TON beheld his friends and relatives around him, his heart melted, but was not overpowered; the retrofpection of a virtuous life, the teftimony of a good con-" fcience, and a hope of future felicity, gave him compofure and fortitude; and in the midft of thefe agonies, when the duft is about to return to its duft, with firmnefs and dignity he refigned the spirit to God who gave it. He had ferved his country with fidelity; he had walked pioufly before his GOD; he had completed his career of glory and virtue; he departed with the bleffings of the whole American people, and the tears of grateful millions have embalmed his memory.

How refpectable and happy is fuch a conclufion of human life! thus to quit the stage, honoured and revered by his country, fupported by the prefence of his CREATOR, and enjoying, until the last moments of re- ́ flection, the pleafing thoughts that he had not lived in

vain.

May each of us fo act our part through the journey of life, that when we come to meet the king of terrors, we may be buoyed up with fuch reflections; and in that journey, may we all as far as poffible follow the example of our deceased friend.

Our beloved WASHINGTON, in the third descent from English ancestors, was born in the county of Weftmoreland, in Virginia, on the 11th of February, 1732, old ftyle. He was the first fruits of a fecond marriage and when but ten years of age, had the misfortune to lofe his father; his mother furvived until a few years ago. What maternal fatisfaction must the aged matron have enjoyed, from the confideration of having given birth to the man of fuch confummate worth, of fuch unfpotted fame! His education was principally conducted by a private tutor; he foon, however, feized the great objects of erudition-fkill in the sciences, and a strict adherence to the moral duties, without fubmitting to that tedious drudgery neceffary for lefs active genius. By means of a vigorous, penetrating mind, with the study of good models, he foon

acquired an elegant, pure, nervous ftyle. By furveying lands, the occafional occupation of his early life, he gave vigour and activity to his body, and acquired and cultivated that kind of mathematical knowledge, which proved very useful to him afterwards in far higher ftations. At fifteen years of age, he was entered a midfhipman on board a British fhip of war, then stationed on the coasts of Virginia; but his mother's reluctance to that profeffion prevented him from ever going to fea. Before he attained his twentieth year, he had an appointment with the rank of Major, in the department of Adjutant-General, which office had been held for fome time before by his eldeft brother. This brother was a young man of the moft promifing talents; he had commanded in the colonial troops employed against Carthagena, and afterwards held the office of Adjutant-General of Virginia. From this brother, and in this office, the future hero of America received the first rudiments of that military knowledge, which has fince aftonished the world; from this brother (who died about this time) he inherited Mount Vernon, (so called after the Admiral of that name) the feat of our deceased friend's fondest predilection. In the office of Adjutant-General, and in the embaffy in which he was fhortly after employed; the journal and reports of Major WASHINGTON announced to the world that prodigious genius, that correctness of mind, that manliness of ftyle, and that accuracy in bufinefs, which have fince characterized him in conducting more arduous affairs. Let the brave youths of Columbia, who anticipate the enjoyment of many years in their natal foil, imitate the early example of WASHINGTON. When he was but twenty-one years of age, he devoted his labour, his life to the fervice of his country. She was infulted by a foreign foe, "all fate mute, pondering on the danger with deep thought, and in other's countenance read his own difmay.' WASHINGTON nobly stepped forth and offered her his best fervices. For hundreds of miles he explored the pathlefs defert,

the habitation of favage beafts, and of more favage men! His task accomplished, although unsuccessful his toils, he returned fafe amidft the applaufe of his grateful countrymen.

In the war which fucceeded, his prudence faved his country's armies; his valour checked her foes. In a fituation which required the coolness and deliberation of an experienced veteran; when unrelenting carnage drenched the field of battle; when victorious favages, with appalling yells, gave loofe to their vindictive rage, the active exertions of the youthful WASHINGTON rallied and brought off in fafety the fcattered and flying remains of the ill-fated Braddock's army. The volunteer aid, the brave Colonel WASHINGTON, was the only officer doing duty on horfeback that day, who was not either killed or wounded. In fucceeding expeditions, the war was more fuccessful, and our young hero exhibited the talents of a General in many embarraffing fcenes. When tranquillity was restored, our young citizen foldier, crowned with laurels, returned to his native home. With thefe early prefages of future greatnefs, can the fpirit of prophecy be afcribed to Prefident Davies, when he hazarded an opinion, in a public fermon, that "Divine Providence was raising this youth for the falvation of his country?"

In the year 1759, when he refigned his command, authentic documents will fhew the tender regret of the Virginia line at parting with their Commander, and his affectionate regard for them.

Our hero fettled foon after as a farmer in the peace ful fhades of Mount Vernon; he married the amiable object of his affection, a lady of his own age; and there, under his own vine and his own fig-tree, his hands fraught with the bounties of Heaven, the fruits of his own industry, he cultivated the arts of peace: constantly and faithfully discharging the duties of a magiftrate, a judge of the county court, and a member of the legislature, until the year 1774, when he was elected a delegate to the firft Congrefs.

The Omnipotent, "who bids predeftined empires. rife and fall," generally employs the agency of fecondary caufes for the execution of his decrees. In the year 1774, the British rulers completed their system of tyrannizing over the Colonies: from the year 1764, the ufurpations of that government had excited the indignation of every American. Our chartered and most facred rights and privileges were annulled and altered at their will; we were held amenable to laws made, and for payment of taxes impofed, without our confent. The adminiftration of juftice was obftructed, and her fountains polluted: her pure ermine was fullied by the unrighteous decrees and immoral conduct of unworthy individuals, clothed in her folemn garb. We were held to trial at foreign tribunals for pretended offences, and the trial by jury of our peers was denied us: we were haraffed by fwarms of civil officers, and oppreffed bystanding armies in times of peace, and the military independent of and fuperior to the civil powers. The hard earnings of honeft industry were wrung from us, by impofitions and taxes, established upon principles incompatible with the unalienable rights of freemen. Severities, extortions and claims were impofed upon us, to which none but flaves could fubmit. In every stage of thefe oppreffions, we petitioned for redrefs in most humble terms: our repeated petitions were anfwered only by repeated injuries and infults. The indignant fpirit of the Americans was at length roufed. to a noble oppofition; every other means proving vain, they were at length urged on to the diftreffing alternative of choofing one of two great evils ;* either to enlift themselves and their unborn pofterity, unconditional flaves, or to brave the horrors of war. Under every difadvantage, they refolutely determined on the latter; and after folemnly appealing to GOD and the

* "Our houfes being conftructed of brick, ftone or wood, though destroyed, may be rebuilt; but liberty once gone, is loft forever," was an obfervation made in Congrefs by C. Gadfdon, of South Carolina.

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world, for the juftice of their caufe, and supported by the rectitude of their principles, they bravely preferred to fuffer prefent hardships and encounter prefent dangers, to a dereliction of the bleflings of freedom.

For devifing measures beft adapted to the prefervation of their endangered liberties, they called together their most enlightened patriots to form a Congrefs; by thus acting in totality, with concert of wills, they gave dignity, ftability and confiftency to their determinations.

In this Congrefs, for firmness, for patriotism and wisdom, ever to be renowned, WASHINGTON was preeminent; his moderation and his wifdom contributed amply to the stability and the propriety of the measures which were adopted. All pacific means, however, failed; our tyrants proceeded to compel us to fub miffion by military force. This measure highly inflamed the American mind; the ferment increafed, all hope of reconciliation vanished on each side the sword was whetted. Thefe combuftibles fhortly after blazed into a conflagration at Lexington, on the 19th of April, 1775. In this dilemma, Congrefs affembled the brave, but untutored fons of America. In the choice of a General, the fittest to command them, there was but one voice, and that voice was for the brave WASHINGTON. In cafes of danger, pride and envy naturally fubfide, and leave the poft of honour to virtue. He was fo well known by the happy conduct of his youth, in the former, war, that his merit commanded unanimity. He accepted the appointment with that degree of modefty which ever accompanies fuperior talents, declaring with the utmost fincerity, that he did not think himself equal to the command with which he had been honoured.

On the 3d of July, 1775, he arrived at Cambridge, and entered upon the duties of his high and important ftation. With never-ceafing gratitude, America will admire the patient, accommodating, energetic mind of her WASHINGTON, who in a fhort time, and in view of a well appointed veteran army, converted an undifci