liS On the Progress of Liberty. [March I, 



For the Monthly Magazine. example of the United States. ■ Had 



THE PROGRESS o/ LIBERTY. not the unfortunate inhabit:ints of 



For Freedom's battle once began, Switzerland lost their liberty, (not in 



xKXd oTis"f wou.'° '°\ron. "ame, but Substance,) the number of 



THE friends of freedom oudit nei- P'^'^P^^ enjoying freedom in 1823 would 



ther to be discouraged nor de- '»^^® ^^^'^ ^^T n'^arly six times as 



pressed on account of the reverses many as in 1775. The cause of free- 



of the glorious cause, inasmuch as '^°'^ '^ »" abeyance in Naples, Sicily, 



they are only partial and temporary ^°^ ^^''^y ' ^^^ '* "'" "o* long be so. 



Institutions resemble animals and '^'^^ ^"^^^ prospect of all, however, 



plants with respect to their o-rowth: f^^^^^ f™" ^^^^> *'>■'>* ^^ R*"^"* ^'■'"••^'« 



those that rise with great haste and •'ept up, in order to keep down liberty, 



rapidity are seldom very durable; exceed the expenses that the three 



whereas such as are established slowly, ^r^^^ continental powers can afford, 



and matured deliberately, last for ages, ^^^y ^^^ ^'^ borrowing money, and 



Although Naples and Savoy found &?"i"S deeply in debt. They are 



their nascent efforts crushed, yet it is ^^^^^^ mortgaging their revenues, or 



pretty evident that their oppressors their honour and credit, irretrievably ; 



will not long be able to prevent their ^"^ ^* *"«' ^^™^ *'"»^ ^''^^ *'»*^''' ™^*"s 



emancipation ; and as to Spain, Por- ^^ keeping down freedom decreases, 



tugal, and the republics of South "'*'. d'sposition of their subjects to 



America, the die is cast, and there is ''^^^^t increases : so that it is easy to 



not tlie smallest danger of a reverse, ^^^ ^^"^ *^^ contest must terminate, 



althcx.gh there may yet be many diffi- .T'"*' however, is not all ; for sove- 



culties to overcome. reigns wilt probably soon make the 



In the year 1775 (that is, forty-eight discovery, that it is much better, every 



years ago,) the number of free men, ^^y' *« '^^'^^ ^^^r a free people than 



that is of men living under free go- ^ people that are not free. There is 



vernments were "°* * demonstration in Euclid that is 



T .u T. •.', , • ■ • more clear: and pride, prejudice, to- 



In Switzerland I'.SOo'.Ooo ""^ courtiers, are the causes that pre- 



' ' vent sovereigns from seeing their true 



Total number enjoying) ,,«„„„„^ interest, and giving their subjects a 



freedom in 1775 •••« J '> reasonable share of freedom. 



.,.,•.. ., , Upon the whole, there is every rea- 



At this time the numbers are very ,„^ [^ ^^ ^^^^g^^ „ .^j^ j,,^ p^^^/^^^ ^^ 



BS^ubJects in Europe ....16,000,000 Hberty for the last fifty years as well 



United States of America • ■ • -ulooo.OOO f '"'* ^^^ ^''^"""^ prospects in its 



French 5;9,000,000 '^'^'our. 1-. L. 



Dutch and Netheilanders 3,200,000 London ; Jan. 1 2, 18 23. 



South American RcpubUcans, • — 



about 13,000,000 To the Editor of the Monthly Magazint. 



The Brazil 3,500,000 SIR, 



Spain 9,000,000 FTIHERE is no kind of property in 



Portugal s,500,ooo JL England that can so ibly bear its 



. " proportion of taxation as ground-rent; 



Total number enjoymg } 87,200.000 "or is there any kind of property 



Freedomml8V3...- J '2'"'"°° which the public can have so just a 



Thus eighty-seven millions have claim on for taxes. Where ground- 

 arisen from fifteen in less than fifty rents exceed the ordinary rent of land, 

 years ; and say arisen from, for the it is owing, in a great measure, to 

 seeds of liberty have been carried from those laws which give encouragement 

 one free country to another, as visibly to trade and commerce. It is the 

 as ever animals or plants were pro- trade and commerce of England that 

 duced from their parent stock. have swelled out its capital, and many 



The United States received their of its towns, to their present bulk ; 



principles of freedom from Britain, and with the protection it gives, the 



and France received their's from the inhabitants of such places are enabled 



United States. Spain owes her efforts to pay so much more rent for the 



in the cause of freedom to the French ground which they build their houses 



rsTolutioD, and South America to the upon. 



Where 



