EULOGIES AND ORATIONS.

Funeral Dration

ON THE DEATH OF GENERAL WASHINGTON. DELIVERED AT THE REQUEST OF CONGRESS, DEC. 26, 1799.

BY MAJOR-GENERAL HENRY LEE,
Member of Congress from Virginia.

IN obedience to your* will, I rife your humble organ, with the hope of executing a part of the fyftem of public mourning which you have been pleafed to adopt, commemorative of the death of the moft illustrious and most beloved perfonage this country has ever produced; and which, while it tranfmits to pofterity your fenfe of the awful event, faintly reprefents your knowledge of the confummate excellence you fo cordially honour.

Defperate, indeed, is any attempt on earth to meet correspondently this dispensation of Heaven; for, while with pious refignation we fubmit to the will of an allgracious Providence, we can never ceafe lamenting, in our finite view of Omnipotent Wisdom, the heart-rending privation for which our nation weeps. When the civilized world fhakes to its centre; when every moment gives birth to strange and momentous changes; when our peaceful quarter of the globe, exempt as it happily has been from any share in the flaughter of the *The two Houses of Congrefs.

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human race, may yet be compelled to abandon her pacific policy, and to risk the doleful cafualties of war; what limit is there to the extent of our lofs? None within the reach of my words to exprefs; none which your feelings will not difavow.

The founder of our federate republic-our bulwark in war, our guide in peace, is no more! O that this were but questionable! Hope, the comforter of the wretched, would pour into our agonizing hearts its balmy dew. But, alas! there is no hope for us; our WASHINGTON is removed forever! Poffeffing the ftouteft frame and pureft mind, he had paffed nearly to his fixty-eighth year, in the enjoyment of high health, when, habituated by his care of us to neglect himself, a flight cold, difregarded, became inconvenient on Friday, oppreffive on Saturday, and, defying every medical interpofition, before the morning of Sunday put an end to the best of men. An end, did I say? His fame furvives! bounded only by the limits of the earth, and by the extent of the human mind. He furvives in our hearts-in the growing knowledge of our children-in the affection of the good throughout the world. And when our monuments fhall be done away; when nations now existing fhall be no more; when even our young and far-fpreading empire fhall have perifhed; ftill will our WASHINGTON's glory unfaded shine, and die not, until love of virtue cease on earth, or earth itfelf finks into chaos !

How, my fellow-citizens, fhall I fingle to your grateful hearts his pre-eminent worth? Where fhall I begin, in opening to your view a character throughout fublime? Shall I fpeak of his warlike achievements, all fpringing from obedience to his country's will, all directed to his country's good?

Will you go with me to the banks of the Monongahela, to fee your youthful WASHINGTON fupporting, in the dismal hour of Indian victory, the ill-fated Braddock, and faving, by his judgment and by his valour, the remains of a defeated army, preffed by the conquering favage foe? or when, oppreffed America no

bly refolving to risk her all in defence of her violated rights, he was elevated by the unanimous voice of Congrefs to the command of her armies? Will you follow him to the high grounds of Boston, where, to an undisciplined, courageous and virtuous yeomanry, his prefence gave the stability of fyftem, and infufed the invincibility of love of country? Or fhall I carry you to the painful scenes of Long-Ifland, York-Island and New-Jerfey, when, combating fuperior and gallant armies, aided by powerful fleets, and led by chiefs high in the roll of fame, he ftood the bulwark of our fafety, undismayed by difafter, unchanged by change of fortune? Or will you view him in the precarious fields of Trenton, where deep gloom, unnerving every arm, reigned triumphant through our thinned, worn down, unaided ranks-himself unmoved? Dreadful was the night. It was about this time of winter. The ftormraged. The Delaware, rolling furiously with floating ice, forbad the approach of man. WASHINGTON, selfcollected, viewed the tremendous fcene. His country called. Unappalled by furrounding dangers, he paffed to the hoftile fhore; he fought; he conquered. The morning fun cheered the American world. Our country rofe on the event; and her dauntlefs Chief, purfuing his blow, completed in the lawns of Princeton, what his vaft foul had conceived on the fhores of Delaware.

Thence to the strong grounds of Morristown he led his fmall but gallant band; and through an eventful winter, by the high efforts of his genius, whofe matchlefs force was meafurable only by the growth of difficulties, he held in check formidable hoftile legions, conducted by a chief experienced in the art of war, and famed for his valour on the ever memorable heights of Abraham, where fell Wolfe, Montcalm, and fince, our much lamented Montgomery; all covered with glory. In this fortunate interval, produced by his masterly conduct, our fathers, ourselves, animated by his refiftlefs example, rallied around our country's ftandard, and continued to follow her beloved Chief through the

various and trying scenes to which the deftinies of our Union led.

Who is there that has forgotten the vales of Brandywine, the fields of Germantown, or the plains of Monmouth? Every where prefent, wants of every kind obftructing, numerous and valiant armies encountering, himself a host, he affuaged our fufferings, limited our privations, and upheld our tottering republic. Shall I difplay to you the spread of the fire of his foul, by rehearsing the praifes of the hero of Saratoga, and his much loved compeer of the Carolinas? No: our WASHINGTON wears not borrowed glory. To Gates, to Greene, he gave without referve the applause due to their eminent merit; and long may the chiefs of Saratoga and of Eutaws, receive the grateful refpect of a grateful people.

Moving in his own orbit, he imparted heat and light to his most distant fatellites; and combining the phyfical and moral force of all within his fphere, with irrefiftible weight he took his courfe, commiferating folly, difdaining vice, difmaying treason, and invigorating defpondency; until the aufpicious hour arrived, when, united with the intrepid forces of a potent and magnanimous ally, he brought to fubmiffion the fince conqueror of India; thus finishing his long career of military glory with a luftre correfponding to his great name, and, in this his last act of war, affixing the seal of fate to our nation's birth.

To the horrid din of battle fweet peace fucceeded; and our virtuous Chief, mindful only of the common good, in a moment tempting perfonal aggrandizement, hufhed the difcontents of growing fedition, and, furrendering his power into the hands from which he had received it, converted his fword into a ploughfhare; teaching an admiring world, that to be truly great you must be truly good.

Were I to ftop here, the picture would be incomplete, and the task impofed unfinished. Great as was our WASHINGTON in war, and as much as did that greatnefs contribute to produce the American republic,