be endowed with that moderation and understanding which checks the extreme indulgence of his will, and by allowing to others the fame rational enjoyment with himself, forms the liberty of the whole upon the partial restraint of each individual; or whether he must go on attempting to follow the dictates of felfishness, and find his only restraint in a power which will establifh itself independent of his confent, and make him its flave. Who of us can be supposed to be so loft to himself, fo forgetful of his children, and fo traitorous to the world, as to contemplate the overthrow of this magnificent temple of wifdom? No, my fellow-townfmen; whatever zeal may fuddenly fuggeft, or apprehenfions tempt us to fufpect, there lives not a man among us fo depraved, fo curfed by Heaven. Shall it be said, that the works of his hands whom we this day almost adore, that the hope which he held out to the nations of the earth, fhall be fruftrated by our divifions? To the honour of our country, not a man but answers, No. All, when rightly informed, wave their particular prejudices, in fupport of the great pillar of our national union. It is our pride; it was erected by our fathers; it is the standard of our defence. Let us then, with a view of forever maintaining it, banish all animofity, melt down all parties, wipe away all diftinctions. Let us no longer defignate men who have differed in fentiment, by odious epithets, mutually reflected and mutually difavowed but if a common name be wanted, let it be formed from his whom we now feek to honour, and let it be used to denote good will to one another, refpect to our Conftitution, fortitude to our enemies, love to our country, devotion to our God.

In the condolence of this day, we cannot fail to notice the honour which we feel by the prefence of the Fathers of the State. It was not unbecoming the dignity of office, on fuch an occafion, to fufpend its occupations, and join the general forrow. To devote this portion of time to his memory, who devoted a long life to our happiness, is rational and juft. Within the

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prefent political year, you, honourable Magiftrates and Legislators, in this place folemnized the obfequies of the late excellent Governor of our Commonwealth, the much refpected SUMNER. Thus pafs away the wise, the virtuous and the faithful; by an irrevocable decree, lefs unwelcome to them, as it refpects themselves, than grievous to us. Their lives are long enough for their own glory, but, alas! ftill too neceffary to their country's welfare. The experience, the learning, the genius, the various coincidence of circumftances, which are neceffary to form that effulgence of character, by which they enlighten, civilize and direct fociety, fall to the lot of few. When fuch lamps are extinguished, we are happy if our darkness be tranfient. But in your wisdom the people of our Commonwealth fafely confide: nor as members of our united country, do they mourn like those who are without hope; for although in the present gloom of our political hemifphere, their late ruling planet has travelled to the morning of another clime, yet its kindred luminary rifes on the horizon, brilliant, steady, and propitious to direct their courfe. They lament that their belov ed WASHINGTON fleeps in death: their confolation is, that his faithful Brother, the vigilant ADAMS, furvives.

MEN, BRETHREN, AND FATHERS!

WOULD to GOD, (if I may fo fpeak, without feeming to blame the fovereign will and wif dom) would to GOD, I had not fo melancholy an occafion as the prefent, to addrefs my mourning fellowcitizens on their late irreparable lofs! But that Being "who doth his will in the armies of heaven above, and among the inhabitants of earth beneath," in his holy, though infcrutable providence, by this late most afflicting difpenfation, hath pointed out the melancho ly duty.

Yes; WASHINGTON, the great and good; the de, liverer of his country; the defender of her rights; the avenger of her wrongs; and the glorious afferter of her freedom, fovereignty and independence-WASHINGTON, your friend, your father, is no more!

At this mournful event, every bofom heaves the heart-felt figh; every eye pours forth the filial tear; and United America groans through all her numerous States!

It has been a laudable cuftom in moft nations and ages of the world, when some public benefactor, fome great and illuftrious perfonage has clofed this mortal fcene, by public eulogy to embalm his memory, commemorate and record his virtues. It is a tribute which

the ingenuous and feeling heart delights to pay; a debt of gratitude, which even the bafeft minds can scarcely withhold. Such fhining examples, held forth to public view, have a far greater effect on the minds of men, than all the precepts of dry philofophy, or the pedantry and dull dogmas of the schools. While they enlighten they warm the heart, and, by their living energy, ftimulate to great and godlike actions.

And have not we, my audience, the highest cause to mourn the lofs, to celebrate the virtues, and eulogize the actions of our great and illuftrious benefactor and father? What ample scope does the theme afford for all the powers of eloquence-all the fenfibilities of gratitude and affection!

What ancient or modern patriot, fage or hero, can in all respects be compared to our beloved WASHINGTON? Equal wisdom, (perhaps) political knowledge, acute difcernment, deep penetration, amiable goodness, difinterested patriotism, undaunted heroifm, invincible fortitude, or incorruptible integrity, taken feparately, may have been poffeffed by others: But where do we find, in one character, an affemblage of them all, concentered and combined, like the folar rays, into one focus, or the fplendid galaxy in a ferene fky, but in our immortal WASHINGTON?

But that I may not incur the cenfure of being too general or declamatory, I will attempt to give a few brief sketches of the life of this venerable patriot and hero, previous, as well as pofterior, to the American revolution; interfperfed with fuch remarks as occur to my mind in the course of my progrefs. To detail half the particulars worthy to be had in perpetual remembrance, would exceed the limits of the present opportunity; to delineate, with exactnefs in the portrait, each feature of the admirable original, is far beyond the powers of my pencil; and to unfold and difplay all the excellencies in this wonderful character, would require the life of a patriarch, the pen of a prophet,

and the tongue of an angel or, in the language of the father of verse,

"To count them all, demands a thousand tongues,

A throat of brass, and adamantine lungs."

The illuftrious GEORGE WASHINGTON was born on the 11th (by the alteration of the ftile, now the 22d) of February, 1732, at the parish of Washington, in Weftmoreland county in Virginia. His ancestors, for many preceding generations, were also natives of

that State.

Such was his martial ardour, that at the age of fifteen years he was entered as midshipman on board a British man of war, then ftationed at Virginia: but the entreaties of a fond mother induced him to retract his purpose.

He was appointed to a military command before he attained his twentieth year. In 1753, when he was little more than twenty-one years of age, reports having been made of encroachments by the French from Canada, on the British colonial territory, he was fent with full powers to ascertain the facts, treat with the Indians, and warn the French to defift from their aggreffions. This miffion he performed in the most perfect manner. His journals and report, which were published, announced to the world that correctness of mind, manliness in ftyle, and accuracy of mode in doing business, which have fince characterized him in the conduct of more arduous affairs.

His whole conduct, until peace was restored to the middle colonies, (during which period he sustained the rank of Colonel) particularly at the time of Braddock's defeat, gained him the approbation of GreatBritain, and the applaufe of his country.

In 1759, an inveterate pulmonary complaint compelled him to refign his commiffion.

His health being gradually re-established, he married the present amiable LADY WASHINGTON, and fettled as a planter and farmer, on his eftate at Mount Vernon, being his paternal inheritance.