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%  July 41:11, 1303.
A BENJAMIN WHITMAN, ESQ._ A A
V SIR, f: i i N _ i e %% s  
THE Committee appointed by the Oflicers of the sec«—

i - and Regiment in the first Brigade and fifth Division of Militia,-and the Gen--%

tlemen colleéted at Hanover to celebrate the birth day of our nation, have

chosen me to present you their thanks, for the Oration this day delivered be- i %

fore them; and to request a copy thereef for the press.
.. i i ; CHARLES TURNER, jun. Lt. Col. Comdt. ed Regt.

T
Hum:-In-cu--an-uni

< Hanover, July 5th, 1803.
Sm,

BENJAMIN WHITMAN

  TURNER, jun. Esq. Le. Col. Comdt. 3

? 
i 

YOUR note of yesterday I have received. The request “ '
‘of the respeéitablc Gentlemen therein communicated 1 will answer, by re-
naigninge to“ public crisieism%L‘%%‘i41:1fi_ose esentiII1jaim?$5eeeieei4*whieifyghqwiever  expressed,

i M j were well inte1:;tiijne(i,i%an¢;i ivVith'“i7gresitiires'15e’6i:,  their end your obedient

 

‘AN

o R A T I o'“’Nl

TO hold in grateful remexnbrancc
distinguished national blessings, and for a people to
commemorate, in a decent, suitable manneri those
great events in their history, which give existence to
their body politic, is at all times their duty, and tlieir
best interest. We are therefore convened on this

day,n1y fellow citizeflfia to yretraee-y,yin idea, the cans»-
* esolthlat ‘led toouraindepenclenee as a nation lg, to en»
joy the pleasures, which a refleflsion on that great
event excites in the mind; to contemplate its conse-

quences to us as a people; and to resolve on that fl.1~-
ture conduét, as citizens and as soltxliers, which shall

transmit its blessings to our posteritty; zi1al~:ing that

day always recolleéted with pl_easure9 in which it was

declared, THAT THE UNITIED s':m':r1e;s cm A'lVll:ZR.lt3.1?e

ARE meet AND INDEPENDENT.

The religious bigotry ofythe si.:s:teer:itl’i ceriioi'j:*_t
which drove from Europe our virtuous; fliitti pious;
ancestors, furnished them‘ with motives, while it

gave them an opportunity, of ibriiiirig; their civil

government by their wishes, cliretiietl only by their

5  

 

it disdains submission ; and, like the individual arrived
at full age, seeks to command rather than obey. It
is also in the history of all governments, founded on
the immutable nature of man, to increase its exaétions
with the T" ability to perform them- This state of
things existed, when these American states assumed to
be independent. The misunderstandings, jealousies,
and suspi.cions between the old and new world, can»
kered the minds of both. The cup of attempted rec-
onciliation had been dranl-r_y,tor»r«elits dregs without effect,
and the bold appeal to arms was made. i  

The ever memorable declaration of independence,
proclaimed to the astonished world, that the Ameri-
cans felt their strength and resources sufficient to
give them a rank among the independent nations of
the earth, and Wave their standard of liberty in deli»
ance of the British lion. Resistance then to Great Brib-
ain became a duty, and thousands of our citizens
gathered round the standard sacred to liberty, and de.
voted themselves to the service of their cpountryt  j, w

A “A ‘When, in the course of human events, itbecomes
necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds c

which have connected them with another ;” orrwhen
a government is to be dissolved, and a revolution of»

r feéted, it becomes necessary that the leaders in such

revolutions, should make their first appeal to thecpasm
sions of the people. Sober reason, and even the pru-

_ dence of mankind, must be smothered for a time, by

thepopular whirlwind excited by revolutionary char-
acE‘ters. The and will r}:z7zEZ2:’j_"y the rzzemzr, becomes the

  rnaszimy of the day ;i and all timid, cautious, or even

  prudezzrl eoncluét is construed into treason, byathe fits

 tr’?

mo:  

 fl
rious zealof the populace. In our memorable revo-»
lution, vvehad to exhibit this scene in the drama of
the human passions. Every art was resorted to that
would inflame the minds of our people against their
former brethren 5 and no tale of distress or misery was
left untold, that would serve to call forth against the
common enemy, the most relerzrless passions of the
human heart. To /effect a separation from Great

A Britain, required the united exertion of a brave and

rnagnanimous people. No temporising, timid, or even
cautious conduét was to be tolerated. If any of our
sober, steady, cautious, or fearful citizens, even paused
at the hazardous and important enterprize, their fears
were construed into opposition, and their caution into
treason. Manymen of the best intentions, and most
perfeét reétitude of character, with a sincere love for
their country, but whose passions had not been heated
in the furnace of the times, equal with the common
standard, vverevpro.scribe.d,and e denounced as ram
and enemies of their country; visited by the hand of
persecution, they became er-fipatriated, and the loss of
every thing valuable to them in life, taught them,
there is no middle path in revolutions, and that inno-
cence of intention is nopvroteélzion against the passions
of men. A If a man, in our day of revolution, ‘ shrunk
appalled from the approaching danger ;. if the black
storm of civil commotion, that howled destruction ‘“

A in his ear, caused him to exhibit even timid conduétg A

if a love for his country’s peace prompted him to ad-
vocate pacific measures ; if a conviction of our inabil»- ii .
ity to contend in arms, with so potent a toe as Great‘,

A Britain ; if the hA,Aorrors of sacked. towns, the violation

of female chastity, and the cries of murdered wives ii A A

and children, wereisufiered to haunt his imagination,

 

 

8

 

r palsy his exertions ; if those scenes of misery and
distress that usually attend civil war,and whichoften»
times cause the stoutest heart to faint,and make the

proudest spirit humble ; if any of these causes were

suffered to unnerve the arm of a single American, such
was the unhappy fermentation of the day, that the run;
fortunate subjeét of such caution or‘ fear, became con»
visit in the public opinion, and was at once marked as
the viétini of popular fitry.

It is the unfortunate lot of rnan,.thalt his passions,

i when excited. tend to excess, and often produce inju-
ries to others, and in the end mischief to himself ;.yet i

the exe1'cise of our passions is at times necessary,
as no great and hazardous enterprise“ can be effected
without them. a When a man is called to butcher and

destroy his fellow being, he must, like the wild beast,

follow parriorz rather than reason.

But thanks be to heaven, our revolutionary storm
has past, and the glorious sun of peace, independence
and nationalfreedom, shines in full splendor on our
happy land. With the return of peace ought also to

l he a return of ourreason and correél: feelings. We
 ought 11ow,- “ if angry, sin not, let the sun not go
a down on our wrath, or give place to the devil.” We

ought now to remember the agitations of those “ days

. ‘ I
Ul of unpleasant times,” only to correét our errors. We
m{ ought now to make those allowances, for the fears

‘J andmistaltes of others, which candor and good sense

demand. r We ought, with fervent gratitude to heav-

iremracknowleclge,-that,though in our contest for indfe;

pendence, we hadmany timid and lukewarm Jrevoluw

tionists, yet. wehad but few Arnolds. . The Sober and  ”

  i  
correct thinking part of the community can now see,
that many “ of our fellow citizens, who, in times of
revolutionary trouble, we denominated series and en»
emies to their country,had virtues blended with their
defects ; and have demonstrated by their conduct since

A our revolution, that they prize liberty as highly, re-

gard the rights of men as sacredly, conducft as citizens
as peacefully, love their country as fervently, and sup
port our government as willingly, as any of us, whose
zeal in times of our country’s daiiger, placed us in
more aétive or conspicuous stations. We are now all
members of the same community, our interest in the
support and preservation of our government is now
alike. We have alike Ch9.1‘3.€l2€’1‘S to support, proper»
ty to defend, and families to provide for and p1"ote<S“.
The administration of our government applies equally‘

to us all. ~ Let us then banish the disgraceful, un1nean«-
ing epithet of A aid rprypfrom j the catalogue, of :,our in   erlewtlt

pressions ii; if let  itliiinltii tnore ‘like christians, and rea-
son more like men ;. let us recollect We are now sup.»
porting a government of our own, not destroyingothe
impositions of a foreign one; let us remember that

the exercise of those passions andprejudices necessary

to effect a revolution, are never to beused in the btltlltlw
ing up or support of any government; let us cone

siderthat those men who make the best instruments 
to destroy power, are often the worst A characters to

support peace and order in society gt let us not
forget that the sword is the ixnplement of ,war,_but

the pruning hook that of peace. A iWe arenot to

regard what men were once, but what they are

now; not wltatiis past,bntwhat is present and to, i
come»           

dB

I0
 

When we turn our attention to the consequences
of our glorious revolution, the mindalmost loses it-
self in raptures. We have thereby been enabled to

sit under our own vine and figtree, having none to

molest or nialce us afraid. Our country has arisen
to that eminence and splendour, that strength and

abundance of resource, as almost to defy all injury, .

he:-rcept the cliastisernents of an offended Deity. AL-
reacly have we multiplied like the sands on our sea-
shore. The well cultivated garden now ravishes our
senses, where not long since thewild beasts of the
forestsat watching for their prey. Poverty and want
have fled to their only proper residence, that of
the idle and vicious. Our young men are nobles,
our old men are kings. ‘Our country is a paradise,
and our blessings are those of the highly favoured of
heaven. We have no foreign prince to diétate our
laws, nor alien hirelings to eat our substance. The
trifle we give to support our government, is enjoyed
by our own sons; and the peace, security, and,happi-
ness we receive frornit,tis."rnore than compoundin-
terest on the capital advanced. V A

If we consider the present prosperous and happy
situation of our country, either by contrasting it with
the infancy of its settlement, its slow and gradual rise
under the impositions of Great Britain, the distress-
ing period of its late glorious and successful effort for

‘deliverance, by comparing it with the condition of any .

up other nation on earth, or by contemplating the sub-

“ lirne, free and rational enjoyment, which, as individ-

, uals, we daily and hourly experience, the idea of out

A happyand flourishingconditionias a peoplegyswellys

with the thouglit, and brightens as it swells. 

II

 
 

Here let uspause, “ From whence do all these
blessings flow?” And first ourweyes will be direéted to

that Divine Source of all good, whose bounteous prov-
idencei and almighty power direéts in the affairs of?

men; nextshallt we payhomage to the sober, en-

V lightened, industrious anclmoral habits of our venera-

ble and pious ancestors, who left us, as our richest
inheritance, their bright example ; and lastly, shall
we respeét that glorious event we this day celebrate.
If then we have a goodly heritage, if our lot has real-
ly fallen to us in pleasant places, let us next consider

A show we may deserve the continuation of the blessings

we now enjoy, and transmit to our descendants the
rich inheritance we have received from our fathers.

It is a part of the weakness and imperfe&ion of our
natures, to ,<.j;'row uneasy and restless in prosperity.
Conunon want and connnon dang;e1~ willunite a pee»

A  ple,;.bu.t..pTnosperityldivides.them.t Inadtterstityll we are

brothers, in prosperity aliens. t It is an old and a true
proverb, that man was made for adversity. He is a
philosopher in trouble, a fool in prosperity. Tlie in-
dividual who banquets on the luxuries of ease and all
fluence, has his mind racked with uneasy cares, and

his pillow is ax bed of thorns ;. so also with nations, .

when they possess all that is valuable in life, y when

their situation is as eligible as the lot of humanity will

admit, they become ungrateful forpast faiv,ou1",i and

continually sigh after some i1nag;i11ary good. Inthe.

language of the wise man, 1“ they grow ric/J mad was
‘ZUz:Z7Zf072.” They sport with their greatest privileges,
as the child does with his rattle, until they lose them;
and history will not furnish a single exception, where

a nation or peop1e,possessing all the liberty, affluence

dry] I

£2‘.

 

-on

and independence that would make tliiem great and
happy, have not finally grown uneasy and discontent-

ed under the enjoyment of such blessings, bartered
away their rights and privileges for visionary good, and

forfeited their liberty and independence, by prostitute
ing those precious gifts of heaven to vicious purposes.

Imaginary evils will assail a people, where no real
ones exist. They will foolishly introduce disunion,
and seek for difficulties, where there isno cause of un-—
easiness. ‘Idle hopes and fears, like the visions of a
disturbed imagination,iiwill haunt their peace. They
will be induced to innovate on their government, until

it becomes unstable, and frequently shift their adminis-

trations, untilthey weaken and render contemptible

the strong arxnof their union, Where are the ancient l A

republics of Greece and Rome? ‘What portion of the
globe can we point to and say, There flourishes a. re-4
publican government ? Have Frenchmen in modern.
times proved an exception to this decree of fate i’ Let
the inquirer read the answer from the page of history
written by the sword of a Bonaparte.

And is this thy lot, 0 humanity I Is there no balm in
Gilead, is there no physician there ? Must America,
lilee all other nations who have preceded her, be swept
from her highly favoured station, and be buried in her

own disgrace ? Must the finger «of after time point to

the d6SOl21t~€Ll spot, where once stood our fair temple
of liberty and freedom, and notice only the ruins of
our decayed honor and independence? Sad refieétion!

Can, we not svoicl some of those evils that tend to V

  hasten on the declinelof nations and of empires? Can

we learn nothing from the destruétionr of other nations,

Is

 
 

u-nun-nomad

that will teach us to avoid their fate? Let usat least
make the attempt. Let us in prosperity adopt the
maxims of adversity, and try the eazpleriment, though
a hard one, to oppose our own follies, throw aside our
most favoured prejudices, and conquer our strongest
passions. Let us well consider the causes of decline
in all free governments, and avoid the errors which

produce it.

Upon examination we find, that the natural and un-
avoidable‘ evils of life are few, compared with those
that arise from our imaginations, and have their origin V
in the abuse of our passions. No observation ever
made is more just, than “ that we are our own worst en!»
entries g,” and our most fervent prayer to heaven ought
constantly to be, that we may he saved from ourselves.
Tlie wise man said truly, when he observed, “that he
vvhoconquers his passions _is greater than he who
takes-a city.."’«i.It easyfor usito be persuaded of 
what our passions wish should beitrue; but extremely
hard to convince a man against his prejudices. An.
orator, who addresses the passions or prejudices of his
hearers, is sure of applause, but the man, who reasons
against their follies or vtices,avill meet their displeasure;
yet the honest politician will not cease to warn_ his
countrymen of their danger, though by it he become
unpopular; or cease to speak: truth, though by it, he
offends : for he is my best friend, who tells me of my
faults, and he my safest director, who addresses ‘him-
self tovtny understanding, rather than to my passions. i
We ought to begin our inquiry into the causes of the
decline of free governments, by noticing some of the
errors we are subjefipprto entertain of the nature of civil
governrnent.   "

 

d  ‘glam  i

Lei.

 

There is perhaps no words in our language more
frequently repeated and less l understood, than those
of “ liberty and the rights of man.” Many persons
suppose they never can enjoy true liberty, until they
possess the power to gratify all their passions. Others
will talk loudly of gag laws, and of the freedom of
speech being invaded, if they are deprived of the lib-

, erty of lying or maliciously slandering their neigh-

bour. Others suppose the clear rights of man are not
enjoyed, unlessthey can monopolize to themselves all
the favours of ‘society and the blessings of heaven,
while" they regard not the superior merit, or the hap-
piness of their neighbou1*s. They malts patriotism to
consist in levelling all distincftions among men, and

' males the wealthy and the wise to walls: on foot, while
r they place the fool and the laeggar on horseback.

‘Their envious, levelling passions areconstantly at war
with that natural aristocrat:y among men, which the
God of nature hirnself has established ; and, like the ty»
rant of Elyracuse, would malae all men equal, by disn
rotting. nature ;A not 1*egardi1ig.thealmiglity fiat, that

A A gives to one man lfive talents, to another two, and to

another one. i

Some suppose that all government is a nuisance, and
every species oi:"1‘estraint,an infringernentof the rights
of man. Others run wild with the idea that twhatevw
er the sovereign people do must always be right, let
them atft as bad as they will, and think. it no fault to

M 3“ follow 61 rrzulrirzzcfe to do emf,” so they have but the
advantage of numbers on their side. Others will tell ..
you, that whatever is the opinion of a majority of the
people under any circumstances, must alwaysbejust;
as though the martinis of rightandvsrotig were tobe

 

sew»

remember, that until they make all men equal in un-

.15

 

tested by the same rules, as we ascertain the number
of our sheep, by counting them. Let such politicians

derstanding and integrity, and furnish them with equal
opportunities for information, that what is right or
wrong in government can never be cleterrnined pr.
‘cepire ; so also as it rpespetls the maxim, “‘ that the
people will do right,” it is true in the dark days of
their distress, but it is generally reversed in the halcy-
on days of their prosperity. They then almost always
aélc wrong, and for this reason, in prosperity they aél:
from caprice and passion, in adversity from reason and
judgment. An individual in perrfeét health, stops not
to reason on the approaches of mortality, or notice the
distant scene that awaits him; he alilte disregards the
adrnonitions of conscience, or the inducements to a
virtuous and regular life ;   but View him in his siclr.
chamber, see the last faint hope of continuing life fade

1 inihiys‘ view, hethenl thinks correctly, and, like thea-

bancloned wretch, whose crimes againstsociety have A
brottglat him to the fatal blocl-1, reasons like a philoso-. A

pher and a christian. Tire same position we see exem-

plified in nations and commonvrealtlis, in times of dif»-t
ficulty and danger.' "When an enemy is on their coast,
when the flames of their sacked towns, the cries of
their bleeding children, rouse the people from their
lethargy, their passions, prejudices and whims, melt
like the morning dew before the sun, reason resumes
itsempire in the mind, and they place only such men

in power as deserve the trust,“ and appoint only such as

their leaders, who merit to command. .‘When the boat

is siiilting they can unite in the cry, “ Help,Lord,or we
perish ,” but carry them thr'ougl1 the day of theirca-
l larnity, and marl; well their contluft in the midday of

 , at

16

l‘

 

, their prosperity. You will then see the warworn vets»

eran begging his bread, and the virtuous patriot, grown
gray in their service, treated with negleét, while the
mushroom politician, who flatters their vices, is idoliz-
ed as their saviour,and, buoyed up by their passions,
enjoys the smile of their approbation. How often, at
our eleétive board, do we witness this shameful prosti-
tution of the dearest and most valuable rights or free-
rnentl where, in the choice of our lawmakers and rul.-
ers, we are called to witness the outrage made on de»--
cency and goodsense, by the influence of passion and
prejudice. We there see ability, morality, integrity
and talents, fall a sacrifice to the artful address of an
ignorant, stupid flattercr of our passions and preju-
dices, or too often by a more disgraceful appeal to our
corrupt appetites, by the bottle or the purse.

The base oilice seeker, or the envious demagogue,
who, in the corner of our streets, or in the bar room
of our inns, will declaim in favour of liberty and the
equal rights of man to the gaping circle he has collect-
ed, about him, will alarm their fears by imaginary e-
vils, Jwill flatter their pride by assumed distinétions,
will vociferate against taxes and public burthens, ap-
pear to sympathize much with the poor,trail loudly a-
gainst the learned professions, call all men in power or
authority usurpers of their rights, infuse jealousy into
their minds against their rulers, caution them to
watch well the rich and learned men of the day, for
they are all aristocrats, and want to introduce lord-

lhips, and finally to operate on their prizjudices most

supremely, and fix them effectually for the purposes of
democratic rage, he will finish his harangue by the low
bred, malicious, and unrneaning epithets‘ of aid tory and

I7
Bririsb agent. A This stutf, fulsome and ridiculousss it
is, meets with too much currency in our country; we
are too apt to begoverned by first impressions 5 we
are not willittg to be at the troubleof examining asub-
jeét attentively, and reasoning dispassionately,but are

 

disposed to aét from the impulse of the mornent,as it \

saves us the trouble of an examination ; and as no dan-s
get is inimetliately apprehended, our country being at
peace, and tiiirtgs going on, for aught we see, well e»-
nough, we see no harm in gratifying our whitns or our
prejudices ; not recolleéting as we ought, that after a
calm comes a storm, that such condufiiz is the sec:r<:.t
poison that tlestroys all free 3.:f,‘OVtL*l‘1l1t‘mE!t1i?S, :—;1.nt'l l al-
though the disease may not lirmzalc. out in imtnedizite
t:Or1VL1lSi011S, ‘yet the final dissolution of the republic is
nevertheless not less certain.

To avoid the disgrace of having thrown away our
rights by abusingtl1em,iand to preserve our liberty and
independence: pure and unsullied, "we must “ corret'‘.‘t
the procedure ;.” we must learn to have correct ideas
of the nature and extent of our rigltts, otherwise we
shall never ltnow when they are invaded by oth:.:-rs 5
we must rernember we never can possess theright to
do wrong 3 tliat our rights and liberties are '110tl“tin
more, than a. privilege secnredlto us by law,‘ to pursue
our own best good, in that way only, which is consistw
em with, and not d.est1*uétive of, the good zttici ltappi-t
ness of others 5 that it is not aninvasion of onr1*igiits,

A that fools and Inadtnen, children, worxien, persons of

no property or cltaraéter, should he exelutled from a

share in the adrninistration of our geovernnient, or the _
act of voting at our elecilzionsg, for it would he t”;lE:1I1gt‘?1’--

ous to liberty and good government to entrust in their
hands so valutihle a pledge. , It is no diminution of
‘I

‘WI

u-aw-A-u.m..a....—qvuc-cu-uw»4......v..¢

our rights, that nature has made c.iistin<§§ti<:>ns among
men 5 that poverty or ignorance is the lot of one man,
While wealth or learning is the gift of another. Tliis

t Varietyin the chain of human existence is best, it pares»

serves the harmony and durability of the great who.lc=: c;
we thereforeproduce mischief in society, and fight
against nature, whenever we undervalue merit, or raise
vice and ignorance to the seat of virtue and intelliger1ce.
Every man is to be proteéted in the sphere in which he
is qualifiedto xnove, and equal justice is to be done to
all ; but wernust yrementber, that the servant is not
greater than his ‘ niasrter E“ that we must give A honour to
whom honour is due, and always rencler to Cmsar the
thirigs thatare Csesar’s. We oughtto rernetnber that
all free governmentsthat ever existed to bless Instr»-
kind, have ultimately been destroyed by the people
thernselvest. Power grows mild by age, when obeyed,
but becomes a tyrant when resisted ; the rod of cor»
reétion drops from the master’s hand, when his scholu
ars obey his rules,«but “ a /iz‘r!efi2zger becozzm heavier
flzmz szplxlole /rand,’ 7’ i when they resist or ,rebel_ against

ghis authority.  must thiereilorye guard against

that restless, uneasy, revolutioniairig conduft, i to.-

wards our government and its aclmirristrations, wliich ,

is the bane of free republics, and which ‘invites pow-
er to be tyrannic and authority despotic. We must
learn to subdue our passions, and a8: from correét
reason, rather than blindprejudiceg, to prefer the good
of our country to the gratification of our whims, and

the‘merit of aéting well ina humble station, rather

than moving in a higher one. i VVe must also be careful
that we are not deceived by the professions of patliot-~

ism and virtue in others ; it is by the fruit We know the A

tree, and not by the appearance of the leaf ; it is not

the mend who worms himself intoofliceby intrigue, or

._-5'6    l

 i-W

s 
addresses himself to our wealrness or passions, to en»
list us of his party, that deserves our confidence; for
merit is unassuming, and virtue rnalces but few pro-

ifessionts. Vifhen you hear a man talk much of liber-

ty and the rights of man, lamenting the misfortunes of
the poor, reviling the charaéters of the eminent, en-
deavouring to unhinge society ‘by destroying all dis-
tinéiions among men, declairning against public eat»-
,pense,antl raging high in favour of national economy

ii he does not understand, exciting jealousy against all
all men in power and authority, cautioning you -to
beware of rich men, for they are all aristocrats, and

avoid learnecl men for they want hereditary govern»
rnent, that it isramong; the wyzititilirzg interest, or the

, lower grades in society, that you must find your

frientls‘ and retairl,ino' out such stall’ as this, that a
9 Q . ,

poor man’s vote is as gootl as a rich man s, that one

man is as good as another, that such and such men

m1110mrC1‘1rI1ums  learnt mm?» W 014 1’0’‘’”¢’~‘>?‘‘‘t
\ salaryrnen,  otftthis or that profession, finds tl1€I't"5~

fore you must not trust them in your councils ; when
you final a man addressing your passions, and feeding
your prejutlices with such unmeaning nonsense, cal-

culated onlyto induce you to at} without refle€tion,o

tavoid the cleceiver, as you would the poison of the ad-

rider. Buttiif you want to place your confidence where
it will not [she abused, eazamine the corzdzrfz‘ rather than

the praferrimzs of men ; see Whether the canclitiate for

your trust is a man poss :~5SiI1gVl1‘t11t33in theprivate

walksof life ;. is he just in his clealings with others?

does he pay the labourer his hire? is he more anszious

to feed the hungry and clothe the naked, than he is to
flatter their vanity, or inflame their passions 3 is he a
kind master, a faithful husband, an aiiefiionate father,

or an obedient son is does he respeél; religion and its 

30

 

teachers? does heattencl to the natural distinétions
among men, and rnakea difiertence betvveen virtue
and vice? does he respeét the sober and CO1"I‘€r§’c man.-
ners of his ancestors, anclprefer the settled rnaxitns of

experience and truth to the visionary schemes, of the

speculatirrg philosopher P is he qualified to serve you?

has he talents and education, to enable him to be use»

ful in the station you designhitn tofill? if his conduét
in society is a pledge of his possessing these properties,
your confidence will not be misplaced ; and by pro-
moting only such rnento oflices of power and trust,you
will exercise your civil privileges vvithall that safety
to yourselves, that the lot of humanity will tpermit.
But if you pervert your liberty, by letting your passions
rule, and suffer the prejudice of an old grudge, a word,
a name, or the flattery of profession to guide you j in
the choice of your rulers, you will be deservedly sold
to the destroyer, who will come upon you like a thief
in the night, and your birth right will be exchanged
for a mess of pottage,

, It will always be a seriousmisfortune to any people,
when, they clistrust the learning and €Cll1C21l”lt2)I1 of their
country; a well cultivated understancling is the best

preventative of vice, for “ vvisclon1’s ways will always

be ways ol"ple-asantness, and all her paths, paths of
peace.” Tire tlrousancis of our unhappy fellow men,

who are called toyrexpiate their crimes by an ignomin- A

ions death, are generally found among tlre ignorant
and tiatatrght pi" our species. Wlty then are we told

that their oil’ etluezation and abilities are not to be trust»

etili’ iltici our ancestors do vrrona; when they ereéted

tlieir etrliegges, and realise provision for schools? Do
we, find the seats of eepience tend. to breed serpents 9 or,
  t3i1i$pii&:‘=t..”e, out‘ tCOI1i:1Cle‘3;I1C€, when we place it in

       

2 I

 

the education of our country? What gives America

her high rank among the nations of the earth I’ Is 
the learning or the ignorance of our nation? To what, , -

under heaven, are we indebted for the preservation
hitherto of civil liberty in ‘ our country? Is it to the
vice and ignorance, or the virtue and education of our

A people .9 Who, holds the scales of justice even” among

our citizens, and preserves our independence and free».-
dom, is it the ignorant, or theintelligent and wise ?
Let us for a moment, in our imaginations, separate
the virtuous, the learned and the wise men of our
country, from the idle, profligate, vicious and igno-
rant, and what form of government would the latter

adopt, or what species of civil jurisprudence would A

they need i’ Wottld their government he republican?
Could they eazist long without a leader? No‘, the
club would be their counsellor, and the guillotine their
judge. As well might savages exist without a sachem,

or a Gentoowithout a tyrant master, as the idle, vicious A
and ignorant partvofropurspecies, could preserve any

traces of civil liberty or the equal rights of man. Shall
we then listen for a moment to those idle, envious and

malicious whispers too often circulated by unprinci- V

pied derriagcagues, against men of talents, property,

education or the learnedi professions? Shallwe not

rather adopt‘ the niazairns of sound policy andgood
sense, andin all difficult and doubtful qnestionsyor
where, from want of proper information, we are un-
qualified to judge safely for ourselves, resort to the in-
telligence ofour country for direétion, and place our
conftden<:e in the wisdotn and learning of our nation,
rather than in its vice and ignorance 3 But while we
lament the misfortune, that our fair temple of freedom
and independence is attached by many false hearted
patriots it while we yattetnpt to guard against the injury,

me
::these ‘Abuse tdlsorgnnlizere would ~bting upon rue, by tdriv»

 us b"l:inclfotlld brefotre the twtilairlwiml of out prejudices

Annd passions, let us*»melte laltlitl1a.tztllotwane«e for the im-«

A lbelcillitytand weakness of ‘l’1u«ma11 nature, ttwhieh cantlour

demands A; A let us suppose there are teeny tame ng them,
who, like the .er1*ing apostle of old time, lvertillyutthitntk

;*they areeserving tlnf-3AAcauselolf freedmn, and ~doingiGod

ee1"viee:, While they are denaorzflizisng the world, and

unsettling 'tl1ۤ,fOundatl0l1S of all civil government;

lstewardlts such mistal«:en pmtxtiets, .il,€'l' our piti~y,_ ‘rather

~A':than=o1;1A.r \7;t311g;Cc‘£t'fl(.‘.i;3llhfitjfifiifllltitl, en.c1inthe nlilfll, ft)rgiv-

in-g ;ttemgp;er of%?‘out1* Dizvine Master ‘let us exelaim, “A F a.-
ltthetr fergive .t«h,etm,A llthlfiy Imow not wll1atAt:heyA do.” A :

AFELL~0‘W~-S0LflIE.RS,, A A M
Icannot feel willing :tol-«close the telxercisesA ofxthis
tclay withoutea pertieutla1* acldrests to you. Twenty sev-
en summers have alreztclyrolled away,; since our csoun-.

l try tool; its rank among the independent nations of the

—>ea:t‘i:h ; and altlaougll time has dmwn the shade of ob»-
seurity taver many of the scenes, exI1iAbitedttduringrour
"revolutionary A war, l/\y'at1 suffflieientl A=tth.ev.-;e been lpreservAed,
lte :serve as lessons ef enpe1~ience to us, and teaches

AheW=jtc2_ defend, twlmlt vms tlaen so valintltly wongtzvur
‘netionle honour, liberty and independence. Let us

frequently recur to 0111' declaration of independence,
and Apreserve its p1*inAeipl.eeinvic;Inte; let us remember
*Wetl1e1"ein most solemnly declared, tlmt r“ wetwauld

l»wnside;r Grwzz‘ Brrinzitz, I2’/Le every t1t__/.2er 72;ztiarz?,AAene77zz'es A

!?1“1‘2Atl‘ZtI.6?!3"$,Ji?ZA}’9€tfZCe”,f'I”i€?2t27£.?’ All pn.+ejudAices against our

,formettenem»iee nngltt to eAease with the contest ; it is
T13.'g3.1li1Sfl,0LlI‘pligl'llZ€Cll tfeitl‘2., see well asour true interest
A*'andeApolie.y, to ptesetve ltmy. A na;tion C2l.I1AI1€4VEI'A :pur-
-:s11etAl~l1er*tme interest, wfhile she sufiers any‘ predilec- M s
titans ;otr»tantipe..tlties Ate tmlngle in her councils. ‘Ont

‘Vt

23 %
, “fig. “ " _

vunvwm-0‘-q~«-us:-n-uamuwau-Muuuowan

  ima11:>rm1%W'ashi1:1gmn%, ii1%his last Eegaqz m as has»: said,¢
“_ *w:9%mzu.rz‘% 134229220 esxsmssiw ’j2%zzrti¢zZitie: gr dz°.cZz1éesfaz“¢

% W3)/fc>:*¢=zg¢zi%¢z%n:z2‘£a2z ; fvr  ‘aw Mme, we sbasilxee danger {

wzly 072 (9728 §Z}.f63 mm.’ fay z}.‘n:z2f‘,.s;9c'a72d the cm‘: of izzfluenw
0?: tbs of/5s2r.”%%% Such is the mutable state 0f emépipes,
at" na.ti011s,A%andA of a1I'%hLmaan a:£Fairs,% that thosew11o’a2fe

our warnmestfriendvs or bittfi1*est"enemi<2s this year, may V

be in} 3} re?ver;~u2d position the,ne.:~:t 5. we oug1";ttherefura
1:0: c:aI1fi.nV.em1r lmreto our cmmA coL1nt€z‘y,%zmci aux" raj»

sentlmezat to its present enemies.   As soldiers, it isxvith
%p1ea.sm'e we 1*efie&_.,that xxnzrare not the mercem3.ry tools

emf 21 L"1espc:¢, whmse objeeE‘t is the conquest of defenceiesa
$t21%te.=:s,, the pillzagfi mf cspzzizant Cf0L1I'1T1'§E3S,. the 1'm*e11ga of
s%::a«;:l«:ed taurzzs, the z1m.11"dV<3r%0f §'§£:Ipi1€~38S»ii1fi-H3t$,_ 4:116 via»-

Iaition of clmaxstity, or tihc 1'ewzu*d, ofpluxader ;:,A %norM%a%re:%

we eommViission%eci by an. mfmizxted pop%u121%ce,4to violate
the1*ig11ts of humzmity, by destmying all social orde1*
and distinétio11s in society. We dc» not feel it to be our

  +

  

the heads of our murdc-:z*ed parems to ‘prosve «our love.
m‘ liberty ; but as cz‘tz’:2::m .roldz'er.v vva r«;.~‘w;:ogrxiVze the lzmts
cf am: country as aux‘ comrmnder in clzxitti’, and the
pr€:3c:rmtimI‘1 crxfmur fma censtittxtiarxss and gmmnmenta

  as tI1e%o1>ja<E"ts of our cI:a:i’<;~2I1i.r:<::;, we ve.11%erate thapolicy ’%

ofmxrgyoyvmlmrxxent, tlmtpermits cavary citiwzen Am place

  a11mngg; t:1*1~r:: in1p1enA1r:n%ts mf his trade thea1"ms%;>of his (16+-

frlezzce ; with his p1o11g11 he is cmcou1‘agedtc>cmltivate

his farn1,, zand. with his swmd he is p(:r>:ni4tted to%defei'1%d

if. While we 3:11*ticiA atein th:eA rlor and 31121:‘: the

  1 V P     E» A ‘V %  
lvleszsings of cmr mcleperzdence as a natxon, shall weforg
wet those heroes who» b}<=:d in the cause Aofthjeir comm»
«ta % V

try, and psgzzfd the solcnan debt of nature   tc: estabfiszh A

our f1*e‘c2c‘.ion1? No 3 farbid it Anature, forbid it heaven 5

LRestL1vnoffe%nded ‘ye sacred spirits of cur departed’ hag

u...

-»p—.~m.«....~.......—...-.....-».........m.—....‘-.—m

roesl whetl1m*’y€e now inhabit the ;pz_m~3r rsstgimng ml“

heavenly mzmslcmsg or art comnxissicmed to lmver
mund our €211‘tl”l as kind guagrdizms of ‘Elm livhxg, wit»
mass the lmmble tribute of our respefl All your Cl€€3ClS of
valour, with the tmgic scene ml’ your Cl€pa1‘lZ'L1.1."6 shall
live in the memory of Americans? whifle //:ll.n"1€1fiCla1’18
exist. The fatlaer shall point to the moss; grmvm stone
zmd hollow £:Z’EL1‘tl"}.§ anal tell tlm malzmcl*ml,§,r tzll«a to his
list'e2ni11g son, 1*e<:mmty0m* virtuous zmcl valimlt deeds,
and transxnit your t1“agm:ly ms msterlty. Aazml tlxam too,
mu: sain.ted Washizragtonl on this clay will thy meanw-
ry bell doubly dear to us ; to imitate thy <e:~:z1111pIc3, is
me soldiers pmuclest lumps, and to live anal die: likes
thee, would be 3.11 2mgc~:l’s lfighest p1*aise ; vm will re-»
menaber, that VV:.asl1i11gton'lw:3.s once our <:0m.1:1m21dez*,
and we will aclmmvleclge no standard btlt his vixmes.

F.&:z;z.0z«s>* Cxwzlzsms‘,
l._~et us all on tlfis zmnlvemsiwy, mlitc in tlm amuse»-
ments and plc~2asL1rc2s of film cllxy, with C01‘cli;.xll€y Zlilil.
frimadship ; 1:35: 1.13 z;li3x:niss all mu" uzxplezmzxiat pu:~;tju<;li-
cam, and cmllefi mmuncl t:l‘1elE;~$tive l3<:>:m:l iz:‘al*1si1~n10z1y

lanfi sc:aci;1li11tel*cc>L:a1*se; let us subclmiz mgr passiorms,

cultivzxm our unalarstaxaclizlags, ‘.Ll.}.1£;lllE1l*l'{?:‘ in film M01110-
tionlof tl1ellp1*0spmrity aml lm,p;3i11x:=:ss 03.‘ mm‘ ccnmmtm
country; let us, by ce3me11ting mu‘ i':"riean:;lship and
p1'a«E‘cisi_ng the xzirtuesofiufiaccaful lancl gooal citizewrxs, at

leastattempt to renderxzmr freedom zmcl imlepezxclence l
I irx1n1o1*tzL1;, qmlifying cyurselxfes f<:n"tha7.t blissfull p€3£".l-
A   and, when the lien and the: lambshafll feealquiatlgr to»
 l%g'ether9a11d peace, hzmxmny and fricemclship pa=:rvadc:

lllt5hlelx1x1iverse.l       A

V A .z=1.vz.:;a