The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-07-18


man hyperion to lhefc people.
1t IS now certain that Capt. Lewis has rcrnov-
ed all obitacles to his Journey and is proceed
ing, with twenty one native Americans, who are
prepared to meet the difficulties and dangers
they mutt inevitably encounter. IT'S cfential
to the iuccefs of this enterprise, that degree OF
enthuiiain thould be kept alive in this little band
OF adventurers and furely no man is better
qualified to infpire this ardor than Capt. Lewis
The foAozving Extrad is from an Grafton deli
7'crea at Port Royal on The 4tb Of july, Iy
JoHN 7ArLoE LoMAx.
The moral is analogous to the phyhcal world.
We may trample the heritage under our feet
with deiolating hand, we may blat the luxuri-
ancy and fertility of vegetation we may raze
the lofty forctt to the ground nature by her vi
v'fying impulie ioon protrudes her works again
to our view, adorned in their ptifine fplendour
and beauty. OpprefIion for time, may dim
the eye of reafon and fife the voice of truth.
He may wave high the crmfoned laih of perie-
cution. He may benumb the finer energies and
faculties of the foul. He may trample
under foot the privileges and rights of man.
But man viii route, and then the bloody mon
iser of iniquty will be feen breatheis at the feet
OF an injured and infulted people-a pollution,
an abomination, horror.
If, my fellow citizens, we take review of the
tranfaetions of this revolution, what American
heart does not fwe with exultation. No bloc
dy iacritces blot the hftory of our ftruggles in
the caufe of freedom-no victims appear mark
ed out TO aPpeaie the fanguinary ferocity of an
Inturlated mob--no terror rifles to appal the ina
glnation-no enOrmity darkens our bright path
to the temple of berty. We contended for the
eftablilhmeut of rights, and did not feek to i'm
brue our hands in the blood of our fellow beings.
But our firm, calm, and dgnifed efforts for this
deiirable Object were oppofed on the other hand
| by the fury of Britifh war, aggravated by the
horrors of civil confuiion and the blood thirty
vengeance which tyranny inhitts upon its REBEL
fonJ fares. All the rules of honorable warfare,
conlecrated for ages in the manly and generous
feelings OF the folder, were fpurned and dire
girded, In order that the vindStive fpirit of
mother country might be fatiated in the havoc
ruin, defolation and defpair of her fictitious CO.
lonies. Devafation blaited every field rapaci-
| ty plundered every dwelling, the Indian war.
whoop echoed In our mountains, the favaee fires
| Slittered along our confines the reverence of
age the charms of beauty. the helneisnefs of in
| fancy were unavailing for protection every age
| every Tex fell confufed mafacre under the un-
erring tomahawk and fcalping knife, or mingled
the fhrieks of one indifcriminate torment. The
lame of civil dfcord and iniurreSton kindled
atevcry fire fide. BY night our villages and ci-
ties cleaned a flaming ruin. By day they
imoaked dulky horror. The fcrcams of VIC
TINS quIvering in the agonies of favage torture
mingled in the breeZes from the weG. The
groans OF American Priioners expiring in pr-
ion-fhips howled in the tempelts from the eat.
In priion-hips in prifon-fhips, my fellow-citi-
zsns, not exceeded in horrors by the black4hoIe
OF calcutta, were haplefs captiveS crouded and
confined, doomed unpitied and unfeen, to Ian.
Suih In diteaie, to parch with Thrift and famine,
to pine under all the complicated miferies which
want and cruelty inflif on man. when at
length flow reluctant death chilled forever
thofe hearts whole laft throbs were patriotifm,
and fealed thofe lips, which feemed, even when
lite was extingullhed, to culver with faulterino
oieihngs on US thefe captives who had fought
our battles, fought the battles of freedom and of
man, were denied the common rights of fepul-
ture. The lat fad adeu which the living bid To
the dead, the latt fad rite of religious filtration
which puT1fies the foul of man for heaven. and
coniecrates it to its God was denied them.-.
| And even at the clofe of war our whitened
ihores g!eamedwith their bleaching, unannealed,
unhaHowed iEeletons.* Had a ftranger to the
lad tale ofour calamities taken furvey of the
| unverial ruin and defolation which darkened
our once happy land, he would have exclaimed ;
What nefarious crime have thefe people com
mitted which has called forth this bloody ex-
| " patton OF guilt!Wit what impious facrilege
g have they polluted the affairs or de6ed the
worih,p OF their god to draw down from an
gered heaven this affecting vilitation of wrath
With what centious fury have they trampled
upon thofe inviolable bonds which connect
and harmonic the moral agents of the uni
=" gerfe With :9'!;at predatory and atrocious
outrage have they invaded the rights of natl
ons, thus 10 route the combined honlity of
Z" man, to inllict this wide fpread devafation, as
"a juit retribution of their enornities % TO
this exclamation, what, oh what would have
been the aniwer ?" No nefarious crime, no inn
pious iacrilege, no licentious fury, no preda-
tory and atrocious outrage blots the annals OF
fains the character of this unhappy people.
The horrors which you behold, are not the ex-
piation Of guilt they are not the vifta.ion of
an avenging deity they are not the iult retri-
| " button ofenormity (; they are the protection of
mother country to her colonies. The fame
which has converted India, the parable ofthe
world into the region of darkness, miferv and
"woe. They are the chaitfement of tyranny
upon man for daring TO anume the character
lmPrelled upon him by nature that chaAife.
ment which awaits unhappy Ireland, and will
ere long, open all the fources of her blood to
g fatten her fields"
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