try, under the conduct of that superior man who so various the face of death, that not all the grand Justice to other characters forbids our stopping to gaze at this constellation of heroes, and would fain draw forth an eulogium upon all who have gathered true laurels from the fields of America. "Thousands-the tribute of our praise their melancholy ghosts still rise at a stated sea- "Demand; but who can count the stars of heaven? "Who speak their influence on this lower world." Whither has our gratitude borne us? let us be hold a contrast-the army of an absolute prince-a profession distinct from the citizen and in a dif Such are the suggestions of fancy: and having ferent interest—a haughty phalanx, whose object given them their due scope; having described the of warfare is pay, and who, the battle over, and if memorable fifth of March as a season of disaster, .perchance they conquer, return to slaughter the it would be an impiety not to consider it in its sons of peace. This is a hard saying. But does other relation. For the rising honors of these states not all history press forward to assert its justice? are distant issues, as it were, from the intricatef do not the prætorian bands of tottering Rome now though all-wise Divinity which presided upon that crowd upon the affrighted memory? do not the night. Strike that night out of time, and we embodied guards from Petersburg and Constantino-quench the first ardor of a resentment which has pie stalk horrid the tools of revolution and murder? been ever since increasing, and now accelerates to come nearer home for an example, do we not the fall of tyranny. The provocations of that night see the darkened spring of 1770, like the moon in must be numbered among the master-springs which a thick atmosphere, rising in blood and ushered gave the first motion to a vast machinery, a noble in by the figure of Britain plunging her poignard and comprehensive system of national indepenin the young bosom of America? Oh, our bleed-dence. "The independence of America," says the ing country! was it for this our hoary sires sought writer, under the signature of Common Sense, thee through all the elements, and having found "should have been considered as dating its æra thee sheltering away from the western wave, dis- from the first musquet that was fired against her." consolate, cheered thy sad face, and decked thee Be it so! but Massachusetts may certainly date many out like the garden of Gon? time was when we of its blessings from the Boston massacre―a dark could all affirm to this gloomy question-when we hour in itself, but from which a marvellous light were ready to cry out that our fathers had done a has arisen. From that night revolution became vain thing.—I mean upon that unnatural night which inevitable, and the occasion commenced of the we now commemorate; when the fire of Brutus was present most beautiful form of government. We on many a heart-when the strain of Gracchus was often read of the original contract, and of inankind, on many a tongue. "Wretch that I am, whither in the early ages, passing from a state of nature to shall I retreat? whither shall I turn me to the immediate civilization. But what eye could penecapitol? the capitol swims in my brother's blood. trate through gothic night and barbarous fable to To my family? there must I see a wretched, a mourn that remote period. Such an eye, perhaps, was ful and afflicted mother?"-Misery loves to brood present, when the Deity conceived the universe over its own woes: and so peculiar were the woes and fixed his compass upon the great deep of that night, so expressive the pictures of despair, Plurima mortis imago." "The ways of heaven are dark and intricate." I see the expressive leaves of fate thrown wide; ORATION DELIVERED at Boston, March 5, 1782, And yet the people of Massachusetts have reduc- of our salvation, let his army be replenished. That ed to practice the wonderful theory. A numerous grand duty over, we will once more adopt an people have convened in a state of nature, and, like enthusiasm sublime in itself, but still more so as our ideas of the patriarchs, have deputed a few coming from the lips of a first patriot-the chief fathers of the land to draw up for them a glorious magistrate of this commonwealth. "I have, said covenant. It has been drawn. The people have he, a most animating confidence that the present signed it with rapture, and have, thereby, bartered, noble struggle for liberty will terminate gloriously among themselves, an easy degree of obedience (for America." Aspiring to such a confidence, for the highest possible civil happiness. To render that covenant eternal, patriotism and political virtue must forever blaze-must blaze at the present day with superlative lustre; being watched, from different motives, by the eyes of all mankind. Nor must that patriotism be contracted to a single commonwealth. A combination of the states is requisite to support them individually. "Unite or die" is our indispensable motto. Every step from it is a step nearer to the region of death. This idea was never more occasional than at the present crisis-a crisis pregnant with fate and ready to burst with calamity. I allude to that langor which, like a low hung cloud, overshadows a great part of the thirteen states. That the young, enter. Fathers, friends, and fellow citizens-When I conprising America, who stepped out in the cause of sider the important occasion from which this anhuman kind, and no other arm daring, lopped the niversary derives its origin, and the respectable branches of wide despotic empire-that the same characters that have exerted themselves to perAmerica should now suffer a few insolent bands to petuate its history, I confess there is an unusual ravage her borders with impunity-that her now security in my feelings; since no mistaken effort tardy hand should suspend the finishing stroke of of mine can injure an institution, founded on so resentment, and leave to her generous allies a labor memorable an event, and supported by names so which her own vigor ought to effect; this must justly claiming the applause of posterity. disturb those, illustrious, who fell in her infant exertions; this must stab the peace of the dead, however it may affect the hearts of the living. Oh could I bear a part among the means of awakening virtue-oh could I call strength to these feeble Jungs and borrow that note which shook the throne of Julius! vain wish! if the silent suggestions of truth-if the secret whispers of reason are not sufficient-the efforts of human eloquence might be futile, her loudest bolt might roll unheeded! This is not intended to inspire gloom; but only to persuade to those exertions which are necessary to life and independence. ́ Let justice then be done to our country--let justice be done to our great leader; and, the only means under heaven writers, that individuals met together in a large plain, entered into an original contract, &c. But though society had not its formal beginning from any convention of individuals, &c. And this is what we mean by the original contract of society; which, though perhaps, in no instance it has been formally expressed, at the first institution of a state, yet, &c.— 1st Blackstone's Com. p. 47, vid. the whole passage. Virg. Æn. 2d. 776. While I rely, then, upon that honesty of inten. tion, which is itself the best apology for its errors, permit me to employ the present hour, which your united voices have annually made sacred to the commemoration of our country's wrongs, in recapitulating the most injurious of her sufferings, among which that on the tragical fifth of March is by no means the least, and in recounting the blessings which have followed from measures as really disgraceful to those who adopted them, as they were intentionally destructive to those against whom they were levelled. A nation falling from those great principles of justice and virtue which had made her respectable; subverting the boasted improvements of her arts to the savage purposes of revenge; with venality and corruption entrenched on her cabinet, affords a spectacle too serious for the amusement *Sun gallop down the western skies, Allan Ramsey. trespasses, which, if real, the laws were open to punish, unmasked its true designs, by quartering an armed force in this metropolis in a time of peace. of the beholder. He turns for relief to the annals as subservient to its purposes, as their hopes were of those people whose masculine virtues have dependent on its venality, and making pretence of obstinately, will he not say wisely, resisted the refinement of a civilized world. But from the misfortunes of such a nation, much is to be learned. As she is hurried onwards by the vortex of that immeasurable gulph, in which empires sink to rise no more, let her serve us as a signal to avoid the first impulse of its resistless tide. Where was the citizen whose indignation did not flash at this undisguised attack on his liberties? the soldiers pride too grew sanguinary at the idea of contempt from the people he himself had been To trace Great Britain through the whole pro- taught to despise; and, as though heaven designed gress of her ambition in this country, would be to to effect its greatest purposes by the sacrifice of step back to a very early period: for, long before what men conceive to be the dearest objects of she avowed her system of colonial slavery in the its guardianship, the lives and rights of citizens stamp-act, the liberties of our ancestors had were delivered over to the scourge of military endured the most alarming innovation from her rancour. throne. Without cause, and without notice, she *Venerable patrons of freedom, wherever your had invalidated their charters; laid impositions up-country may lie! boast not that the reason and on their trade; attempted a most dangerous influ- speculative truths of this our common cause, armed ence over their internal government, by endeavor an extensive world in support of its justice. Turn ing to make it independent of the people; and all to the tragedy we commemorate, as imprinted by this with the same confidence, as though her policy the bloody hand of the tyrant, and view the highest and foresight, and not her persecutions, had settled outrage his power could commit, or the forbearthem on this side the Atlantic. ance of humanity sustain. There hecatombs of But the full display of her despotic policy was slaughtered citizens were offered at the shrine of reserved to add accumulated disgrace to the in- cursed ambition. What can we add to their glorious reign of the third-George. Then, intoxicat- memories through whose wounds their country ed with America, she slumbered upon the tottering bled; whose names are handed round the globe pillars of her own constitution; the hand of slavery with the great occasion on which they fell; and rocked her as she lay on the giddy height; falsehood whose tombs shall ever stand a basis to the stateliest gilded her visions and bound her senses with the pillar in the temple of freedom? heaven has avenged enchantment of success; while her blind ambition their fall by realizing the prophecy of the indignant alone remained awake, to misdirect the ordinary American, as he vented his anguish over their assistance of fortune, and to make her fall equally rankling blood. "These are indeed my country's certain and complete. wounds, but oh! said he, the deep and tremendous restitutions are at hand; I see them with a prophetic eye this moment before me. Horrors shall be repaid with accumulation of horror. The wounds in America shall be succeeded by deep-mouthed gashes in the heart of Britain! the chain of solemn consequences is now advancing. Yet, yet my friends, a little while, and the poor, forlorn one, who has fought and fallen at the gate of her proper of life, for all the sweet and binding principles in habitation, for freedom, for the common privileges humanity, for father, son, and brother, for the cradled infant, the wailing widow, and the weeping The genius of Britain once interred, the first spectre which shot from its tomb was the stampact. This promulgation of a scheme so repugnant to the fundamental principles of the late English constitution, announced the fall, but did not obliterate the memory of that much respected system, in this country. America saw that the act bore not a single feature of its reputed parent, and having detected its illegitimacy, effectually resisted its operation. But, as though conviction must ever be productive of obstinacy, Britain desisted not to rend in pieces the charters of her colonies, which maid; yet, yet a little while and she shall find an served to remind her of the violence she committed. on her own. Her administration affecting to realize the fables of its minions, whose very fears were avenger. Indignant nations shall arm in her defence. Thrones and principalities shall make her cause their own, and the fountains of blood that have run from her exhausted veins shall be answer *For some of these fanciful misrepresentations, see a vindication of the town of Boston, from many false and malicious aspersions, contained in certain *See Abbe Raynal's hist. American revolution, Jetters written by governor Bernard and others, p. 65. published by order of the town, 1769. *Anonymous. ed by a yet fuller measure of the horrible effusion must ever enliven her gratitude; exalt the honor of -blood for blood; and desolation for desolation; France, and we trust too, promote the interests of my injured country! my massacred America!" Melancholy scene! the fatal, but we trust the last effect in our country of a standing army quarter. ed in populous cities in a time of peace. both. Among the advantages which have arisen from these great events to the people of Massachusetts, that of securing their lives, their liberties, and property, the great object of all civil government, by Britain having thus violated the greatest law a constitution of their own framing, is not to be nations or individuals can be held by, to use the accounted the least. Dismembered from a governlanguage of the ancients, threw a veil over the ment, which had long stood by the exactest balance altars of her gods whom she was too haughty to of its powers, even against the corruption of its appease. Would to heaven, for her sake, we too ministers, they found themselves accustomed to had a veil to hide from the eye of justice, the principles, which age had stamped with authority, ashes of our desolated towns, and the tracts which and patriots sealed with their blood. The cause ber ravages have imprinted through every quarter of their separation had taught them the avenues of our once peaceful land. through which despotism insinuates itself into the If "every act of authority of one person over ano. community, and pointed out the means of excludther, for which there is not an absolute necessity, ing it. Under these circumstances they produced is tyrannical," and if tyranny justifies resistance, a system which, we trust, experience will evince to have remained inactive, under these injuries, had to be an improvement* upon the best mankind have been a kind of political stoicism, equally inconsist- hitherto admired. The quick return of all delegatent with the laws of nature and of society. On ed power to the people, from whom it is made to such principles arose the memorable declaration spring, and the check which each part of the goof July, 1776.-A declaration which at once gave vernment has upon the excesses of the other, seem life and freedom to a nation; dissolved a monopoly to warrant us in placing on it all the confidence huunnatural as unjust; and extended the embraces of man laws can deserve. But, our country to the universe.-A declaration which heaven has since ratified by the successful event of her arms. For, when we consider the number Let us not trust laws: an uncorrupted people can exist without them; a corrupted people cannot long exist with them, or any other human assistance. of her victories; the disadvantages under which They are remedies which at best always disclose they were obtained; with the chain of important and confess our evils. The body politic, once consequences which depended upon the very modistempered, they may indeed be used as a crutch ment of their decision, who but must acknowledge, to support it a while, but they can never heal it. after allowing to our military actors every thing Rome, when her bravery conquered the neighborheroism can claim, that there appeared peculiar ing nations, and united them to her own empire, marks of more than human assistance? the surrender was free from all danger within, because her armies, of entire armies to a power which they affected to being urged on by a love for their country, would look upon rather as an object of their chains than as readily suppress an internal as an external eneof their swords, was a degree of glory which no my. In those times she made no scruple to throw enemy that ever passed the Roman yoke afforded out her kings who had abused their power. But to that republic. Hapless Britain! for even those when her subjects fought not for the advantage of whom you injure must pity you, how has fortune the commonwealth; when they thronged to the added acrimony to her fickleness, in choosing for a Asiatic wars for the spoils they produced, and prescene of your disgrace, that climate where, in a ferred prostituting the rights of citizenship upon late war, she so loudly vaunted the invincibility of any barbarian that demanded them, to meeting him in the field for their support, then Rome grew too modest to accept from the hands of a dictator America once unfettered, nobly relied upon the uprightness of her cause and the bravery of her for daring to invade. No alteration in her laws those rights, which she ought to have impaled him sons. But, as though the virtues of one crown were to apologize for the merciless cruelty of ano-virtuous, she might as well have expelled her merely, could have effected this. Had she remained ther, a monarch, equally wise in council as brilliant dictators as her kings. But what laws can save a and powerful in arms, met her in an alliance which your arms! *Beceria on crimes and punishments, p. 10.. *Is it not so in the equality of representation and mode of election? people who, for the very purpose of enslaving them are we in the frequent change of our soldiery.* selves, choose to consider them rather as councils This seems to be the best antidote against such an which they may accept or refuse, than as precepts evil. It prevents that lethargy which would be a which they are bound to obey? with such a people symptom of death in the citizen at home; and checks they must ever want a sanction and be contemned that immoderation in the soldier which is apt to -†Virtue and long life seem to be as intimately mislead his virtues in the field. By this exchange allied in the political as in the moral world: she is of their qualities they mutually warrant happiness the guard which providence has set at the gate of to each other, and freedom to their country. America once guarded against herself, what has freedom. True it is, when the nature and principles of a she to fear? her natural situation may well inspire government are pure, we have a right to suppose her with confidence. Her rocks and her mountains it at the farthest possible distance from falling. are the chosen temples of liberty. The extent of But when we consider that those countries in her climate, and the variety of its produce, throw which the wisest institutions of republican govern the means of her greatness into her own hands, ments have been established, now exhibit the and insure her the traffic of the world. Navies strongest instances of apostacy, we cannot but see shall launch from her forests, and her bosom be the necessity of vigilance. Commerce, which makes found stored with the most precious treasures of perhaps, the greatest distinction between the old nature. May the industry of her people be a still world and the modern, having raised new objects surer pledge of her wealth.-The union of her for our curiosity, habitual indulgence hath at length states too is founded upon the most durable prinmade them necessary to our infirmities. Thus ciples: the similarity of the manners, religion, and effeminated, can we hope to exceed the rigor of laws of their inhabitants, must ever support the their principles, who even forbade the mentioning measure which their common injuries originated, of a foreign custom, and whose sumptuary laws are Her government, while it is restrained from violat. held up in our age as objects of astonishment? Such ing the rights of the subject, is not disarmed against nations have mouldered away, an uncontrovertable the public foe. proof, that the best constructed human govern. ments, like the human body, tend to corruption; but as with that too, there are not wanting remedies to procrastinate their final decay.. Among the causes of their fall there are none more common or less natural than that of their own strength. Continual wars making a military force necessary, the habit of conquest once acquired and other objects being wanting, history is not without & instances of its turning itself inwards, and knawing as it were, upon its own bowels. Happy A conscience more scrupulous, than it is probable Sylla ever had, would be apt to imagine this general disposition of the people wiped away the guilt of enslaving them from any hand that effected it. If in any case, 'is in this that we may apply the maxim volenti non fit injuria. +Virtue, in a republic, is a most simple thing, it is a love for the republic; it is a sensation, and not a consequence of acquired knowledge: a sensation that may be felt by the meanest as well as by the highest person in the state. Spirit of lares, book 5th, chap. 2d. The politic Greeks who lived under a popular government, who knew no other support but virtue The modern inhabitants of that country are entirely taken up with manufactures, commerce, finances, riches, and luxury. Spirit of laws, book 3d chap. 3d. For a complete collection of these, I beg leave to refer to the 3d book of the political disquisitions. Could Junius Brutus, and his colleagues, have ORATION DELIVERED AT BOSTON, MARCH 5, 1783, Virgil Eneid, Lib. 2. Lin. 521. Friends and fellow-citizens-Invited to this place by your choice, and recollecting your well known indulgence, I feel myself already possessed of your candor, while I "impress upon your minds, the ruinous tendency of standing armies being placed in free and populous cities in a time of peace." A field here presents, annually traversed by those who, by their sagacity have discovered, and by The design of society being to protect the weak taking away the distinction between them, and to against the more powerful, whatever tends to putting all its members upon the same level, must be consonant to its first principles. This was an object with the old republics; Rome obliged her citizens to serve in the field ten years, between the age of sixteen years and forty-seven.-Vid. Reflec tons on the rise and fall of the Rom. Emp, c. 10 last note. |