Theirveryexistencedependedonthepowerfulandunremittedassertionofthatclaim。AllProtestantism，even
themostcoldandpassive，isasortofdissent。But
thereligionmostprevalentinourNortherncoloniesisarefinementoftheprincpleof
resistance，itisthedissidenceofdissent，and
theProtestantismoftheProtestantreligoin。
Thisreligion，underavarietyofdenominations，[注：variety
ofdenominations。即Puritans，Presbyterians诸名称之各异。]agreeinginnothingbutinthe
communionofthespiritofliberty，ispredominantinmostof
theNorthernprovinces，wheretheChurchofEngland，notwithstandingitslegal
rights，isinrealitynomorethanasortofprivatesect，notcomposingmost
probably，thetenthofthepeople。ThecolonistsleftEnglandwhenthisspiritwas
high，andintheemigrantswasthehighestofall；andeventhatstreamof
foreigners，whichhasbeenconstantlyflowingintothesecolonies，has，for
thegreatestpart，beencomposedofdissentersfromtheestablishmentsoftheirseveral
countries，andhavebroughtwiththematemperandcharacterfarfromalientothat
ofthepeoplewithwhomtheymixed。[注：Thepeoplewithwhomthey
mixed。此people谓美国人。‘they’指foreigners。]
6。Sir，Icanperceivebytheirmannerthatsomegentlemenobjecttothelatitudeof
thisdescription；becauseintheSoutherncoloniesthe
churchofEnglandformsalargebody，andhasaregularestablishment。Itiscertainlytrue。
Thereis，however，acircumstanceattendingthesecolonieswhich，inmyopinion，
fullycounterbalancesthisdifference，andmakesthespiritoflibertystillmore
highandhaughtythaninthosetothenorthward。Itis，thatinVirginiaandthe
Corolinas[注：TheCarolinas。＝NorthandSouttCarolina二州。]theyhaveavastmultitude
ofslaves。
Wherethisisthecaseinanypartoftheworld，thosewhoarefreearebyfar
themostproudandjealousoftheirfreedom。Freedomistothemnotonlyan
enjoyment，butakindofrankandprivilege。Notseeingthere[注：Notseeing
there—‘there’指Virginia与Carolinas诸州。]thatfreedom。asincountrieswhereitisa
commonblessing，and'asbroadandgeneralastheair'，[注：Asbroadandgeneralasthe
air。—乃Shakespeare所作“Macbeth”中句。Burke氏引用之。喻普遍也。]maybeunitedwithmuchabject
toil，withgreatmisery，withalltheexteriorofservitude，libertylooks，among
them，likesomethingthatismorenobleandiberal。