The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1810-05-30

II
would both be at her dispo,s,-more rigor.
Gus than Nahash The Ammonite with the men
OF Jabesh-Giead, the token ty Which alone
SIC would make a covenant with us was, that
| We should first let her thrust out 6olh orr
| eyes.
| American Independence must r,st upon
! the foundation OF American valor and lAmeii-
| can pa!riotism---Such is the eternal law OF
God ana ot nature. If the generous purpose
oil Republican virtue is extinguished in the
| sordid sGlhshness of ayarice il tic fathers
who suffered unsubducd in the conHagl atoms
| Of CLar!estown and Falmouth, OF kNrheld
and New-London, of Esopus and Norfolk.
| who shed their blood in battle, and endured
| the lingering maiiyrdom OF prison"ships an"
| dungeons for the liberties of their county
| ir these fathers have beso,on sons SO dege'lA
! crate IS not TO" reluct al the name and condt
| ton Of Helots !" TO sigh for the protection ot
| the British navy is TO hang the load Of Atlas
| upon thread of spiders web. What IL
| the British navy Wood--snc hemr---and
iron--and what are these without the nerve
of the British arm, and the fire of the British
heart? Inert, passive, obedient maifer. That
arm and heart belong to Britain, and not td
us. Enough have they TO do to protect and
defend their island. But is the American
sincw more tlaccid, is the American heart less
ardent than those of Bri,on's ! Alas il was
the misery of Mr.. Ames's malady, SO TO be-
leve it is the folly OF his pretended friends
so to publish ! In him ii was ameniable er-
rour--ln them it is the most incxcusable OF
caumnics, the calumny OF their own contry-
men.
No,we are not that herd Of servilc usurcrs,
that den of dastardiy jackals which we are
thus represented to be. We have no ambiu-
Gus wish for war, no passion Tor foreign con-
quest and of-coursc no shallow love Of
needless armies and Davics. Our very love
OF liberty for,i6es, and perhaps carries 10 ex-
cess our jcalousies OF these double-edgcd
weapons, which might he brandished in7pard
against ourselves, as well as outward against
our foreign foes-But the uncoDquerable
will which carries us through all The trials of
the revolutionary war remains unimpaired,
and when called into action by nc uneluivo.
Cal voice Of the country, shines with undimin-.
ished lustre. The names of Truxton, Little
and Prcble, are as glorious To our rcpublick
as ,''osc uf tie nayai heroes of the revolution
and the annals Of Roman history cannot furn-
ish iarcr page than that 10 which the hero
ick devotion of Watsworth, Somers, isrcsi
and Decatur is entitled. These arc the mo-
deIs Of American character in the present
age and if the examples which they have
exhibited to their countrymen are rare 1t ~
only because by the blessings Of God the oe.
casions to call them forth have been few.
Some Of the extracts in my last paper
were selected from an elaborate attempt 10
prove that in this country there is not, and
cannot, in the nature Of things, be any sucli
thing as patriotism. The whole passage is
TOO long for selection but may be fornd iI
this volume, from the middle Of page 4l2 ~
the closo of page 4i4. l shall not here press
tic subject any further. shall foibear tU
shcw, rs with the greatest ease might tt
done, tbat both in point Of argument and OF
fact, il IS but the I" baseless fabrck OF vision"
but to exhibit the comharitive, state OF az
/ectrns in which Great Britain and America
stand in the hearts of those who furnished
tho raqp material of the authors incubrat'yils,
] request the unbiased reader 10 reflect upon
the following passage.
4" Great Britain, by being AIN Island, is secured
from foreign conquest and by having powerful
enemy within sight of her shore, is kept IN sufficient
dread of IL I'd be inspired with patriotism. That yr'
tue, with I'll bc fcrvour and elevation that society
which mixes much OF the commercial with TIC
martial spirit display, has other kindred virtues
in lis train and these have had an influence III fos
ming the habits and principles Of action, ne, only o.
the English military and Nobes but Of the mass oi
the naton. There is much therefore, there iseycry
thing THAT ISLAND TO blend seli-loye VAN iosc
of country, 1t is impossible that "i Ehg'iShnei'
should have cars for the government without uemh
ling for his own safety Ho1o di6erent ARE these seh'
Gpesais from he imorabh apathg " nose citizens, ~ao
.L,nk Consnt,aoa better Han a'y other piece ~
tober, nor 70 rood q dt,k .Sldch more peed
| oue cs,J,fbe zc,qttet AZ.
Let it be remarked that Mr.. hmes In this
( place, and tho other to which have referred
! the reader, appears to consider fear as cxciu-
| sycIy the pri mary foundation Of hatriotisn
| and every other source from which this vfes
| tue may be supposed to derive, he scemxT
| consider as merely theme OF hypocritica,
| defamation will not rccur TO any snppo'
II J,u &C lfeft