An Oration, . ..being the 55th anniversary of
American Independence.
New York , 1831

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YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

1943

AN
OH ATION^
PRONOUNCED IN THE
METHODIST EPlsdOPAL CHURCH,
HEMPSTEAD, JUtY 4, 183X.
BEING THE
55TH ANNIVERSARY 0¥ AMER.ICAN INDEPENDENCE.
BY WILLIAM R. PRINCE, ESQ.
IK
HEMPSTEAD, (L. I.) N. Y. '
PRINTED BY WILLIAM HUTCHINSON.

1831.

Hempstead, July 8, 1831.
Sm: We, the Sub-Committee of Arrangements, for celebrating
the fifty-fifth Anniversary of American Independence, in the Town of
Hempstead, being highly gratified with the Oration pronounced by you
on that occasion ; and in concurrence with the wishes of many who
heard it, respectftilly solicit a copy fer publication.
BI&J. F. THOMPSON,
EDWIN WEBB,
WILL. HUTCHINSON, , -
JACOB COLES, "^9
THOS. D. CARMAN, -
HENRY A. BURTIS,
William R.~ Prince, Esa.
Flushing, Long Island.

Flushing, Jult I3th, 1831.
Gentlemen : Duly impressed by the very kind sentiments con
tained in your note of the 8th instant, and sensible of the honor confer
red upon me by your request for a copy ofthe Oration delivered in youi
town, at the recent Anniversary of our Country 's Independence, I most
cheerfully comply with your desire, and transmit it herewith.
Permit me, however, to avail myself of the opportumty thus pre
sented, to express my regret that the numerous avocations which neces
sarily called for my attention, did not admit of my bestovving as much
time on the subject as it merited ; and I therefore solicit Irom your
selves and the public, a kind indulgence for its imperfections.
With the highest respect, WM. ROBERT PRINCE.
To Messrs. Benj. F. Thompson,
Edwin Webb,
Wm. Hotchinso.v,
Jacob Coles,
Tbos. D. Carman,
Henby a. Buhtis,

Sub-Committee of
Arrangements, &c. &c.

406pr

OBATIOIT.
Friends and Fellow Republicans,
The auspicious day which we have met to ce1e«
brate, is that which gave -birth to a nation — and most
justly and emphatically has one of the fathers of our
country declared to us, that it should be commemora
ted, not only by prayer, but by every joyous demonstra
tion. In despotic countries it is often the unholy task
to celebrate the birth day of a tyrant, or the period of
¦Rational subjugation. Ours is a nobler purpose: we
have met, to render our tribute to the emancipation of
the mind, and to offer our oblation Qn tha altar of free
dom. Among the numerous benefits which our Independence
has conferred upon the world, by far the most important
one, is the salutary lesson which the success of our in
stitutions has taught to mankind. For, while on the one
hand, it has assured those nations who are solicitous for
freedom, that man is capable of self-government, and of
directing his own_energies ; it has on the other, silen
ced the cavillings of prejudice, and shown to Monarchs
that they hold their prerogative by a very attenuated
sway. At the eventful period which we this day com
memorate, there did not exist upon the earth, any go
vernment whatever, which derived its laws solely fiom
the popular voice.
The ancient republics of Greece and Rome had long
previously suttk beneath the weight of contending fac
tions; the gross ignorance of a great mass of their po-

4
pulation, having paved the way for that tyranny which
usurped the reins of power. The trophies so nobly won
on the plains of Marathon, and the laurels which ador
ned the victors of Thermopylae, had been tarnished by
the contagious influence of power and corruption, oi
been rent by the hand of violence and oppression.
The favorite sons of freedom had been immolated at
the shrine oftheir devotions; and the once fertile fields
were stained with the blood of their heroes.
The spirit of liberty, prostrated before the relentless
hand of barbarism, had fled in despair, from the land of
the vinelintrTBe"olive, to weep with Marius over the
ruins of Carthage. Her towers dismantled and despoi
led, served but as the memento's of fallen greatness, and
the proudest monuments of her former glory, profaned
by sacrilegious hands, had crumbled to the dust. Her
naked standard stripped of the trophies which had once
so brilliantly adorned it, presented to the view but the
semblance of that desolation which marked her cause
throughout the earth. The sacred flame which once il
lumined the world with its brightness, seemed to be
extinguished forever, and her temples displayed only
the lone silence of despair. For ages, no voice had
been heard at her altars, and her wounded spirit seemed
to have breathed its expiring gasp before the shrine of
despotism. It was at this momentous era, that the genius of our
Country arose in all the majesty of power, and the noble
band whom we proudly reverence as the fathers of our
Republic, boldly arrayed themselves as the Champions
of her cause, and sent forlh their message of defiance to
the world.

The events of that glorious and triumphant contest
are familiar to you all — let it suflice here to say, that tho
Standard of Freedom was firmly implanted on the Ame
rican Shore, where her victorious flag continues to wave
as a;n inspiring beacon to her votaries.
Think not, my fellow citizens, that the spirit of your
fathers slumbers ill ignoble repose. The sacred fire
which animated the Heroes of Lexington, and led us
triumphant through tbe War of Independence, has spread
its influence to every clime. Tite-Genius of Liberty has
stretched forth her wings, and her glorious mandates
have been heard, alike in the hamlet of the peasant, and
in the palaces of Kings.
Her voice has been sounded on the plains of Mexico',
and loudly re-echoed in the Andes.
Her magic impulse inspired our brethren of the South
with that sacred ardor, which, triumphing over the sa
traps of tyranny, has dashed invasion from their shores.
Nor has her potent influence been confined alone to
the Western hemisphere.
Passing the wide expanse of Ocean, she has raised her
standard in fhe~Eastern World. The countries of a La
Fayette and a Pitt have acknowledged her genial power ;
and while the fertile fields of Belgium bear witness to
her vivifying rays, her voice has been also responded
from the shores of the Emerald Isle. Soaring aloft, she
has visited the snow-clad cliffs of Switzerland, and the
glaciers of despotism which there congealed the freedom
ofthe mind, have melted at her approach.
Thence pursuing her mighty flight, she has passed
over the Rhine, and beyond the Vistula ; and now ani-

mates, with holy ardor, the bravest nation of Europe in
their last glorious struggle for freedom.
Though pressed on all sides by the innumerable hordes
of the Autocrat, the noble Polish nation knows no watch
word but Liberty, no shield but its valor; and despite
the immense disparity of force arrayed against her, she
still hurls defiance at the foe, and victory sits triumphant
on her banner.
Go on, brave nation, in thy glorious career, for the
hearts of all freemen are with you; and long a-j the
breasts of Americans continue to throb, they will send
forth their aspirations for the land of Kosciusko.
Tlie principles in regard to Government, which at
pres'Bnt divide mankind, may be reduced simply to two
— the one, a Government formed by, and for the few, in
which the great bulk of the people have no control;
such an one is termed Aristocratic -or Despotic. The
other, a Government, in which the people al large have
the controlling influence; and where the power oftheir
rulers emanates from the popular voice — Such is called
a Republic. All governments whatever, partcikc in n greater OT less
degree, of the two I have named.
The question, which of these is most applicable to our
circumstances, and conducive to our happiness, has been
so long and so firmly settled in the minds of the American
people, that it requires no further illustration from me.
Suffice it to say, that all faith in the perfection or in
violability of Kings, has, with us, become long since ex
tinct; and seems, at the present period, to be rapidly
vanishing from the earth.
The bulwark of a despotic government is founded in

7
the ignorance ofthe people; but the strength of a Re
public consists in the intelligence of its citizens.
Hence it is, that Education forms the grand basis of
all Free Governments, whose existence and permanency
depend on that knowledge which supports the main pil
lars of the edifice.
And as the luxuriant banks of the Nile repay by their
fertility, the enriching tribute which she annually bears
to her shores:
So, wnne iiibci ty, on tKe one hand, lends her aid to
the extension ofknowledge; so on the other, the supe
rior intelligence thus generated, strengthens and sup
ports the fabric of Freedom.
Perfection in a Republican Government, can there
fore, only be acquired and maintained, in proportion to
the intellectual advancement of its citizens.
If then, we should neglect this great point, and allow
ourselves to sink to a level with the Republics of former
ages, we should doubtless, like them, fall into an abyss,
over which despotism alone would rise triumphant.
Let me then, fellow citizens, exhort you to a full con«
sideration of the benefits of Education, that bulwark of
our Liberties, and foundation ofour prosperity.
Let me call upon every parent to watch over the in->
struction of his children, as he would wish to guard their
happiness, and the welfare ofthe Republic; and whate
ver may be his anxieties in other respects, let this be the
primary object of his solicitude.
The overthrow of the Ancient Republics may be fairly
attributed to the fact, that the quantum of intelligence
was more than counterbalanced by the burthen of igno^
ranee. And in truth, the brightest ages of ancient phi^t

losophy might almost be termed gross darkness, when '
contrasted AY ith the present enlightened state of mankind.
For, although a bright star here and there shed its
light over the (then) known world, j'et, for want ofthe
genial influfince of general Education, its rays were con
fined almost to the narrow limit of its own intelligence;
and if indeed, in some cases, they burst forth conspi
cuously for a time, they became at last, overpowered
and shrouded, amid the darkness and ignorance which,
almost covered the earth.
Had those Ancient Republics possessed the advanta
ges for general instruction which our own country pre
sents, Rome, with her myriads, would not have yielded
to the dictation of a Nero, nor the legions of Greece
have succumbed to the sceptre of tyrants.
There is another point, my fellow citizens, to which I
cannot refrain from calling your attention — it is the ex
cessive violence often displayed in political contests. —
And although it is true that in this respect, our country
is one of those which least merit censure, we may still
add to our stock of prudential knowledge.
The spirit of enquiry and of judicious investigation is,
in every respect, worthy of a free people, and no usur
pation should ever be allowed to curtail it. But, in our
examinations of the pretensions of rival candidates for
ofiice, let us act with calmness and discretion ; and in
our argumentative discussions, let us pursue a course of
mildness and forbearance.
Turbulence and passion seldom tend to produce con
viction on the mind, and are therefore, futile in the very
object which they are desired to accomplish. The free
born spirit of our citizens can brook no other Ian-

guage but that of persuasion and conciliation. Let us
then abjure, that political frenzy too often manifested in
our land, which serves but to generate a spirit of discord
and ill-will ; for we may at least enjoy our own opinions,
without making war upon those of our neighbors.
Happily, each one of us possesses equal claims to the
exercise and expression of his sentiments ; and when we
consider that we are all members of one national fami
ly, and that notwithstanding slight differences may exist
on minor points, we are equally attached to our common
country; shall we not bury all these trivial animosities
beneath the endearing title of brethren of the same Re
public ?
Among the proud titles which we claim for our coun
try, is that of the American Union. An Union, my
brethren, formed under the happiest auspices, and which
has been promotive of the most beneficial results.
At the epoch of our Revolution, the thirteen States
then existing, united like a band of brothers, in the same
noble effort for the cause of civil Liberty. With one
voice, they protested against the tyranny of Britain, and
threw the gauntlet of defiance at their oppressors. At
that early period, when our Country was yet but in her
infancy, had each one of the States engaged single han
ded with the foe ; each would doubtless have been
crushed in its turn, during the unequal contest — but uni
ted in a noble brotherhood, tbey, with one accord, pro
mulgated to the world, that Declaration of Indepen
dence, which was so gloriously consummated in the
triumph of our Liberties.
It was not, however, until the year 1788, that the com
pact now existing, was rendered perfect, by the full con-

10
federation of the States ; and the Union which was then
consolidated, was not the result of a cold calculating po
licy, but of a liberal spirit of compromise, in which the
several States waved many considerations of local inte
rest, for the advancement of the general welfare.
It is then to this generous spirit of accommodation,
that we are indebted for the adoption of the Constitu
tion, under which we have so long lived; and when we
all are so sensible that our Union has been most signally
blest; who among us would wish to sever that chain of
fellowship, which has so long and so happily bound us to
each other?
Not only are we indebted to this Union for that friend
ly intercourse which extends from Maine to Florida, but
from it we derive that power at home, which commands
respect abroad ; and indeed, it may be said that from the
same source emanates almost every blessing we enjoy.
It is to be expected that local discussions and diffe
rences of opinion may occasionally arise, but even these
may be obviated or allayed by the exercise of judgment
and forbearance ; and I truly believe, notwithstanding
the occasional demonstration of such feelings, that the
sympathies of our fellow countrymen warmly attach
them to each other, and that a spirit pervades our land,
ivhich will long continue to unite indiscriminately, in
the bonds of fellowship, our brethren of the North, of
the South, of the East, and of the West.
Let it then be our pride to maintain, unsullied, an
Union which has perfected our happiness and our pros
perity ; and ever to bear in our minds the determination,
that the brilliant laurels which united, we have \yon,
shall not be tarnished by internal dissentioas.

11
• Sucb, my felloMr citizens, were the sentiments of the
illustrious WASHINGTON; and while we ever con
tinue to venerate the parental advice of that sainted FA
THER OF OUR COUNTRY, let us preserve an Union
firm and indivisible; and spurn, with indignation, from
our shores, him who would pluck one star from the
Ameiican Constellation.
Permit me now, to take a partial glance at the present
condition and prospects ofour country.
What, in the early days of our Republic, were but the
hope.^ and fond anticipations of our parents, we now seQ
assuming, on every side, the happiest consummations of
reality. While some nations are agitated by outward attacks
or internal dissentions, and others seem retrograding be
neath the iron hand of despotism; our Country has be
come the. promised Land of Liberty, the asylum of the
oppressed, and her inviting shores exhibit all the grati
fying attributes of plenty and of peace. Agriculture,
that basis of national wealth, is rapidly increasing the
products of our soil. The rugged hills of the East, and
the boundless prairies of the West, alike yield their tri
butes to the skill and enterprize of the husbandman.
Where, but yesterday, the mighty lords of the Forest
rose in all their native grandeur; to-day we listen to th©
joyous notes of festive villagers gathered around their
cheerful habitations.
Those dark and dreary recesses, concealed amid the
wilds of nature, which ne'er had received the Impress of
human footsteps, save only the lone track of the savage?
and whose gloomy solitudes, the beams even of a meriv
dian Sun, ne'er had power to penetrate, have now openei^

13
their bosoms to the passage of our numerous Canals, on
whose gay banks are witnessed the exhilarating scenes
of business and mirth, while the passing breeze wafts to
our ear the gladsome notes of the boat song.
Where erst, nought waslieard but the wolf howling
in the wilderness, and beasts of the forest hunting for
their prey, we now see our fields clad in all the luxuri
ance of fertility, and the playful lambs frisking in joyous
gambols o'er the verdant prairies.
The Arts are, in like manner, attaining to new deve-
lopements, emanating from the skill and spirit of enqui
ry which predominates through our land.
Our Manufactures, after combating innumerable diffi
culties connected with the rivalry and cupidity of foreign
countries, have acquired a degree of perfection which
already enables them to compete successfully in many
fabrics with those of Britain and of France; and the
happy period seems rapidly approaching, when we shall
no longer need to rely on foreign sources for supplies
of any kind, but may claim a perfect independence of all
other climes. <,
Internal Improvements, of every description, are ra
pidly unfolding to our view, the riches and resources of
our country; and aided by the fostering hand of our
Government, they will, no doubt, attain a state of per
fection, highly beneficial to our interests, and honorable
to the Nation.
Our Commerce, which some had supposed would be
dirainished by the protecting laws, granted for our Manu
factures, is, on the contrary, more prosperous at the pre-
. tfent, than at any former period.

13
The enterprize of our Mariners has proved more than
equivalent to all rivalry of competitors.
Our Ships, models of their kind, excite the admiration
of the world; and Commerce, the handmaid, both of
Agriculture and the Arts, transports our products to eve
ry quarter of the Globe, and unfurls the starry banner
on every Sea.
The pursuits of Literature and Science are also ma
king great advances among us, and the eminent writers
which our country boasts at the present day, may be
justly ranked among the brightest stars of the age in
which we live.
When such, my fellow citizens, is the infancy of our
Country, what may we not hope for at the fulness of
her maturity?
Let me then anxiously solicit from those around me,
whose age and example carry with them our affection
and our gratitude, to still continue to impart to us the
benefits of their precepts and their counsel. Let me
implore the young to rally around the Standard of our
Country, to guard, with watchful solicitude, the precious
boon which our venerable fathers have bequeathed to
us ; and to cherish the determination to transmit, unsul
lied, to future generations, the same blessing of Civil
and Religious Liberty.
Let us also, my brethren, unite at this auspicious mo
ment, in recalling to mind the Heroes who so nobly
fought and bled for our cause; and in offering a sacred
tribute to the memory of departed worth. And while
we mingle our gratulations with those Veterans and Sa
ges of our Country, who are still left to bless us by their
presence, let our hearts also join in fervent devotion to

14
the Omnipotent Benefactor of the Universe, and invoke
his protection for the votaries of Liberty throughout the
world. To the Army and the Navy of our Country, we owe a
debt of gratitude, which the aspirations of freedom are
alone competent to repay. And fiom the geneious de
votion vifhich you, her military defenders, have, at all
times evinced, our Republic gathers the most perfect
confidence, that in her future appeals to you, at periods
of National danger, her voice will ever be nobly an
swered. But, my fellow citizens, with our present population
of thirteen millions of freemen, combined with the ad
vantages of our peculiar location, we have but little to
fear from any foreign power.
Let otber Nations engage in broils, and in conquests
of each other ; but let our exertions be directed to the
conquests of nature; to clear the wilderness, cultivate
the field, and bid the golden haryests of our land to glad
den the hearts with plenty, and the desert to blossom as
the rose.
And what brighter incentives to emulation need we to
desire, than those which surround us on every side. A
Country extending from the St. Lawrence to the Gulf
of Mexico; and which owns no other limits but the At
lantic and the Pacific; embracing in her immense do
main, every climate requisite for the production of the
necessaries and the luxuries of life ; what other boon
have we to ask of nature ?
Her majestic Rivers, her mighty Lakes, her lofty Fo
rests, her rich Tallies and fertile Plains, and the noble
race of her Aborigines, all conspire to prove that a glo>

rious destiny awaits her ; and that she is ordained by the
God of nature, for the most grand and sublime deve-
lopements. Animated with these inspiring sensations,
the soul expands with delight at the exalted prospects
which futurity presents.
Let then, the favored Sons of America, unite^ their
gratulations at each return of this auspicious era, in one
spontaneous effusion of patriotism and gratitude; and
while we thus emulate the noble example of our fathers
by this tribute of enthusiastic devotion ; let us ever
cherish the joyous anticipation, that our country, in the
continuance of her mighty progress, will, like some
splendid luminary, send forth her radiant beams to eve
ry corner of the earth; until, in the consummation of
her illustrious career, she shall have marked out a course,
lofty as is the flight of her eagle, and brilliant as the
stars that emblazon her banner.

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