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PRONOUNCED JULY 4.4, 18221,

AT THE REQUEST OF

THE REPUBLIUANS OF THE ’I‘0‘WN OF BOSTON,

IN COMMIMVIOIIATION OF

TIME ANNIVERSARY  

OF T HE

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18221.

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BOSTON, JULY 5, 1821.

To Go]. Gnaar FAIRBANKS,
am, i " ,
Am a Meeting of the Committee of Arrangements for Celebrating the An
niversary of our National Independence at Faneuil Hall, on the afternoon of
yesterday, it was “voted, unanimously, that a Committee of three be ap--
pointed from this Committee, who are directed to call upon Col.. Fairbanks,
-and to offer him their thanks for his elegant and patriotic Oration, and to
ask a copy of the some for publicatien.” We have the honor to be appoint»
ed for the performance of this grateful duty, and with pleasure communicate
to yon the unanimous wish of the committee of arrangements; to which you
will permit ‘us to add our individual solicitations that you will gratify their
wishes...
W12 hates the honor to be, Sir,
wizfiz. great esteem,
your my obedient servants,"

JONA'I‘HAN SIMONDS,
ISAAC WATERS,

Comnzitleo.
CHARLES M . DOMETT,

 
 

BOSTON, JULY 5, 1321.

GENTLEMEN,

Yotm, polite note is just received. Have the goodness to tender to the
Committee may warmest acknowledgments, for the very ﬂattering manner
-in which they have been pleased to request for the press, a copy of the Ora-—
tion pronounced by their desire. I submit it to their directions, with a deep
sense of my inability to dojnstice to that glorious event which gave Freedom
and Independence to theseillnited States. ‘

Accept, Gentle.rne~n,’noy cordial thanks for the kindness and attention

-you have xnanitested in communicating to me the vote of my Republican
Brethren.

I am, with esteem and re-rpect,
1’ our obedient .rervant,
G~ER.R.Y l?‘AlP..l3ANilsIﬁi.

JONATHAN SIMONDE5,

ISAAC WA'.l‘IEl‘tS,

tjjll-i:1I_‘mLES M . DO \:1l?3TT, lZse.~Rs;,.

ORATION.

FELLOW CITIZENS, A ,

WE have once more assembled, to celebrate the
Day, on which our Fathers proclaimed to the world,
that they were determined to live free, or die. On this
day, they boldly stood forth the determined advocates
of those rights, which they felt were essential to their
permanent interests, prosperity, and happiness ; and
although they saw that the object nearest their hearts
could be obtained only by toils, and sufferings, and
blood 5 yet they counted these as nothing, in compari-
son Witlf the prize in ‘view.

To me, it is peculiarly gratifying to have been call» 1

ed upon to address you, at a period unexampled in the

annals of our country; a period of universal peace

throughout Europe, and with us an almost total ex-
tinction of the asperities of party. True, the times do
not furnish materials for a discourse, seasoned with
accounts of battles, of bloodshed, and of death. But
what are these, but a history of it the sufferings of wid-
ows, of orphans, and helpless age. I have yet to learn,
my Uountrymen, that such is the morbid sensibility of
your minds, that pictures like these are necessary to
arouse in your bosoms a just sense of the glorious priva-
ileges you enjoy.

"With feelings hallowed by a just recollection of the

6

virtues, the courage, and the sufferings of our ancestors,
and those who achieved our glorious 1ndependence,let
us look, for a moment, at the rise and progress of our
Country; the effects of our Independence on other Na-
tions, and our present state, and future prospects.
Only two hundred years have elapsed, since in this

beautiful heritage, the delightful abode of industrious

and intelligent millions, where now is found the highly
cultivated ﬁeld, the peaceful village, and the towering

city ; stood mighty forests, inhabited by beasts of prey, \

and by men scarce less savage. ‘Where now stands
the peaceful hamlet, the stately mansion, and the tem-
ple of our God, stood the Wigwam of the savage, and
the asylum of the warrior, whose cruel ferocity doomed
to one common destruction the helpless female, the ten—~
der infant, and the hoary head of age.  have just
«entered upon the third century, since the landing of the
1’4ilgrims at Plymouth. This seems to be an appropri-
atetime to contemplate, for a moment, their c11_aracte1's.
"What must have been the resolution of men, who, at
that age, could have been impelled to buffet three thou-
sand miles of an unknown and tempestuous ocean, at

eucinclemlent season of the year, to seek an asylum on

these inhospitable shores 1 How deep-rooted must
have been their love of freedom and independence, to
have induoedthein to quit ali the comforts and elegan-
aoies of cultivated society, for the lonely wilds of NeW-
Eiigland ls  1
\ To us, who are peacefully enjoying the blessings,
the seeds of which were sown by the Pilgrim, and
watered with theirtears and their blood,  seems a1-
most impossible that any human motives ceuld have
excited men to such noble daring.

5’
Our yfoyrefathers were no contimon race of men. To
habits of great industry and perseverance, they joined
great moral integrity, and a deep sense of their reli-

gious obligations. These, in fact, they consicleretl par-

amount to all others. And althiongh they were tiaetur-
ed with what is called.sup"erstiti.on,stillthey exhibitted
traits of character, Which peculiarly ﬁtted them for no-
ble and hazardoiisenterprises. Relying on their God,
and .th'e. integrity of tlieir hearts, they braved, virith» a;
fortitude bordering on the miraculous, the trials to
which they were exposed. a v

A In order justly to appreciate the olmaracters oi‘ the
Pilgrims, let us picture to ourselves, for it moment, the
little band who first set foot on Plymouth Rock. y Fa-
tigued and Worn down by along and tempestuous voy-
age, behold tllernquitting their Vessels, for an unknown

shore. See them, for the ﬁrst time, preparing to pass 1

a cold and dreary night, with scarcely a covering to
protect them from the Winds and storms of Heaven;
See them gathering their Wives, their little ones, and

their domestics together, to address their God in prayer.
This service performed, they lay themselves down to t

repose, trusting to Him vrlio had hithex-to been their
Protector and Friend. * But hark !‘ It is the yell of the
savage.  The Warrior springs upon his feet, and lgraisps

his Weapons of defence. The mother clasps her infant

to her bosom, iwith breathless anxiety. But lo! it dies.
away, and all is still. The morning dissipates the

fears of night, and infuses fresh vigour into the bosmns.

of the little hand. . W A _ ~

With dangers, trials, and difficulties, which tolmost
other men would have appeared insurmountable, did
the Pilgrims of New-England contend, until they had

8 V

eﬁected a permanent and successful settlement on these
shores.

Are we aware, how much of all that is noble in
character, and useful in life, we owe to the first
settlers of New.England? Yes, my Countrymen, it
is to these men, that we are indebted for those magnan-
imous traits of character which enabled the heroes of
the revolution to achieve that independence, which we
are this day called upon to celebrate. But for the in-
dustrious habits, the enliglttened system of education,

and the purity of the religious institutions, which the A

Pilgrims of N ew-England transmitted to their children,
our fathers of the revolution, instead of successfully
struggling with their haughty oppressors, would, like
the cowardly Neapolitans, have turned their backs on

their invaders, and tamely kissed the hand. which was '

raised to smite them to the earth.

,Fortunately for the cause of freedom, at the com-
mencement of our revolutionary war, the despots of
Europe had not arrived at their present height of re-
ﬁnement in tyranny and oppression 3 otherwise an “Ho-
ly Alliance” might then have been formed, that would
have joined in a crusade against the rights of man, and
have poured their countless m yrmidons upon our shores,
who would have extirpated the tree of liberty from
the earth. I-Iappily, even despotism had then some
regard for consistency and the opinion of the world.

_The war of the revolution, more momentous in its
consequences than any that has been waged since the

creation of the world, appears to have been commenced

at a time best calculated for the promotion and dissem-
ination of the principles from which it originated. The
-ﬂame of freedom, which. was first kindled in these Uni»

9

ted States, has been silently and slowly (though efl'ec-
tually) extending itself over the face of the earth, until
Europe, as well as our Southern hemisphere, has felt
its genial inﬂuence. And although its scintillations
have sometimes been Weak and transient, yet we trust
in God, the day is not far distant,wl1en the brightness
of its rays will illumine the darkest and most enslaved

y corners of the globe, and both civil and ecclesiastical
‘despotism, with all the arts invented by the few to en-

slave themany, shall be expelled from the earth.

It is a glorious reﬂeotion, that the spark of freedom,
which was first elicited in these United States, is now
beginning to enlighten that country, so clear to the rec-
ollection of every scholar; where Poetry and E10-
quence, and all the Arts which embellish life, were
once known in full perfection ; but which, for centu-
ries, has been slumhering in torpid ignorance and sloth.
A touch from the wand of the Goddess may arouse the
descendants of Worthier sires from the nightmare which
has so long fettered their minds, and impel them to
deeds which will rival those of the proudest days of
their ancestors. V

The connnencenlent of our revolutionary war,its sue-
eessful progress, and its glorious termination, are cer-

tain evidences that men who are Worthy of freedonln

will eventually obtain it. .

Nothing but the prudence,“ the virtues, and the in-
tegrity of the patriots of the revolution enabled them
successfully, to contend with the mother country. It
was the disinterested integrity of ‘Washington, of Han-—
cock, of the Adams’s, and a host of others ; an integ-
rity, which the wealth of Empires could not corrupt ;

which gave a force and tone to our resistance, which

92»

10

baffled all the wiles of that despotism, that sought to
rob us of those rights, more dear to freemen than life
itself. There is, in magnanilnous l and higiheminded
public virtue, a power which goes forcibly tothe heart
of every honest man, and urges him on to heroic ac»
tions. This virtue is appalling to sycophants and
slaves. i The eloquence which ‘ﬁr-st thundered from
yonder Hall of Liberty was more terrible to our op.
pressors, than was the thunder of our cannon from
Eunker’s H ill. The venerable Samuel Adams, at the
headof a few unarmed citizens, struck more terror to
the hearts of the murderers of his brethren, than would
an army of veterans marshalled in battle array.

“ ‘Glorious as were the results of the revolutionary
war, there were many who doubted whether our inde-
pendence could he maintained. Our govermnent was
considered too weak; our national colistitution, the
‘chain which binds harmoniously together the great
American Confederacy, was, previously to the last War,
considered little better than a “rope of sand,” calculated
only for times of peace and public tranquillity. But,
happily, the events of that War have put to rest the
fears of the most incredulous. That War, commenced
under circumstances the most unpropitious, Whilst the

two great political parties, into which our country was

divided, were marshalled in hostile array against each
other. was,‘ by the'Wisdo1n,ﬁrn1ness and integrity of

i ’Mr.*Madison"sadministration, prosecuted with vigour

and‘eﬁ'ect, and ﬁnally brought to a glorious issue, with-

‘out impairing the rights of the citizen. The success

andthe splendid termination of that war has ﬁxed our

liberties and independence outta solid basis. The tic-
tories of Jackson, of Brown, of 1’erty, of Decatur,‘ of

M

Hall, and our other Warriors, have shed a splendour

round the altar of our liberty, which has made it the

:admi ration of the enlightened of the old world, as well
as the new, and given to our citizens a new incentive
to love and venerate that government, which has been
found equal to all exigencies. V t

In Europe, the principles of liberty and epual rights
are rapidly spreading themselves among all classes of
the people. Men of science and literature, the natural
defenders of the people, have embraced with enthusi-
asm the liberal principles of the age. Even the sol-
diery, who have heretofore been tl*1ongl1t the obedient
tools of despotism, have shown a disposition to espouse
the cause of the people. Spain and Portugal have
already thrown oﬁ' the yoke of their oppressors, and
established a free and liberal system of government»----~
‘Whether they will have to contend with the enemies
of the riglits of the people, for the maintenance of
their liberties,---—-whether the deliverers of Europe will
pour their myrmidons upon the peninsula, is known on-
ly to him who ggoverns the destinies of all. y

In Grermany, the seeds of freedom and equal rights

.-appear to have taken a deep and permanent root. Her

seminaries of learning, the most eminent in the world,
are daily sending, to every quarter of tliatextensive
empire, young men, whose ardent and fearless minds,
peculiarly fit them to contend against the encroachmeuts
of tyranny, and to disseminate their principles among
every class of the people. A small spark would set
this quarter of the globe in a ﬂame, which it miglit not
be in the power of Alexander and Francis to extinguish.
The march of mind is rapid in every part of Europe;
and unless the crowned heads conform their measures

12

K to the spirit of the times, their power, great and over»

Whelming as it is, may be prostrated to the earth.

Of Naples, cowardly and weak as she is,I know not
how to speak‘. Su1'ely that nation must be worthy of
slavery, who will turn her back ouher invaders, and
basely desert the uncontested ﬁeld. Witli her fall she
has lost the respect and sympathy of the world. i

To freeman, how disgusting is all the mummery of
royalty, daily exhibited in the various courts of Europe,
either to hide the wealmess of the monarch, or to cheat

' the people out of their freedom. But even there, these

moclreries have lost much of their. force. Men begin to
see things in their proper light.

To speak of ourselves directly and boldly, is at all
times a difﬁcult and unpleasant task; but there are occa-
sions when propriety not only admits, but demands it;
that this is the case when We are called upon to repel
the foul aspersions cast upon us by the Writers of
Great Britain, all can did men will admit. When speak»-
ing of the Englisli nation, Americans ought to betoo.
proud to detract from her merits. Wenknow that in
the land of our forefathers, there is much to respect and
admire; her orators, her statesmen, her historians, her
poets, her lnenof science, and her Warriors, form a

bright constellation 5 her highest honour, and the admi-

ration of the world. But still she ought to know that
she presents to the eye of the candid observer much of
corruption and abuse, disgraceful to humanity. WAll
the splendor that surrounds her brow cannot obscure
from the eyes of the world the rottenness of many of her
institutions. The poverty and misery, which are en-
tailed upon thelower orders of society in that country,
are terrible in their consequences beyond. any thing re»

.l_3

corded in the annals of history. a The enormity of their
taxes bears upon this class of peoplevvith aiweight
almost insupportable; a weiglrt destructive of all their
socialand domestic happiness. r 1

I stand not here to calumniate any country or any
individual; but I may be permitted to speak out boldly
in defence of my own country. Had such a scene as
has been exhibited in the trial of the queen in England,
been acted in "Washington, how constant and how
widely disseminated would have been the sneers and
sarcasrus of her writers 1 Could they have found in the
character of our present chief magistrate and his consort
so much of wanton immorality, such a total disregard
of the decencies of common lpife, as haveibeen displayed
at St. J ames’s, how would it have been blazoned forth to
the World, with all the colouring that the mostreﬁned
sophistry could give it, as sure evidence of the depravity
of the whole nation. a t

But a few years since, we were tauntingly told from
the other side of the Atlantic, that we, Americans, were
a Weak and pusillanitnous race, the disgrace of our an-
cestors, and the semi‘ of the world ; that the muscle,
bone and sinew, had degenerated with the mind, in
these inclement regions; that we were so cowardly,
that we could not be kicked into a war, in defence of
our dearest rights. Presuming too far on our sub-
mission, the haughty oppressor has foun d to her sorrow‘,
and been compelled to acknowledge, that our powder
is as strong, our lead as fatal, and our artillery as well
directed, as hers 5‘ and that our steel, when graspedin
defence of our rights, is held with as ﬁrm aimuscley as
hers, in the hands of her bravest and most experienced.

“veterans. J aclison, Perry, Hull, and our other heroes,

ieh

have convinced her, by the last argument of kings, that
we are not the weak and cowardly race she has repre---
sented us. A _
Weyare now told, from the same quarter, that although
our soldiers and sailors may ﬁght as well as theirs, still
it is merely the effect of animal courage, undirected by
genius or mind ; that, to be sure, we are a race of brave

, men, but totally destitute of morals, of science, of litera-—

ture, and every thing which is calculated to embellish
and sweeten life- How pitiful are such accusations,
especially when they, who make them, well know how
false they are. They know, or they ought to know,
that even at this early period of our country, we can
pointto statesmen, to orators, to men of science, and to
men in all the various professions of Divinity, of
Physic, of the Law, (and if it were not invidious they
might be named) who are not much behind the proud»-
est of theirs. ‘ t l t A
The present crisis presents to England a glorious op»
portunity of vindicating her character against every
dishonourable imputation. Her interest, and we hope
her inclination, alike point her to the course she ought
to pursue. Let her boldly stand forth the defender of
nations against the encroachments of despotism--~l«et
hersay to Alexander and Francis “' thus far may ye go
but no ~farther-e--We stand between your ambition and
the independence of your sister nations-—--to rob them of

their liberty you must passour steel.” Let her do this, A
and her present_ glory willequal all her ‘past. , It may A

be among the wonders of our day that the a nation in
Europe who first raised the standard against the rights
of the people, should be the first to grasp her steel in de-
fenceaof those rights, and stand, A an eifectnal barrier be-l

15

tween the encroachments of power and the rights of the
people. A l c

It is delightful to quit the disgusting scenes of Euro--
pean political obliquity, that we may contemplate the
happy situation of the landof our birth and our aﬁiec-
tions. True, here we do not ﬁnd so much that is
brilliant, so much that is calculated to dazzle; but these
things are not the evidences of a people’s happiness or
prosperity. The proofs of these are found not in the
pomp and splendor of powerful individuals. Men of
wealth in all countries have nearly the same chance of
happiness. But it is to the cottage of the peasant, to the
domestic abodes, the social ﬁre-asides of the‘ great mass
of society, that we are to look for the certain evidences
of a nation’s happiness and prosperity. The nations
ofl£.u1'ope may point as to their works of art, andvtheir
costly edoiﬁrces--—~we point them to the domestic ahodes of
our humblest citizens, as a sure evidence of the equity
and freedom of our institutions. I-low animating the
reﬂeetion. that even in these abodes may be found all
that endearing and soothing in life.

VVith what love and veneration for your country
ought it to inspire you, when you reﬂect that however
humble may be your lot, you can return to your peaceful
ahodes, the asylum of all that you hold dear on this side
of the grave, and fear no intrusion there from Wealth or
power---that there you can draw for as large a share of
happiness as your proudest neighbour---~—-and that by
your honest industry, you will be enabled to support, in
competence and honour the charge which God has com-
1n.itted to your care. 1-low must it alleviate your domes»
tic cares, when you know that you are not training up
your ehil:.lren to l>~ec.:ome the panders ef the vicious,‘ er

 A i 16

he tools of despotism and oppression; but to be the
happy citizens of a free country.

To you, my fair countrywomen, I address myself with
a certain conviction that I shall be heard with that atten-
tion which the importance of the occasion demandlsmr To
you are committed the arduous duties of forming the
minds and early habits of our citizens, statesmen, and
warriors. 011 you depend much of our country’s hap-
piness, prosperity, and future glory. Recollect the ex»-

ample of the matrons, who have preceded you ; and let

it inspire you with a firm resolution to educate your oﬁ'-
spring in habits of industry, piety, and strict morality 4,;
and when you this day return to your homes to

meet yourhappy children, let it be deeply engraven on
t your hearts, that, however humble may be your situa-

tions,to you may have been committed, by the goodness

of your God, the important duty of directing the minds

of those who are hereafter to lead the armies, or shine
in the councils of your country. A

t Could the sainted shades of those, who have devoted
their talents andtheir lives to acquire and perpetuate
the blessings We enjoy, be permitted torevisit the land

of their earthly labors and their love, how would they be r

delighted with the picture of prosperity and happiness
which would be every Where presented to their view,
in our highly cultivated ﬁelds,our villages, towns and
cities, risingin grandeur, adorned with ccittages and
mansions, and with temples devoted tothe worship of
our God; in the freedom of our institutions, the purity

of our laws, the order, the industry, the cheerfulness of

our citizens ; in the bravery of our Warriors, the wistlom
and virtue of our statesmen, the learning and ix1te.g51'ity
of our professional men, the enterprise, tl1e.perseverauce

17

and the skill of our merchants, husbandmeu, and man»
nfacturers, and in the security and protection which are
enjoyed, and enjoyed as of right, by all,

I know that this picture is not without its gloomy
spots, and what is there in this world that is? Even
here may be found much of crime, misfortune and suit

t'ering. But, thanks be toG‘rod! the amount, in pro-.

proportion to the population, is less than in any other
country. Much of the suﬁering which lies heavy on
one class of myfellow citizens, it was fondly hoped,
ere this would have been removed, by the adoption‘ of a
judicious system of bankruptcy by our national coun-
oils. But We have been disappointed. It may be for
the best ; We hope it is so. It is better for laws to follow
than to precede public opiniom

We may rest assured that the time is not far distant
when this numerous, enterprising, and unfortunate class?’
of our fellow citizens will be released from their slavery.
None can tell the sufferings inseparable from a state of
bankruptcy, but he who has personally felt what it is to
see, in one sad hour, all his hopes of ease and compe-
tence for himself and his family scattered to the
‘winds 3 and to look around him and behold the beloved

partner of his bosom and the children of his affections A

exposed to all the neglect, mortiﬁcation and want, insep-l
arable from such a. deplorable situation. This is a

school which puts to the test our strongest virtues. God A

grant that it may not be the unfortunate lot of any’ of
you to be‘ exercised in it. I know that there are among

us many respectable men who are opposed to a bankrupt

system altogether. To one of these I would say, come

with rneto the wretched habitation of “him, who, by mis-

fortune, has lost his all, and who, to satisfy the demands
3

18

of what We have been taught to call legal justice, is con-
ﬁned within the limits of a prison. His wife lies
stretched on a dying bed, surrounded by her miss
erable offspring; her husband denied even the mel-
ancholy satisfaction of smoothing the pillow of his af-
fectionate and expiring companion. If this does not
satisfy him of the necessity of a bankrupt system, let
him go home to his family and while fondly pressing
to his bosom the pledges of his love, let him reﬂect, that
the ways of Providence are dark and mysterious; and
that, however prosperous may be his present situation,
such is the mutability of human affairs, and such the inn.-
Inutability of human nature, that, the laws remaining as
they are, the misery ‘Which he has now been called to
see, he may soon he called to suﬂ'er.l

It is worthy of the consideration of our most enlight-
ened statesmen, whether a judicious encouragement of
domestic industry, would not, in some degree, lessen the
frequent bankruptcies among us. Not an encourage-
ment that shall be hostile to our commerce and agricul-
ture,but one that shall he found beneﬁcial to both. It has
been the misfortnneof too many of our writers on political
economy, to consider the interest of the manufacturer as
directly opposed to that of the merchant and husband-«
man. The factis, that they are one and the same. I an‘!
well aware, tltat, in consequence of the total stagnation

of business among all classes of our rnanufacturers, pro-

duced hy the enormous importations which took place
for the two years subsequent to the last war, thisclass
of my fellow citizens may have asked too mtuoli of the
government. . l But that a more judicious system for the
encouragement of domestic industry must he adopted,
is evident from every “view of the subject. So long 

19

the world remains at peace, a demand for the products
of our agriculture will constantly decrease. The 5 day
may not be very far distant,vvhen,the merchant will have
to resort to the Warehouse of our manufacturers for freight
for his ship. By a liberal system of policy towardour

brethren of South America, we may find in those counu _

tries an extensive market for our manufactures; No
reason appears, in the nature of things, Why we should
not become the successful rivals of Great Britain and of
every other part of the World, in thosevalu able markets.
Our improvements in a great variety of manufactures,
for the last few years, have been unexampled in the
annals of any country. VVho would have believed, ten
years ago, that we should be able, at this time, to exhibit
from 0111'0Wlfl Inanufactories,woollens, cottons, glass, and
even laces, equal to those from the ﬁr-st shops in Europe?
The industry, the skill, and the perseverance of our ar-n
tisans, render it certain that our manufactures are des-«
tined ere long to come into successful competition
with those of every part of the World; and to the
haughty enquiry, “ who wears an American coat 2”?‘
we shall be able to answer, “ the freeman of both
Americas.” l

To the results of the great struggle going on in South 7

America We cannot be indiﬂ‘erent.* The niarkets which
that country will afford [us for our manufactures and
other products, as well as the sympathy and aﬂection
which we feel for them when ystrugglirxg for the same
rights that we have so gloriously obtained, induces bus
to i wish them a speedy emancipation from the yoke of

their oppressors. To us it is matter of deep regrettl1at*

there is so muchof disunion among them; so much
that is selfish and mercenary, to iznpede them in their

‘V.

so

g1*e:1t work. We hope a ‘better system of education
and more liberal views of religion may soon dissipate
the clouds which liang; overthat fertile country. We
trust that the national government in their wisdom will
regulate the policy of this C011l1i1‘_‘§f in a manner that will

convince the independents of the South of our cordial

good Will, and our wish to assist them as far as pru-‘
deuce anclt1'egard to our own interest will permit. a
V The decision of the people on the amendments
of our state constitution is a glorious comment on.
the stability of our government, and must be gratifyingg;
even to ‘those who originated and those who advocated
the rejected articles. It evinces to the World. the ﬁrm
attachment of the people to their present form of gov-
ernment, as well as their habitual and vigilant attention
to every thing that aifects it. s It is one evidence more
of the wisdom and integrity of the yeomanry of our
state, whomay justly be considered as the sinews of
our country. On such materials the wiles of the dem-
agogue will be exhausted iu vain. t *

it is no small cause of congratulation that, on this day,

~ We are able to say thatall the tvenerahle sages who

have been called to preside overthe destinies of this
great nation, (with i.li(~’LBXC(3I)tl0l1 of the Fatlier of his
country) are still living to see the clouds, which for a
time may have obscured the splendor of their career,
dissipated, and thoseaspersions, which were cast upon
their characters in the heat 01" party animosity, com-

t pletely eifaced, and every class of their fellow citizens

proud, ntaaguaniinously, to do justice to the honesty of
their motives, and to the general correctness of their
policy. This arsnestwell for the causeof freedom in
our country; ferit.lthon.igl1 the people may be misled for

w 21,

a time, yet the patriot, who honestly labours for the
good of his country, may rest assured, that at no very
‘distant day, a grateful people will do him justice. . ~
It has fallen to the happy lot of the statesman who
now directs the councils of our country, to haVle_ .concil-

A iated the esteem and affection, and tohave obtained the

suifrages and support of the virtuous of all parties. It
has fallen to his lot to have been highly instrumental
in conducting his country through a just and necessary

a war; of leading her triumphantly to peace; and ﬁnally,

by the wisdom, ﬁrmness, and moderation of his coun-
cils, to have obtained for her an important acquisition of
territory; and, What is of equal importance, the respect

of the wise and virtuous of all nations.

In order more correctly to estimate the privileges and
blessings which We have been describing, let us~con-
trast our situation Vtiltllllllﬂ European continental «ina-
tions. There the subject holds his personal freedom
at the will of the monarch---there the Press isthe organ
of the government, and speaks only through the mouths

of its censors 3 thereﬁmeetings for political purposes are

not permitted; and should a few men assemble to dis-
cuss their political concerns, such is the vigilance of the
police, the chance is that within an hour they would
ﬁnd themselves in a prison. \

There religion is a trade instituted for the support
of government, and the ernolumrent of the «great ; and
modes of faith and the concerns of nnenis souls are regu-

lated by corruption and fraud. Here everyman is in the

enjoyment of perfect personal freedom. Here the Press
belongs to the people; and is free from any restraint

i from the government. It sends daily to our counting-

houses and our ﬁresides,in all the laoldncssof truth, an

22

epitome of every transaction Worthy of notice, which
industry can collect from all quarters of the globe.
Here meetings for political purposes are our birthright.
Here religion comes persuasively to our hearts, un-
tinctured by priestuzraft and fraud; and everypman
worships his God according to the dictates of his own
conscience. o

How glorious is the prospect of these United States I
At peace With all the world; respected and feared
abroad; our commerce, our agriculture, our manufac-
tures gradually improving, our institutions for the pro-
motion of the ﬁne arts rapidly increasing in stability
and usefulness; our orators, our poets, our men of lit-
erature daily rising in the estimation of the world;
our citizens virtuous, industrious and enterprising.
What cause of congratulation do all these furnish!
'With the blessing of Him who rules the destinies of all,
may We not hope to see our country rapidly advancing
in glory, in happiness and in fame;