Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1813-07-01

The FOURTH of JULY is indeed = ia :
10 De held IN lasting remembrance by Anne.
ricans; for OH that day our ancestors nm.
jniinousy aud magnanimously threw off ,ba.
YOKE OF British tyranny and oppression: on
."'' aay our ancestors declared themselves
independent OF that naughty power, and by
.ncir persaverlng courage and fortitude and
.ne ahcprevaiiing appreciation of Heaven,
'hey' after an arduous struggle, established
that independence and beouea,hed tn
oiessed inheritance to us their children
TOW valuable, now inestimable beouest
out permit me to enquire, my beloved fell
10" cNizens, how we have improved th;s
heavenly boon Amidst the profu,;on nc
blessings poured down upon us. have w. 70
FAMED III our minds an abiding sense of ora
'tuae 10 the benehcent dispenser of every
GOOD !-Have we cultivated among ourselves
that charity and brotherly love shich so e.
'nlheh.iy becomes the members of COM
hunitv so highly favored. of Heaven "a
las have too much reason to fear ,hot,we
nave forgotten God our deliverer, that we
nave G.saVowed his agency in our behalf.
Nase OH our allegiance to our Heavenly Fa-
ther, and openly rebelled against him in 40
much as we have ascribed our success ,n
our own prowess, and our unparalleled pros.
Pesi'y to our own mert-O fatal blind.
ness y wretched depravity IF this be
y .n .ase, nave we not great cause to fear
tue Just Judgments of Heaven for our base in
gratitude, our vile abuse of all the multipli.
ca blessings which the God of Love with a
,iosrai hanti has been bestowing on us -
IL we make so bad use of prosperity. NAV
we NOT expect to be tried by adversity f-ie
we abuse the blessings of 1ea en-, do we not
merit It's dispieasure, its cursesS - Where
III uie page OF history will you find the natl
VI, M,,icn mas done wickedly and has not been
punished. C which ifnot reformed b, the cor
rec.ion OF adversely, has not been finallvover-
! throwni God is the righteous Govrynor of
the Universe-and the course of providence
from the earliest ages of the world To the
present time, proves to demonstration, thar
nauohai wlckeduess vii inevitably he chas-
.,sed Win aatl1nal Caamiries and should
| these fail to produce reformation. total ruin
| will enSue.
AZ THIS periious time he appearance of
a hotlce IN the last Argus relative to the &C.
,ep'a'oh Oh the Anniversary of American
independence, ana the recollection of the
/ manner III which this day has been hereto
tore usually celebrated, produced the above.
re'Aarks-Forbcar, Fellow Citizens, 1 be-
| sscch' io'bear the repetition OF those Baccha-
| hailan orgies, those heathenish abominati-
| ohs-h meet upon our awful situation, sur
| rounded and invaded by powerful, unjust,
ana cnrelentlnS foe.--Here prudence ar
| rests the progress Of my peal must not
pfoceed-the dark and gloomy shades of a.
hlGnt p'ece, tho truly, opposite, am forbid
to deineate--I must therefore leave To
your own imaginations to finish the picture.
ana appeal 60 your deliberate and candid
Judgments whether it be reasonable, deco
| rous, or revcrent, at any time i'm : Christian
! country ana especially at such time as the
| P'eseht, 20 protane the Anniversary of our.
| Independence, by the Incorporate use of the
blessings of life, by immoderate, obstrepe-
rous mlrth, the roar of cannon, obscene.
nacchanaiian songs, blasphsmy, excavations
| ana temporary insanity Avoid it, fellow
| cl'izens' teucbnot the unclean thing-there
| Is destruction in it,
This year the Fourth of July falls OH the
Sabbath day--This circumstance at such
d .iine would seem to point out the way in
wi'ioh the Anniversary of our independence
SHOULD De now celebrated.-Iet us therefore
/ repair to the house of prayer, and there sim
cerey and humbly confess our transrressi-
ons' repent OF our ingfatitudc and dsingenu
ity' ana IN fervent prayer implore thro' the
merits OF our blessed Redeemer the pardon
"a sih our sins-Let us there resolve to for
sake our esn ways, and crave Divine assis-
lance 20 enable us thereafter to live godIv.
righteous, and sober lives. Thus let us ce.
leorate the Anniversary of our Independence
ana let our lives be consonanJ the rewith: we.
VIII OBTAIN the approx ttion of Heaven, in
sure the success Of our arms, the speedy re-
turn at peace, the property of our beloved
country and our own individual happiness
hat God of his grear mercy may grant
you the disposition and ability thus to act is
tne sincere prayer of your fellow citizen
friend OF the Revolution and and hitherto
a friend Of the war.
ASINNER.