Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1812-06-19

Az bdh SaFOOES not Oh WOIuty WfS0Oms
from expressing FULLY and freely hose senti.
ments which it has pleased God, In his mer-
ey, to engrave upon my heart.
These are no ordinary times. The state
OF the word is u~uexampled. The war of
the present day is not like that of our revo.
luton. or any which preceded it, at leas,
IN modern times. 1t is a war against the
liberty aud happiness of mankind. IL is a
war OF which the whole human race are the
victims, TO CRAFTY the pride and lust of
power OF a single individual. I beseech
you put 1t to your own bosoms, how far 1t
becomes you as ffeemen, as christians, to
give your aid and sanction to this impious
and bloody warfare against your brethren of
the human family. 70 such among you,
II any such there be, who are insensible to
motives not more digni6ed and manly than
they are in,rinsicsIly wise, I would make a
different appeal. l adjure you by the re-
gard which you have for your own security
and property, for the liberties aud inheri-
tance OF your children, by all that you hold
dear and sacred, to iuterpose your consti-
tutional powers to save your country and
yourselves from a calamity, the issue of
which 1t is not given human foresight to di.
vine.
Ask yourselves if you are willing to be.
come the virtual allies of Bonaparte? are
you willing for the sake of annexing Cana.
da to the Northern States, to submit to
that ever. growing SYSTEM of taxation.
which sends the European labourer supper
less to bed to maintain by the sweat of
your brow, armies at whose hands you are
to receive a future master! Suppose Cana.
da ours. Is there any one among you who
would ever be, in any respect, the better
tor it!-the richer--the freer-the happier
the more secure! And is it for a boon
like this, that you would join in the warfare
against the liberties of man 10 the other
Hemisphere, and put your own in jeopardy ?
or is il for the nominal privilege of a licens.
ed trade with France that you would aban.
don your lucrative commerce with Great
Britain, Spain and Portugal, and their
Asiatic, African, and American dependen-
cies-in a word, with every region of those
vast continents? That m which
gives a vent to your tobacco, grain, -four,
cotton in short, to all your native products,
which are denied a market in France.
There are not wanting men SO weak, as
to suppose that their appreciation of warlike
measures is a proof Of personal gallantry,
and that opposition to them indicates a wan,
OF that spirit which becomes a friend to his
country /: as if it required more courage and
patriotism to join in the reclamation of ths
day. than steadily to oppose ones self to
the mad infatuation to which every people
and all governments have, at some time or
other, given way. Let the history of Pho
cion, of Agis and of the De Wits answer
this question. My friends, do you expect
to fad those who are now loudest in the
Glamour for war, foremost in the ranks of
battle |? or is the honour of this nation in
dissolubly connected with the political repu.
tation of few individuals, who tell you
they have gone too far to recede, and that
you must pay, with your ruin. the price of
their consistency. My friends. I have dis
charged my duty towards you lamely and
~inadeauately l know, but to the best of nay
poor ability.-The destiny Of the American
people is in their own hands. The net is
spread for their destruction. You are en-.
veloped in the tolls of French duplicity /;
and if, which may Heaven in it's mercy for
bid, you and your posterity are to become
hewers of wood and drawers of water to the
modern Pharoah, it shall not be for the
want of my best exertions to rescue you
from the cruel and abject bondage. This
sin, at leaat, shall not rest upon my soul.
JOHN RANDOLPH, OF ROANOKE.
May 18th, 1912.
I'VE hope to the publication of
the speech which follows, in our next)