AN

0   A TE 0 N,
PRDNOUNCED AT WORCESTER, MASSACPIUSETTS,

%J'm;.r 4, 1814.
EN COMMEMORATION OF

AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE.

O

 
 

5--nu

  BY EDWIN A, wx-m*E,1:~{dsQ.

 

EUBLISZKED BY REQUESTQ

"WORCESTER 2

MINMD BY I-IENRY" ROGERS.

 

18144.

®RAT]ION.

Hi” there be any striking and obvious peiitlliari-J
ty”, my countrymen, which more than any other distin-
:g‘t1iSi3¢S‘tt free state from a tyranny, it is that univer-
aa1i.11teiiigenee and sympathy, with which, in such
states, national ijiessirngs and national calamities are
perceived and felt throughout a whole community.
Tlrere are no people indeed, however slavish or de...
based, whohave not their festivals, their rejoicings,
their anniversaries; but wliatdotbqycommemorater,
that should be matter of pride, or even of interest 3
The death of a martyr, perhaps, who fell by those
very weapons he was zeaiousiy employing against
others, bigotry and persecution; the nativity of a
saint, ofwhom nothing is known but his name, and
that he worked a miracle ; or the birthday of a sov»
ereign, whose oharacterdisgraces them and degrades
human nature; perhaps a tyrant, perhaps a fool!
Whatever he be is no concern of theirs; so long as
their senses are gratified, their eyes dazzled, their
ears de1ighted,and their heads intoxicated, they can
be happy; and when this is over, return againto
stupidity !  t t i r i i ii ~ s

4

With what different sensations you greet the return

of this anniversary, I need not enquire. 'Ihis tumult,

these happy countenances, anclrthis glowing and
expansive animation are not the indications of any
lukewarm or grovelling feelings; they announce the
generous gratitud.e, tl're,l1onest, heartfelt pride l of a peo-
ple who know what “they enjoy, and why they rejoice.
It is not woi‘rclei*ful that you, Fellow-Citizens,
should contemplate with pride that event which use
this day commemorate ; not merely because it made
us independent; this only placed us where others
‘were, and where We of rig-lit ouglrt to be ; but rather
because of the singular and illustrious manner, in
which it was atchieved. This will make ittforever
loolted upon with admiration, by all who lmow how to
appreciate exalted virtue,‘ however unbenefitted by
its results or uninterested in its consequences; A
Other revolutions of this kind have generally
arisen either from the pre—en1inentvirtL1e of a few, or

, from the interested or exasperated passions of the

many.  Coclrtrs, by voluntarily sacrificing his life,
gave a popular government to Athens ; and Lycurgus
by a patriotic sacrifice of his interests, gave liberty to
Sparta ; the Roman people, from . the impulse of
immecliate incligtiation and ret~=enge expelled the Tar-
quios ; but never has a revolution before ours, origi-
mated in the virtue of a whole people. It was not for
any eazorltaitaut oppression, or any glaring; iniquity,
that the American people, with one mind, took up
arms against the nation of their ancestors, the nation
whom nature had taught them to love, and weakness
and policy had induced them, to obey ; but to resist
the first exercise of an unjust claim, which any other
people would neither have resented, nor perceived.
They would not be taxed, without being represented.

 was not surely the narrow suggestion of present

iit1terest,wl1i<:l1, induced, this people, young, feeble,
'l.’i’il»l;l1t)iit1tr€SOtlI‘CE3S, Without an army, without at gov»

5

emmeot, to enter? into 21 hoid £§.I1di]aZ2~lI‘CiOt1S cootcot

I

with a Imtiiflfl, the most wealthy, vazzrliiéze and }:sot»t»'e1":i't1i

of any mition in iittmpe, to get rid of 21‘ pzaitry duty
on ten ! Neither could it ltave been the CO1"tSCiqUeI1Ct3
ofaoy hatred or disloyuity to that nation ; for thougit
they owed to her no ()i)iif?3"‘t-ltiO11S, though they had
fled from her tyrzmny to the inhospitable S2’Li‘iCtli£lI.“_j;’ of
a wiiderxicse, where ‘exposed to the ferocity of the
savage amti the deprivation of every comt’ort amti con-
venience of civilized life, they had never froth her
received a1.t§;i1t of ip1‘0i;€:‘C{i01'1 or support; yet hoci;
they nobiy exposed theirilives mt spilt their biooci
in her service Witi10lJt‘I‘f?q1lC‘S1.‘ or remuneration. No,
Fe1iow—Citizens, we perceive not here either selfish.
ness, hatred or ambition ; but we perceive the
genuine @I'lihL1Sit1Slh of virtue ; ‘ the jeoioms spirit of
erxiightened freedom, which, thottgil it would malte
zsmy sacrifice to afiectioxa, would encounter every
lmzard rather than] relinquioh “a right. A

But it is not in the light of ztdmiration ETtiOi1€‘§ Fellow-
Citizens, that We contemplate the American revohu
tion. It is impossible to look upon the virtue which
in those dztysAtcn11oi31ed the American character, with...
out indigrxamtly contmsting wiithiit the \rice.et‘,wufI1itch

marlied izmclirenicieried forever iI"1f¢iI1'tt)L‘l£§‘ti1(§iVCi1£1t‘£t(3t€I't

of the enemy. Tl‘mt this ho.ug;§i1ty zmcl brutal nation
should ssee, in a rational £:nd sttflicientiy obvious ciis-
tioction humbly and decorously l1?‘g€’d, nought but at
more cavil of imperthience and disoheciicncc, rc-
belliou aeznd defizmce, becztmse forsciotit, she saw only
the wmkness of those who made it! But more cope...
cia1iy,tlmt neither the rcmcmetramces ; nor the sup-
p1iCt:H1i011S and entreaties of the colonies, nor even the
eloquence of her own best and brighteste istatcrsameo,
her Pitt, her Barre, her Burke, could tum her from
the madproject of redttcing 21 free people to tmconcii-
tional submissiiont! That not 1‘egat1*ding~t wh:::t4 these
colonies had done for her, the talacrity with which

*3

6

they had ever come forward to fight her battles, and
the good will with which they had ever supplied her
necessities to the extent of their resources, she

should send over her ruflian armies “ ‘,‘to dragoon

them to obedience!” But it has never: been the
characteristic of i this nation, whoever her king or
Wl10€VEI' her ministers, to be convinced, whennot
obliged to concede, or to show mercy, when she is
able-to employ force. Ah, how do your bosoms
aiternatelyrrthrob with pride, with pity and indignation
as the eventful series of bottles which now followed,
throng upon your imagiiiations I To see these veteran
bloodhounds, yet reeltingj with victory and slaughter

from the battles offFrance and Spain, intrepidly met and

taught to tremble in their turn, by an undisciplinedalld
halt‘ armed peasantry 2, But Alas! Every field was not
a Lexingtomnor every hill a Bunlter ; and you have
soon to see these brave but untaught armies, defeated,
driven, slaughtered, in spite of their valour and their
cause ; ,y on have soon to behold the only rernaining
portion of this little band, reduced to every distress
Wllich want andnakedness could produce, with this
merciless army lianging on their rear, and in their
front, nought but visions of ruin and of death, flying‘
they knew not whither, and cared not, so they
escaped the unrelenting cruelty of an enemy who
had a double motive, to vengeance, that of beitig
the mothercountry, andthe injurer ! Gloomy was
the prospect to A,rner‘iica;tand our newborn inde-
pendence, had like to have perished in the cradle.
Then were ,seen the perpetration of every crime,

. brutality or baseness, that British insolence, that

cruelty flushed with triumph, that ‘rapacity uncurbed

by religion or power could commit, or that defence. ,

less humanity could sufier. Then were heard the

shrielazs of the unprotected virgin, the Wailings of the l

unhousedcottager, the imprecations of insulted age,
and the cries of helpless infancy. Yes, let it be forg



everiremernbered, that this nation, who is not the
last to boast of her high ranlz; in the scale of refine.
ment, with a people descended from her own stock and
professing herown religion, observed not the ordinary
rules of civilized warfare! Conflagration, rapine,
wanton and unprovoked devastation every where in-
dicated the vicinity of her troops ; and the innocent
blood of women and children smoking on the from
tiers, testified that there had been the tomaliawlr. of her
skulking allies l But better was the fate of those who
found death by her sword and tornahawk however
merciless, than those who had to encounter its slow
approach amidst the cold blooded horrors of her pri-
sons and her prison ships. Wltatyl were there no
rights of war i.’ no rights of mercy, or misfortune P
Should neither the calls of craving hunger, of a patch.
ing thirst, of shivering nakedness, receive a glance
of pity, ormeet a ray of hope ! Can it be believed
that eleven thousand freemenwerc starved and suf—-
tocated in the 1"eeking; bowels of one prison ship ?
The horrid tale would never have been credited, did
not their bleaching bones now lie llptftll the shore to
declare towns and to posterity ofwhat vile crimes
men may be capable! ; t   *  y A

‘V Suc.h,* rFellow.Ctitizenst,ty was i the melancholy

triumph of guilt over innocence ,-, of a nation fighting

for every iniquitous object, and stimulated by every

t unworthy motive, over a people contending for their

rights and excited by the holy love of liberty, But
it was temporary. A nation etigaged in a just cause
may have to pass the fiery ordeal of adversity, but if
it forgets not itself will always come out triumphant.
Wet had a V/Vasltingtort. Ah, how resplendent did
the character of that unrivalled and godlilte hero
shine forth inthis hour of darkness and calamity?
How illustrious does he appear in that desperate unc-
tureof ttfhtirs,cooly and firmly watching the crisis ;
ttustittg to Heaven for his country and list cause;

78
putting’ despair against confidence, and turning defeat
to victory 3 Soon did the avenging it sword of Justice

directed by his hand, give us ample retribution on
our bloody enemy for allthe crnelties inflicted by her
ferocity ‘; for though to return them ‘in kind was not

in the vengeance of Americans, yet was tliisvvar, com-

Lmenced for our rights as subjects, finished in our
lsovereignty and triumph as an independent nation.

j And now perhaps, li‘ellovv-Citizens, you are ready
to asla; Why I dwell so long on the story of our revolu-

‘tion, in which many here were actors and with which

fevvof you have not been familiarly versed from your

earliest; years ?,I might tell you that it will hear

much repeating ; it excites a proper pride; it was
the triumph of _"VO1.1I‘,1I"1‘]L1I‘€Cl country over her a brutal

enemy I It gave to the American name a resplendent

reputation, and to the American people, liberty, peace,
safety, security and happiness. It is full of the no-
blest instruction. it furnishes a text which may be

infinitely elucidatedand never exhausted, on which

the philosopher and the philanthropist may dwell with
deliglat forever, for: it displays the contrastof those
passions which di;g;nify and ennohle, with those
which blaclten and disgrace the human character, and
its nioral is the plZl‘lt.lt‘l‘lpl1 of virtue over vice. But I
have other reasons, At “ this tinfe, Fellow-Citizens,
it is not fit that we contemplate this illustrious series

of events with stnpidand unprofitable admiration, or
i that the passions they excite should die and an away
; with theetiort of recollection that gives them birth.

We have now an occasion which calls for the practice
of all the lessons they inculcate. Believe me, my
countrymen, tl ere is not that clifferetice between the

1 contest in which we are now engaged with Britain
and that of our revolution, that accounts for the dif-
ferent spirit WitltiWl‘1i(;th it is supported.
V Shall We admire the unanimity with which these col-

‘What !

onies, va,irtl1outi,regat*dl to interest or safety, at every

9

rislt, at every ‘hazard disputed la hairs breadth overstep»
ping of right, and are We now, when principles the
most sacreti to our sovereignty, the best deiinetl in
the laws of nations, are boldly trodtlen under ihot, to
our infinite injury as well as insult, and when our
government after years forbearance, have at lengtlt
been driven to resist, are we now a distracted and (ii.-
vided people 3 Has Britain lost nothing of her injus-
tice, her hzttiglttiness, her brutality ; and have the
American people lost so much of their virtues? Alas 1
unless we learn wisdom, we shall ‘ forfeit in this war
whatever glory we acquired in that, and the very infan-
cy of our republic may yet be the only part ofits his-
tory Worth remeinlnering ! ,

VVhat is national sovereignty, Iask, but the per-
feet equality of one nation with another 3’ If a third
nation, if Britain tells us you shall not trade to France
but in this way or that, she arrogates to herself a
prerogative, an authority, entirely inconsistent with

q the equality we boast, and which if submitted to, at
once takes away our independence. To say others
Wise is absurd; to argtie upon this point is putting

reason itself in jeopardy. ';li‘l‘3e,point of sovereignty
should be the point of honor. It woulcl tbeqtittseless,
F ellow-Citizens, to give you athistory of ltlm Orders
in Council. It would be tuseless to tell you how the
vessels of this nation were ortleretl to pass to lirance
throtigh no other channel than a Bt‘iii':.si'1 port; and
how each one presuming to disobey these Or'rie7'.r was

confiscated by British courts to the sole use and he-
vnefit of Great-Britain. It would he tiseless to tell you

how long our government reasoned and 1’t:7lllQl”H?5iLY'Eti@tZ‘i ;

and how Britain, consistent with her chai~aict,er,lrose in

her pretensions, the longer weireasoned antithe loiigr:i*

A we remonstrated ; how, at first, they were the oialy

means of preserviiig her ezaistence, reluctantly adopted
at the call of the rmostiiitnperious 11t3C€St§l,i',y, purely in
self defenceagainst the enormousimaritirne power or‘

10

France; how, in the next place, they were :1 just
mode of retaliation upon us for what we had sufliered
by the Decrees of Napoleon ; how, at length, they be.
came a permanent system founded ‘on clearly estab»
lished precedent, and indisputably beloiiging; to her
right divineas mistress of the seas ;‘ how this atro-
cious aggressor at lengtli puts herself into theattitude
of condescension, and tells us, that though the rig/2: is
never to be relinquished, yet she will not enforce it
agaixist us if we prevailon Napoleon to repeal his
Decrees, and wi‘ien we have done this ; then, lbrsooth,
he had only repealed them with respect to 2/3, and

we must oblig2;e ‘him to repeal then": witli respect to all

other nations W! All this, Fellow-Citizens, appears to
be very well understood in this country, by men‘ too

iiWl10 talk in raptnres of our glorious revolution, and

who if you ask them what in it is most to be admired,
will tell you the spirit with which the colonie resist-
ed so small a thirzg; as a duty on tea, in the circun -
stancesthey then were ; and yet, after all this injus-
tice, after this aticlacioiislamcl violent, infring;ement of
a sacred attribute of our independence, after this con.
fiscation of many hundreds of our vessels, putting our
rightful commerce in dangger in every part of the
world, when Britain at lengtli tells us, who had poorly
enough defended our own rights against her, to ob-
tain justice for every nation in Europe from the Em...

A peror Napoleon, before she would do it to us ; these

same men say it-zhe had given us no cause of war 1 At

least the matter appears very doubtful ; but if she

had, We ought not to liave resisted! We should
have waited a little longer, for though her minister
told us, that the Orders would not be taken off but
upon this contingency, yet it soon appeared that this

was far from truth. , Thus, lFellow—Citizens, the on-

lyrnode which an American can find to accuse
his ovvn government for beiirg idmven atlast to
declare war, after having had such ample” cause for

11

years, is to accuse a British minister of falsehood,
and blame his government for believing him P.

Rather let any one, who has the least sensibility to na;

tional honor, hlarne his country that she so 1ongisuh-
mitted. Let him hlush, when he heholds this gov-
ernment, strong, flourishing, povverfui, full of re.»
sources, wealth, arms, but more especially with a peo-
ple, free,hardy, intelligent and high spirited, who had
beaten her in the very worst of circumstances; so
long malring use of the weapons of reason merely,
with anation, who, if the history of our revolution
did not sufi~icient1y evince her disposition, has shown
in her clealitigs with every nation under heaven, that
she regards tiotliittig as ripglit, but power. That she
repealed those Orders from no wish to do us justice,
butfrorn a more imperious cause, the necessity of
our supplies, is sufiiciently obvious from the care
taken in the very repeal itself, to declare her right to
do the same tltinpg tagaiii whenever she may find it
convenient ; thus most anstiously preserving all the
cause of contention, after having gnawed the bone till

her own tooth suffered from its resistance.

Butlet us not pass over another atrocity not less af-
fecting our liberties ; not less displaying‘ ”’Cl]€,iI)l”L1taiii2y'
of our enemy ; wlticlt ought not less than the other,
to harrow up every dormant sensation of indligiiation.
V’Vhat is this practice of irnpresstnent? If the citizen
supports the goverrnnent, shall not the government
protect the citizen E’ And what class of citizens con.-
tribute more to the weliare and glory of the country
than that despised set of beings called sailors 3’ Do

they not encounter every l1£.1Z'.tt‘d, dare every peril,
rneet every vicissitude of climate; traverse every

region of the globe, to furnish to us the luxuries and

conveniences ofiylifei’ VV hen life is to be exposed,

who stands foremost P ' ‘he sailor. ‘When ourirights

are to be defended, who first meets the enemy? 'l‘he
»s‘ail0;t“. Wlty thenis this man thought to have no

15?;

ifigitts ; I‘ no home ; no cou11ti‘y E’ i'i7Ve i shcuid not
:=3uiiiet~ a hair oftheir heads to be insulted with impu-V
nity; , They areythe brightest ornaments of our coun—
try. And shall they be at the mercy i of every oflicer
inthe British navy ? Sh-all every American Seaman
be exposed to be overhauled, like a bale of iicoiitre-,
bandgoods, by any interested captain, rnidshiptnan,
boatswain,"who as he may chance to iiiifi or dislike,
shall ,c1ein1 him as British or turn him offas American 5?
Is this a. mode of trial which we, an independent nag»
tion, ought to submit to? Gratitude, honor, justice
forbid it E I speak not fiom passion. I am support-
ed by the greatest Immest and highest characters in
the country. I am supported by every adrninistrt1-
tion., tJefi'e1~son, Mzusliall, Pickering, Madisomaind
y1VIunroe,_when secretaries under their respectivei Pre-
tsidentsy, have successively reprobated the iniquitous
practice in the severest terms that indignation could
supply; andidemonstrated its injustice by every (W-
,g‘LiiiTtt‘Pt1t that a conviction of its attfocityicouici produce
;,0.*‘t_ they stronygest and most hvigiorous intellects.
fTwez"xty yeqarsy has it been the continual theme of inefu
yfectiuaiy z'emonstm1ice+---and buttfor the friendly aid
 these Orders in Cotmeil, might have been a mere
Hpunctilio of negotiation as much iongcr. VV e had
tuiited about it indeed till we could have no face to
:iigi1ttatbOt]i it ;i and it is not held to conceive from what

i inducement.thePrince Regent lotilts upon our tardy

y1‘f.‘S.iSt£iI1CCi‘.£.iSillitiléi highest degree, ezttraordinary and
tunexpected ! But, Fe1;1ow.1Citizte11s, tifija gross invasion.
%of the ,p€.l'7SOi'}E"tl liberty of an tAmericttn seamen 5 if
“the loss of somc.,thousands of our ibravest and imoet
?11S,€fL1}- bgethren are not to be resented, «let us no Ion»
ger boast of our independence, but at once subscribe
_towhatever conditions of servitude Great-Britain in

,f right of her superiority over usgmay dictate‘.   A 
A If there be any thingin what I have said; and iIi think

a

 hgtvey xiot entirely faitled in justiiyizig the present war

 . A

13

with Great..Britain, how are we to account for that inve-
terate, violent, and I niight almost say rebellious spirit
of opposition, which ever since its commencement has
been manifested towards those, who, in right of the

powers vested in them by the constitution, declared

it 1’ Britain, says one, was always ready to negotiate.
This, so far from being disposed to deny, I readily
admit and go iiwther : Isay it was always what she
wanted. VVhile she could have negotiation she was
quite sure of having no war. ‘But does this prove

that We ought forever to11egc*tiate E’ Directly the t con.

trary. ‘We had spent so many words with her; that
we had almost argued away our 1*igltts, and the spirit
of the nation.

But we were too hasty; we were not prepared!
It must be acknotvledged that our Administration ap...
pear always to have calculated more upon the justice of
England than the well known dyispostitionaud the uni-
form history of that nation would warrant, and not to
have anticipated the present state of things early
enougli to have made all the preparations that they

"imiglit have done. This can surely be no objection

to the justice of the war; and after it is dectlared,
becomes entirely irnpertinent. t It is indeed a censure
upon those who make it, for instead of justifying
opposition, it calls for exertion; V A x  t l

But our troops have been i gttilty of entering
Canada ! And must I again have recourse to the story
of our revolution to justify a measure so plain, so ob.-
vious, so perfectly politic, so necessary 3 Montgome-
ry entered Canada, “ made war upon the m'z()'il'l‘;’I71(lil‘1.g;
inhabitants,” and died before the walls of Quebec;
but we havenever yet heard that that war waswaged
“ for the purposes of conquest and ambition.”

These objections have hitherto been nearly
mergedi in the overwltelminge cry of Frerzc/2 Injizzmce !
< i This monster, ushered in‘to existence from the pro--
lific brain of Fisher Airnes, has long sheen a singular

1,4.

source of terror to the good people of these United

States; and like the frightful deities of ‘ I-Iindostani

appears to have been the more devoutly worshipped
the more abhorrent its deformity. Shaped out in
susp1cion,and compounded of all the dissocial and mis~
anthropic affections, it has haunted the imaginations
of these good people with a delusion which neither
reason nor philosophy could drive away. Unfortunate
indeed is it for this country, thata Constitution so ad-
mirably formed as ours, should be, even in its greatest
perfections, a source of evil to a people who so fully
realize its beauty, and so effectually demonstrate its
excellence in their universal appearance, as do the
Arnericanpeople. But that activity of . rnincl, which
results from the uncontrolled liberty of tliinking and
ccnununicating which i‘tguara11teesi, will not be always
employed in contemplating its benefits. Satiated.
with real good, they must poncleron imaginary evils.
Therefore let no one who would figure with this peo»-.
ple as a politician, who would rise to high honors,
and gain an A liinperishable reputatiori, when spe-«W

culating on the state of the nation, consult rmsorz 

no, he would there find nothing but a dull round of
cultivated fields, peaceful dwellings, proud cities,
extensive manu£actoz*ies, well appointed schools and
well attended churches, confidence, security, free-
dom,happineIss ; or if he extended his reflectious to
our ‘foreign relations,would only observe a plain, dull,
consistent, system of conduct, A such asfostering a
peaceful cornrnercmdoilig justice to every one, and
hurting no one, when smote on_ onelcheek, turn»-
ing the other, and 'I'€3SOl‘llIl}§5' instead of fighting!
But let him haveimmediate recourse to imczgimzziozz,
and after invoking all the evil spirits of spleen, male-
volence and suspicionto assist him, if he is at length,

able to conjure up. some hideous bugbear, friglitfuli

enough to attract attention, let him protrude itin all

itsdeformity upon his country. ‘“ He may beassured

15

that the head which conceived will be regarded‘ as
the oracle of wisdom and the heart that dictated as
the temple of patriotism. If it be only moderately
disproportioned, he may see its image immediately
reflected from newspapers, senates, pulpits; if infi-

nitely ugly, he may see it in time the watch word ofa W

party, which must not be relinquished but at the hazard
ofinfamy ! Such was this bugbear of Franc/2 In za-
ence, which has now, to the infinite joy of every friend
to union, received its deathwound in the downfall
of Napoleon.

How has this man, Fellow4Citizens, appeared on
the tleatre of human afliiirs? How has he dazzled,
astonislied, terrified E‘ Rising from obscurity by the
influence of a most powerful genius, he became, sue.-
cessively, a hero, a revolutionist, a tyrant, a conqueror.
Victory never left his standard; terror went before
his name ; till growing giddy with an elevation and
a fame l'iigfl1er than any mortal had before attained, and
iniagining himself beyond the reach of fortune, he
would nialte his nod the law of sovereigns, and his
ambition the rule of 1~igl1t. He has met that punish.-
ment which znnhition ever lnrixigs upon itself; he has
shown another illustrious instance of that late which
ever hangs over the ‘head of boundless love of power;
for tl10lllg‘l’l hnrnan ability could not Withstand his
matchless sltill, yet the very elements themselves
combined to turn the tide of victory ; and all Europe
following up the success, hurl"d him from his throne.
‘We aclcnotvletlge the justice of his fate; and rejoice
that F-ance, after lxaviiig alternately experienced the
extremes of anarchy and tyranny, has at length been
able to attain that golden mean, which if she knows
how to prize (and her constitutional ficlczleness rnakes
it extremely doubtful) may make her happy. Nor
have we any reason to despond, though our enemy has

become‘ by this means so powerful, since we may com

fidently anticipate that the delusion of Franc/2 In u-

16

mag and Britis/zmagnanizrzizgv will he succeeded by
the clear perception of an honest government fighting
for everything sacred on one side, and an old and
overgrown oppressor fighting for all that IS iniquitous
on the other. Real rnagnanirnity I take it, Fellow-

Citizens, consists in open, generous warfare; in at.-

tacltitig the strong, but sparing the defettceless; in

i being neither depressed by aclversity, nor elated by

prosperity. British rnagnaniniity, has ever been the
reverse of all this. It shone preeminently conspicuous
in Ireland, in India, at Copenhagen, in the war of
our revolution ; it has also in the course of this war
displayed itself in its true colours, in setting on the
insidious savage, in attacking our defenceless villages

and .s';1ar*2'72g our strong seaports ; and it now comes

forth in all its lustre. VVhat ! Our government had not
sought peace in the spirit of peace ! Had we in sea-
son restrained British subjects from entering our mer.
chant vessels, Britain would readily have renounc-
ed the practice of irnpressrnent ; and late as it is, we
have every tiring to hope from her magnarzinzigy !
Such was not long; since the llangttage of A opposition,
and, in prospective, was seen this poor, frenchilied,
government, who had so wantonly challenged this
ntagnanimotts nation to a wicked war, trembling,

suppliant and receivitig from her gracious forbearance .

that pardon‘ which, it had no reason to expect from

her justice. Blzt now it seems, when Britainhas
ltriumplted over France, this practice of tmpressrnent

has become a merelcgyplielr‘ I In the pride of this soc.-
oess she seems to he more mad than ever. We
hear of retrenehing, our boundaries, relinquishing
Louisiana, giving up our fisheries, our East and West
India trade, as intlispensahle preliminaries ; and we

prnay thinlt ourselves fortunate, if we have not his

majesty the Princeliegettt to govern us ! If we are
to expect all or any of these claitns, (and what may
we not expect from Britain intoxicated with victory ?

1'7

is it not time, my Countrymen, that We seriously
look to ‘the safety and honor of thenation 5’ Is it not
time that biigbeairsland chimeras existi.ng,in the fan.
any should give wayto real danger 5?’ Is it not time
that yNew=-Englancl resume A the high attitude which
she is entitled to holcl in the republic, and which she
had so_ foolishly relinquished? When ‘we coiisider
what this state now is, an& what it oughtgto be, We
hnust be struck at the infatuation with which men
may pursue a course directly the reverse of their
interest, or glory, and yet imyagine they areypursuingi
l30il”l..:. _ I V _ %

l‘We boast of our hardy yeomanry; our ?military_
strength ; we boast that in the lnorz‘/2 lie the sinews of
the nation. ‘What then is our obvious duty 3 Are
our magistrates to clog, retard and discourage the
eonstittltecl authorities, because they cannot governs

therni‘ Rather is this the hour that should see us tlie,

firotectors anal ldefendersi of the at national honor.

V/Vhatevler rnaybe the disputes of the élay:,Whatever the
bickeriiigs of party, l‘l£1ti%01121l disgrace will beour dis-
grace and national glory our securityiyy Beholcl the:
Navy of our country I They consult riot P;~jva-we

opinion-w-their l rule iiso‘betlienc”e:. by Yet l1owyyarre%i%wthey

honored l » ‘HOW C1058 Evflry’ mean, “l5i1SE",i,, .pai'typassip;1l

how clown abasheci before the entl11ii’siasrriyof patriotisml,

How is every ra‘nltling jealousy lost and ()V€l‘VV'l1‘t:lI1"i€fl“
in the strong sense of public glory excited by their vie... A
tories l The reason is obvious ;, the reputation they haven

§gainer.i will be a talisman of terror to our enemy anal
safety to ourselves, forever. These consiclerations,
abstracted from the justice of our cause, miglit surely
have mclueed to a different course from that pursued
by our Legislature. And What additional exciternents
have we now to unanimity 3 y_ “ . i

y if neither to protect the freetiorn of our trade, nor
the 1~i;a;l1=:s of our sailors ; if neither the thousand
wantoninsullts, nor the thousand unprovoked injuriesh,

18

we have suffered, if no considerations of national
honor have as yet been sufficient to call up a proper
patriotism ; let at least the safety of our homes and
our firesides, the preservation of our territory and our
constitution awaken the sensibilities of this people. Let
reason resume its sway; let it inculcate tl1rougl1ot1t
the republic ahearty and efi'ectual co-operation in all
its branches; a spirit of obedience and emulation.
Then will adversity only serve to show more com-l
pletely the strength of our compact ; we shall come
out tried and proved from the furnace ; soon will the
distinctions of party be forgotten, and England
be compelled to learn once more from us, single

handed, the lesson which she and all Europe have

but just taught Napoleon.  
To you, Republicans, it cannot be necessary to

point out that obvious course which reason, honor,
consistency dictate. You have hitherto, through

the influence of the contagious torpidity around you,
remained inactive. But everyo consideration, the
cause you support; the professions you have made,
now call upon yourtoput yourselves in the front rank
of patriotism and danger. Let not this clay, devoted
to the contemplation of the heroism of our fathers,
pass unimproved. May their spirit fall upon us, their
mantle come over us!‘ May we, as we admire, be
prepared to imitate;   And may posterity look back
to the oonflict novvapproaching, as we look back to
our glorious revolution!