AN

QRATEON.  

PRONOUNCED AT PLAINFIELD, JULY 4;, 1812..
 '
BEFORE THE

W'as/zington Beimvolent Sacietfés  
os

MONTPELIER, CALAIS, PLAINFIELD AND BARRE,
BEING THEL
THIRTY-SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY

   ‘OE   A %  
éacmericangnnepznnmcz.  

BY SAMUEL 1>x<.m.~:'r1ss, JUN. ESQ»

O-v-I-19}-an

W    %réUB LISHED AT THE REQUEST or THE‘ socIm‘IEsa4

MONTPELIER, vc.

Printed, and for saie, by Wu/ton Sc Gos.9....1812: V L

* en emm. 

‘TO commemorate events which have been productive of
great nationai benefits, has been 3 custom from the earliest pe-
riod of the world. To do this in amanner suited to the char‘-
‘aoter of the times, end the genius and habits ofthepeople,

seems to have been the study and desig;n.: A’mong~ the an-

cients, statues of brass, and co1urr”m$of- mairbie", were ereete’
ed in“ honour of distinguished personages, exposed in some}

public place,, to , ‘preserve the mieimoryt of their twortha _P.’._yra-,

tmids, being the tisytriinols of imnmortalitjv, were sometirnesteiefé
eeted to per%ptetl1a.te ‘ ithteII,:_j‘e;em,ory of  some“-4

»timee,i’ti5 tr‘a‘nsirnit to posteiiiftyl“‘th3§*‘i’fi*i6fjr59"%»fid’timwagnificence 
Pringets. Festivals were” t_ai1so —freq7uent.; §‘i1¢'h as  i

t"I'hank-sgiviing ‘for deiivery from wars, ‘ p'1a'gdes, ,,a~iid*i1’at*ioih‘a!' i

-evils.‘ The Romans had feasts in -honoui‘ of i twileirwnttmefougéw,

deities ; and ‘others; to give_thanks togthe gods for be'nefit§

received, to implore their assistance, or to appease their ‘wrath,
Little history being written in, those days, of at least -publish‘-f I

ted, one object of fest-ivals was, to tpresereve Hie" tireAm,embran.e§é'

of things ; and this in a way which a~n"swe1‘eid in sot‘xa“i=5‘i"e“l§5:p@_‘é*t‘§"

-the same purpose asthat of-readin,igi,iii:ind -of books} i 
the art of ~Pri_ntin_g hastbeen, diecovereicii, the n_r1ea‘nsm offéducetiozi
more diflusgd, and opportuziéftiest ofecé1uirin“g-it.”5‘ecome less
.difiicui't, and their imv.proverrté3“§i¢i Iiio”te“‘coiinrnoi"’1,".t'he meemoryt,

. of distinguished events is transrnitiftieidiiitfoipostéiity‘in t‘i'1ev.v‘ork§
of Hietoriens,itbe, songs of Poets, and the i..pubiic%%ep_eeche’s’iof
"Craters. Beside these, ~e'X'ternaI' shows,form"a‘lt c”_érefx1‘6n,ies,

 ,,pfub1iic Wp.r~oc‘.esIsio,ns, still mm among the modems Té miaftei-?   



‘.1

‘rial part ofthe means established to commemorate important”
events and distinguished eras in their national prcsperity and

—lex"istence. In Eegland and other European Motmrclties, they
celebrate with gaudy splendour, and magnificent parade, their A

comnetions, installments, and consecratiens. ‘ But we meet,
Fellow tieitlier to eelebrate,lli‘ltt§"the zittcients, the to»
mance of departedplleroes, nor} thfié feasts of heathen Gods ;
notlike the slaveslihf Reylalty}  céintmletnolrate the huilcling
ef Tttt*ones,ei"”fit3“t‘i‘the cor’oeln“eteioI:t‘t>f Iiings; VV e t*:‘d11“°"tret1e with
grateful hearltsgiptand “with the anlimated joy of pplmlependent
Freemen, to Celebrate the acjhievementsl of oulr l?athers,_and
the neativitylof Libeerty_.l And what epepctacleican he more mag-

 ‘than to” behlojljdl.“la?{p gre§tl«tLpeople thus annually assem-

cettsectate the atthihtéereetyliteif their sos*On

~ this'iecca§ilen every patriotie llheatt, es?ei'y.p‘A1ner1can bosom, ,

‘heat high with ’“a just and noble pride. ‘Westill hear the 51- ’

lttstrieue Fatltets of out cottntry,ep;:ea;ling to the Supreme
gltxdgié €5il‘Vilitl3l1tépWt0TldpfOT the rectitutle of their ‘conduct, cleelare
the Uniteiil llStates “are, cmd of right ought to be, Free
and Irzdependetntfi’ V The numerous injuries, the multiplied

abuses, the cmel oppression, the tyrannical usurpation, which,

at length exhausted forbearance, and drove to resistance, pres-
ent themselves afresh _ to out” minds. VVe pass’? in review

these great arid eXtI_aO1'dl1'.taI‘y 'pereeinages who then burst” up;  

on the world ; who endowed witlttevery virture and every

eaten: eraticoutdet   the arcluous last; intttttpch they  
 t1;?:i’S“Sl€2F!'}»ed by  

 

  eltppearedp to  ex   
iirttle the st<:$ri“li»“‘l  of retfolutioni.    We remember how

   the lstrngglegl  itet*ril5le the conflict which ob;

 

 taiued our tritmtph  We rectillto imagimtimt all the distreseitng
scenes and deplerahlettie c’a‘le“mities of   the VVar : VV e see‘ cut‘ V‘
Harbours filled with hostile fleets ; our fields ravaged ; our cities  

jwrapt in flames ; a“-numerous, veteran, and visahguizzary em
émylht loose upon us ; our army thinned by battles,""waetecl

by siekneésgldistracted by treachery and ldesertion, a prey” to p’

every species of privation, and reduced to the last misery next

- ti"esgpair.p TEYGD then, hpWev.er, .thiS little "army did net ties-V

patrylt CWc>nscibus.i‘t5f the-holyl cllausei.foirlwl1ich they cVo1:itended,l :

5

theylexhibited, «a spectacle of i patient tyinedrurance and izzxrinicihlié‘
braveiiy, the wonder of lientaidrniringii'hit1iii's?ersee.t .~Drisren from
Long Iisland,from the heights of Harlem,  V.Vhite Plains;
pursued,it*fro?r’n post to post, even beyond the Delaware, they
would often turn upon the insulting foe, and, mi'ntgltiti=gjthe5r
blood with the melting lava of the cannon’s mouth, forettell
them of Trenton,‘ ot‘Giermanto§Jvn, and Monmouth. But, it is
"unnecessary to recount to you.the many deeds of velour per-
formed, or the unexampled hardships endured, by our brave
countryrnen, in struggling through this glorious contest.---«
Some ofyou'probahly witnessed a part ; many of you have
heard them from your fathers ; all of;you have read them ;
for they are written on the splendid page of history, and
stand there recorded to be handed down to generations yet:
unborn, for their admiration and instruction.

As the scenes of the revolution are *i'amilIa‘rito the rvecollecv
tion of you all ; as you, all understand that it resulted in the

  establishment of our liberty and independence as anation,

it may not be unprofitable to devote the time assigned us on

this day,, to‘n‘oti_ce:o"f the yprincipal,‘ge%ve+nts,‘which have
tz'atns‘“p‘ir"e'd‘*'l“since’l the cl’ci>“§“te*‘tT‘tf,>t'_iltjif§‘r;f. etruggl e, a nd to

such, reflections as the pastiyyyand present "conditionfof.ourr6onné—
‘trysi-tmayusuggest tfoi‘ our benefit and improvement.

At the conclusion of the contest, which had called  _  

tien the mostsplendid’tale1)ts*, and produced a display or the
purest patriotism, it became the sedulous endeavour, as it was

the chief desire,‘ ofall, to provide effectually for the perrrtettent  
  rseicurityiof that’Nli‘berty_and independence the Vgil0iI1il'=?.»Qe£Qllf
couz1‘try'1:oenlhadfso gloriously ‘achieved, Observatikontfrandi etc-
perience _soon[ .ti“is'i:*otf,ere,di‘t“ltetdefectige-n"ature,,pfi.fi§h"'oltcI arti-
clesofconfederation,»which,,.h:ad¥:rfoi'i the seve-"7

ml Slhitvesll together   sea,nd,~,”fhincl satisfactorily

proxvedi-hlyhattlzey systems ifiittevd to so irnpo_r-
tent-at lpnrpose, and but little c2ilcul.ate,d7to perpetuatethc en-

3oy,ments'}.of.s‘uc,hinvaluable bless?~11gst.tt ‘{7Aill,t COl3Clt:rtf0tl'. in°o;t:i:r3~ V
,,ihn,_ that the eirsuznsimsnces at1£l.,AC£3:h1ti.i§_l_‘011 of the yczzrlrzt.-3;,  not, H

6

ever alt, tine imperious necessity of the case, demanded’ tlia
sprovision of some substitute, less objectionable in form, and
better adapted in its t nature and tendency to produce the in:-'
tendedi end. A convention was therefore called, composed of
the purest patriots and most eminent statesmen i;i of men, who
had not only distinguished‘ themseilves in t”he,cau,Se of freedom,
and given the most unequivocal proof of love of country, but
wtio; from their »educatiOn; their experience, arid meafis 0fiI1-
formaltioin, were sages in council, as well as heroes in C0mbat«

The great object was to form a system‘ of govemmenvgwihichv, «

while it tshoulid‘  equal ;t,oiy_thye exigencies:andgdefencei of ti

gteast ands P9VW.3.f:fU_1; nation, r.r.sii ould secure to, each individual, i

and; to every class of Vmen, ;5tyo;,;;th5eyjy the low, the rich;

moody trii*esir_ sequel rights?  highestmfiese i
.sib»£e7i»»degree of consistent and rational libeiny;Li;;,es;sWi:th no par. V

:3: prejudiices or selfish .views to interrupt or" distract their de-
Iiherations, and influenced by a spiritpf mutual «concession for
the good? of thehywhole, the proceedings of this venerable body,
0rigii'reting' inyythe most disinterelsted patriotism, and dictated.
ity as sacred regard to the interests and happiness of the peo-

~§>!e, resulted in the formation of a Constitution, which is ernw y

pYiati—clail>y the charter of our rights, and paladium of our liber-.-‘
ties. Ky
ic principles, that wouid be consistent with our foreign rela-

y tiorrs, our commercial interests, the extent of our territory,

necessary despatch,‘ arid mean-so of deefenseyour gojvearnment

was made ;xR;e«1s»resen»~tatixxe Rer~publ;ic5; iii*fi4etxvosii.=iclelculattedyiii i

an emirienyttdegree, tee meet the wishes*a«1"idfsatisfy the icle-i.

‘satires ;ofthe great body of tihepeople, w'll1o~sousght for nothing, 4
in the formation of the constitution and ‘the organizationof  

the government luiidter l?,”"bl‘tt the permanent “and ef'fectutaI"’se-'
cority: of tlieir lih.erties,end the independence of their coun-A

try. Private ambition and party prejudice were not -then a.1»-W‘
Fowed. tolsuptercede merit,~aod engross ofiicyesktolbei exercise ‘‘‘t
ed oniy for sordid emoiument and piersocail ~aggrandizetne1jit$'i-IV
Political int'rigties,ar1d electyioneering z3eeiS[reptesentia~tions,«hail ‘i l
mot;*ep;z1tat‘r'ii:1ate:.d_ A’Uit.':‘ §3ub’_i,.l‘3.L"8%eTfit~itIi’eytit,i alldv peiryerted_i 
2   and,fiiwseiecting   mess to   fin my    

   

By this Constitution, which pa1'took’ofall»the de‘mo,cr.at:-l AA

7

of government, the only inquiry Was, “ is the candidate hens-
est, is he capable, is be faithful to the constitution P” The

consequence was, what was natural and inevitable, that men.

of the same. principles as those appointed tomframe the constitu-
tion, were chosen to carry it into. effect, and administer the

government under it ; and WASHINGTON, the friend and

father of his country, in..whom all hearts were i}Lr—t‘l?; united,
was, by the unanimous voice of his country.men, called to pre-
side in the first and most dignified office in their power 10 be-
htow.  L l i y M y l

At this period of political harmony and union, it was no re»
proach to be called a Federalist ; a term, as a correct writ-
er has significantly remarked, e_vid.ently derived from the con-
stitution itself, and properly denoting. an, advocate and sup-
porter of it. For, as the first i compact was called articles of
confederation, so, in pursuance of the sameti-dea:-,,was the coin-
stitution termed theFedera£ »,Const't'tettz'on ; hand, of course,
thesuccessive-friends andasupporters of both were denomi-
nated I4‘ederalzf§t.s.il ATo have used“ the term Republican 

' cont1'adistinction:ih  of Feds:-aylz'st,y yvonld,.  have been

 s     

I

tant that is novir denoted nor intende
ywasl“";thelnfully comprehended and clearly understood  the

 
   

Aterrn‘ Féderdioist. ‘ He, who honestly, and from’ pixre motives;

assumes the appella’t'ion of iRepubl*iccm,, undoubtedly meansto

 -thing impor-X”
y the name RefitaI3‘lzca5ay5 1 vs,

he understood, that he is a friend to'the revolution, and so-.

ylicitous,-to secure and perpetuate the liberty and independence’.
ofivhis country, by a faithful adherence to the legitimate prin-l‘

  cfiples‘ of the Federal C,‘onst£tutz‘on,, as meant and intended by
i its fratnersf’. Federalistsi mean the same ; for ttrheyywere

Ifleaidaersy in the revolution ; were the framers off Constitu-A
t"ioni;7i,Weyre first.appointed to teyxecnte it and administe.r the

, government under it, andharfe uniforrnlyihrofessed and avow-

ed thesarineprinciples,, Yet,%,ff;yistyran~ge, passing strange,”
thesetwowodious terms, Federalist and Republican, _have, in

I  an enlightened age,_div_ided an enlightened natironfinto two
  by Qowerful parties,. \yhtich,,,by. unyie1ding,.00nflict,iand »continua3;

8

é"né-‘eaxiours to supplant and destroy each either, threaten the
subversion of that constitution and government they bothprm
less to support. It is impossible this should be assigned to
any ordinary or common cause ; rand, tothose ignorant of the
important events which have contributed to it, and of the in-
cessant and indefatigable exertions used; to produce and con-
tinue this.,_divisio1), it must be a matter of astonishment and
xvonder. ~

The Federal Government began to exist just at the birth
of that direful revolution in France, which has dr_enchedEu-
rope qinblood, and caused, even here, -the“" fnost icalaimitous

V ,,trouhles., In thebeginningitwas burthened with a debt, ex? V

ceeding Seventy Millions of tDo11tarr-asemailed upon it ..bxilie

t;old».wconfederacy, and contracted in the‘rieviolutio,in‘ar“y vt»ar. It H

had of course to organize extensive systemstof “fietrenue for the
payment of the interest accruing upon that debt, and to deéi
fray the ordinary expenses of government. [It had to bring
into opleration all those complicated departments of trade, oft
justice and police, necessary in a government embracing
such an immense territory and population, and rendered pecu-
liarly difficulr by the jarring interests of so many rival ‘sov-

reigntiesy It was, moreover, encompassed with difficultieso

and dangers, to repel which required the most vigilant atten-

tion, the most rigorous efforts ofan administration directed by -

the wisest and best of men. An Indian war ravaged the
frontier ; and the “strength, as well as the success of that sav-

a‘g‘te‘teneniy‘, alarmed and atfiicted the nation.“ ~The' treaty of

peaceof ’83 with Great Britain had remained unexecuted on’
either“ side, and various causes of irritation and offence hacfi
brought the country to thebrink of a second War‘ with that

power. On the other hand,“ Louis XVL the" late“ lKiln*g*o“f,

, France, successively lost hispower, his crovvn, and ‘ his life ;_f i

and the prevailing factions, which alternately‘ ‘rose and iper-f7 *

  lishecluposn the ruins of his throne, strove, byevery nrrenace antic,‘

every artifice, to force the United Statesi,'¢in»tocan active 

ticipation in their war, as itviwasrpthen called, of .tJtfIi‘;'e1"Sialg-lit}??? it
ertiys-‘ In additionL'to:,th§e  carising t'rorn5,Britisl1:ipo§2veri i
i V and French pe1'fi§ci_\fl“,’,.,.iltheigolfremmeatcofountlitttitself‘ 

i of some millions of dollars.

9

with factions parties, and obstructed in all its operations by di-
vided councils ' nor was it long before insurrection reared its
,‘m."€iJ€lli0l1S front in our land, boldly set at defiance the laws,
and ménacedthe very existence of the government. Yet,
amidst all these conflicting elements of foreign intrigue, in-
ternal confusion, and open opposition, the prmciples and polis-
cy of ‘WASHINGTON, at no period, suffered the government
to sink with despondence, or to become the prey of rtraitor-_-
ous machinations. The Indian war, which had so furiously
raged, and was attended with such barbarous cruelties, was
successfully terminated; and treaties were formed with the
savage tribes, by which their claims were adjusted, their
rights rendered permanent, and the frontier settlements se-
cured. The Algerine and other Barbary powers, who had
committed piraeies upon our extensive Mediterranean trade,
were brought to discontinue their pl_under.ing:war-fare, and re-
lease the many Americans whom they" held  the worst of
bondage. Treaties of ‘amity and commerce were formed with

many of the European States ; one particularly with, Grieat I

Britain, by      itrharti  Awe-ed re set-
tled, iitdéffnttiificatiolti Ililaaén. for comrne roe,
and equal commercial privileges granitied, which were presses,

tiyeof irnportaritsadvaritages ; and also one with Spa'in,fw“hich , t
finally established the boundary line between the terri'tories'"

of that power and the United””'St,ates,- and secured to us the
b:‘efore contested right to the river Missisippi, so important to’
the western country." Two rebellions, excited by foreigners
and the enemies; of the constitution and government, rwere;
iquelled without the ‘loss of any lives, though at the expenfse
‘The repeated, attempts” of the
Frenchto draw 1 the United States into awwarf, andrytoicreatep
civil’7dissen_tions by alienating thepeople from govern-
.ment,, were, happily frustrated gflitfihttill‘ spoliations on our .de—-
fenceless commerce finally t'epelled ~'Q)7_N)1Il;t;l”l1-i'Llll*(3Si3.Sta1)C€ ; and;

their tlireiativstomf tribute, oi‘ invasion,‘ and partition, so insults rt

inygly made, ,efi'ecwtt1ally   disconcerted.’ Many, "hundprreyyds aofy nee.

essary, laws_were_en‘acte d, swhicbph, (3n_lbI‘fa(;,i13;g wide aI.‘zdVvari.»;t
3 airs subjects of legislation,” called for much time and much la-  

IQ

bout‘ to accomphsh. The rays of science illumined the a in»
omost recesses of our country, while the beams of useful
lemmvledge spread aijnong its obscurest inhabitants. The fine
arts rose to a perfection scarcely excelled by ages of Euiiopei
an refinement, and many branches of American manufacture
1seeme‘d to rival foreigii fabrics in extent and excellence. In
every part of this vast ,cou1_1t'ry was to be witnessed the in-
crease of comforts, of i1npro'vements, of wealth, of happiness ;
every wlzere was to be seen industry rewarded with gain, and
property secured by law. " Our neutf"a‘lityi was maintained,
our peace»s»ec'[ured, commerce extended and protecte'sd,7iag?rz°-
culrwfe encouragedtand, improved, and public faitfz preserve

t ‘ed;  iThius, in the narr’owi‘ci?omes; ofa dozen years, the prin-

ciples and policy of Washington--l ieha*bl‘e~d“: the F esd=fe5i%5§:iil‘E6xrern+-

“ tiifneefit, environed, asit was, with so n1any*L“a“dt’veirsaries, oppos-‘V
ed by so many obstacles, and pressed by so many wants, to? _

' triumph over every difficulty, and elevate the American
“name and people to an altitude of glory and happiness, far
surpassing what had ever been the felicity of any other nation.

In this state of things, and under circumstances so auspicious,
did. Mr. JEFFERSON enter upon the at,iministration t of ,our*

national affairs, who found not only the ciou-ntrythusioprosper}  
sous and happy,but the gover‘nmen_t, ashe declared in hisi‘ifi- ‘-
augural speech, “ in the full title of successful experi1nent.”‘"
t Here commenced a new era in our political concerns. An

»_entire chan.»‘ge~,., as it, was supposed , waslieffected at in the ad-
n"1in}stiratio:1 of the federal .govern2‘nent, whicligfrom its com:
rnencement had, in. itstmeasures and'ten'dencies, protected us
from the most\threaten“ing dangers, and procured for ‘us the

1 ygnnost substantial benefits.’ Mr. Jefferson had long, been ‘con-p
  ‘sidered the head and leader ‘of, a party opposed to the gieinerali

 and principles of VVash~ington, and, in some degree,*as‘
owaslrishuspeected, devoted to ytherviewsyof ta foreign govern-’-y

 ,ment.?“;"  singulari concurrence of cncumstances produced

'  ‘K

 

 eci*,Z:ycs:p17Qt1,a,,a prophet  set -Yup in Plziladcolplziia
 Aie,5:3itecl;   up  Cleric o f _ M no J 91%‘ arson, r wlzilei he i himself

11‘

the rise, and aided the progress, of this party. It began to
exist atlthé time VVashington issued his proclamation of neu-
trality, which, although it rescued the nation from inevitable
and1ruinous_war, although it was a secoml salvation to our

country; was 11€V€rtll8l€SS denounced as a British measure,‘

and as manifesting a settled hostility to France and to liberty.
There were then many as ready to sacrifice the dearest inter-
ests of their country in a war for French freedom and French
philosophy, as there are now many willing to prostrate our
national honour, prosperity and intiepeodence, by making the
United States the humble auxiliary of Bonaparte, in a war
for coiiquest and the eXtensioz1iofFrenol1 despotism. ‘We liaci
received from France, while a l\»Ton:1roli_y, assistance in our

. revolutionary war ; and now that she hasi become a sister

‘Republic, struggling for her freedom against the coalescent it

powers of Europe, universal sympatliy ,a11dW imerest were ex-
cited in her favour. TheAmerican people, feeling in th is

V lareaststhe hallowed fire “ofifréediom,iand believing the French.

‘to be actuated  'fthe7.'.same‘ generous feelings, honestly, and
with oneisaccor:d,_ *v¢is{hie_€l lsuccess. 1 fell:-14_tl:ii:;~‘s3‘temper we

'$'17(’31‘€"i"‘1’l‘li?)t:”: ‘épéfi to   for us to""im-

    

_agin_e that what appearediarid novble effort

tiliittiioiféi-"tha.h tvventytnill

ions of people to become fre»e,'shloul-di

he luprodoced by any other than the rtjostlaudablei desires of tho?  

man nature. These were our feelings, when secret attempts
were made to ‘embroil us in a‘ war with Great Britain, a na-

tion with whom we had but’ just made’ peace, aI‘.‘l.d4‘_W”l‘£l1‘

   

<wa.ssSem~etary of S tategiis czvoumd opposition to the maca-
ples cmdi policy, of ‘ Wa.s/zin.gf<;7L’s czd;minz.'st2°atz7on,'i."zv722Tcfz»,
throng]: ‘£12515 source, was éoilgijiréci by {}zée'g?'c3/8$€S‘t(8lh;¥1?2.d=t‘*:’sI
(and -vilest izzisreprescntations. . «Em-. J%;f?‘6.t‘59?1 also pairs-iii;-.:~
ed Callen-dew, and vtiicot:.ragAétZii}sMii1z‘i in p.t.ef;:Zi.s72"ing N26’ “ Pros-
pect Dc’f0’r(3 Us,” 'a publication conraiiz-icing the most a'IMfcZCz'(:‘l£~.3‘

Zibels *3.-upon-‘PVczsItingttm. Jillrig .7(;_f}"e:~}:o7L,,‘ ttvlzo resided nzzzizy t A

years as or vzzinister in l¥’rr:tz.:-re, a?Zd.]iifT. M.ctr£z'sr)n., /22}; l8t.6Ccr?S-

$0?’ -.-mes both adopted F?:€?f"I;CI’L c}it§2.*Lé:22st by the ’i1\’:1.t-ioxsogl  .
A +Com;m-tsf     W  V "V V T

12

whom we had then the most extensive commercial, connece
elections; Attempts were even made to enlist soldiers in our V

country, and to persuade our citizens to serveunder the bane

'. ners of France.** inflammatory appeals were published tothe
  people, while theernost wicked andunprincipled endeavours

were practising. to~ separate them from their government; des-
troy‘ their confidence init, and thus raiseto power men,’ who

would be disposed to be more submissive and accommodating  
to her aviews, ‘ VVA3H;;q.gToN, swhosel vigilance suffered

‘nothiugito passj unnoticed whi%chlefi'ectédhs%;lhis coui)iry5’i*s-exyoall oi

“thisyemd it~eJi:cited‘ hisindignation. He'informedt‘he French  

Ai‘Govericmseut,“%e»<th%et t=hevAmme1'ice11siloved"libeity ; but it 
* notsitheeillibeerty of  ewes nof   th
‘  whieehs'i‘ssou;gl1t;to involve other iisIiiilq"ua‘rrei§l‘ ’u

       

‘fit

    that "liberty "which, under garb 

  V civil freedom, sought‘ to conquer and eenslave the world.” .

~Accordiie1gl_y, with his characteristic wisdom and firmness, he V
peremptorily reofuysed to entertain any longer as a ‘public am.-

* hessador, the man,‘who,lwhile. he was treated with %1‘especlt e i  

and candour, was seeking to embroil this country in the dark l
politics, the endless, though unnecessary wars of ill—f_ated 4%

iFra'nce. The idea of gratitude to her,LWeshington   afi§rfi1egi’s V
to be mistaken and preposterous.. ‘ In his letter of the léth? of   V

  January, ’9’7, to our minister atiP‘aris, a copy of which he all V

terwards tiansmitted to Congress in a special message, he un-

folds the whole trutrh respecting  ’Fr_»ainc;e:. s

   object hie-ipiroves to have been Yxihiolly Thstsgreat
  man shaews; thatat the timesthe‘  ’”ciil'i ‘Frhance joined lithe
United Statlesoin the revolutionary war, our lndependexaoegshsis
  had been, not, ohly declared, but established ; that his 

‘ Zfii’-an-name. »~..uu--w.-

 

iity chose to consider the United States indcpeodem,o“iI2'eccmsei } 

    9§,The French Ministeir, Genet, wlzo arrivede in this 
u ‘try ihol;:.7;~93, beganfitting out priwateers in. ‘our ports,  
l‘isss€0mmiSsiOn»inlg cfiicers in the ‘i‘s%m-vice of Frame, witizocaztti  

‘likealeastlllceremony, and even before? he Izod bemos.ee2ie?ior

o ¥\['f*?§;gg€s£l15€s9teéL,;:l‘tiis.::refimlli 

sT‘o;§;qcredited‘hby lsoear goverfsmenti 3'-‘Vai5i2ingto2z jcrbczd;e";}ltf7’1:is,‘    

 

1.3

his safety, the z'nterest of hiskpeople, in-vcgrgable policy, and,
above all, the secret projects of tfie Couyrt of London, impe.
riously laid him under the necessity.” In the assistance she
"rendered us, France was guided exclusively by a view to her
own interest. She saw in the revolution, or thought sl1e’saw,
a fine opportunity for abridging the ascendent -power of Eng‘;-

" land by a separation of the colonies from her ; and, relying
upon her superior dexterity in negociating, she meditated the L  

acquisition to herself of at least a moiety of the territory which
now constitutes the United States. Accordingly, when the
treaty of peace of ’83, was upon the tapis, the most artful ata-
tempts were made by the French Court to wrest from the
Umted States the fisheries, and to secure to France, besides
the fisheries, all the territory east of the Missisippi,‘ as _fe.r as
the Allegany mountains. Congress, with more faith than ‘sa-
gacity, had passed a resolution binding our commissioners not
to conclude a treaty of peace with England without the pre:

vious consent of France ; and France, adroitly availing‘ her?-

‘Self of this error, carried on, unknown to our commissioners,

ta clandestine correspondence with the 'Brit1§h ‘Giovernment,

proposing, in fact, to‘thgtt"~Goxrernm,ent,»tor'“cheat the United
States, by collusion, out of one “half or her present dominions.

 scheme, so infa'mous, and clearly den1o.nstra’ting*o heriseilk-1

fish views in “assisting usin our separatiolxi l'rom‘En‘giland,isI~iré”s
defeated by the vigila"nce,'the' discernment, and the firin"hess

of our Commissionersj, who, discovering the underplot, and F  

‘ manifesting to the French court a determination to dispense  

with the resolution of Congress, and conclude a peace with or  

Without its consent,jproceeded inhthe business, and .‘so,ox1;cc-
cornplished‘ the important objectfii All this sufficietttlyhsihewvs
that, however willing~France had beenjto rendef:i§s.'itzdeepe:1+

F dent of Great Britiairniher ancient enemy and raise}, and there;

  ..§‘$cti$factor‘y.'  F

To

 

ii 4* See the letter. off  .Adar22s, to tire Aznericrmi

gress, explopining their meta‘-ues, and justz;f‘g2Tng trlzeir pro»

 , _ceedings,‘“whiieIz,b‘_2/ on vote, was declared to be‘Tsufi‘§cie2n£Eyii“

by to put an end to the predominant power of the latter, it ,

had never been her intention that we should become indepen-
dent of herself. ln all her changes from monarchy to de-
mocracy, and through all shapes of civil government back to
a military despotism, she has had but one object as it regard-
ed the U. S.to render them the dependent and humble instru-
ment of her purposes. Her conduct, towards us, therefore,
whether covered over with flattering professions of friendship
and fraternity, or aggravated r by the domineering threats of
a superior, has always Wbeen. an insult upon our sovreignty,

"and hostile to our national peace, welfare and independence.

Notwiithstanding all this, the peo‘pl*e=, iseemingly governed less

by reasonathan feeling, could not relinquish their attachments l‘

t!oFi~ance, or forget their prejudices against Great Britain;

and Mr. .lefferson,"and his party, adroitly availing themselves

of these popular passions, were enabled to succeed in render-
ing the pririciples of Waslzington odious, and in engrossing to
“themselves all power in the several departrnéhts of govern-
ment. Mr. .lefl“erson mounted the chair of state, and, depart-
ing from the policy of FVas7z2'ngton, which had rendered our
country ‘prosperous and happy, he and his successor, ‘pursued a
system of measures that has reduced us to our‘ present
emharra ssed and degraded condition.

This change in the adrninistration, produced noimrnediate

alteration in the prosperous state of our national affairs. There

were, however, some nmsasures“ not generally approved of,
and which excited considetable agitation in the public mind.

.”The repeal ofthe judiciary law, as it was called, was thought
‘by many to be an unconstitutional attack upon the indepen-
dence of the Judiciary,”‘Whi-c—h, in all free govemnoents, is the
“gsi"eat:pilla1' ofliberty and security. The removal of the taxes  
fron‘1‘lur:uries, such as loafsugar, pleasure carriages,’ §~c. and lajfl

ingthern, under the specious name of the l\’le'diterraneat2i

Fund, on articles her more general and’ indispensable use,
’ °é5u11side1'ed ‘an ‘ autirepublicarél measure, as tending, to .l€§sséi1

   

 i5;hulr'the11s ogfthelrich,l‘liand*'increase those of the poorierpgrgielass

)‘of‘corh.rhunirty. gThe purchase"of Louisiana,  lfitl

15‘

teen millions to the national debt, was deemed an improvictent
procedure, as the territory was worth little or nothing to us,
and would probably subject us to an immense expense to
maintain a stansiing army for its protection and security. The

i removal from office of honest and capable men, on account of

a dii’ference in political opinion, and the conferring uponvone
particular party all the appointments in the power of govern-
ment tobestow,”was thought to be repugnant to the nature
and genius of our government, opposed to the republican prin-
ciple of “ equal rights and equal privileges,” and little calcu-
lated to “ restore harmony to social intercourse.” Yet the
country remained in peace, and continued to travel on in a

prosperous course, until the adoption of the fatal restrictive '4

measures upon our commercial intercuourse with foreign 113,.

tions, which at once paralized the arm of industry, and pro?
duced a sad reverse in our fortune, the‘ effects ofisvhich, it is .,

to be feared, will be felt for -years tor<f'oinie."”“ A‘ l

i A‘ It was at this time that Bonaparte projectedr hiscontinentali

system, “the   which‘ was to  the " mam1fa'c-
‘tL11‘i1‘1g‘:—i*i'tlf'@i'E'§i' oi“  és her" com mercial
prosperity. He had already it br5ii‘g‘fi‘élt'zBe continental powers
ot';'Eu‘rope toipartilcipate in his project, and by sornei5n'nia'ccouint-'
ahlei r’neans”soo"n iinducetl the United States, ii1l’eH‘elc‘t,iito coop.-
crate with them. The Arrierican ministers, ’ who .h'adhe"en
sent to4.England to negociate a treaty, in lieu of the one which

had already expired, and under which we had flourished in a

degree tinexampled in the history of nations, efifected their
object, and tra'hs‘m‘itted‘ to the President Aof the United Stateis.
one, which Mr; Munroe, then the acting miiri'ster,ri'=and ‘new’
Sl;=:cret2i‘ryi of State,‘declared might be accept4ed»‘virith‘ honour,
andlconsistent' with our interest, t Mr‘. .’rJefi‘iet*soh,“ lrowever,
without stifficientliylweeigihiiig the cohseqrrenceh" cf a rejection,
or ‘designing to have no treaty Wilt‘h, Great Britain, and toen-
ter 'i:ealously"into the continental‘ syst‘e'mil'ofiwarfare upot1’Eng-
lish comnterce, was willing to hazard’--tlhe peace pofphis coun-

try, by returningthegtlreaty unratified, and, what was more

16

extraordinary, without even submitting it to the consideration
of the Senate, the body provided by, the constitution to give
advice upon all such important subjects. From this time, the
clouds of adversity seemed to thicken in the political horizzon
and threaten a storm. ’ The French Decrees and British Or»
ders in Council, measures not less opposed to the estahlishecl
laws of nations, than hostile to" the acltnowledgecl rights of
ztteutrals, were carrying into rigid execution, and interrupting?
our lawful commerce. At this critical __iuncture, at thisalli
iinportant time, instead of pursuing the ‘wise and manly policy
or Washingtlon, who’?-considerediitlte establishment of a naxry,
sttcihlas might been maintained without burthening the people,

as esselntial and indispensable to our nationals respectab‘iliity”ati"t!"t'

sectitrityl‘ ;“ instead of adopting measures worthy or a great na-
tion, to protect our rights and redress our wrongs, the govern-
rrrent resorted to acts more suited to the capacity of ab quack
physician, whose genius never wandered" beyoind the circurn-iii
ference of a pilllbox and gallipot, than to the dignity of a de-

b liberative assembly, legislating for the happiness and safety of
their country. The first offspring of false theory and moon-

struck philosophy, was the Nonimportation Act, which was

intended to apply exclusively to Great Britain, and which an»
severed little or no purpose but to fetter our trade and embar-  

rass Ourcommerce.   Next came the Embargo, ,

ii _ ,“ Daughter of chaos, and eternal mIght.’M’l

l ‘T~hisInonsIt:er, conlceiired in secret, and brought forth in dark-

ness, stretch-ed its huge limbs over ourliilancl, andrthreatened

at once to blast all”od1 prospects, and deaden all our hopes."-i

'l‘heprofessed" olaject of this measure, so oppressive and ruinous

in itaslteffects, was, to preserve ourseamen and property on the V
one h‘a11d7,i and on the other, to constran those ‘foreign na-“-Mil
tions, who ”iha‘[d xvioiated our neutral rigl1ts,?~-tlo “do us _justice,1, ‘
friom la fearof_il'osing our intercourse. yplt is"u11d'oubtedly 
phr-_pose, as well  the duty of',cixillego*trernrn'ent, to protec‘t”iif1‘itis“‘l“’i

   the pcaciablea ;pos'session"Stand   'undisturb‘ed enjoyirnietiit 

oi”aull“tli”e’it.,‘trilghts. f», 7Bi.tt;€ vrhehf '"th”ey are imolested” in the'»pm~s:“



 of their lawful iremploymenits on thferoceangr A the great?!‘
highway gfmmons, where“ their rights are unqtxeetionablie, it
is yielding i  singular sort, a’ kind of negative proteictiorn, to‘
exclude them entirely from the use of the ocean. A total” pri-

-xra;‘t:.i_:ejm’l.cat:i absolute abandonlmegmeofrights, can never, lbyreny

ratiimalce construction, b*eeri\r11:zdfee‘rstoetl_»»las their pr;otectio*n., ‘A If
thewobjecit of this act was, lies pretended; to secure -the vessels
and property of oiurcittlzens it?romei¥”eaptu~re,r why were its pro-
visions urged beyond the strict lime of » necessity 3: Whyi were‘
our honest and industrious, fatmrefrs prevented from carrying
their property *by land to la n.;_arket.ii? Why was there an entr-
bargo laid upon the confirieso of Canada ? Could British men

V pfivvar run up and lie in wait on theiinortliern boundziry of this
State, or British privateers.hoverr.upon#rtl1e interior of New- o

york 5’, If, on the other hand,tl1e object was, toicoeircoe into _]us-
tice thosedforeign nations, of vvlmosezaggressioneAwe1i“complai.n-

ed, if was; perhaps the most imbe.cio~leiirattexxiepitgthe most quix-it

otic measure, irec‘ordeid in theannals of legislation. In char»
acter and efi'ect,litAwasAp;ireeici.selyj.what «France wanted, and
Wllavt Eiiglaiiid lcaredilnothing_about._ Bonapar_te__approved the
\In(g;aSu!.\eI3:"‘f.a§": aidfmghi‘37’v.**'i@‘i?.iT'.i‘hi5-"."figfii-gas'--’ir'*FQfl:3itGteat Britain i
and Great Britain could ihai7éi"}io‘fii,gohjec‘ti‘oi'ieto a policy, that
left her the exclusive ptoseessi-on of the .ocean‘,ran‘d gave to her

 ofiithe%commercexoi5:;%.ighg world. An -Ernibargo i

being‘, in all its shapeszf,_a l'q»rzIii.id.al)letviolatioxi of the rights of
i thepeople, is never considered, even“ in the most urgent case;

only as a necessary evil. The usages of nations shew, that it
can never,o§.vAith propriety, be resorted to, but in actual war,

and iminient%danger, end, in conside.rationwof the violence i
its operations, should never continue but for a short and lit1rxit§~

fed time. The history of the world, perhaps, does r

en ihstanee of an Embrirgo heingilaid, under §Vuy‘e:':i:;:déspotism,

‘uponiigroiiiids so fri1'0ious,;u‘pQ_.n _Lpre_te11ces‘ so'%..f?id«eceptive. Iat;
lwoulcl inclemli seem asto11ishing,lingthie country; so proudi,‘sO%i,_

‘boastful of its iiberties, to see the Sivhole pfropwerty of V thenia-‘
ftion put 'under_ curstody,rplaced in/the gripc_oifi'raven*ous 

house officers, every gn an in it interdicte'd7of'his;free peesege to
  C M

18

market, "’:‘md%the xrerfy I11.ean$.of'"his“s11§Jsi:;‘!ence placgd umiey
$£>qu‘e:s-tration. V’V.hat.ever Inay have been the effect of‘ this
m‘.;':asure' upon foreign nations, ‘we all know that it was pecu..

- lia:-Iy»dh=.tressix1g to ourséixres ; Sc) 1' much so,%that the incessant
and un'w.er:sai ;murmur3’-ar1d- complain-ts Of-.1h@ people, soon com-

})ei1edV the -gox;crn:mént,---wiiblel w hon} it was “afl darling .favouriie,
re}uc?%ta11t%ly to're{}ix1quish,.it;fcmfwhat was suppofsedA%t%o be, 'a les&

<abnoxi;ms ‘subs%titute,wVb%ut._ r;eaJiI;y a partial ~continuatio11of the >

mime am}-Awmmercial s§1.3teAm; idifibrently modified, but tend-‘v

ing tp the 7:%same% .»e.nd.= : Anon»4iI1teVrcpurse3ror, morae*pmper!y% '

*:9pe«aking%, aI’r;on~ impm-t‘”éti6n ~1%aLw,u1nore emlairgyéli in its objects

 <!=,t“\1»€‘.». ve%xtgn%s?i\?eV}4 in ":i t‘s% ‘opér‘a:ti.6n _thz=m ‘the -firs t""’iact”oi' that néme,
’~‘mcc;eed,,e2cl‘~£he“%;%Embfirg:o3 sa nd% -11:13“ e‘3m‘c%e% continuedi tohold our 7%

 

if   3%“-%s,fét‘fb r;r2,? and war‘ cc:r<m1?1Te‘.r1é%ee’ in h'¢mdéage_. 5% %%%%%:%II“%t1I.“9§%@*‘?€)*t1i‘t£**in-

~ fleéd séwrn j~s%tr:mge, that .those?;w*i'.1o» pjrry-f'ésé7"t*=m!$<‘a‘4% Afhe ‘ff:-ieiads of
% icommerce, and the advocates‘Tofkrade, should have th%usJfm”'

mum -main fixre years pertinvzzciéwmsly pursued a system which
Wcouid ~‘have§(no~: other ~tendexii:_y% but topruduce the utter destruc-

‘tion of commerce, mxd, w‘:11-1‘i!t, the ruin of our'countr_y. But

if our .prese%11t 1'-uiers a'r5e 1"1»«§t',%in truth‘, as they profess to bé,
Tthe fxfiiends of coxmnerce, th"«:+y are most assurecliy not friendk
to tlseir coumry-;“ for cornzmzrce as wcfla-s a~gric%ult%u'1eis essen;

?tial tqoufr national prosper-ifwyg   Th¢3y ’ are knit? i121tur'aIIj7‘~~¢ey’j‘e{. %.

mzes, nor even rivals ; ‘t 11r:y% are "'"'f1'icnds, and might to uiiité
for the Vattainmem of a‘grea‘t :1x2d~#gc)m111on  objc~ct~.‘ In thié;
-'\‘c_mntVr}*;%3%%\fabox%e a!1‘~others,A they :requ*?re ‘the ‘?11*:ti‘tfu.»a¥ aid of each

other» "AAgri%cu1ture"-supplies cor‘n“x1wrce-"with ‘“ftl;se articles of %

her eJ'iport ‘s,**a%dfl‘ with a ready I11-€17-t'I4:e'*t‘ for 3.1er'%retur1§'s. Com“-
imerce, in tum, i'r3Icites‘ the«li)"usba1ixdn1a11 to. laboL1r»'b\e+y‘ond
hifs wa11ts;%Ab35 3é1d‘niifii$te+°ringfto !1is*enj’oyme11t$g ""Make c‘o‘m-A
Vzmeme the bmy; l3"0nciu'rVaifl3¢v p t1r‘suii", the -%faTrmer‘Vwci;1d‘” desett
”hi8*‘?pV!o11g%h, and leave me m<t:sM'eért}}e and delig,lit;fii‘l countryh:

fhé7’§rt%"Q%il7d %to°%becomx€-."4aga?n an untruktivatéd‘"W?I%dernesS;V,i ”  'D é...”
Stétoy ,b§§Ifimerce,‘the ‘farmer wvcuid‘ traii§ %fdrfifI5" hiilléelf %1i:itb ’;;%-A

in1s:re‘mV:if1tWaAc‘tL1rer'o%fpet%ty‘tqys, oi;"*%w%h%a%t%"i‘S‘A more %‘prbb%a-fiié;
fire would be ‘atztuated jby *‘x1o%t%%~mukih-  xémbler incentiveé is

p;iet—ité‘s§?hé  the la‘St‘ “Spa‘rI=: ‘af cum+a%e:a*n~ex.  

  

‘ ~.‘}“~n

;y, of savage life. ‘We must either be aiciviliizedoipejople, and,
by patronizing agriculture .and commerce, fl0‘1J.1-is}-1 underitheir

page within himfland riexrext to all  hoyzgorfiallsilitlie barba 

V benign and, inwigorating aiispicés 3 or, by totaolily abandoning

uthem‘. an_d,uwith them, all ilzel anal and sciences, degqneigggo;

i 30 agsitate of absolute, barbarigml, axltli, quitting all the hon_oL}ra5
ible and useful pursuits whiCili1,%digLLnify mzanirind and render
idesimble, seek only a daily.suhisi;s_Ience,». in Athoe Indian fashion,

from the rudei. pracdicoe of htintixig and fishing,  Instead of av.

‘ifpee govemn'1ent, which provides laws for’the—security of peo-

son and property, and apportions the deigre%eo of pmiishment to
the nature and rmgnitude of the crime, weimight then sub»

.mit to the controul of some Chief,“ whose will would be: the
law, and whovvould cleoree death as the univeiqsal pmiislimexlt
.for‘allOfi’ez1ces. instead ofijsending our children to colleges
wand seminlaries of teaming to qualify them for the various,~pro-
{essions;iu :life,gwei might then educate them in the use of saxiai
:.agei11stmmentis of war, amilinstruct them initlxe most ii1~ge;1j;i-
%   oujs x11od;ei.ofi. ionflicfing, tomizye Won ‘-:w""“P-ltcfllfid‘: xrictoimx.   in-
~   of l'1i:~:toriies,;a;n»d.,iihavingi‘Voo11if.1o1‘;atio;3al l e»xren:g_3§_iwlcordeei on
 theiiiixiolwlrzetlii page of the mig-l1*t,l tȴ'iM . *9 We leg-

emlary- tales Qffall~1cii'S, axxd .tl?ief.iitizgaeiAiitiic;l1:i of .i*x3othc:rs.. :~In.s,pea.%;d
of wors:liipin§ thelliiringg ‘QQ‘d_’ifil1¢a  to the%prepe_pltsi<>f
ChElSi{si?aI}iliy’¥ whiclx l1as.l3’roug~l'zt imiiivjiiljii rtggwgyl to l.ight,'yqe xnigm
aclorel the sun,itl1e moon, or some x1nk11o:w§n spii1;ili_,:i§oii2a§1cl% lgelieve
in heathenishi traz1smigratioz1.%  li.g§toad_ : ofgsofigxilalixmgg for pog-
lic worship, we might assemble onlywto hold councils of war.

Vilould such :1 state of socie.;y,¥iiiliofli%, soqigjxy it,g&_aL.gg be.

ciomgtiie dignity of our qa§g1ge.o§ ’? #Cg;g  gr':_§e be \’§.«"illiI}g; go
exchange all tltuearts 0fVcix*ilizk23,li;}?§i1+fQ}‘ 3 riguide state of ibaI“boVr-
ism ?I Is it, not then iastonigliixigji float filly one s:h<m:l ”d._l se§i*ié:<1.:;»:%y
wishllix the destruction ieitilieit of agiiricL1lti2r€§:[«oitinoonnrzigercg,

‘Sil1~ce>ii‘1}e.fiVI‘$t is necesso{§7‘t_0ilifé, and the S&;%cczI1<1 to fllifiiifi li,§'e'

amiable ? It is the :.~;p§ri.T. of géaijty aloha ivhichirclziiii be’ ;;§»,.i31;;%gat'
sucli niadxiess.  Our nizigzriers, our haofms, ii1Cx,iQ(Ea~1 augll%i;ige)io-

gr:r:pl'i“ical situation of omf_,co.ilriLlr;«, with  liiuxzdieygimiiles

off-lse;;oo2ast,fi« and, nu:x'i.erous*  313:1 I‘ii§eii*s~  ixxlterfiail ‘x1iii'iiga«

jszgo

t.ioo5lall déclareius a ooromercialas well as aii'isi‘g’ricultur*xl  

people. From commerce, uoited“with agriculture, weaahmvle
derived all our wealth. l They have togotlier furnished us with
‘all the comforts as well as elegancieso of life. Commerce has
hitherto been the fruitful source Whellmili wsefhave drawn an our
revenue ; and so productive was it in this respect, that ‘Mr.
Jefiizrsloo, in his message of November, 1808, «infoirmed Coma
gress, that onrthe first day.ofJanuary following, after deducti-
ing the dorm for reimbiirsimig the eight ’ per centpstock, there

fiwould remainlin ‘the treasury of ‘ thovUni‘ted'Stateeiasurplus

sum of upwards of eight millions of dollars. 2 ii Pvespeotiizg the
application of this moneyxhej gravely“ renozirkod, “ Shall it lie
unproductive in the public Vault's?“ Shall the revenue be reclus-
ed? Or shoal} it not rather beappropriated to the impfoxreimelit
of roads,  rivers, 82:2. oodlor the powers xwi:hiohlCong§re2iss
may already pozisess ;” and in case tlwy did not then possess
the powerxhe suggested that it be recommended to tho sevre-A
ral Statooiéloo to a:lmendith;eilConstitution as that they might be
authorized io some such way to dispose of" ll?i€.Sl,ll'l3lUS cosh.
But alas ! Mr.» Jefferson haslthei liappioess, and theipéople the
sorrow to see the day when, by the suspension of commerce,
and the operation of restrictive mea;sures,lnot only; the suifplus

  eight millionsis exhausted without troublingdtlio Sta:tes»..1<o*1i‘lj‘or-

fer the Constitution to effect lh€‘TOl3_§€C!, but the ad2nioismii-
tion are compelled to resort to a loan of eleven millions of dole

Iars to meet the ordinary expenses of gowernmont.«i

i It is not with any pleasure or isatisfaction that these tliings are
alluded to. o On this day,i so often held as a natioiialjubileel,

“ we would gladly dwell only ohithe bright side? of 1helplCYll‘l‘€.

It is always invidious to speak of preseuttiniés ; some will ac-r
cuse of partiality, others of rnalignity. It cannot oertainlj; be?

 the part of a patriot to increase the lwidel spreaidirlg clissentirooo,
-at present oprelvaiiling among our countrymeni. Yet I should be
nnfaithfulitoyou and to myself, I shooldrgroo$ly* i violiit‘e_%!Itlixo
“duties you liove‘ this day assigned me; if {omitted 't0>‘:’y‘i""‘:I‘il\D:l‘ti:Ce
l *?olijie;.r.rcalan1i§ies oithe ‘timeis,   ‘or failed  to fl"c1C‘é,«llf1€‘ <>:lr»mo‘e,s of

91

our present 'r"nisYortt:nes,li that we may pi-ofitl by stexper'ienée,
and Iearnwvéisdoml from past events. It twasmslaid by a greet‘:
‘man, vviththat felicity of thought and expression soape-culiarto
~himself,-«tl1atp history is philosophy teaching by elxampleti t The:
«feW‘pyears our present government has existed, and the politi-
tcal chlanges and revolutions in our country, furnish xraltuahlae
t.Iessons of instruction; We know what we have been ; ant}.-,
«unless we are wilfully blind to” our own condition, we cannot
but see what our present statffiing is. It is not thearpart of%wis-
dom to study concealment, or deceive ourselves by represe.;nt4-
ing our situation in a more favourable light than the truthwwiil
allow. Vt’ e should know our condition, and having itnown it,
endeavour to avert the imyaencling evils.   Can we afiiact not
to know that our flag, which but a few years since waved in
every sea; now hangs moui'nfnlly_ half mast in our harbours ;
that our ships which were yvont to rlieturn“-laden -with me.ricl1-an-
dize. from aiittqixiarters of the world, now tie‘ totting in oh:
ports 2’ Can we refrain from seeing that our country is ttiillting
in poverty ; property going to .clet:ay, and universal min th.reet~
exiting alloclassesl of the clompmntiity ? Is it to hei(li'sgnised°"‘tlfmt:
there  is has lgleneltal    unusual svczircity
ofmoney, and of course 3 totfollldélsttliithliiioh of the means to pay
debts  is not om; treasury in a state of banltrtipt"cy‘t-?[l‘"Are not
,Lo.-ms, lDirect.Ta:ces, ‘Stamp lDutz'es, Exczbcsg éintl othe-rlop+
pressive nteasnfes, so obnoxious to the feelings and sentiments
of our forefatheis, the burthen which the people a.a'e;hler,eafter
to groan under ? is not at stensling army stationed in vari-
ous parts of our country; a standing army la'lW21'ys- more in-
clinetiitoi subvert than to e support ca irepubllicen go»-et*nment..?
Are not lnclien hostilities alt'leatt:ly*commet1<:e:i, and,-.r‘nx*:2?§;ing
our fl‘(}lltleI’S 3*‘ Is not the glory of the -America-nynatne tleperb

,9 By the figllowfng Zette1h'fl'olmti7Le Se=cret_d;?g; cfIVa§A-A, 370‘

one of the committees in C’on.g7‘e.ss, its cZeo'l2'Z_zs;":a,7:»z3e.aé*s tFm:,z~

Hfimong the lislessedfruits of I\"oni:np9:‘t,:ti<t:z:.,, q?2Ct_t,4*.M? em:/1-sci

22

ea‘, azrcl our nationalf character lost ‘in abject submission to a
foreign tyrant ? Mr. Madison proclaims, that “ the Berlin
and Milan decrees have ceasedfto violate our_neutral rights,”
While the Ernperour. Napoleon con~tinues to sink, burn and de-

letroy our ships, and declares that his “ Berlen and Milazzx cle-
crees are permanent and fundamental laws of his Empire.”

No longer ago than the twelfth of March last, the French
minister offoreign affairs,ir1 his c»oii1mun§Tcation   :2: sub.

~ject, declared the French decrees not only to be in force, but

that they would cominuein force until‘ the repeal of the Brit-
ishflrdersein Council. Yetjthas been asserted in the Procla-
mation of the President, and echoed in the speeches of Gover-
nours,tl1at these decrees have long since been rewaledfi But

_ ,

 

the clepredaztions upon our defenseless citizens on the In-

dian frontiers :
e   ‘~' VVAsHING'roN, Dec. 25, 1811.

“' Sir-«In lconsequence of complamts made by the Indians,

llhat they cannot receive the usual supplies csfgoods, by reaeon

 of the Noni nportation Act ; and as goods adapted to their use
are nor. to be purchased to any considerable amount within l
.c’£he United States,I am induced to solicit the attention ofthe
honourable Cornm.ittee of which you are chairman, to the 15gb

section ofthe clot ofthe 525th oflApril, 1808, and to respectful-

Iy submit for their consideration, wlietl1er it may not be expo»

client to authorize by law the introduction of indian goods un«
(let a similar provision. V M

I havelthe honour to be, sir, with much respect, your obe-
dient servant, W. EUSTES.

The articles wanted  the Secretary for the. xIndi,axn:;

Ax were coarse clot/zs, blank-e.t.9, calicoes, rn.u«3i:et.s; v~files,_toma'-
elzocwks, Vscaipieng 1cm§ves,_cutle:~ , Zcao3,l gunpowder, gm.

_* See tlfle Pre'sicleut’s proclamation of Nov. 2d. $810,511

‘which [he declared the ‘effectual reo'ocationAoftl'1e French de-

'1’ ‘trees, anrd,*~predicatc%d ‘~upo'u ‘“s{u;cli Mi-roc‘atA-ion, caused‘ thellwnorze l

I in1te1rcourseaft“er the 21d of F'el)ruary following robe revive_dl:a-
_c g‘auj2ls:ViLGrea$cBritain.44  lS_e;e; al§D othe rg3eecl1esco‘f Goxr,%llcGerx-gr

$.53” .

 are not such tame and credulcus beings leis "to believe,‘
though it should even be afiirmed by our President, and repeat«...
edby our Govemour, that fire iwillinot burn, that twater will
not dmwn, that a continued system of restrictive‘ measures
andl‘Gov Galuslza, in which ttheisame id-eelaratlon was repeats“
"ed; l  '4  , l  l
 As to the fact, whether theee~-[decrees vvere revolted or not‘
at the time of issuing the Presielentw proclamation, it vvouild
seem almost‘ incredible that there should be but one opinion.

‘How is it possible to reconcile, in any degree of   consistency, ‘

the ciontiljued practice I of captures under these decrees with

their e._ffcct*ual revoiczztion .9 Am qfifiéctual revocation necessan
.. ‘ ‘. ‘ . aw

rily supposes no such decrees te be me exnstence, or, at least,

‘ in operation. Yet, that the practice of capturing American

vessels under those decrees has got been suspendged why the
Fretalc he i Govern ment , but has ebe€Il=’~‘j‘i@:Gl§tk”‘lfll:3loe‘dw  in V  hie’
abundantly eviclente from -tlxey tttemé-eiouseallidavife made and
pttblisheedluponthle subject, as ’~w%ell as from the great number‘
of memorials to Congress, asserting and proving the fact.
Not onljv” have; ~captw'-es been made by the r_Java‘“l- officetrs of
Frlance, tllltllér tihelsel dec;fees,.b~ttt5e~ccndte1nnatV£evzs have actually
followed in their prize‘7com*te;liHf“  lirsc?,'iéx1oU.g‘h,”«as remarltedl
in the late excellent address of-t.h'e trtinorityt in -Congressto
their coeuetituentsi “ tovstate only two cases twhicltvappear in
 ofi'7'ttcl"'al."vre~porits. * Tile American ship Julian was lcaptufed
hfa Fz'enchl'-wlivateer  4-th "éif~July,i18Lti, and oee+theA
10th of September lollowi-ng¢:,.l the e ‘vessel and*-cargo were
condemn-ed by the Council of Prizes at Paris for having violat-

ed these decrees. On the same day the Hercules,-a-niAn‘:er.i-44

 shiplwaé also comzlemned by thetlmper-ial Court of Prizes
fora similar reason. In“ a.dgl§tiontt:')?this evidence;-Mrffllue-~

se"ls<lett'er ‘toitiheSeeretery.o£i.«State, dated .IS.=Ti.¢ty"l 8iithA,WI8l1 

sayeg-f‘ it<may»no<t be  to 'Ijemla"t'k~>'tl1at~ n?o3f.:American
vessel .i captured since the fliree~ief”‘»“*fl¥Noventberyl’810;. has yet?
bf?-%¥tl.=I:_eleased.”’ V . F V %

 {From thlsktt elserent;4;_.t;ll%1t"l'th‘e ciomman’dere7 of tile
«tion%§iIliie«x.fessels; the~--‘.prt\rateers'tnen, and §the~_jedges of -they
eourtsgt--ate whclchismay be ‘added talsoi-«t-he custom  officers;

eawllo, ate thei'llih1Sttf_u;m€me~of earrylng int'e««eeefi'eet‘a, 

 havetl>ecname;eeecqtiaintoetd withgtlte r%egeall,i ihiad it 

£34

vroulci Mhot ruin our country, or that war is not the greatest
a.n'd most dreadful calamity which can befall a nation. -We
haveveyes to see, and cars to hear"; wehavie understanding to
know, and cannot be deceived into a belief to tlieficontrary,

and uniformly acted upon the principle oftlieir existence. “ lf
other evidence of the continued existence ofthese decrees were
reqnisitel,tl1e acts of the French Govexfnmen-t a'li"orcl such as
 full and explicit. Cnhampagnfy, Duke of Cadore, minister
of foreign relations,~in' his report to his Majesty the Em'peromf
and King; dated Pails, Dec._3_d,H1V81O, speaking of the decrees
of BetliI1_ and Milan, ‘says expressly, ._ “ As long iasclingland

V shtxll 'pe;fs‘ist  ...h_er_ Orders in [Cou~ncfil,'» your; Majesty will per-

 MDecArees‘.’%’_ And in ‘the address alelivered;3'l“by*ll>'le§s
iiriperiel niléljestvm Napoleon,eto '_'__%the Council of Cotnmer5ce,l on
the Slat of March, 1811, he thus declares: “Theedecrees of
Ber'.in‘*and Milan are the fundamental laws of my Empire.
For the nenirzil giavigation 1 consider the flag as an extension
-of territory. Thelpower, which suiiersits flegeto be violated,

l clann-at be considered’ as neutral‘. The fate of the American

commerce will soon be decided. I will favour it ifthe’Unit-
ed States conform themselves to these decrees. Ina contrary

“case, tiieir vessels will be clrixrien from my Enipire,??V_M 9- And as

lateias ill} 10th of March, 1812, in a report “of the Flrencih
Iniziister of foreign relations, communicated to the Conserva-
tive Benz: 3, it is declared, “ that as long as the Britishflrdyers

‘in Council are not revckecl, and the principlee of tljcitreary. of

l"I!;i§iiscieci~eeci ~tl1e{_“e:;e‘mptioJ11% of fhge A!profifl1is,%o:n~s’iof the act of ‘n
interccurse,’&c.cl~ And ccnifel’8f;egi,:ng~t.hlat the ssiici law   

Utrecht, in relation to neutrals put in force,,tlrce ldecreiese of Ber-
lin and Milan ought to subsist.” V _ Al '  e A “
' A very ext;aoi*clinary document_epromulgaAted in France no
earlier than Psllaye las.t,has recently been pUl3l'lSl'l€Cl in England
and this country, purporting to be a decree signed 1by._t_he 
jieronr Napoleon, and bearinggiclate as far back as;April“28”t'hi,
i‘8ll'1‘,. two months after the N‘o”nimpoi‘tat’ion law l‘1£?l'd.7l)€ei’l [re-.
vi~«”ed~ inits operation agaixxst Great Britain; inwwliich decree
the 'Enn§’el*otiV%‘_;ljeclares t.lmt, *7‘ Being ii1forv_n;1“l*e._?ic7f;i‘olfptheilaw of the
Qd of Mn.llc‘ll,»f1_l8l 1, b_y.-which theCoiigresefbfxhie United S‘t§§!_e;_g

  

1
x

  o l:f”1"%“ei~6oience.c to we alrmu=:arl3z‘* nsions.ad$=anc”ed b

25

mar War, Embargo, Stamp taxes, Loans, Excises, Land
taxes and Standing Armies, are not to be preferred by an in-
telligent people to Commerce, Free trade, Agriculture, Peace,

Prosperzty, National Izappincss, and N ational respectability.

But however disastrous may be our present condition,»hoW-

sever alarming our futurejprospects, we have yet some cause

n-uu-.—nc--*“"'

‘dish orders in council, and .9 formal i'€fUS81 to sanction a system
"hostile to the independence of, neutral powers, and of their
oflags : ’W'e_have decreed and do. decree, that: the Berlin and
Tvlilan decrees are definitely, from the first of November last,

(1810,) no longer in force as regards American ‘7.BS,Se1*8*I’,
lfthis decree is to be considered as the act revoking_the Ber-
lin and Milan Decrees, it is at least sufficiently manifest that
these decrees were not efiectiiallyrevoL~cd at the timezthe
Presidezntissued his proclamation of Nov.‘ 1810, declaring their
repeal and reviving the nonintercourse against fEngla-nd.'  or if
they were then efectiuallly revoked,'why."thei necessity of issu-
ing, laprezvokirig decree, "bearing date  months after tlzeir
p're_;en'ded repe'al— ..The_' President’s proclamation _and re—

.q11e=gval of thel’ ;’nlo«13,_iiiite,rcourse Wapgainsti Great B,ritiiin’.li:‘iNfelre-' ;pre-

  deélareld by

tl1e’Pi'esid?ent,i ofltfiel     tit3rtis4lfo,u‘nld mat

the ~Ernperour’s repealin decréie, vrihiiich‘  deted:’hh,si§c°V’-lrrtonths
 i§;_p_..specially‘ predicated upon the relxripva‘l,“for,two mmon-the
‘b§‘f'oi*e,woi"the into-n.i1.iteroourse law against Gretit‘-iBr'itasn;1», 

what is more extraordinary, if this last‘ decree e was inifact‘ is-
sued at the time it bears date, why was it not immediately
promulgated ? And why were captures afterwards sufi"ered to
be‘, made .t under the Berlin and Milan decrees so repealed"?
Tire BritishGovernmerit have long been calling upon ourGAOV-
ernment for --some authentic evidence of the "repeal:o_fii&.tfh?‘e de-
crees, and have repeatedly declared, inthe strongest“la'sshiranc~

‘es’, that vvheri such evidence should be-~produjé“etl"ftl‘1e B'ritisl1

ordersin council would_irnmediat=ely cease itiii ‘operate. VV
‘then,  our G-mire-r*n  was apprised’ of this jirepealinlg decree,
as it is ca“l_led,idtd -’it~“del‘ay,a rno1n’1en;t_itoicommunicate “the in-‘
format_io”’i1 to the British ‘Gover11,m’*ent,'that one great icause of
tlie-sdiffi-crrlties between the two countries might bie;_.ren'iov,e"d,

iandithe. United States “saved from the cailarxiittieisllllofsvar, land

26

on this day for rejoicing. VV e can rejoice that our irtéepengs
edence as a nation is not yet, as we hope, prostrated attthe feet
,o"fa_foreign‘despot ; that we still live under a republican form

of government; that the ninety days Embargo, which filled our

country with gloom and consternation, and difihsed over it appre-

hensions of universal bankruptcy and ruin, on this day expires,
‘Yet amidst these few causes of exultation and rejoicing, We

have abundant reason to mourn for the K’mise.i'ies which await

us. Antminterrupted course of restrictive measures, viihich_

‘I I l I 0 n
tor more than five years have been rmpoverishmg our~countr=y,

and enfeebling its energies, is to be changed only fofalstatet

their citizens from the losslof,propjertyito_ an incalculable a-
mount     e y i i ‘

‘Whether this decree was written atthe timer; hears date,
or not until May, 1812,,and antidated at the suggestion of
our minister, Mr. Barlow, remains a secret; __ But it is evident
it was not written,_Aor if written, it was not issued,'until Bo-

naparte had been assured that vvarivoruld be declared by the
United States“against Great Britain. Now when the Berlin

and Milan decrees cannot operate upon our neutral rights,» as
inthe pr__esent state of actual war no American vessels can
sail to orfrorn an English port, or be spoken by an Englishs-hip

vvithoutlbeingflcaptt-tired, these «ldecrees, having produced their"

ef'Yect,iand being no longer of use, are most graciously repeal-

ed.

»i,,t%§t‘?€+,I,-Iovvw_o“l:tderft11 isxthe faculty of the .“ supereminent Na-
 the understandings of men ! A He has con-f
'\'7DC?€d.l,.*th€.fj Amelriclani goverltmerit andya great, portion 0f,A,+
zmericanlcitizertsythat his°‘.deACrees, issued in 1806, were produc-
ed by, land'alreil“tl1le% ylegitin1ate' consequence of, the Orders in
Conncil, which i wetter, ~no_t in texistence t until. the yfeax anegr.
Wards, in 1807 ; anldl'he*'l’1as<, by fair means Allor“,lbyi5t”owll,:lind,uc-
 President to issue  proclamation in‘Nove~mber, and
C0fl,gl’i€SS.rtO,,% pass a law. in March, lbotn; of wl1iich‘,:a-re exclu-
sitve1yi;f‘o5t71ndeyd,yr as alledgecl, on the‘prex%yiot;ttsj“‘l‘t*ei5ealtofitheseg
identical d:l€C'I£§_t,*S, which, at least, was  effectecl till the
April’,follo‘v§jing,_and then exfarelsslypretlicated upon the iawfiiofj
Congress _passedl7°two n1ontm«,.;hiefore;”.

27

of war, the calamitieslof which we cannot calculate‘, and the

duration of vvhichuwe cannot iforeseefi‘

A misty vapour has long obscured the radiance of American
glory. or ‘We have long seen a speck of war rising in the hori-;
2011; and that speck has long booed a tempest. Already the
breeze blows roughly over our faces; it growspinto the gale ;
the gale will swell into the storm, and the storm burst into as

lhuriricane that will scatter "misery and desolation over our

land. r_

- - - - - --_- -A - ~ - - — - - “ Amzd the heavens
Frzlsely serene, deep in a clorudypspeck L
Coznpresmd, the rzzigizty tempest brooding dwells. p
l*"2‘er’y and foul, the small prognostic hangs

_(4(rO.]"'t.’, -' - 1- v-’- 4- an in I n o - win In I . ~ -"'9'

*5 It is importantlto inquire whywar was declared at a time
when there was such an immense amount of American prop-
erty at7“sea,'"li or "in fo.r1eigln ports, -exposed to capture E’ h\pVa.s
there any Lnecessity pthat the;de,clar_ation sho_ultd~h'e made at that
particular ‘period ‘; atelpelrio.d;—ti}vv_hehtrWr€i:l;'h.ad note-e“ven"a com-
pany of troops upon the frontiers to’~a“f’Forld them protection  Is
it not, in the history of nations, an unprecedented singularity,

to  as formal declaration of war under ’circumst'ances like-t

these ; especially against a nation_possessing a territory, 'bor-
deriugupon ours, garrisoned with regular troops, and filled with
hordsi of savages, whom it was in the power of the enemy to

J‘ _let.s}ip”p__upo11 our exposed frontiers, and scatter terreur and, 

dismay, massacre and ruin among the defeulceless liithahitaintlistfi

lA!:ve»ise rgo_verln”r‘he_nt pwouldf have delayed thepd_eclaratitorf

war,l until the nation was iodue preparations fornde~fefnrce;f“ain:d
corrimencenient of ’ hostilities  and” would at *least ilriaefie-%‘~"’~sol“‘far
llregarcled the interests of their?‘jcoostituems; as to-vé rgiptre-asuffilcient

i -time _’th1ei‘safe‘e re turn ho.rt§e‘.r:_ofl,pitthpe- ‘viimmenselgzir; litralua ble prop-rs
erty 2i£fe;‘$€_3‘,-t»rior in forei.g1aj~;,rpor:t;s,;'c_§t“)§‘osl§éd» to;capture._ Co:'rep£ g

informa‘tiloni;‘shas been giirenp p1tphe:t“l‘or1__vntphe ;W7ltl1 pofMhJ11r1e_ tl‘lierep;wla-s
no less th’apnl{~lr~5Q?.sail of‘American vessels, at; o,he li_sl§ier1pAdwf iptltie
est-IndieSir;"_:A.‘asnd zupéwardps of: ___sixt‘j.{‘ ar1'.iirle.d in L2'verp;oTol ili
May‘ last. -Thernumherslpih Lisbon, Cadziz,  are ~g-Mreat,'ancl
of immense value. _ By the declaration of war; s.-mast; wag

2.8

,_., gWar,. of all evils which afliict nations, is the greatest, ILL
brings intits train, calamities,‘distresses, and losses, for which 

is impossible for any length of peace adequately to compensate.
Yetiit seems tofbeloolted upon .by'son’71e~of our c’ountrymen
with the most sullen‘ Kindilfereiice. They appe‘ar‘-smite be the
sportof t~hewildest opinions,. and. the fiercest of pass-io‘n's.. Led.
by the most extravag«ant‘a11d infuriatecl spirit, theyiseem to
long fornothing but blood and plunder, and; sigh only for were

 massacrees. «They act, as if , they werfe’~~'~*‘1'esIl'es's ‘and Ulla
  easy until they had introduced into our hitherto peaceful comm

try, al1‘*ttie*e'v_tils and iirnisei~ie§ rofunhapppylimropef ;'“ until they
had renewed the sartie scenes? h"eirle,iV‘vil1ich 'ha’vel"be'eu A-so bar.
barotisly acted there. The ispiritE.e“f cie mbieiracy has so suhlirn at-
ed and enlightened their ‘notions, “ that tl1eyi'csan~surséey"tl1elag-
itations of the world““Wit‘h*“the“ same indifierencieiasiiif they did
not live in it; as if they occupied, as mere-spectators, a safe
position in some distant"”st’ar, and behclcf revolutions sonietimes
brightening the disk of this planetwith their fires, and at oth-
ers dimming it with their vapours. a They can contem‘pla‘te,
mimoved, the whirlwind, lifting the hills from their base, and
fmixiug their ruins with the clouds. They can see the founda-
tions of society gaping in fissures, as when an earthqualre
struggles from the centre.” Such men, indeed, are superior
to humanity, if not to the love of country. They are .indifi'erent

10 the sacrifices of liberty as weil as order, ‘oflblood as well as p
‘ treasure. j A British war, aspanish w-a'r,'a‘ri l‘11cli’ain*w_'ar,l have

jaoihorrors for“them. But it never _ can be ‘thedisposition of

the majority of a free people to hurry, their country into the
mad excesses ofiwar, and thereby pepntail upon tliemselvess and e

v iposterity a loadtofiptazges which will press withintolerable
, weight even upon distant geneirations. , , God i1n_;,l‘iis me.r,cy i  

grant it may never be here, as  wretched Europe,. vvherep
ahetfragged peasantry, half employgd, lesfilsgshau hatfppaid, weerle ,

t ¢"ever_,1'eady_"to listen tothe enchantingeloquence of a recruit-  

... :
''_—bOCO¢‘'fije-¢‘3

inade beforathey ‘hacl?tim' e,to ifeturni-, they became  1 ‘

t5éi~~f‘agigPture. *7’

93

Eng sergeant, and whereexvar-has ever been the trade firs’: in
credit, and least of allhin nvalehip with any other. H

%We are not ‘in a conditionfo indulge the spirit oonfgzgoeesf,

Territorialaggrandizement can neverwbe our object, withomoto
£1 sacrifice of national prospericty and‘ happiness. e We already o

See England groaning. under ‘ a national 5-iebt of naofe thafi

Atwelve hu‘nd_red millionnsg “ocoasioned by her incessant wan.

The people of France are in aestill more abject .cond?iti}op,xvifi:a
more than half their male ‘population converted into usoicliers,

and trained the mercenary jslaves of a; tyrant; All hifiory ‘

ishews that the spirit of war and conquest {has chan¥g;ed%Vt11e

‘ form of government, and eventually‘established a "despotism,

I

mevery republic in whichit has beellindulged. But, easeii
‘great man says, “ if every grave-ystioene of a departed mpublfic
bore a lesson of wisdom and vvar1'iing,. othere %are‘eesomeop€eopg§
ivhoyvvoulde shmitheir eyes 'raether”f$th%an Areaddit.’-‘A’  A  ”

AsAtoV%defens’ive1Wa;r!, the country is always able an%d fr_ead3”r
to wage‘      f§1.i'eh‘my
would“ “1%i'3‘:=t5:ah’;‘st1y   a'n‘d‘ univeréa1Lefé’
fort of the people. But 5  wa;;',W 
neither _suited to our iz1'ter'e'sts, 110;‘ vc%o‘1111p a_tib1%e \vi%t}hothee;i5.t{1ree

W and“  of our govenfnmexmh ’e’I‘heo%peop1e will :xe«;+er,b¢ fwi1%5:-j. Q

ling to put their dearest rights at Ixflzizérd to ‘gratify  malice
ofoa few,or to pre~serve Congressional hoxiour, or Congression-

al consistefzcy. VVi‘th'wl1ate<Ter inclignaot sensibility we méy

 Viesfifthe  continued and Ifmexampledo aggressions;of,tl3¢g?f"o
7ob al_'li-geren%’tS of ?Eofope' upon our neutralejights, yet, in

1 " en.;~oou%%nprepared  def enc‘eleses situation, with ‘no 

;1,1%a_v;';le fame,  'VV‘é{sI1iH1'1gtox1 thought“necessar;y'1Jo«rV_oi1rVpro—
tectio%i1,ee_to ‘afifoird M effeetual riedress, we oan‘o%o;ti;%5i;i11 t~%eideprego 13
war as‘ Aao measure firhiohg, ”howjeex%efz_jelgusteifigbiej V from_}othe.Vacc_u;

 mu1ated Wrongs we aotoon]ye.;o'ppooseod.etojgthg

great inte_17es§ese%e%of the Mnatione,%but‘;Wii1%  the coun t'x'yv"!(‘$

 ihe woi"s7t%- 5fo.%aIl.%%;pMos$iblé e;\iil's,Me, Without _g;fo1*x3isE1ig% anyeoosu¢ces:- V

lful advantage.

3'0

giwhat we have most to dread is, that the present war

will ‘chainvus in afatal alliance with?France,o and render
{be humble instruments of % aiding Boenalparte, who now tyran-
the world; cannot contend agai%1%1stl%hisVenemy, without
hecominlglhls frienfl. ‘We in effect fight hwitsf “battles,” and as.
heist him ‘in his ambitioulsll pt-ojecté».   And can itlbe ltheldesire
of Vfreemen, who love llbelrly, to seeythe human race-loin chains?
Before V the l French r&es*olutl‘on,l Europe "had(::,  -fl‘?-‘A9 

tazes over the continent of Europ.e,l_at ‘lelxigthto tyranize oven

 theyafé   F;r§nce, p‘roel}§ilmihng  Vvalilfl§Vg:3l“i’y};i_eSt;V.'.

&

mesh   it A égenfit   l ¢h°mm°fiweé1ths-

 WHolla1;gd,llGéfies%a,'“    Genoa; are
gene. and me. Wlréi.éh§?TlfiaffifiiieihLTié3iV¢f¥lé»F»aI!d ;1~  .l\4.Igi'Jl-ma-.‘~‘“%'flfl’
  A 9    
l2lengtlabee:z sa«va11<5we%1;:pin{ the v1greatf'sepnlchr”é‘&‘of r.épg§1ics,
".‘ Aft]e;' I_na?ny%cenvulsions, we lbehold eBov11apartel_ in%4Athe';°f§h‘dl$-5

  

‘turl:5’edl‘lelp_;osSes§‘i‘on of France,lwhoee vast extent, Vv'l1ose'l"'ilm1

jmenslel po:;f$ulo=hShess,l ‘whose _w%arlikel spirit, and larrogalrxce in

fvicfory, irfvest her with’ the means, as well as the claim, like

old 7Rome,’“to «paroel out kingdoms, and sit in judgment‘ upon’.

national ljlome availed herself of the divisions ofhthe_ Greolalnl

republics to subjiagate them all. Afl"ect.i.ng  21.. zeal for 

"liberty, she offered her alliance ; and the allies of “Rome, like

those of France, became her slaves. l The Greeksjoyfully» 

 e;ed]B.C§nieyo'jio eoxiquer Maceda3nia,_Va;3d.. Plhlllipfilhfleb;
    ‘eKine¢e“‘was,.empIoy«ed again-st Antiochus,    monarch;l
V ' T Egypt ‘ms too base to hzlélke ’ any i‘eslié'té1Ii‘ce_", anti abjectly:
Amit'tedl'-ltojl‘ribulte.”ml7 l;Tht1sel:every indepehdent rep11l1l_ll3,_l_l3_11(l1_
 V powerful fell a sacri“fiolel.' to Refine;  Like" Franee;
lseldom had more "‘tlhal1‘»OI_3e enemyhto fight‘ atlonvce lfelil
_‘successi~on, and their ’§erv1iNmde was ll c0i1céale_d,o., thooghjtx
  IWf€l1”i““Sl.e?:embittered by the title of allies. lFlroanc_e  posséesg

es   llgtege andulmolre ‘ decisive mili tary“  'ox*er'»»t¢liwéT{

‘boefitifilevlitalllijhfiloné‘ ofVEL1‘rope,,lhan tli..e;V_oll5lVi' did 
 forceeolf ‘Amiochus, Nlithrid'ates;‘  Juglurtha ; ah.dl;ll£jé

  A iaey, méehre  Car§hg§.Q,hiens,f Greeks and 

N6§f.hia.g  '. 7to  ltl1:e pi7eollil%llestablishment h a _;<te,Séi$§:lrl»lx4.lzJI~9

 1

versal empire by France, that shall spread as far, last as long,
and press as heavily on the I1-€"9k3 Of llietaiiiect nations» as
that of Rome, but theiprossession of power upon sea equal to
iwhat she already has upon land. ...She has already more_ titan
half achieved her purpose ;ithestmgg1es of liberty are Wet
in Europe. Spain and Portugal are breathing out a painful
existence ; and the c—ontinental nations are now quietly sleep-
ing in their Chains. If she should sncceed in conquering ‘G.
Britain and obtain possession of the British navy, these chains
I , I ,
would be adamant, which no human force, could break.
French tvranny, like the great dragon, would have wings,
and the remotest regions of the civilized world would be near
enough tocatch pestilence fromhis breath. VVould the Unit-
ed States be safe ? l/Vhcn France is. master of both land and
sea will distance preserve us 5’ VVith.fifteen hundred ships of
3 .   ‘  or ..
war, distance wouldbe nothing : to Bonaparte. How, ex er

brave maybe our pc_ount1*ymen-,_-we shall. have}. much anxiety

for our safety, when the fatal time shall arrive, that we bev
come the only object for Bonaparte to‘ direct this immense‘

force a-gainst.__, ASe;;a3s';;,~eminent ;0.rator has declagedi in a voice

i of W:afi1ingi.ii   W130?‘
 _i _ k  ‘ , - " =v ’.z:r».;'f_:mv..;i:.:.,in*‘*i__‘=}l.y_'**=>’r‘_»"iii.;;J . ‘ _ ‘ ‘ , ~
pose three hundred’ thousand vet:eran:s- to his progress ;,,we.-A;

have seen Russia repelled iii the pitched battley of 'Ansterlit?z' ;
we  Prussia, iwithypiits iarrnies complete in nu_rnb'er
H and disicipline“, stand stilli',not idarilié to stir, and waiting to
hsaclinnoxvledge him conqueror ; weihaxire seen half a million of
”En"glish Wivolunteers parading the coasts of Sussex‘, of7EsseX,

"fanidorofpKe'nt; and yet trusting only topythe vigilanceof the Brit-.
7_ish  to hinder‘ the French from crossing ‘the tcyhannelia  

A Bin;-?B"onaiparteihds said, ainditis possible some may  V A‘ I
i to helviei*e,'lthat- France is ‘satisfied with herflamppley_do‘tifiii1iion,
”ithat,Tii\ne?aryyand exl1anstedi‘ibyli'vn*ar3 she iseehsy on;ly:.ytoyypiestab-
’i'lisl1th'e‘rnt5”1i7e igliorioius univer,,sa1'.eympil.re‘Aiof itlieyarttissa-nvd when  
she is ~n“o~i¢n‘g'ér embarrassiedi: in iher"‘be:1ii‘fic-iienti desiglisv by an 3

(obstiinate an_d__je"alons ‘antagonist, the world  then begin’ 15: 
i “enjoy peace  a disturber of its blessinvgps. .‘ v‘IsAthis:_ph_o__w-.--t "

1 eve-yr,iiiy the nati'ure;’ofan1bitioyn ,?¢ lsNit‘_an appetite that is c;hioal(-

 mi clc-_';:ecl, or made ravenous lay its gluttony ?‘ A cream
T-tiaon only once in six days would not be made fast enough to
i ‘keep pace with the growth of its desires. The whole world
‘is not wide enough for this giant to stretch his limbs in. Am¥
hition cemented “wit-h its limits 3 Havecvve seen the ocean so
an that it would not drink up another river ? Inquire of the
wiiids, whether the last storm has crippled their Speed that
they will never blow again. ‘A Ask of the pestilence, wlietherj,

=i=weary of havoc, its iron heart relucts to tread once more. as A
” »c-itcleof destruction. Yet six months after Ft"anceesl1all con-
 i_q1e‘r}‘iGreat Britainlangl get epossession of her navygthat ocean
ifiwilliliawellt beyond the Al1eg?han_iy ridge; that tempest will seat-
F:te;rebliig*l1t iand. mildew ’o‘reF"‘aii:I“‘ our-Tfilains, that pestilence
° iwculd “crampi eveiryhiheartli wit1hi.lliter-toimf and spE5t:e‘eieexz;e_ry:i.faoe

"wi.thcc11tagion.; cWe should see the ~temp_leIIof our libertyyian
lashes or in saccloth, and if we did {not loathe-‘life, it would

  ilbecatxse we could endure to drag it on in servitude and dia

igrace;

“Can we View then with complacency a measure, which
threatens to entangle us in an alliance with France‘, and to
render us the active instruments‘ of aiding Bonaparte in the

irsubjugation of the world. ‘We are not yet so lost to the-lov‘e

of liberty and freedom; we-are not yet so enamoured withi

  -Emperours, and Kings, as to wish to exchange our «republican

‘;.‘g‘ovlernn)e_iit, where the people are the s‘overeigns,7 fof a mjili.
ctary" despotism , where the people are slaves; "*'1‘he A'met*ica"11
4‘jpeop}e‘estilllIt"11owv how: to value their’prlivxleges ; all ’po\?vér Es

in-their hands, andiitlhey"iwil‘lll claim the nghtto exlelrciseJi’t.l
‘Tlaey will qtiietly "t-‘~L@l:l'i.3f11lI~ to itl1e~jrnea:;ures of igoxT€TD'§I1e¢Ant,iif§5vY.l

.;‘~€‘t'€I‘ oppressive or7'rluinou§, and resort; omy‘ ‘t6‘iEonsteitutioht‘aI‘
?t"me~ans for redress; Fo'rcible opposition ‘to thecilaws will newer‘

i;§il.iE$€W;i;Cot;1:te11a11cedior encouragerdi by goodi   ciitl-Zens l;l n‘3ticl‘1llle’ss
iwillithey become active agents inesuchl‘ art‘_lfi‘txndei'taltlxi“d'.l' 
.:tl1e'n‘a‘t‘ure and teendiex1cy’iolf~th§e laws‘ a1*el'i;5t*e_jL1clici:al ‘ii1—
.,ie1?e?st"sll.of the people 5» ‘itheyl "have at l the peaceable,“tlig{fefl’é§ ctojal’
i~;:«e,‘mcd;,i:i in;,_tl1eil1§~ 0“*¥‘t?Ct)i;ifh‘al'&v1;dS;l&§t  L ”oW~hex-1 their cg,ttele.citiona.;:i:f:fi'ome eta-»

33

About, they have only to change the men, in order to effect a
changeof measures. This they will do, when the welfare of
the nation shall require it; for it is to be hoped that the peo-
ple in this country are not yet so wedded to any set of men, not
yetvso chained down in their attachments to party, that they
"will not examine the measures of govermnent with candour,
testlthem by reason, and vvhen they are right, Mspeak with
approbation, but, when they are wrong, be distinct in their
censure. Such conduct ‘constitutes the perfection of human.
-wisdom. lt will preserve to us our invaluable rights and
privileges ; it will learn us to‘ subdue our passions, and to act
from correct reason rather than blind prejudice ; to leg-aid
the substance more than the name, measures more than men’.
It will teach us to profit by the examples history affords us,
and beware of the rocks and shoals on which all former re-

publics have been ship'vvrecked.. it ttlittwillilead us to steer a

middle course, avoiding anarchy and licentiousness on the one
hand, which__ inevitably lead to despotism, and the smallest,
the least encrcaichymelnttpyycnyour constitutional rights, on the
iozitieiii rah;   s-hoiitg"v5zil»L4gt1ahle,§:ns,.._. by  yqygitrigy ating the arts Qf

peace. V and 7 cherishing the “ socifli .lji~‘Vi,l;l7.-fl1fi(.§€§"':' tr: lperpetua te our "re... _

puhlican government, and ‘become a sir,;gul,_,ar,instance_,iu the

 Dlfta, lpeople handing, down in regular‘ suc-t

cession to the latest posterity,t.thep_yjtberty and independence of
their country. i t l

Hepre, ‘perhaps,I ought to stop ; but the character they ens“.
Iain, the pttn“eiptes they profess,tthe ailarrnintig-l st'ate,.ofii;.,-the
~ti'nies, deirnliafifldn a” particular address to‘ the Brethren 7ct‘~» 
‘WA$Hl*NGTON=BENEVOLENT SOCIETY.   t

TheiUnTited States form i this day, my:tBirethr%=fi,i fine of the
most *m§ere:3ging,,Obj€CtS that aever.’ii,;t‘he.it.vv~orl;dttigbeheiid. i Therec
-€X1sts“v--I3n't-OmeiF- Republic. .. Holland,,oince.sogreat and so free,
alias drank tits the very dregs the cup; of des-poticcrue*lty. 
’:tttcuntains‘i of IS~‘w:i+tz"e,rlanid.,ha1re i bovved'*thieir_litops to iian,_.:fi§u:+h
‘per, and her vallies  more resound with the giaaeyjssags of
‘s'§éutl:;;rty stand, Tells i Nienicte 1, «and, Genoa, ,.1mg., .i been _ swallowed‘

34:

tip in the‘ wide gulph of French C0‘t‘lqLle_sf, and all remains of
Italian freedom have been annihilated by the butchering dag-
gers of a temorseless soldieryy On the map of the universe
now stands America alone, the only solitary Republic, the fa-
ivoured residence of liberty; How long she will remain so,
depends upon the virtue and patriotism of her citizens.’   VVe
are at present surrounded with evils, and encompassed with
dangers, which threaten the existence of all we hold dear.
Our fa»te,*it is true, is ‘not foretold‘ by signs arr,’
eatwhquakes have not declared it in explicit lianguaigei; p com-

: wonders; the A

ets indeed have not igliarediitithet form of types,;and printed it

. legibly in theslty i; but our wathingiisias distinct, and almost

p as awful, as if it were announced_;itt thunderabl’ p°_0'npcus-l
“ sion of all the eleimentsgl -Our countryiliiss‘eleonlyV._pit'o; the  
mercy of God, and the patriotic endeaxvours ofher citizens, to

laveert the calamities which hang suspended over us. i VVe
can trolonger look for safety to those Heroes and Sages, who
once led us, by their tiriited velour and wisdom, through the
difiiotilties and dangers of an arduous conflict. The silent but
"destroying sweep of time has laid the greater mtrnber in the
dust. If we had our VVashington to dirzectancl guide us,
“- — - -i~ - - ~ - - - — — - thougfzperilsdeldi
i.z1bo‘zm~c£, as tfzick as tlzowgizt could snake ’em, and
Appeariz'nformsemore izorr/z'd, ~ - - - - - - -”

we should not despair. But the light of his god-lilte soul, and

the calm shut ever steady lamp of his experience, shine»~t:1o
more in our land. In the wise, though ihscrutabple, dispensa-
tions of Provi,de‘nce,phe has lpast away, leaving ‘t1s»iiinoi' hope of

ever he  lieholdin his like. iNext to thee. freedom the‘
is E

iachieved, and the government he so preemiineniitly contribuit..g

ted to establish," 'Waishihgton, who was emphaticallyibomrfor
his‘_icountr_y, and whose principles we profess to pre\tere,ifwpasl
himself its mostimeluable tt'easL1re. Like a rock secure In its

strength ‘amidst the fury and wild uproar of a trotihlediocepglig
he stood-unmoved by all the evils, dangers, and x:nivsfortuine.s

   “ =me1=dant On eit“<>=* millitary'life- Though * na*ture.lhad stas-
“ i gered in cpottfmlsions, and even ttgzmmpbledp inppwideppspreeiding rue

,han?€l’3st~i::ste‘arlli_,that rests upon it.”

3 5

ins around him, nothing could shake the firmness of his steady, —
mind. He was not only aSoldier and‘States‘man,tof the firs; i
order and rank, who had saved his ‘ country and secured her

liberties, but he was still greater, and shone with a serene:

though less briliant lustre, as a Christian, who patronized here

religion, and improved her morals. But--g--he is gone. I-Ia

V died in the full maturityof his fame,,and.has left behind him; V

an imperishable reputation. Yet, to use the language of an
elegant schollar, “ what has the country. he saved done to
manifest its gratitude.   Not a stone tells the stranger where
the hero is laid. No proud column declares that his country
is “grateful. The stranger who, in days to come, shall visit

vi our shore, will exclaim, show me the statue of your W'ashing-l

ton, that I may contemplate the majesticiform that encom——

passed his mighty soul ; thatgl may gaze upon those features
once lighted with every virtue, and learn to lover virtue as I

behold them. Alas ! there no suchstatue; 4 Lead me then, ,
American, to the tomb your country has provided for herde-i

llliverer ; to the everlasting monument she has erected to“ his

fame. Alas_!f_his‘oouxitrythas not given him a tomb ; she has
erected no mon‘uiI1e”nt"t‘o‘  _f__H1isIeitu*gr‘axre is in the bos-
om of his own soil, and thlecedar that was. watered by ltis

y f°‘Whence, my Brethren, is» this cold neglect? Isjt envy,
iealous , or in ratitude 5’ Or is it that, in the - reat stru le
J 4 Y g g y p   £8

5 for power and place, every thing else is forgotten ,' every no-

hle ’tene:nous, and national sentiment disre arded or des ised .? 
y .9 go 5 or V P _ g

It is «true, when the government wascomposed ofM__the),frieends

  “ofrVVashington, and theadvocates of h'isrprit1ciples,,a.sou‘rhwof ,
‘money ‘was appropriated to erect a monument..\...which.:should V

perpetuate his memory anddeclarer.hisicountry9s;.gratitude.A

But times chlanged,r and men changed witthi‘th‘em.i‘ Republi-
can etconomy could by no a ‘means spare 50,000 Dollars,
to dosui't=:able~%h?onours to the friend, the benefactor, theli:salv-

lgiour of his cIch?h'"try I; yet, strange to“tell,tb’ut a fe\t7__}freéttS,".¥if-
tltfifwards,‘ it could wliltling.ly.rspaz'ethe: «semi? sum,t..ti.ltt_o§i'€ttiaifiis

56

the services of a Spy and Traitor. By this. a monnment has
been erected, which will long remain to perpetuate, at least,

the depravity of t.he times. The truth is, there are many’  l

our country, who neither love the V character, not reverence
the principles of ‘Washington. Yet they will pretend to vene-
rate his narne, and for the same reason thatxrice is icompellé
ed reluctantly to pay ‘homage to virtue. ‘ The principles he
professed and practiced, have long been departed from, and
strange doctrines introduced in thexijstead. i It is no wonder

then, that “ unusual dishsensions and calamities are prevailing i

among us.” But the present state.“ of things cannot long re,-
main stationary. VVe must open our eyes to our folly and
correct our errors, or Iiecessarily advance on to ‘a state the
gnostpdepltorable in the condition of gnation.

'VVhen a country like ours has been brought to thevery
ireifge of deetri1ction,pite suddenifate can be arrestedonly by
"an nnionipof lloneqt men of all parties. And, at most times,
mpifiiipéoperiiineziiriisware‘used; honest of all parties will efideawre
our to obtain correct ‘information, and coalesce to save their
:_country"andp themselves from ruin. Under the existng cir-
petzrnstances of our _conntr_y, andt__pAper'ilbn$ppas the ftirnes tare,
what more proper than to iaesqeiéte"ourselves .for’"the lapudafbipe
purpose of subduing the unhapp§ idissensionsn which are pre-
i.'ailing’a1fnong us, and producing, in the principlesyof Lhyasltg

,piin,gton., an union of honest men of ‘whatesier politioalipertieg;

_0ur; believed ppWashxngton, whose 1r1exri_oryt»wpe,$vv1i1i never for’-
get, in” aietteri'~t‘tl0 Mr. efi"ersson- says,if‘F‘$ I am‘ accuéed of be-

ing a party? ; but I am ‘no party roan ; my object  to
.1‘€C0ncii€' all .par;ptiieps,’"’ i ,,_So the object of our Society, whiclinisp i *

:wf§§tlDdEd upon ‘hi's..iprinéip¥l;e§,p is not to build  but to

 down all piarties ;; to p _incn.loate ‘Al'Il€_l”i¢8I1_ suemiments ;_
i. ‘correct vinformzitiori 3 to aweltein   of ‘ca’ndi1’d_7
 toinduce us to prega.rd't1r:easpre§ép Hf me” ;
aestroy‘; §.he.:Odio’us influeoceof: pai.,tyl‘pa‘fiieé,:;;;iAto abolish the

 

rilnfounded disttinctilofn. be't.m:ee'ri‘ithe ‘worlds 

e:aJist" and ¢<i1z;pubzia»an.%>iltr,i,:ii«p;ii2, s§ey,ii~.tliunl:fouijrc9lft;i_f(l“ 4dieptir§Et?iofl   t

:37

fa-r.Mr.t~Jefil=:rs~oonp,« whom our adversaries will not refuse tore-
eelve as autliority, declares in hlsl inaugtlrallhspeech, “ "\lV‘¢
are all brethren of the same prixtciple.; we are all Federallsts,
all Reptiblicans.” Alid again, “ Every diflerefikceh 6f”'opiz1ior;'
is npaoa djfiyrence in principle ” In pursuance of fltltle V itlea,
Agjuféociety, so far as it is political, was established  Ai~1"1t_end-c-
‘ed to malgze in practice, what was probably with Mr. ’Jetfi'er-
“son a zfielite spectilativel’opix‘fion;'AW Our object is to revise" 't'hé

. times, and introduce into fashion, the'pi*§nclples of VVashi11g"-

,t.op,n, that our country may again he prosperous ahd _ha4p’py,
and its name respected among the nations of the earth. VVe

',9t‘C)feSS to be firmly attached tothe Qonstpftution of the United.

States, and pledge ourselves to pt‘esel‘i3f_i?e it hinviolatepagainst all
inroads which 1n-ay have a tendency to change its republican
nature and form, whether of monarchy, of aristocracy, of del-
Inocracy, or any species of V despotism, ancl entleaisotgr to have

it adminlst.et'ed2 ioits trueespirit and meaollng, upon the pore

principles of our illustrious Washlington".** Y:S7”e_ are palsowtbound
.to"dtive':s‘.t. oUrsélv.e"s’..—o£ all-partialitytttforeign ltatiqns, \;vl1e,a
itfgshalll pointelrferfallt whh*   intasests  of at thew-iUnited‘ "Statéjs< sin
9 ‘*sThere have beena few," forl‘V’_v*o?uld Wail=lingl€Tyhave
charity, who, as. it is believed, ‘through "av mist'akerrfaApprehen-
~sio7n*'*~cf5‘tl2e principles and design of the cl/Vasizingtteovn ~Bene"ue-
lettt Society, have endeavoured to impress‘ the public »W~ith
a” belief, that the members of this Society are hostile to our
presentrfi form of government. They seem to intimate that,
although we avow our attachment to the COI]StltLlll0{1 of the
United  7St’ates, yet we are opposed to its principles; taxtdp-this
they infer from the strangest of all reasons, because weAa-p‘le[d:ge-
oursetlves to ‘preserve it i11vlolatelagainst- the z'nAr.oad$~l‘~ol"l’Mon-
archy,lHof Aristocracy, of Democracy, §~c-. And, wh'y:}?en0t pre-
se_rvlel'our_‘ Republican Constitution in"vio1:—tte--~against- the in;
'roaclsf’0pf Democracy .9 Is it not“:-he dutyi'“of ‘every citiafelh
to sjupport?~ the Constitution anrtj: presearvte  invlolate lagatinst
‘all inroads ‘.9 And why not la’gain7's[t t‘h‘eVz'm°.oads of Democra-
cy ? fHa‘sDpernscc‘racy such cha-rmstthatvthe people are wil-

'-ling to [have itvmake 2.'Tll"O»Q'{Li8‘ -upon the Constitutilonplasnlffiitally

%destz‘olVleil't ?»+Ar‘*e A-lthe_v,:~:o= ’lenamomer.l, so*sinfaltoat:etclj;,lt as to 

38

other words, to be Arncricans in word, in deed, and in truth.
‘We are to study to preserve our republican rights and privi-
leges, and to aid and assist each other in our several callings,
when it shall not interfere with our duty to others or our own
interests. ‘We are to be kind to the poor, andbenevolent to
all ; peaceable citizens, and obedient to the laws. We are

to love our country, and devote our time and our talents to

render her prosperous and happy.

Such being, my Brethren, the principles on which our Society
is es ablished, let us care not for the revilings of persecutors,
or the backslidings, of apostates. sWith a conscious rectitude
of heart, like the lilpriiin‘iti”ve Christians, We will not heedthe
reproaches of adversaries, nor forsake the assembling ourselyes

together to edefy and improve each; other- VVe have but has

little time to continue our abode here, and GOD only knows

l how soon we are to leave this for “ another, and,” as we all

-quupuuyocfl I *

willing to sacrifice our Republican Constitution, and waste

away their strength in the embraces of this Delilah? But

what is the legitimate meaning of democracy 2’ Does it desig-
nate a form ofgovernrnent like that of the United States,
which is a representative Republic ? By no means. It de-

‘scribes a state of society where the powers of government are

exercised imrrzediately by the people in their own persons,
and not meoiiately through the agency of representatives. An-

cient Athens, where the people all ineet intone bodyfor the

purpose of melting laws, was a Democracy; ‘But can the peo-
ple of the United States, covering as they do an immense ter-

ritory, wish to exchange their present representative Repub-
T Jlic for a Democracy, which would render it necessary ., for

jthem to assemble, from immense distances, in one assembly,

yintumultuoos commotion, to decide upon questions ofiwar or
peace, and to pass all necessary ‘laws P But the greater object
tion raised against the Society is, that they not only pledge

_:themselves_ to preserve the Constitution,inyiolate agair1st‘the A
as ', inroads of monarchy, of aristocracy, of democracy, 320. but

. will endeavour to have it adrrtinistered upon the purelprinsci-
ples‘ of ‘Washington. a It is theyprinciples of ,~,Washingtopn that
they, dislike.        

:39
hope, "53 betlér wcrldf’ Our pilgrlmagel Rherels slmri ; we
must sewn" surrender our places to thmse that will come after
us.    not then :act our several parts well xvlztile upan the

stage cf life ; c<3zaform in all things to the principles of our  

  Society; cmztribute to the wants and relieve the distresses of  

each other ; and instead 0f “iexcitingland aggravating pcilltical
or religious quarrel.s,lendeax?om* to quell party aninmsity, deg»
trcylthe unhappy« cliswnsioras which are p2'eva.i:l§ng among us,

and strive to lixre in peace~land frienfiship. Let ‘us study tlae  
cllilaracter, listen to the precepts, and imitate  “%sihe example af
mar belmred ‘WASHINGTON, in whom all tl'1esrep:3%lica1:t4vir-  
mleswene colmemrated. Let cur private and pzxblisl life, as  
far as in our power, be conformecl in honesty and purity ta

his. Let us cherish the Constitmion of mar Country, as we
would the vital juices of our existence ; let us cling to it wlaila

their is life in it, filld even longer than there is hope. Let us  

manifest christian meelmess by being always open ta camvic--

tlon   and ready to receive the trutli, but let us zuevetforget  

Christian determlnatimn in a cause We lmcwv to be neat Vvrongg
and wean lay‘loulrl?hfamdlsl upon our hearts and Tswear to be rigliz.
At elections, witlha11lundexviating,xunshaken resolution, let us
give our suflkages for characters we know to be honest and
cap»a;b~l:+e, regardless oflthe clamcaurs of the »%nol§y parti2.an,iwhos

lives upon »0fi‘1<:e as vermin t*‘egetate in corruption. An in:flexl- 

‘hie perseverance in sucl1cc>nduct, S9 virtuous and sac} patri0%tic,i   L

will yet preserve to us and our posterity our hard—eame‘d'lib~”f
lertxesg mad, I trust In the living GOD, em! in om; eternal hag:

fiixlless axial our coux1try’.s glory,