Jenks' Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1803-1805, 1804-11-19
UI5cie Eamb2r, 343.

unto Gideon, rule thou over us bo thou and
| thy ton and thy fon's ion afo; for thou halt de.
.ivercd rs from the hand of Midiari' The
multitude. governend by the pretent in1pulf-,
are commonly hafy and rafh in their refolves
In the prefeilt intance, at the mo.,ert of their
grateful enthuisfin, they were ready to throw
! hemielvcs at The feet of their deverer, and to
| furrender their unaIirnablc rights and prive-
gcs to his abfolute difpofal and but for the
integrity and pure patrotfin of the noble heart-
| cd farmer, he might have bound yoke of iron
| upon their tame and fubmiiIivc nccss. The
patriotic Gideon refuied the Offer of ain heredi-
| tary throne, and faid to the people, :" | will
not rule owe. you, neither ihaIl my fon rule o.
| yer yon."
This parosyfm of gratitude in The people foon
fubGded, and the family of the venerable gen.
| eral was finally requitedi in fuch manner, as
| mutt excite tentinents ct horror in the mind Of
every reader.
The facred writer having remarked the in
gratitude of the children of Iirael to their God,
proceeded to fay, /" Neither fhewed they kind
| nefs to the houie Of Jerubbaal, namely Gideon.
according to all the goodneis which he had
! fhewed unto Irael"--This is (een in the iequei.
: After the decesfe of the venerable old general,
| Abimelech, the fon of concubine, who was as
| intriguing as Marat or Robefpierre. addrraed
the people with fnoo,he fattesing tongue,
| and, like Abialonl, Roe their hearth /" Remem~
Der, faid the fly fcoundrel, that am your bone
and your fefh." The facred hiitory adds,
| Their hearts were inclined to follow Abimc-
| 'ech." and 70 it has been ia all ages, that tbs
dearts Of che infagacious multitude have been
| inclined to follow thofe crafty demagogues, who
to anfwer their own fefiih purpofes, have CAR
Relied and fatered them. Abimelech having
| won the people proceeded, as the hiftory IN
forms US. to hire, for his attendants, and as the
! tools of his administration, number of !" -min
! and light pey0n.''-men without character and
| without morals. With this bandtti, the mon
fter, in order to remove all fuch as might RE
4 val him in the government, went and flew upon
| one tone the fops! of Gideon, being fevenfy
| perfons. My God few enty brethen, murdef-
| ed in one day and upon one Zone All cf
| them the children of father. to whom the ma
ton owed its liberties. Unhappy young men
! your fathers merit was your deftruttion. Is
he had never left his threfhing fail, to fcrve and
fave his country, you might have lived in hap
py obfeurity and died in peace.
But what were the feelings Of tbr people, when
they were informed Of thefe mott horrid muir
dcrs Did indignation fire their breafts at the
mahacre of the family Of Gideon, the father
and favior Of their country ?-Did they purfue
the murderer, and appea.e the cry Of innccent
blood by his death I! No, they lcr him live. +
| Did they drive him into banifhment ! No, he
was fufered to remain in the boiom Of his couns
try. Well then, every native Ilrae'ite, mutt
at leaf have beheh 70 vie mifcrcant with hor-
! ror, and avoided his company No fuch thinga
but a very different fcene prefents. The xcty
next account, after the mafacrc Of Gidedns.
fons. is this, !" The people gathered fageshf, aaS
made Ab;meAcb King ,P'---Ycs, that ac4
curied afailin. who, in cool blood, had murder
edthe numerous progeney Of their belt benefat-
tor, their political favior, they voluntarily made
their king BY the pillar of Shechem, the
blood-reeking noniter Rood 70 receive regal
dignity and there the people proclaimed him
king; there they ihcuted, /" God fave king A
bime'eeh w-' Long live the man of the
people He loves us he has told Us that
he is our bone and cur hefh"