ple on the grave of fuperftition; humanity has extracted the rancour from the bofom of war, and wrenched the fword of deftruction from the arm of victory; commerce has fubjected the ocean to the empire of man; and a new world beyond the limits of the old has arisen into view. We are affernbled, not to pay the fervile homage of adulation for the birth of kings and defpots; not to pour forth the fhouts of fanaticifm for the triumphs of anarchy; nor to fwell the guilty acclamations of a phrentic ufurper -No, a more exalted theme in fpires our minds. We celebrate that day, which freed a nation from tyranny, which gave a new empire to the world. A day, which declared the dignity of human nature, and the eternal rights of man ; a day, terrible to tyrants, but dear to freemen. What day can better unite all hearts; what fentiments are more worthy to employ all minds? Rife then, Soldiers, Citizens, Statefmen! approach the altar of your independence, and recount the bleflings of your arduous toils. Lead forth your tender offspring, and teach their youthful minds, to expand with facred love of country. Let pleasure blow the trump of joy; let fhouts of patritotism burit from every tongue; and pæans of exultation rife from every breast. The American revolution will forever ftand, a grand epoch, in the political world. The faculties of human nature, and the rights of man were never till then thoroughly investigated. The art of legislation was brought back to reafon, government was ftrips ped of its myftery, and expofed to the eye of public fcrutiny; and "it was found that for a nation to become free, it is fufficient that fhe wills it." Here was no demon of anarchy, to fpread the peftilence of civil war, to rule in folitude over the graves of his countrymen; no phrenzied parricide,to bear in triumph the head of his father, ftreaming with blood from a guillotine, to teftify his patriotism. Ambition never foared on the crimson wings of victory, to waft herself to empire. We boast no cities laid in ruin, to commemorate the downfall of government and religion; no provinces defolated, to mark the flaming path of Equality; no rivers choaked with the putrid carcafes of murdered citizens. No, far different triumphs are ours. Calm reflection here performed the miracles of infpiration, and deliberate valor acquired the achievements of Gods. An empire happy, a mighty nation freed from tyranny. Thefe are the glorious monuments of our revolution; thefe are the immortal trophies of which we boaft. Our fathers, perfecuted and hunted from their native land, committed themfelves to the bofom of the deep, choofing to affociate with the monsters of the ocean, and to wander at large amid ftorms and tempefts; rather than facrifice their religion and liberties to the inquifition of an inexorable tyrant. Guided by heaven to thefe folitary fhores,nature received them with open arms and joyfully preffed them to her rugged breaft. By their toils and perfeverance, by that virtue derived from pure religion, and that industry infpired by liberty, they rapidly increased to a degree of population and opulence which commanded national refpectability. With minds fuperior to revenge the ingratitude of the mother country, they ftill fondly hailed her by the endearing name of parent. Every tongue was loud in her praife, and every heart rejoiced to obey the commands of her patriot kings, By the fovereign aid of her colonies Great Britain was exalted to a height of power, which threatened the liberties of mankind. Victory every where crowned her arms by land, and her navy rode triumphant over the feas. Europe trembled at the omnipotence of her fway; Africa groaned under her mercenary iniquity; Afia wore the chains of her monopolifing avarice ; and the whole world was too narrow for the boundaries of her ambition. But the wealth of nations was infufficient to fupport the pomp and pageantry of a profligate court, and the cravings of minifterial rapacity. Jealous of a rifing power, which he foreboded would foon fet him at defiance, and adopting the narrow policy of his traitorous counfellers, the king of Britain attempted to gratify the avarice of his favourites by oppreffive extortions from his colonies. The perfidious defign was concealed with all the art of hypocrify and impofture. The powers of flattery and promifes, of bribery and feduction, were in vain exhaufted, to ensure its Fff fuccefs. Our rulers were too Europe beheld with aftonifhment an infant nation, unskilled in the deteftable art of human flaughter, without the means of war or foreign aid, rife in defiance to the power of Britain. The forces of a mighty empire were called forth, to crush, and chain us. The fiery meteors of royal vengeance ftreamed through our atmosphere; the clouds of war gathered blackness, the tem peft of battle burft over our heads -But America ftood firm and undaunted,like the mighty Andes whofe towering tops rife in calm fublimity, mocking the fury of the angry elements. Say, ye hoary freemen, who are yet alive, what enrapturing love of pofterity, what mighty fortitude, what divine enthufiafm, infpired your patriot fouls, to appeal to heaven for the juftice of your caufe; to challenge the world in arms; and "to fwear with one voice, to die "freemen rather than to live flaves." Where fhall I begin to relate a feries of events, which to admiring nations appeared like miracles! Shall I bring back to view "the times, which tried mens' fouls?" Shall I prefent you our neighbouring capital, crowded with hoftile foes; her temples plundered, her altars polluted, and the peaceful ceremonies of religion driven from this holy fanctuary? Shall I lead you to the heights of Bunker, amid torrents of conflagration, the thunders of battle, and the groans of the dying? Shall I fet before you our devoted country, trembling on the brink of annihilation? On the Eaft, a victorious army and an all powerful navy ravaged our fea coaft. On the Weft, the favage cannibal forfook his native haunts, to fpread devastation and carnage. Terror and defpair affailed us in the South; famine and peftilence broke in from the North-Inexorable Deity at length liftened to the cries of expiring freedom. The God of liberty proclaimed aloud "what men can do, has been already done; I have found a patriot worthy to rule a nation of freemen." A flood of glory burst from heaven, and encircled Washington. At the boldness of his achievements the ministers of Britain ftood appalled, their monarch trembled on his throne, and despotism himfelf, blinded by the blaze of his fame, threw down his chains. The crimson morn of liberty was often obfcured with clouds of misfortune. The object of our revolution was but half com pleted by the acquifition of inde pendence. Our bands of unity relaxed with our dangers. Mutual jealoufy,party discord,and an alarming fpirit of licentioufnefs, thofe infeparable evils of an excess of liberty, threatened to undermine the fair fabric of our freedom. The old confederation was found inadequate to the ends of government, and to regulate the new interefts of conimerce and foreign intercourse. Induf try was paralized under an intolerable load of taxes, trade was fhackled with exorbitant duties; our finances disordered, and public credit ruined. The people felt the evils, and ignorant of the caufe, became outrageous againft their rulers. Anarchy reared her hydra head; the high priests of faction blew the trumpet of rebellion; and the vultures of civil war fcreamed for joy at the profpect of carnage. But the weeping genius of liberty fled for refuge to the groves of Vernon. The father of his country, transported with paren tal love, flew to comfort, and fave his despairing children. His prefence, like order moving over the face of chaos, brought harmony out of confufion, confidence from defpair. A new conftitution was formed from the collected wifdom of American fages. A conftitution, which unites the advantages of all former govern ments, without their evils; a government as perfect, as the mind of its chief author, and which, if maintained in its pure fpirit, will be eternal as his glory. Europe is doomed to perpetual difcord and commotion. Diplomatic policy has spread its crafty net over all her cabinets, and bound them in eternal enmity. Impulse given to one, caufes them all to vibrate. Reafon, policy and humanity, protested against our taking any part in the prefent unnatural war. A neutral pofition was the dictate of prudence and wifdom. This enviable fituation, by the firmness of our government, and the discretion of our chief magiftrates, we have honorably maintained in defiance of foreign threats and domeftic intrigue, in fpite of royal plunderers and republican rob bers. The present is an alarming crifis. We have triumphed over foreign enemies,but we have now, to contend with ourselves. We have to combat the powers of intrigue,that peftilence,which walketh in darkness; a fpirit of diforganization, begotten by envy, and propagated by calumny, hypocrify and atheism; which has applied the moft captivating ames to the worst of crimes. A doctrine, in which all fubordinaion is denominated oppreflion; all government and law, defpoim and tyranny. A new poitical philofophy, which renders ts difciples all equal-equal in nfamy, the fcourges of mankind, he anti-christs of rational liberty. Does any one doubt the perniious effects of this wonderful phiofophy? Let him turn his eyes Europe, and behold her in all Ler terrors. There, fhe has raifd herself a power, which like Aaron's ferpent devours all othrs. There,by her influence deeds of horror have been committed, the bare relation of which would blifter the tongue of favage cruelty; which would curdle the blood of cannibals! Thanks to the hero, who has arrefted the monster in the midst of her triumphs, and chained her down to military defpotifm. But the marks of her ravages, like those of the deluge, will remain to latest posterity. Too Nearly all the evils, which convulfe the world at the prefent day, have arifen from mistaken ideas of the rights of man. feeble to defend himself against furrounding dangers, and to gain fubfiftence alone, man enters the focial compact for convenience and fecurity. Yielding up his original independence, he voluntarily lays himself under the reftraints of order, in return for protection and fafety. Thus the embryo of fociety is begotten by government, and nourished on the bofom of fubordination and law. Thus the popular doctrine of equality in a civilized ftate, founded on error, and propagated by ignorance, is a folecifm in politics. Civil liberty does not confift in wandering at large over a barren wil lernefs; but in enjoying a cultivated garden, fecure from the invafion of all others. It is not marked by the unbounded limits of paffion and will; but confined by the gentle refraints of doing whatever does not injure another. Hence, no fociety can exift without government, no liberty without obedience to laws; and experience demonstrates that "even the worft of governments is preferable to none at all." Can any true lover of his country reflect on the present situation of the world, the unnatural war which has fpread havoc and deftruction in every quarter of the globe, the millions which have faller. victims to its fury, the nations which have been fwept away in its progrefs, without gratitude for the fignal prefervation of America? What nation on earth enjoys fo high a degree of freedom and happiness? What government fecures to its fubjects their rights and liberties, like our own? Have we not a conftitution of our own free choice; adminif tered by men of our own election? Are not our rulers bound by the most folemn obligations of duty and confcience for the faithful difcharge of their trufts? Are they not under the higheft refponfibility? Can they purfue any oppreffive meafure, which will not equally effect themselves? Will they not all return at the expiration of their offices, and mingle with the mass of citizens? Ought not our unexampled national profperity, enjoyed under our prefent adminiftration, to infpire public confidence? Is it not the highest demonftration of the uprightness of our prefen: political fyftem? Have we not for our chief magiftrate, a ftatefman, whofe wifdom and fidelity command the veneration of mankind; whofe patriotifm is teftified by a life devoted to your fervice; whose firm soul, to fecure popular applause, never feared to execute the ftern commands of juftice; but whofe mercy repentant guilt never implored in vain Reflect on these truths, ye foreign exiles, ye fugitive impoftors, whe criminate every public meafure from a pretence of republican jealoufy; who view government and rulers through the diftorted medium of your own prejudices; reflect, and tremble for your prefumption. Contemptible mif creants! fufpicion and calumny are the deadly weapons, which you wield with nerves of malice. Do rulers faithfully discharge their truft, they expect your abuse. But the rays of your vengeance, darted upon them, ferve only to brighten, but cannot confume their merit. Americans! When we contemplate the vaft extent of our country, the local advantages for commerce and a griculture, our national enter Frize, the rapid increase of population and opulence, and the mighty empire to which we may poffibly arrive, the mind expand ed with the vaft idea, ought to feel a generofity of fentiment, fuperior to private prejudice, or par ty rancour, and to act worthy of the important occafion. Our national existence is infeparably interwoven with our conftitution. When this falls, it will bury our The eyes country in its ruins. of mankind are upon us. are deftined to demonftrate by experiment the grand political problem, whether pure Republi canism is a bleffing, made for man. We Europe has rejected her; the eastern continent is unworthy of her; America is her last, her only afylum. Should we caft her off, the would bid adieu to an ungrateful world, and return 2 |