The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1812-05-13
MISCELLANY.
TENNESSEE:
VOLUWT TIERS, TO ARMS

.
hand. The eternal enemies OF American
prosperity are again to bc taught to respect
our rights, after having been compelled to
feel, once more, the power OF our arms.
War is on the hoint u breaking or between
tie United States and the king @ Great Brit
ain ! and Tie militia host Of .dmeriea are SUM
moned TO Me tented fetds
CITIZENS an honorable confidence in
your courage and patriotism has been display
ed by the general government. 10 raise a
force for the protection OF our rights, she
hos not deemed it necessary to recur to the
common mode of filling the ranks OF an army.
No drafts or compulsory levies are now to be
made---a simple invitation is given to the
young men of the country, TO turn out for
their own and their country's rights. On
this invitation $4,000 Volunteers, full of
martial ardor, indignant 1T their country's
wrongs, and burning with impotence to illus
trate their name by some signal exploit, are
expected to repair to the national standard.
Could 1t be otherwise could the general
government deem it necessary to force US TO
take the field 7 we who have for so many years
demanded war with such camorous impor-
tunily-who in so many resolutions OF town
meetings and Legislative assemblies, have Of
fered our lives and fortunes for the defence
Of our country--who, so often and so publicly
have charged this very government with a
pusllanimous Difference TO foreign batlons,
because she had resolved to exhaust the cup
Of negotiation before she made her last ap-
peal TO the force of arms---No, under such
circumstances it was impossible for the gov
ernment to conceive that compusioR would
be wanting to bring us into the field. And
shall we now disappoint the expectations
which we ourselves have excited shall we
give the lie to the professions which we have
so often and so publicly made. Shall we,
who have so often clamored for war, now
skulk into corner the moment war is about
to be declared Shall we, who for SO many
years have been rendering our lives and for
tunes to the general government, now come
out with cvasions and pitiful excuses the mo-
ment the tender is accepted
But another and nobler feeling should
impel us to action. Who are 7ve ? md for
gvhat are .ve going 10 fght?
Are we the titled slaves of George the Sd
the military conscripts of Napoleon the great
or the Frozen peasants OF the Russian Car
No, we are the free born sons of America
the citizens of the only republic now existing
in the world {; and the only people on earth
that possess rights, liberty and property which
they dare call their own.
For zvhat are sce going 10 scar /? To satisfy
the revenge or ambition Of corrupt and in
fa,uated ministry to place another and anoth-
CIR diadcm on the head Of an apostate Repub-
lican general to settle the balance of power
among an assassin tribe Of kings and emper-
ors 4" or to preserve to the prince of the
blood, and to the grand dignatarics Of the
empire" their overgrown wealth and cXclu-
sive privileges No. Such shiendid achieve
mcnts as these can form no part of the object
of an American war. We are going to fight
for the re establishment of our national char
acter, misunderstood and vil6ed at home
and abroad for the protection of our mari
time cilizens, impressed on board British
ships Of war, and compelled to fight the bat
ties Of our enemies against ourselves /; to
vindicate our right to free trade, and open
market for the productions of our soil, now
porishing Oh our hands, because the mistress
of the ocean has forbid us to convey them TO
any foreign nation in Zine, to seek some in
dcmni,y for past injuries, some security a.
gainst future aggressions, by the conquest of
all the British dominion upon the continent
of North America.
Here then is the true and noble principle
on which the energies of the nation should be
brought in action A free people com mpelled
to reclaim by the power o. their arms the
rights which God has bestowed upon them,
and which an infatuated ki-s has said they
shall not enjoy.
In such contest will the people shrink
from the support of their government, or
rather will they shrink from the support of
themselves will they abandon their great
imprescriptble rights, and tamely surrender
that illustrious national character which was
purchased with so much blood in the war of
the revolution No. Such infamy shall not
fall upon US The advocates Of kingly power
shall not enjoy the triumph of seeing free
people desert themselves, and crouch before
the slaves Of a foreign yrant. The patriot