The Wheeling repository — Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.], 1807-08-06 00:00:00, page 2

lapeu in commercial enterprises and
stock-jobbing speculation, money has
become the god of our idolatry, and e
very noble passion of the soul is lost in
it. That high-minded patriotism, which
gives dignity to our nature, and charac
ter to our country; that lofty honour and
just jealousy of our rights, which make
a people respected and admired, are al
most smothered and extinguished under
heaps of ill-gotten gold, and reams of
fraudulent paper. Something was ne
cessary to rouse us from this supine
state ot dishonour, and that something
has occurred—the latent spa\k is awa
kened—the flame spreads from heart to
heart, and the American people, shak
ing off the lethargy of 20 years, are ri
sing to their just station in the world,
•villi an immovable determination to
maintain it at all hazards. Tell us not
oi the dangers an.I privations of war ;
oi the millions afloat which will he lost; 1
of a crippled commerce and embarassed
revenue. i hese are temporary evils,—
NATIONAL DISGRACE IS AN ETERNAL
one. The vigor of our youth will soon
repair the one, but the other will grow
and strengthen with our age. This is
no time lor calculations, for stating an
account of profit and loss. There are
periods in the existence of nations, as
well as os men, when every thing must
lie hazarded, and every thing endured :
this hour is tome upon us, and wc have
no choice, unless we are degraded e
'tough to hesitate between base suhinis?
ion and honourable resistance, even ii
.t were ten times more perilous than it
is. The eventful blow is struck—the
nation’s honour is stained, most inullv
.rtained—the blood of the innocent,which
ve had sworn to protect, has been shed,
•jasely shed, and cries to IK awn for
.•engear.ee ; and ii it he not avenged,
:nay that Heaven strike us from the list
of nations, and the name of an American
be forever linked with infamy.
This is not a time for self reproach ;
but the reflection cannot be suppressed,
"hat if the naval establishment recciv- 1
ed by the present administration from
their predecessors, with the means of
extending it, had been preserved and
improved, such an insult, such an inju
ry, could not have been inflicted upon
as with impunity. We have long had
indications enough from the belligerent
powers of the contempt in which they
hold us ; and it is astonishing we have
not expected and prepared for this last
extremity. We must not imagine we
can avoid war, by a desire, however
sincere, of maintaining peace. Wc
ought not indeed to be disturbed, while
we injure none ; but all theory is idle
and absurd, when opposed by the expe
rience of ages, and that experience has
shown that there is no possible mode of
preserving peace, but by having it
known we are able and willing to defend
our rights from every invasion.
\\ Idle wealth is dearer than honour
or safety ;. while the people are taught
to believe there is nothing valuable hut
money, and every thing must vicld to
maxims of economy and avarice, the na
tional spirit must sink into meanness,
and the national ambition be direct
ed to the single endeavour to become
rich. The principles of a government
act upon the manners of a people, and
die love of money is hut too easily
taught. That high individual spirit of
honour, which animated the bosom of e
very citizen of the ancient Re pub licks ;
that anient love of country, which was
the ruling passion of cverv heart, and
produced such prodigious efforts ol cou
rage and patriotism, cannot exist in a
country, where trailick is the only em
ployment that commands attention, and
gold the only attribute that gives rank
and consequence. 1 he man v» ho would
expend ten thousands to establish a
country seat, which he seldom sees, hut
which gives him the reputation of enor
mous wealth ; who would purchase a
rare plant at a monstrous price, and or
nament his table with the splendour of a
prince, that his extravagance might be
boasted of, would refuse* meanly refuse,
a paltry sum to any public purpose.
Love ot country is lust, absorbed, sunk
in the love ot self, and no gratification
is sought or acknowledged that does not
ieed ostentation and pamper pride.
Hut the genius of our citizens has ta
ken an unworthy course, because the
tranquil state of the country required
no patriotic!; exertion, and offered no
necesssity or opportunity lor more noble
L-nterprize. Tbc spirb of honour “is
not dead, hut sleepeth.5' A rude shock
has broken the slumber. Inferior things
vanish from considc raton. Every dan
ger will be manfully braved ; every sa
crifice cheerfully endured. The course
is plain. "We must have nr.TRi uution,
ample, honourable retribution ; such as
will appease our angered spirit; restore
us to our honour; wipe awavthe stain; or
we must have war. It will be a holy
and a just war, and we may trust to God
and our exertions for its issue.- What
that retribution ought to be, is the only
difficulty dfi the case. May cur govern
ment solve this difficulty with wisdow,
and meet it with firmness. The grouwd
once taken, not a step must be receded.
[Port Folic.
New-York, July 18.
In the Commercial Advertiser of last
! evening, Col. William Smith has come
forward with a plan for the fortification
of the harbour of New-York. He con
siders as futile any attempt to defend<
the city by batteries erected on the
wharves, Governor’s Island, Bedlow’s
or Ellis’s, and Paulus Hook, and justly
points out the Narrows as the only pro
per place to erect works for the defence
of the city. The following are part of
his remarks :—■
“■ '1 he Narrows is the spot pointed
cut by nature for tiie essential defence
of tile harbour and city of New-Yoi.it.
Qn the west is presented an elevated
shore, susceptible of three formidable
batteries, one above the other. The
first batter\* on the shore presents r.n ho
rizontal fire embarbett; from this a point
blank shot from an 13 pounder reaches
double the distance of the channel.
The second, calculated for a plung
ing batter}*, will present a most destruc
tive fire against an approaching enemy,
at the same time that it effectually co- ^
vers and protects the horizontal battery
below.
i he third, a strong redoubt, with hea
vy artillery embarbett, offers a heavy
fire against hostile ships at the full range
of shot, as they approach the Narrows*
at the satne time extending am >le pro
tection to the batteries of die first and
second position.
In addition to these, at the distance of
120 yards,'is an inviting hill near the
shore, well calculated for a redoubt, ca
pable of containing about 120 men, front
which a battery o( £ix guns commands
the bay at a full range of lire. '
In the rear of these redoubt** at the dis
tance of 1)00 yards,is ground iav'Hirable
for an encampment of 3(X)0 men.1* 4
On tile eastern shore, the point of
Long-Island descends gradually to the
waters of the Narrows ; this point pro
jects with a sandy flat into the water at
the distance of 289 yards,' covered with
from lour to six feet of water, and con
sequently may be wharfed up so as to
plant a heavy battery above high vratef
mitrk, opposite to the horizontal :/.d