F\ 'j^'i'iCou.TSfc. cifclivfcTtci 171 V?v tht litatli of G^^^t^aI 7 cyan ScT narnitt or,. -By tlipUItt Mctc. X-- DISCOURSE, DELIVERED IS THE NORTH DUTCH CHURCH, IN THE CITY OF ALBANY, OCCASIONED BY THE EVER. TO BE LAMENTED 5^/ | DEATH //? OF xl5etteral :^iejcanijcr i^amilton, JUL" 29, 1804. BY ELIPHALET NOTT, A. M. riSTOR OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IS SAID TITV PUBLISHED BY REQUEST. THE THIRD EDITION. SALEM: PRINTED BY JOSHUA CUSHINO. 1804. ■■^' A DISCOURSE. II SAMUEL, I. 19. HOW ARE THE MIGHTY FALLEN ! The occafion explains the choice of my fub- jeft ; a fubjeft on which I enter in obedience to your requeft. You have aflembled to exprcfs your elegiac forrows, and fad and folemn weeds cover you. Before fuch an audience, and on fuch an occa- fion, I enter on the duty affigned me with trem- bling. Do not miftake my meaning. I trc^'^^^'i^ indeed — not, however, through fear of failing . ''" merit your applaufe ; for what have I to do with that when addrefling the dying, and treading on the afhes of the dead ? — Not throua;h fear of fail- ing, juftly to pourtray the charaftcr of that Great Man who is at once the theme of my encomium and regret. He needs not eulogA'. — His work is finifhed, and death has removed him beyond my cenfure, and I would fondly hope, through grace, above my praife. You will afk, then, why I tremble. I tremble to think that I am called to attack from this place a crime, the very idea of which almoft freezes one with horror — a crime too which exifts among the polite and polifted orders of fociety, and which is accompanied with every aggravation ; committed with C 4 ] with cool deliberation — and openly, in the face of day ! But I have a duty to perform ; and, difficult and awful as that duty is, I will not flirink from it. Would to God my talents were adequate to the occafion. But fuch as they are, I devoutly prof- fer them to unfold the nature and counteraft the influence of that barbarous cuftom, which, like a refiftlefs torrent, is undermining the foundations of civil government, breaking down the barriers of focial happinefs, and fweeping away virtue, talents and domeftic felicity in its defolating courfe. Another and an illuftrious character — a father — a ,eneral — a ftatcfman — the very man who 1^ d on an eminence and without a rival, among Jages and heroes, the future hope of his country in danger — this man, yielding to the influence of a cuftom which defcrvcs our eternal reprobation, has been brought to an untiinely end. That the deaths of great and ufcful men fhould be particularly noticed, is equally the dictate of reafon and revelation. The tears of Ifrael flowed at the deceafe of good Jos i ah, and to his memo- ry the funeral women chanted the folcnin dirge. But neither examples nor arguments are necef- fary to wake the fympathics of a grateful people on fuch occafions. The death of public benefac- tors furcharges the heart, and it fpontaneoufly difourdens itfelf by a flow of forrows. Such X [ 5 ] Snich was the death of WASHINGTON, to embalm whofe memory, and perpetuate whofe deathlefs fame, we lent our feeble but unnecefTary fervices. Such, alfo, and more peculiarly fo, has been the death of HAMILTON. The tidings of the former moved us — mourn- fully moved us — and we wept. The account of the latter chilled our hopes, and curdled our blood. The former died in a good old age ; the latter was cut oft" in the midlt of his ulefulnefs. The former was a cuftomary providence ; we faw in it, if I may fpcak fo, the hnger of God, and refted in his fovereignty. The latter is not attended with this foothing circumflance. The fall of Hamilton owes its exiftcnce to mad deliberation, and is marked by violence. The time, the place, the circumftances, arc arrang- ed with barbarous coolnefs. The inftrument of death is levelled in dav iiorht, and with well direct- ed fkill pointed at his heart. Alas ! the event has proved that it was but too well directed. Wounded, mortally wounded, on the very fpot which ftill fmoked with the blood of a favourite fon, into the arms of his indifcreet and cruel friend the father fell. Ah ! had he fallen in tlie courfe of nature ; or jeopardizing his life in defence of his country, had he fallen But he did not. He fell in fin- gle combat — Pardon my miftakc — he did not fall in lingle combat. His noble nature refufed to en- danger the life of his antagonift. But he expof- ed his own life. This was his crime : and the facrednefs of my office forbids that 1 fhould hefu tate explicitly to declare it io. He .4>i' C 6 ] He did net helitate to declare it fo himfelf : " My religious and moral principles are ftrongly oppofed to duelling." Thefe are his words before he ventured to the field of death. " I view the late tranfaftion with forrow and contrition." Thefe are his words after his return. Humiliating end of illuftrious greatnefs ! — How are the ?nigbty fallen ! And fhall the mighty thus fall ! Thus fliall the nobleft lives be facrific- cd, and the richefl; blood be fpilt ! Tell it not in Gath ; publtjly it not in the Jireets of Afkelon ! Think not that the fatal iffue of the late inhu- man interview was fortuitous. No j the Hand that guides unfecn the arrow of the archer, fleadi- ed and directed the arm of the duellift. And why did it thus direft it ? As a folemn viemento — as a loud and awful warning to a community where juftice has flumbered — and flumbered — and flum- bered — while the wife has been robbed of her partner, the mother of her hopes, and life after life rafhly and with an air of triumph fported away. And v\^as there, O my God ! no other facrifice valuable enough — would the cry of no other blood reach the place of retribution, and wake juftice, dozing over her awful feat ! But though juftice Ihould ftill {lumber, and re- tribution be delayed, we, who are the minifters of that Gob who will judge the judges of the world, and whole malediction rcfts on him who does his* work unfaithfully, we will not keep fi- lence. I C 7 3 I feel, my brethren, how incongruous my fub- jeft is with the place I occupy. It is humiliating ; it is diftrefling in a Chriftian country, and in churches confecrated to the reli- gion of Jesus, to be obliged to attack a crime which outftrips barbarifm, and would even flnk the character of a generous favage. But, humiliating as it is, it is neceflary. And muft we then, even for a moment, forget the elevation on which grace hath placed us, and the light which the gofpel fheds around us ? Muft we place ourfelves back in the midfl of bar- barifm ? — and, inftead of hearers foftencd to for- givenefs by the love of Jesus, filled with noble lentimcnts towards enemies, and waiting for oc- cafions, after the example of Divinity, to do them good — inftead of fuch hearers, muft we fuppofc ourfelves addrefling hearts petrified to goodnefs, incapable of mercy, and broiling with revenge. — Muft we, O my God ! inftead of exliorting thofe who hear us, to go on unto perfedion, adding to 'virtue charity^ and to charity brotherly kindnefs — muft we, as if furrounded by an auditory juft emerging out of darknefs, and ftill cruel and fero- cious, reafon to convince them that revenge is unproper, and that to commit deliberate murder is ftn. Yes, we muft do this. Repeated violations of the law, and the fanfluary which the guilty find in public fentiment, prove that it is neceffary. Withdraw therefore for a moment, ye celeftial Spirits — ye holy angels accuftomed to hover round thefe [ 8 ] thefe ALTARS and Hften to thofe ftrains of grace which heretofore have filled this House of God. Other fubjefts occupy us. Withdraw, therefore, and leave us — leave us to exhort Chriftian parents to reftrain their vengeance, and at leaft to keep back their hands from blood — to exhort youth, nurtured in Chriftian families, not raflily to fport with life, nor lightly to wring the widow's heart with forrows, and fill the orphan's eye with tears. In accomplifhing the object which is before me, it will not be expected, as it is not neceffary, that I fhould give a hiftory of Duelling. You need not be informed that it originated in a dark and barbarous age. The poliflied Greek knew nothing of it — The noble Roman was above it. Rome held in equal deteftation the man who ex- pofed his life unneceflarily, and him who refufed to expofe it when the public good required it.* Her heroes were fuperior to private contefts. They indulged no vengeance, except againft the enemies of their country. Their fwords were not drawn, unlefs her honour was in danger ; which honovir they defended with their fwords not only, but Ihiclded with their bofoms alfo, and were then prodigal of their blood. But though Greece and Rome knew nothing of Duelling, it exifts. It exifts among us : and it exifts at once the moft rash, the moft absurd and GUILTY praclifc that ever difgraced a Chriftian nation. Gu I LTY — Becaufe it is a violation of the law. What law? The law of God. THOU SHALT NOT * Salluft. de Bell. Catil. ix. C 9 1 NOT KILL. This prohibition was delivered by- Go d himfclf, at Sinai, to the Jews. And, that it is of univerfal and perpetual obligation, is li.nni- fcft from the nature ot the crime prohibited not only, but alfo from the exprefs declaration of the ChrilHan Lawgiver, who hath recognized its juf- tice, and added to it the fanctioa of his own au- thority. " Thou (halt not kill." Who ? Thou, crea- ture. I, the Creator, have given life, and thou fhalt not take it away. When, and untler what circumftances, may I not take away life ? Never, and under no circumftances, without my permif- fion. — It is obvious, that no difcretion whatever is here given. The prohibition is addrefled to eve- ry individual where the law of God is promulgat- ed, and the terms made ufe of arc exprefs and unequivocal. So that life cannot be taken under any pretext, without incurring guilt, unlefs by a permiflion fanclioned by the lame authority which fanclions the general law prohibiting it. From this law it is granted there are exceptions. Thefe exceptions, however, do not refult from any fovercignty which one creature has over the ex- iftence of another, but from the pofitivc appoint- ment of that Eternal Being, whofe is the icortd and the fulnefs thereof; in ivhofe hand is the foul cf every living creature, and the breath of all mankind. Even the authority which we claim over the lives of animals is not founded on a natural right, but on a pofitivc grant made by the Deity hlmfelf to Noah and his fons.* This grant contains our B warrant • Gen. is. 3. C 10 ] warrant for taking tlie lives of animals. But if we may not take the lives of animals without permiffion from GOD, much lefs may we the life of man, made in his image. In what cafes then has the Sovereign of life giv- en this permiffion ? In rightfui. war* — by iHE CIVIL magistrate! — and in necessary Self-defence. I Beiide thcfe, I do not hefitate to declare, that in the oracles of God there are no other. He therefore who takes life In any other cafe, under whatever pretext, takes it unwarrantably, is guilty of what the fcriptures call murder, and expofes himfelf to the malediction of that God who is an avenger of blood, and who hath faid, /// the hand of every mans brother will I require the life of man. Wbofo fieddcth man's blood, by manjhall his blood be floed. The ducllift contravenes the law of God not only, but the law of man alfo. To the prohibi- tion of the former have been added the fanftions of the latter. Life taken in a duel, by the com- nion law is murder. And where this is not the cafe, tl)c giving and receiving of a challenge only, is by ftatute confidered a high mifdemeanour, for which the principal and his fecond are declared infamous, and disfranchifcd for twenty years. Under * 2 Sam. X. 12. Jer. xlviii. lo. Luke iii. i+. f Ex. xxi. 12. \ Ex. xxii. 2. [ H ] Under wlnt accumulated circumflances of a.c^- rravation does the duellift jeopardize his own lite, or take the life of his antaooniit ! fi^ I am fenfible that in a licentious age, and when laws are made to yield to the vices of thofc who move in the higher rirc/cs, this crime is called by I know not what mild and accommodating name. But before thefe altars — in this liuuf'e of CIod — what is it ? It is MURDJtR — deliberate^ aggravated MURDER. If the duellift deny this, let him produce his war- rant from the Author of life, for taking away from his creature the life v/hich had been fove- reignly given. If he cannot do this, beyond all controverfy he is a murderer ; for murder confills in taking away life without the pcrmifiion, and contrary to the prohibition, of Him who gave it. Who Is it then that calls the duellift to the dan- gerous and deadly combat ? Is it God ? No ; on the contrary he forbids it. Is it then his coun- try ? No ; flie alfo utters her prohibitory voice. Who is it then ? A man of honour. And who is this man of honour ? A man perhaps whoie honour is a name ; who prates with polluted lips about the flicrednefs of character, when his own is ftained with crimes, and needs but the fmgle fliade of murder to complete the difmal and hck- ly picture. Every tranfgrefiion of the divine law implies great guilt, bt:caure it is the tranfgreflion ofinli- nite authority. But the crime of deliberately and lightly taking life has peculiar aggravations. It is a C 12 3 a crime committed againft the written law not only, but alfo againft the diftates of reafon, the renionftrances of confcience, and every tender and amiable feeling of the heart. To the unfortunate fufferer, it is the wanton violation of his moft facred rights. It fnatches him from his friends and his comforts, termi- nates his ftate of trial, and precipitates him, un- called for and perhaps unprepared, into the pre- lence of his Judge. You will fay, the duellift feels no malice. Be it fo. Malice, indeed, is murder in principle. But there may be murder in reafon, and in fad:, where there is no malice. Some other unwarrant- able pallion or principle may lead to the unlaw- ful taking of human life. The highwayman, who cuts the throat and ri- fles the pocket of the paffing traveller, feels no malice. And could he, with equal eafe and no greater danger of deteftion, have fecured his booty without taking life, he would have flayed his arm over the palpitating bofom of his viftim, and let the plundered fuppliant pafs. Would the imputation of cowardice have been inevitable to the duellift, if a challenge had not been given or accepted ? The imputation of want had been no lefs inevitable to the robber, if the money of the pafilng traveller had not been fe- cured. Would [ 13 J Would the duellift have been NvHling to have fpared the life of his antagonift, if the point of honour could otherwife have been gained ? So would the robber, if the point of property could have been. Who can fay that the motives of the one arc not as urgent as the motives of the other I and the means by which both obtain the object of their wifhes are the fame. Thus, according to the dictates of reafon, as well as the law of God, the highwayman and the duellift ftand on ground equally untenable ; and fupport their guilty havock of the human race bv' arguments equally fallacious. Is duelling guilty ? So it is Absurd. It is abfurd as a punlfliment, for it admits of no proportion to crimei: : and belides, virtue and vice, guilt and innocence, arc equally expofed by it to death or fuffering. As a repara- tion it is ftill more abfurd ; for it makes the in- jured liable to a iiill greater injury. And as the vindication of perfonal charadlcr, it is abfurd even beyond madnels. One man of honour, by fome inadvertence, or perhaps with defign, injures the f^nfibiliiy of another man of honour. In perfect character, the injured gentleman relents it. He challenges the offender. The offender accepts tlie challenge. The time is fixed. The place is agreed upon. The circumftances, with an air of folemn mania, are arranged ; and the principals, v.'ith their fe- conds and furgecns, retire under the covert of Ibme folitarv hill, or uoon the margin of fonie unfrequented [ 14 ] unfrequented beach, to fettle this important quef- tion of honour by ilabbing or fliooting at each other- One or the other or both the parties fall in this polite and gentlemanlike conteft. And what does this prove ? It proves that one or the other, or both of them, as the cafe may be, are markfmen. But it affords no evidence that either of them poffeffes honour, probity or talents. It is true that he who falls in fingle combat, has the honour of being murdered : and he who takes his life, the honour of a murderer. Befides this, I know not of any glory which can redound to the infatuated combatants, except it be what refults from having extended the circle of wretch- ed widows, and added to the number of haplefs orphans. And yet, terminate as it will, this frantic meet- ing, by a kind of magic influence, entirely var- nilhes over a defeftive and fniutty charafter ; transforms vice to virtue, cowardice to courage, makes falfehood truth, guilt innocence — in one word, it gives a new complexion to the whole fiate of things. The Ethiopian changes his fkin, the leopard his fpots, and the debauched and treacherous. ...having fhot av/ay the infamy of a forry life, comes back from the field of perfecti- bility quite regenerated, and in the fuUeft fenfe an honourable man. He is now fit for the com- pany of gentlemen. He is admitted to that com- pany, and fhould he again by acts of vilenefs ftain this purity of characler fo nobly acquired, and Ihould any one have the effrontery to fay that he has C 15 ] has done fo, again he ftands ready to vindicate his honour, and by another z6t of homicide to wipe away the ftain which has been attached to it. I might illuftrate this article by example. I might produce inftances of this myfterious tranf- formation of character, in the fublime circles of moral refinement, furnifhed by the higher orders of the fafliionable world, which the mere firing of piftols has produced. But the occafion is too awful for irony. Abfurd as duelling is, were it abfurd only, though we might fmile at the wcaknefs, and pity the folly, of its abettors, there would be no occa- fion for ferioufly attacking them. — But to what has been faid, I add, that duelling is Rash and presumptuous. Life is the gift of God ; and it was never beftowed to be fported with. To each the Sovereign of the univerfe has marked out a fphere to move in, and afligned a part to aft. This part refpeds ourfelvcs not only, but others alfo. Each lives for the benefit of all. As in the fyflem of nature the fun Ihines, not to difplay its own brightnefs, and anfwer its own convenience, but to warm, enlighten and blefs the world ; fo, in the fyftem of animated beings, there is a dependence, a correfpondence and a re- lation, through an infinitely extended, dyii.g and reviving univerfe — in which no man liveth to himfelfy and no man didh to himfelf. Friend is related to friend ; the father to his family j the individual to [ 15 ] to the community : to every member of which, having iixcd his ftation and affigned his duty, the God of nature fays, " Keep this trufi — defend this poiL" For whom ? For thy friends — thy fami- ly — thy country. And having received fuch a charge, and for fuch a purpofe, to delert it is ra{h» ncfs and temerity. Since the opinions of men arc as they are, do you afk, how you fliall avoid the imputation of ■cowardice, if you do not fight when you are injur- ed ? Afk your family how you will avoid the imputation of cruelty— allc your confcience how you will avoid the imputation of guilt — alk God how you will avoid his malediftion, if you do. Thefe are previous queftions. Let thefe hrft be anfwered, and it will be eafy to reply to any which may follow them. If you only accept a challenge, when you be- lieve in your confcience that duelling is wrong, you act the cov/ard. The daflarclly fear of the v/orld governs you. Awed by its menaces, you conceal your fentiments, appear in difguife, and act in guilty conformity to principles not your own, and that too in the moft folemn moment, and when engaged in an act which expofes you to death. But if it be raflinefs to accept, how paffing rafh- nefs is it in a {inner to give, a challenge ! Does it become him, wliofe life is meafured out by crimes, to be extreme to mark, and pundilious to refent, whatever is amifs in others r Mufl the duellifl, who now, difdainlnp; to forgive, fo imperioufly demands latisfadjon'to the uttcrmoft— muft this man I 17 ] tnan himfeif, trembling at the rccolleftion of his offences, prefently appear a fuppliant before the mercy feat of God. Imagine this (and the cafe is not imaginary) and you cannot conceive an in- ftance of greater inconfiftency, or of more prelump- tous arrogance. Wherefore ai-e-ge not yourfelvcs, iiit rather give place unto lurath ; for vengeance if mine, Iivill repay it, faith the Lord. Do you afk, then, how you fiiall conduct to- wards your enemy who hath lightly done you wrong ? If he be hungry, feed him ; if naked, clothe him ; if thirily, give him drink. Such, had you preferred your queftion to Jesus Christ, is the anfwer he had given you ; by oblerving which, you will ufually fubdue, and always act more honourable than your enemy. I feel, my brethren, as a minifter of Jesus, and a teacher of his gofpel, a noble elevation on this article. Compare the conduct of the Chriftian, acting in conformity to the principles of religion, and of the duellift, afting in conformity to the princi- ples of honour, and let rcafon fay wliich bears the marks of the mofi exalted greatncfs. Compare them, and let reafon fay which enjoys the moft calm ferenity of mind in time, and which is likely to receive the plaudit of his Judje in immortality. God, from his throne, beholds not a nob! cr ob- ject on his footftool, than the man who loves his enemies, pities their errors, and forgives the in- juries they do him. This is indeed the very fpi- rit of the heavens. It is the image of his benig- nity, whofe glory fills them. C To / C 18 ] To return to the fubjecl before us— -GtriLTy, ABSURD and rash as duelling is, it has its advo- cates. And had it not had its advocates — had not a firange preponderance of opinion been in favour of it, never, O lamented Hamilton ! hadll thou thus fallen, in the midll of thy daya, and before thou hadft reached the zenith of thy glory. O that I poffelTed the talent of eulogy, and that I mig;ht be permitted to indulije the tendernefs of Ox O friendlhip, in paying the lad tribute to his memo- ry. O that I were capable of placing this great man before you. Could I do this, I fiiould fur- nifh you with an argument, the moft practical, the moil plain, the moft convincing, except that drawn from the mandate of God, that was ever iurnifhed againft duelling, that horrid practice, which has, in an awful moment, lobbed the world of fuch exalted worth. But I cannot do this ; I can only hint at the va- riety and exuberance of his excellence. The MAN, on whom nature feems originally to have imprefled the ftamp of greatnefs ; whofe genius beamed from the retirement of collegiata life, with a radiance M'hich dazzled, and a loveli- nefs v\-hich charmed, the eye of fages. The HERO, called from his fequeflcred retreat, whole firft appearance in the held, though a flrip- img, conciliated the efteem of Washington, our good old father. Moving by whofe fide, dur- ing all the perils of the revolution, our youn^ Chieftain was a contributor to the veteran's glo- ry, the guardian of his peribn, and the compart- ner of liis toils. * The r 1^' ] The CONQUEROR, who, fparlng of human blood, when viclory lavourcd, fcayed the uplifted arm, and nobly laid to the var.quidied enemv, " Live." The STATESMAN, the correctncfs of whofc principles, and the ilrengtli of whofc mind, arc in- fcribcd on the records of Congrcl's and on the an- nals of the council-chamber ; whole genius im- preffed itfelf upon the coNsriruTioK ot his coun- try ; and whofe memory, the government, il- lustrious FABRiCK, relHn^ on this bafi'^, will per- petuate while it hdls : and, iliaken by the violence of party, ihould it fall, which may 1 leaven avert, his prophetic declarations will be found infcribcd on its ruins. The COUNSELLOR, who was at once the pride of the bar, and the admiration of the court ; whofe apprehenlions were quick as lightning, and whofe dcvciopement of truth was luminous as its path ; whofe argument no change of circumftan- ces could embarrafs ; v.hofc knowledge appeared intuitive j and who by a fingle glance, and with as much facility as the eye of the eagle pafils over the landfcape, iurveyed the whole field of contro- verfy — faw in what way truth might be moft fuc- cefsfully defended, and how error mufl be ap- proached ; and who, without ever flopping, ever hefitating, by a rapid and manly march, led the liftening judge and the fafcinated juror, ftep by flep, through a dclightfome region, brightening as he advanced, till his argument rofc to demonltra- tion, and eloquence vas rendered ufelefs by con- viction. \VhoL- C 20 ] Whofe talents were employed on the fide of righteoufnefs ; whofe voice, whether in the coun- cil-chamber or at the bar of juftice, was virtue's conloiation ; at whofe approach oppreficd humani- ty felt a fecret rapture, and the heart of injured innocence leapt for joy. Where Hamilton was, in whatever fphere he moved, the friendlefs had a friend, the fatherlefs a father, and the poor man, though unable to re- ward his kindnefs, found an advocate. It was when the rich opprefled the poor — when the pow- erful menaced the defencelefs — when truth was difregarded, or the eternal principles of juftice vi- olated — it was on thefe occaiions, that he exerted all his ftrength. It was on thefe occafions that he fometimes feared fo high, and fhone with a radi- ance fo tranfcendent, I had almoft faid, fo " hea- venly, as filled thofe around him with awe, and gave to him the force and authority of a prophet." The PATRIOT, whofe integrity ba£led the fcrutiny of inquifition ; whofe manly virtue ne- ver fhaped itfelf to circumflances ; who, always great, always himfelf, flood amidft the varying tides of party, firm, like the rock which far from land lifts its majeftic top above the waves, and re- mains unCiaken by the ftorms which agitate the ocean. The FRIEND, who knew no guile ; whofe bo- fom was tranfparent and deep, in the bottom of whole heart was rooted every tender and fympa- thetic virtue ; whofe various worth oppofmg par- ties acknowledged while alive, and on whofe tomb they unite with equal fympathy and grief to heap their honours. I L 21 ] • I know he had his failings. I fee on the pidurc of his lii'e, a picture rendered awtul by grcatncla and luminous by virtue, feme dark Ihadcs On thefe let the tear that pities humaa weaknefs, fall : on thefc let the vail \vhich covers human frailty, reft As a hero, as a ftatcfman, as a patriot, he lived nobly ; and would to God I could add, he nobly fell. Unwilling to admit his error in this rcfpeft, I go back to the period of difcuilion. I fee him re- fitting the threatened interview. I imagine my- felf prefent in his chamber. Various reafons, for a time, feem to hold his determination in arreft. Various and moving objects pafs before him, and fpeak a diOualive language. His country, which may need his counfels to guide, and his arm to defend, utters her 'veto. The partner of his youth, already covered with weeds, and whofe tears flow down into her bofom, inter- cedes ! His babes, ftretching out their little hands, and pointing to a weeping mother, with lifping eloquence, but eloquence which reaches a parent's heart, cry out, " Stay — ftay — dear papa, and live for us !" In the mean time the fpeclre of a fallen fon, pale and ghaftly, approaches, opens his bleeding bofom, and, as the harbinger of death, points to the yawning tomb, and forewarns a he- fitating father of the iflue ! He paufes — reviews thefe fad objects and reafons on the fubject. I admire his magnanimi- ty. I approve his reafoning, and I wait to hear him rejccl with indignation the murderous propo- fition, and to fee him fpurn from his pretence the prefumptous bearer of it. But t 22 ] But I •v.-TLit in vain. It was a moment in which his great wifdoni forfook him ; a moment in which Hamilton was not himfelf. He yielded to the force of an imperious cuftom. And, yielding, he facrificed a life in which all had an intereft ; — and he is loft — loft to his country — ^loft to his family — loft to us. For this aft, becaufe he difclaimcd it, and was penitent, I forgive him. But there are thofe whom I cannot forgive. I mean not his antagonift over whofe er- ring fteps, if there be tears in heaven, a pious mother looks down and weeps. If he be capable of feeling, he fufFers already all that humanity can fuffcr Suffers, and wherever he may fly will fufter, with the poignant recolleftion of havinq; taken the life of one who was too ma