Page:Sketches of the life and character of Patrick Henry.djvu/369

 then cites and reads a passage from Vattel, the effect of which is, that during a civil war, the parties acknow- ledging no common judge on earth, are to be considered as two distinct people; and to govern themselves in the conduct of the war by the general laws of nations. After which he proceeds thus:

" Here then, sir, is proof abundant, that before the acknowledgment of American independence by Great Britain, we had a right to be considered as a nation; because, on earth, we had no common superior, to give a decision of the dispute between us and our sovereign. After declaring ourselves a sovereign people, we had every right a nation can claim as an independent com- munity. But the gentlemen on the other side, greatly rely upon this principle, that a contrac t cannot be dis- solved without the consent of all the contracting parties: the inference is, that the consent of the king of Great Britain was necessary to the dissolution of the govern- ment. Tyranny has too often, and too successfully rivetted its chains, to warrant a belief, that a tyrant will ever voluntarily, release his subjects from the governmental compact. Rather might it be expected, that the last iota of human misery would be borne, and the oppression would descend from father to son, to the latest period of earthly existence. The despotism of our sovereign, ought to be considered as an impHed consent, on his part, to dissolve the compact between us; and he and his subjects must be considered as one — there can be no distinction. For, in any other view, his consent could not have been obtained, without force. There is such a thing, indeed, as t}Tanny from free choice. Sweden not long ago, surrendered its liberties in one day, as Denmark had done formerly; so that this branch of the human family is cut off from every pos-

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