The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-07-04

IN VAN. In sii'S gloomy state ut things, tie
only determination which remained WAS tc
perish or to conquer.
Our revolutionary patriots looked fkrough
natare IN TO natare's God, and found that
their cause was just and glorious. 1t was
tried in the language of Condorcet in the
tribunal of opinion and. as it were. before the
assembled nations of mankind. The rights
OF man were discussed and stren,inu sly sup
ported in writings which circulated from the
banks OF the Neva to those of the Guadal-
culver. Among their ardent and eloquent
advocates were the ever living names of Vol
tairc and Rosscau. Such, my dear r. was
the sacred oh aracter Of our cause Such
was tho importance of those rights at issue,
without which the dignity. of man shrinks
into toy-he becomes the blighted victim
ct tyranny, and his soul as il were, disdain-
ing the incumbering clay, leaves him. tho
hollow image of despair. and wretchedness.
iiere then, 1t was time to take their stand
They did so. They refused with the energy
OF FreemeD to submit. And here the spirit
or domination became more fierce, and that
OF resistance more iminoveable. The tenn
per OF hostility on the part of Great britain
arrived to such pitch, that if friend of
the colonies was heard to breathe Sigh Of
sympathy, he WAS instantly consigned to I;
Jaiir orperhaps To the more happy mansions
J NrqfoHnd o5ii1ion The memorable ca
gees OF tea which had becn distributed TO
Tie waves OF Boston, exhibited a temper on
the part ot America that was not to be sub
dueqbH threats and violence. This conduct
or the Bostonians has Incurred the reproach
OF rashncss and precipitancy from some few
historians, but every American will BE likely
TO give 1T the suffrage of his warmest admi-
ration 1t was followed by rapid success
sion OF hostiiities until the battle of Lexing-
ton where the FIRST btood 7uas shed. Here
we may date the actual commencement of
ehae war which was conceived in injustice,
nurtnred, in folly, and whose IL otsteps were
marked with slaughter and devastation. In
Tess than twelve months came ON that glorious
sAtn OF July which ever since we have hailed
with the enthusiasm due to a jubilee of Free
aoW. 1t the Roman Senate was regarded
as an assemblage of Gods. may we not look
upon our frst Congress in the same light
with greater pietyand truyhs Fancy almost
+emobes them .toour view as the commission
ed saints OF Heaven with pen of inspiration
marking out the rights of man and the indie
pehdence' OF: America and if there be
frcord'mS angel, may WE not expect that it's
brightest page will be devoted to the immor
talHy OF the author ?--Here was established
tins happy, and trust, imperishabie repub-
hc' TWO hundred and eighty four years after
our discovery and one hundred and sixty six
after our brst ettectnal settlement, But this
dIa not put period to- the progress of war,
and the ravages of desoatlon. ITS course
however, Is almost too familiar to be suscepti-
bic OF any new interest
It's unnecessary to pourtray the immense
force which was displayeduntler the colours
OF royalty and the incredible weakness of
that III comparison ON he. side of the Ameri-
cans.
How unprovided they were in arms and
resources: How they endured the combined
miseries OF nakcdhess and hunger; or how
ike the game OF the hunter they were to be
tracked by their blood across the indurated
snow and mammocks of ice. But under
all these calamities, Shey proved inc ,;orable
to the seducing promises, and fearless oftle
Cruci threats which constantly issued FROM
tue quarters of their enemy. Nor did thew
forget to crafty their ferocity. The guilt of
the murderer and the innocent circumstances
OF the victim. the conflagrations of the incen-
aiary ahd3the scenes of suffering, are to be
found in every page of the Revolution The
unhappy lot OF the American soldier who
became captive to his relentless foes was
indeed horrid and lamcntable. They pur
SUED the example of the Indian, whom they
had oribed into alliance, whom with TOYS and
trlnhets they had drawn from the wilderness
TO gather the scaLhs J'he 7chfteman. -
HOW alter his savage mode of cruelty, when
the victim exhibits the signs of death, he is
released from the stake, and his SUSPENDED
energies soothed and Courted into life. mere
To undergo similar pangs: somewhat like
TINS was the fate of the soldier Day after
day, he fingered under the importunate era
wings OF the human appetite, until reduced
TO MS last hour; then he was brought into
the FRESH air not to be fed but merely to be
tantalIzed with food unless he would for
swear his country and join its merciless in
VaocrS. o the glory and renown of the a :
merlcan soldiers, many of them preferred to
sink under the horrors OF famine, rather than
be guilty OF parricide. But their fury was
not limited to the soldiery. The dwelling
OF the farmer was doomed to tumble i'm ruins
over MS head, and his property Of every de-
scriphoh to be seized, not for the purposes of
want, for humanity would have spared as
much, but merely for the sake of spreading
calamity and throwing his wretched familV
oack as 1t were upon the hands of providence.
he brandishing torch was next To be seen AT
the Hamlet, where the best hopes of every
age and sex were committed to the devourinr
names, and from which many inhabitants
were lying from every thing dear, to escape
the dread punishment of being treated ne
traitors. Their Infatuated desolation was
not satisfied even here. Towns and cite.
renamed. They were Just rising into wealth
and Importance from their convenience to
commerce, or from being the repositories of
Agriculture. Bnt these destrnyers came
ahd nothing was afterwards to BE seen but