The American herald of liberty — Exeter, N.H., 1793-10-29 00:00:00, page 1

—
EVEN years of ineffectual hos
tility, an hundred millions of
. treasure fruitlessly expended,
and uncounted thousands of human
lives facrificed to no purpofe,at length
taught the dreadful leffbn of wisdom
to the Britilh Government, and com
pelled them to relinquifb a claim
■which they had long since been un
able to maintain. The pride of Brit
ain, which should have been humbled,
was only mortified. With fallen im
potence,fhe yielded to the preflure of
accumulated calamity, and closed
with reluctance an inglorious war, in
which she had often been the object,
and rarely the ador of a triumph.
The various occurrences of our
national hiftory, since that period,
are within the recoiled ion of all my
hearers. The relaxation and debili
ty of the political body, which suc
ceeded the violent exertions it had
made durins the war : the total inef
ficacy of the recommendatory fed-'
eral system, which had been formed
in the bosom of contention ; the
peaceable and deliberate adoption of
a more effectual national constitution
by the people of the union, and the
prosperous adminiflration of that
government, which has repaired the
{bartered fabric of public confidence,
which has strengthened. the fidutary
bands of national union, and restor
ed the bloom and vigour of impar
/ fial justice, to the public counten
ance, afford a fubjed of pleasing
contemplation to the patriotic mind.
The repeated unanimity of the na
tion has placed at the head of the
American councils, the heroic leader,
whole prudence and valour conduc
ed ro victory the armies of freedom ;
and the two firft of this Com
monwealth, still exhibit the virtues
and employ the talents of the vener
able patriots, whose firm and disinter
ested devotion to the cause of Liber
ty, was rewarded by the honourable
diftin&ion of a British proscription.
Americans ! the voice of grateful
freedom is a stranger to the language
of adulation, While w.e-with these
illustrious sages to be assured that the
memory of their services is im prefled
upon all our hearts, in charaders,
indelible to the latest period of time,
we trust that the most acceptable
tribute of refpedt which can be offer
ed to their virtues, is found in the
confidence of their countrymen.
From the fervent admiration of fu
ture ages when the historians of A
nqerica, Ihall trace from their exam
ples the splendid pattern of public
virtue,' their merits will receive a re
compense of much more precious
estimation than can be conferred by
the most flattering testimonials of
contemporafteous applause.
The magnitude and importance
of the great event which we comme
morate, derives avast acceflion from
PRCNOUNCED JULY 4th, 1793,
AT THE REQUEST OF THE INHABI
TANTS OF THE TOWN OF BOSTON J
AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE.
Volume VIII.]
IN commemoration of
The American Herald of Liberty. 7
EXETER (Neu-Hamf/hire) Printed and Publiflied by Henry Ranlet, in Main-Street, at fix /hillings and eight pence per annum.
A N
ORATION
by JOHN Q ADAMS.
THE ANNIVERSARY OF
[Concluded ]
its influence upon the affairs of the
world, and its operation upon the
hiftory of mankind. It has already
been observed that the origin of the
American Revolution bears a charac
ter different from that of any other
civil contest, that had ever aritena
mong men. It was not the convul
sive struggle of slavery to throw off
the burden of accumulated oppres
sion, but the deliberate, tho* energe
tic effort of freemen, to repel the in
sidious approaches of tyranny. It
was a contest involving the elemen
tary principles of government, a
question of right between the sove
reign and the fubjeff which in its pro*
grefs had a tendency to introduce a
mong the civilized nations of Europe,
the discussion of a topic the firft in
magnitude, which can attradl the at
tention of mankind, but which for
many centuries, the gloomy (hades of
despotism had overipread with im
penetrable darkness. The French
nation cheerfully (upported an alliance
with the United States, and a war with
Britain, duflng the course of which a
large body of troops and considerable
fleets were sent by the French gov
ernment, to aiff in conjunction with
their new allies. The union which
had at firft been formed by the coal
efcenceof a common enmity, was
soon (Lengthened by the bonds of a
friendly intercourse, and the fubjeffs
of an arbitrary prince, in fighting the
battles of freedom, soon learnt to
cherish the cause of Liberty itfelf.
By a natural and easy application to
tbemfclves of the principles upon
which the Americans asserted the
justice of their warfare, they were led
to inquire into the nature of the ob
ligation which prescribed their sub
mission to their own sovereign ; and
when they discovered that the content
of the people is the only legitimate
source of authority, they necessarily
drew the conclusion that their own
obedience was no more than the com
pulsive acquiescence of (ervitude, and
they waited only for a favourable
opportunity to recover the possession
of thote enjoyments, to\ which they
had never forfeited the right. Sen
timents of a similar nature, by a gra
dual and imperceptible progress, se
cretly undermined all the foundations
of their government ; and when the
necessities of the sovereign reduced
him to the inevitable expedient of ap
pealing to the benevolence of the peo
ple, the magic talisman of despotism
was broken, the spell of prescriptive
tyranny was dissolved, and the pom
pous pageafft of their monarchy, in
stantaneously crumbled to atoms.
The fubtequent European events
which have let flip the dogs of war,
to prey upon the vitals of humanity;
which have poured the torrent ofdeL
truffion over, the faireft harvests of
European fertility; which have un
bound the pinions of desolation, and
tent her forth to scatter pestilence and
death among the nations; the fcaf
fold, fmoaking with the blood of a.
fallen monarch ; the corpse-covered
field, where agonizing nature strug
gles with the pangs of di Ablution ;
permit me, my happy countrymen,
to throw a pall over objects like thete,
which could only spread a gloom,
upon the face of our feftivity. Let
us rather indulge thepieafing.and ra
tional anticipation of the periods hen
TUESDAY, October 29, 1793.
all the nations of Europe (hall par
take of the blessings of equal liberty
and universal peace. Whatever issue
may be destined by the will of Hea
ven to await the termination of the
prefenc European commotions, d e
fyfttm of feudal abfurdiry has recei
ved an irrecoverable wound, and ev
ery symptom indicates its approach
ing dissolution. The feeds of Liber
ty are plentifully town. However
severe the climate, however barren the
foil of the regions in which they have
been received, such is the native exu
berance of the plant, that it must
eventually flourish with luxuriant
profufion. The governments of Eu
rope must fall; and the only remain
ing expedient in their power, is to
gather up their garments and fall
with decency. Ihe bonds of civil
fubjeffion must be loofcned by the
discretion of civil authority, or they
will be shivered by the convuifive
efforts of slavery itfelf. The feelings
of benevolence involuntarily make
themtelves a party to fcvery circum
stance that can assess the happiness
of mankind ; they are ever ready to
realize the sanguine hope, that ’the
governments to rife upon the ruins of
the pretent systems will be immutably
founded upon the principles of free
dom, and administered by the genu
ine maxinjs of moral subordination
and political equality. We cherish
with a fondnefs which cannot be
chilled by the Told unanimated phi
losophy of fcepticifm, the delightful
expeffation that the cancer of arbit
rary power will be radically extracted
from the human constitution ; that
the sources of oppression will be drai
ned ; that the pafficns which have hi
therto made the misery of mankind,
will be disarmed of all their violence,
and give place co the foft controul of
mild and amiable sentiments, which
(hall unite in facial harmony (he in
numerable varieties of the human
race. Then (hall the nervetefs arm
of superstition no longer interpote an
impious barrier between (he benefi
cence cf Heaven, and the adoration
of its votaries : then (hall the most
distant regions of the earth be ap
proximated by the gentle* attra&ion
of a liberal intejcourfe : then shall
the fair fabric of universal Liberty
rite upon the durable foundation of
facial eqalky, and the long^expeffed
sera of human felicity, which has been
announced by prophetic inspiration,
and deicribefl in the most enraptured
language of the Mutes, (hall com
mence its Iplendid progress—Visions
of bli(s ! with every breath toHeaven
we speed an ejaculation that the time
may hasten, when your reality (hall
be no longer the ground of votive
supplication, but the theme of grate
ful acknowledgement : when the cho
ral gratulations of the liberated myri
ads of the elder world, in symphony,
sweeter than the music of the spheres,
fliall hail ^ur country, Americans !
as the youngest daughter of Nature,
and the firft-born offspring of Free
dom.
LETTERS remaining in the Post
Office, Exeter, O&ober t, 1793.
,Hon»Nicholas Gflman,Efq. 7- J
. Mr. Odiorne, 4
Motes Blafdell, KingHowny
Joseph Calef, Chester,
JouK W. G Psft Mafier.
pjg awful* and tremendous caT
amity ^hich at present depopulating
the cicy of Philadelphia, calls the pub
lic mind to a serious attention. It is
exceedingly natural to enquire vshy one
particular town, or city is fngled. out,
and set up as a mark of Divine Ven
geance : hence many are apt to conclude
that feme prevailing iniquity,feme ve
ry attrocious crimes, of which those un*
happy people are more immediately
guilty of, is the cause why the defiroy
ing Angel has unjheathed his sword a
gainji them.
Put the speculative and attentive
mind views the matter in a very differ
ent light. When the Jews informed
JESUS of the Gallileans whose blood
Pilate had mingled with their facrifi
ces, his reply was, Suppose ye thac
thete Gallileans were sinners above
all Gallileans becaute they fuffered
thete things? I tell you nay; but
except ye repenc ye Ihall all likewise
perifh.*
Although affiiffion cometh net forth
of the dust, ‘neither trouble spring
out of the ground,f yet we cannot
know good or evil by the common dis
pensations of Providence in this life. —
Phe book of fate is wifely concealed
from the eyes 6f mortals. Secret things
belong to (SOD, and in bis unsearcha
ble councils let them reJi until his Al
mighty Wisdom shall Jee fit to reveal
them.
Americans ! The capital cf your fed
eral government is smitten! Smitten in
an awful and jingular manner by a pes
tilential disorder : a disorder most fa
tal in its consequences, for no focner
cometh the summons, but the executioner
is at the door. Our GOD hath come
out againji us; he hath commissioned
the pestilence which walketh in dark
ness to invade our land, and lay waste
the inhabitants thereof. It is not to
Philadelphia alone, but to the whole
continent the call is^fent. The conta
gion, if Jo commiftioned, may pervade
our cities, our towns, and our villa
ges, and carry death and deftrue
tion wherever it appears : our duty is
then to feavch our hearts, confefs our
fins and reform our lives, for unless
we repent we must all likewise perish.
Let us, far a moment, figure to our
selves the melancholy and deplorable
fitualion of our diftrejfed brethren of
Philadelphia. Parents and children,
bufbands and wives, brothers and fil
ters suddenly torn from the tender bo-
Joms of their relatives, and the mourn
ing survivors expelling 'death every
moment. The lisping infant calling for
its dead parents, and none but fir angers
to afford relief. Houses totally emptied
of their inhabitants, & the citizens fly
ing in every direction, from the irftbied
place as from a conflagrated town, or
a falling tower : the adjacent towns
and cities have adopted mepfures to
keep out the escaping fugitives, and a
general panic overspreads the country.
Well authenticated accounts fay, that
from 100 to 150 are the daily victims
to this dejolating calamity. In one.
house a man and his wife have been
found dead, and a surviving babe al
the dead mother's breast ; in another j
the whole family were lying corpses.
except a little child, almoji famifhed.
and crying for bread', whole familiei
are JonietimCs cut off together without
♦ Luke xiii. f Job v, 6.
■
FROM THE NEWARK GAZETTE.
/>3< X
[Numb. 17