existence from violence or acci. dental eircumstances, and are therefore probably more distant from their perfection, which, though beyond our reach, may nevertheless be approached under the guidance of reason and experience. to the prejudice of others.-The constitution, however, has wisely declared, that the "liberty of con science, thereby granted, shall not be so construed as to excuse acts of licentiousness, or justify practices inconsistent with the peace or safety of this state." In a word, the convention, by whom that constitution was formed, were of opinion, that the gospel of CHRIST, like the ark of Gon, would not fall, though unsupported by the arm of flesh; and happy would it be for mankind, if that opinion prevailed more generally. But let it be remembered, that whatever marks in your constitution, yet, like the beautiful symof wisdom, experience and patriotism there may be metry, the just proportions, and elegant forms of our first parent, before their maker breathed into them the breath of life, it is yet to be animated, and till then, may indeed excite admiration, but will be of no use-From the people it must receive its spirit, and by them be quickened. Let virtue, honor, the love of liberty and of science be, and remain, the soul of this constitution, and it will become the source of great and extensive happiness to this and future generations. Vice, ignorance, and want of vigilance, will be the only ene How far the people of this state have improved this opportunity, we are at no loss to determine. Their constitution has given general satisfaction at home, and been not only approved, but applauded abroad. It would be a pleasing task to take a minute view of it, to investigate its principles, and remark the connection and use of its several parts -but that would be a work of too great length to be proper on this occasion. I must therefore con-mies able to destroy it. Against these provide, fine myself to general observations; and among and, of these, be forever jealous. Every member those which naturally arise from a consideration of of the state, ought diligently to read and study this subject, none are more obvious, than that the the constitution of his country, and teach the rising highest respect has been paid to those great and equal rights of human nature, which should for ever remain inviolate in every society-and that such care has been taken in the disposition of the generation to be free. By knowing their rights, they will sooner perceive when they are violated, and be the better prepared to defend and assert thera. This, gentlemen, is the first court held under the authority of our constitution, and I hope its proceedings will be such, as to merit the approbation of the friends, and avoid giving cause of censure to the enemies of the present establish ment. who, fearless of danger, undaunted by opposition, uninfluenced by the hope of reward, in the worst of times, has stood among the foremost, an early, active, zealous, disinterested champion, in the cause of American liberty and independence—the followiug oration, originally drawn up at his request, is respectfully inscribed by his humble servant the author. It is proper to observe, that no person in this state, however exalted or low his rank, however dignified or humble his station, but has a right to Friends and fellow-citizens-Impressed with the the protection of, and is amenable to the laws of deepest sense of my insufficiency, I rise to address the land; and that if those laws be wisely made you with peculiar diffidence. When I consider and duly executed, innocence will be defended, the knowledge and eloquence necessary to disoppression punished, and vice restrained. Hence play the glorious prospects which independence it becomes the common duty, and indeed the com opens to this continent, I am stung with a degree mon interest, of every subject of the state, and of self-reproach for undertaking the important particularly of those concerned in the distribution task. But your known attachment to the cause of justice, to unite in repressing the licentious, in of America encourages me to hope, that you will supporting the laws, and thereby diffusing the bles- receive with indulgence, a well intended exertion sings of peace, security, order and good govern. to promote her welfare; and emboldens me to cast ment, through all degrees and ranks of men among myself on that candor, which looks with kindness on the feeblest efforts of an honest mind. us. I presume it will be unnecessary to remind you, We are now celebrating the anniversary of our that neither fear, favor, resentment, or other perso- emancipation from British tyranny; an event that nal and partial considerations, should influence will constitute an illustrious era in the history of your conduct. Calm, deliberate reason, candor, the world, and which promises an extension of all moderation, a dispassionate, and yet a determined those blessings to our country, for which we would resolution to do your duty, will, I am persuaded, choose to live, or dare to die. be the principles by which you will be directed. Our present form of government is every way You will be pleased to observe, that all offences preferable to the royal one we have lately renounccommitted in this county against the peace of the ed. It is much more favorable to purity of morals, people of this state, from treason to trespass, are proper objects of your attention and enquiry. You will pay particular attention to the practice of counterfeiting the bills of credit, emitted by the general CONGRESS, or other of the AMERICAN STATES, and of knowingly passing such counterfeits. Prac tices no less criminal in themselves, than injurious to the interest of that great cause, on the success of which the happiness of AMERICA so essentially depends. Dr. Ramsay's Oration. AN ORATION ON THE ADVANTAGES OF AMERICAN INDE- BY DAVID RAMSAY, M. B. and better calculated to promote all our important interests. Honesty, plain-dealing, and simple manners, were never made the patterns of courtly behavior. Artificial manners always prevail in kingly governments; and royal courts are reservoirs, from whence insincerity, hypocrisy, dissimulation, pride, luxury, and extravagance, deluge and overwhelm the body of the people. On the other hand, republics are favorable to truth, sincerity, frugality, industry, and simplicity of manners. Equality, the life and soul of commonwealth, cuts off all pretensions to preferment, but those which arise from extraordinary merit: Whereas, in royal governments, he that can best please his superiors, by the low arts of fawning and adulation, is most likely to obtain favor. It was the interest of Great Britain to encourage our dissipation and extravagance, for the two-fold purpose of increasing the sale of her manufactures, and of perpetuating our subordination. In vain we sought to check the growth of luxury, by sumptuary laws; To the honorable CHRISTOPHER GADSDEN, esq.every wholesome restraint of this kind was sure lieutenant governor of the state of South-Carolina; to meet with the royal negative. While the whole Huic ego nec metas rerum, nec tempora pono: Virgil. force of example was employed to induce us to on to determine on peace and war, treaties and copy the dissipated manners of the country from negociations with foreign states, and other subwhich we sprung. If, therefore, we had continued jects interesting to the peace, liberty, sovereignty, dependent, our frugality, industry, and simplicity and independence of a wide extended empire. No of manners, would have been lost in an imitation of British extravagance, idleness, and false refine ments. wonder that so little attention has been paid to learning; for ignorance was better than knowledge, while our abject and humiliating condition so How much more happy is our present situation, effectually tended to crush the exertions of the when necessity, co-operating with the love of our human mind, and to extinguish a generous ardor country, compels us to adopt both public and for literary pre-emienae. private economy? Many are now industriously The times in which we live, and the govern clothing themselves and their families in sober ments we have lately adopted, all conspire to fan home-spun, who, had we remained dependent, the sparks of genius in every breast, and kindle would have been spending their time in idleness, them into flame. When, like children, we were and strutting in the costly robes of British gaiety. under the guardianship of a foreign power, our limited attention was naturally engrossed by agriculture, or directed to the low pursuit of wealth. In this state, the powers of the soul, benumbed with ease and indolence, sunk us into sloth and effeminacy. Hardships, dangers, and proper opportunities give scope to active virtues, and rouse the mind to such vigorous exertions, as command the admiration of an applauding world. Rome, when she filled the earth with the terror of her arms, sometimes called her generals from the plough: In like manner, the great want of proper persons to fill high stations, has drawn from obscurity many illustrious characters, which will dazzle the world with the splendor of their names. The necessities of our country require the utmost exertions of all our powers; from which vigorous, united efforts, much more improvement of the human mind is to be expected, than if we had remained in a torpid state of dependence. The arts and sciences, which languished under the low prospects of subjection, will now raise their drooping heads, and spread far and wide, till they have reached the remotest parts of this untutored continent. It is the happiness of our present constitution, that all offices lie open to men of merit, of whatever rank or condition; and that even the reins of state may be held by the son of the poorest man, if possessed of abilities equal to the important station. We are no more to look up for the blessings of government to hungry courtiers, or the needy dependents of British nobility; but must educate our own children for these exalted purposes. When subjects, we had scarce any other share in governinent, but to obey the arbitrary mandates of a British parlia ment: But honor, with her dazzling pomp, interest, with her golden lure, and patriotism, with her heart-felt satisfaction, jointly call upon us now to qualify ourselves and posterity for the bench, the Eloquence is the child of a free state. In this army, the navy, the learned professions, and all form of government, as public measures are dethe departments of civil government. The indetermined by a majority of votes, arguments enpendence of our country holds forth such generous forced by the arts of persuasion, must evermore encouragement to youth, as cannot fail of making be crowned with success: The rising patriot, many of them despise the syren calls of luxury and therefore, who wishes the happiness of his counmirth, and pursue heaven-born wisdom with un-try, will cultivate the art of public speaking. In wearied application. A few years will now produce a much greater number of men of learning and abilities, than we could have expected for ages in our boyish state of minority, guided by the leading strings of a parent country. royal governments, where the will of one or a few has the direction of public measures, the orator may harangue, but most probably will reap prosecution and imprisonment, as the fruit of his labor: Whereas, in our present happy system, the How trifling the objects of deliberation that poorest school boy may prosecute his studies with came before our former legislative assemblies, increasing ardor, from the prospect, that in a few compared with the great and important matters, years he may, by his improved abilities, direct the on which they must now decide! They might determinations of public bodies, on subjects of the then, with the leave of the king, his governors and most stupendous consequence. councils, make laws about yoking hogs, branding Thus might I go through the whole circle of the cattle, or making rice; but they are now called up. arts and sciences, and shew that while we remain ed British subjects, cramped and restrained by the Little has been hitherto done towards completlimited views of dependence, each one of them ing the natural history of America, or for the imwould dwindle and decay, compared with the per-provement of agriculture, and the peaceful arts of fection and glory in which they will bloom and civil life; but who will be surprised at this, who flourish, under the enlivening sunshine of freedom and independence. I appeal to the experience of all, whether they do not feel an elevation of soul, growing out of the emancipation of their country, while they recol. lect that they are no longer subject to lawless will, but possess the powers of self-government, and are called upon to bear an active part in supporting and perpetuating the sovereignty of the United States; and in organizing them in such a manner, as will produce the greatest portion of political happiness to the present and future generations. In this elevation of soul, consists true genius; which is cramped by kingly government, and can only flourish in free states. The attention of thousands is now called forth from their ordinary employments to subjects connected with the sovereignty and happiness of a great continent. As no one can tell to what extent the human mind may be cultivated, so no one can foresee what great events may be brought into existence, by the exertions of so many minds expanded by close attention to subjects of such vast importance. considers that during the long past night of 150 years, our minds were depressed, and our activity benumbed by the low prospects of subjection? Future diligence will convince the candid world, that past inattention was the effect of our dependent form of government. Every circumstance concurs to make it probable, that the arts and sciences will be cultivated, extended, and improved, in independent America. They require a fresh soil, and always flourish most in new countries. A large volume of the book of nature, yet unread, is open before us, and invites our attentive perusal. Many useful plants, unknown to the most industrious botanist, waste their virtues in our desert air. Various parts of our country, hitherto untrod by the foot of any chymist, abound with different minerals. We stand on the shoulders of our predecessors, with respect to the arts that depend on experiment and observation. The face of our country, intersected by rivers, or covered by woods and swamps, gives ample scope for the improvement of mechanics, mathematics, and natural philosophy. Our free governments are the proper nurseries of rhetoric, criticism, and the arts which are founded on the philosophy of the human mind. In monarchies, an extreme degree of politeness disguises the simplicity of nature, and "sets the looks at variance with the thoughts;" in republics, mankind appear as they really are, with. out any false coloring: In these governments, therefore, attentive observers have an opportunity of knowing all the avenues to the heart, and of thoroughly understanding human nature. The great inferiority of the moderns to the ancients in fine writing, is to be referred to this veil cast over mankind by the artificial refinements of modern The royal society was founded immediately after the termination of the civil wars in England. In like manner, may we not hope, as soon as this contest is ended, that the exalted spirits of our politicians and warriors will engage in the enlarge. ment of public happiness, by cultivating the arts of peace, and promoting useful knowledge, with an ardor equal to that which first roused them to bleed in the cause of liberty and their country? Their genius, sharpened by their present glorious exertions, will naturally seek for a continuance of suitable employment. Having, with well tried monarchies. From the operation of similar causes, swords and prudent counsels, secured liberty and independence for themselves and posterity, their great souls will stoop to nothing less than concerting wise schemes of civil polity and happiness -instructing the world in useful arts-and extend. Large empires are less favorable to true philosoing the empire of science. I foresee societies phy, than small, independent states. The authority formed of our heroes and statesmen, released from of a great author is apt, in the former case, to their present cares; some of which will teach man-extinguish a free enquiry, and to give currency to kind to plough, sow, plant, build, and improve the falsehood unexamined. The doctrines of Confucius rough face of nature; while others critically examine were believed all over China, and the philosophy the various productions of the animal, vegetable of Descartes, in France: But neighboring nations, and mineral kingdoms, and teach their country.examining them without partiality or prepossession, men to "look through nature up to nature's God." lexploded them both. For the same reason, our it is hoped, that the free governments of America will produce poets, orators, critics and historians, equal to the most celebrated of the ancient com. monwealths of Greece and Italy. separate states, jealous of the literary reputation regulations of an avaricious step-dame, but follow, of each other, and uninfluenced by any partial bias, wherever interest leads the way. Our great ob-. will critically pry into the merit of every new opinion and system, and naught but truth will stand the test, and finally prevail. In monarchies, favor is the source of preferment; but, in our new forms of government, no one can command the suffrages of the people, unless by his superior merit and capacity. ject, as a trading people, should be to procure the best prices for our commodities, and foreign articles at the most reasonable rates: But all this was cruelly reversed by acts of the British parlia ment regulating our trade in a subserviency to their own emolument; our interest being entirely out of the question. It requires but a moment's free trade with all the world, we shall obtain a more generous price for our produce, and foreign goods on easier terms, than we ever could, while we were subject to a British monopoly.* The The The weight of each state, in the continental scale, recollection to convince us, that as we now have a will ever be proportioned to the abilities of its re presentatives in congress: Hence, an emulation will take place, each contending with the other, which shall produce the most accomplished states. men. From the joint influence of all these com. *That British merchants gave us a low price for bined causes, it may strongly be presumed, that our commodities, appears from this single conliterature will flourish in America; and that our from England. If they found it profitable to export sideration-they made money by exporting them in dependence will be an illustrious epoch, remark-tobacco, rice, indigo, &c. from Britain, it must be able for the spreading and improvement of science. in consequence of their allowing the American A zeal for promoting learning, unknown in the have brought in European markets. In this mancolonists less for those articles, than they would days of our subjection, has already begun to over-ner, much of our produce was sold to the consumspread these United States. In the last session of ers, loaded with double freight, insurance, and our assembly, three societies were incorporated for the laudable purpose of erecting seminaries of education. Nor is the noble spirit confined to us alone: Even now, amidst the tumults of war, literary institutions are forming all over the continent, which must light up such a blaze of knowledge, as cannot fail to burn, and catch, and spread, until it has finally illuminated, with the rays of science, the most distant retreats of ignorance and barbarity. Our change of government smiles upon our commerce with an aspect peculiarly benign and favoraThe same reasoning holds good with respect to ble. In a few years, we may expect to see the many articles imported from England, which were colors of France, Spain, Holland, Prussia, Portugal, not of its own growth or manufacture; for they and those of every other maritime power, waving where they were made, than they ever could, while would come much cheaper from the countries on our coasts; whilst Americans unfurl the thirteen we were obliged to receive them through the stripes in the remotest harbors of the world. Our hands of British merchants, loaded with double different climates and soils produce a great variety with duties. If interest had not silenced the voice freight, insurance, commissions, and sometimes of useful commodities. The sea washes our coast of justice, Great Britain, while she obliged us to along an extensive tract of two thousand miles; buy at her market, would have considered herself and no country abounds in a greater plenty of the as bound to supply our wants as cheap as they could be supplied elsewhere: But instead of this, materials for ship-building, or has a better pros-she not only fixed exorbitant prices on articles of pect of a respectable navy. Our stately oaks, the her own production, but refused us the liberty of greater part of which would probably have withered buying from foreigners those articles which her in their native spots, had we remained subjects, will now be converted into ships of war, to ride triumphant on the ocean, and to carry American thunder around the world. Whole forests will be transformed into vessels of commerce, enriching this independent continent with the produce of every clime and every soil. The wealth of Europe, Asia, and Africa, will flow in upon America: Our trade will no longer be confined by the selfish pense of unloading and reloading in Great Britain. commissions, over and above the additional ex. The industrious American planter received no more for his produce than the pittance the British merchant, after reserving his own profit, was pleased to allow on the sale thereof, brought to market charged with this unnecessary expense. distance from America to those places of Europe' which consumed our staples, is generally less than to the British ports. From all which premises, it appears undeniably evident, that American comthey are consumed, will produce much more clear modities, carried directly to the countries where profit to the planter, than when they arrived there by the circuitous way of Great Britain. own markets did not afford, and had also begun the fatal policy of super-adding additional duties. What a scene of oppression does this open to us? sold in Europe was lodged in British coffers; and A great part of the price for which our commodities we were obliged to buy manufactures of her pro duction, at prices of her own fixing, and were restrained from buying even those articies which she could not raise, where they could be got cheapest: Besides, as we durst not buy from any others, they had it in their power to fix any ad vance on the first cost that their avarice prescribed and our necessities would permit. |