Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1814-07-14

- 1Ah'Ah@ ~ FtAff1 NHiVs tSittL ~
be great, disdsin 10 he good who, in pur.
suit of riches and power, Indifferent to
right and wrong, take the nearest was-
Many too, there are who ignorantly swsl-
low every idle tale. Many who, pulled up
With eonceit. win no longer listen to truth
when she offers instruction. A mind bloat.
ed by vanity loves to feed on falsehcod, and
drink the tisttery by which it's dropsied un.
derstanding is drowned. But in that mo
ment when crowned heads in Europe crouch
ed TO the French directory, an insult aim
ed at the honor of America, was instantly
resented. This dignified conduct of the
rev world astonished the old. Our char.
acter was raised to the highest pitch
} fused, alas only TO he rrecipitated, by
the impetus Of its fall, more deeply ii
shame.
This occasion does not require, neither
viii it permit Of, a history, or even the
rapid recapitulation Of important events
We have seen the tumults of democracy
terminate in France, as they have every
where terminated, in ~despotism. What
had been ~foreseen and foretold, arrived
the power Of usarpaticn was directed and
maintained by great talents, gigantic
o|tlI'uro VI Iobiitst+ pitpuJSh wv NNVP
and dark intrigue vast masses of force,
conducted with consuinmate skill; a cold
Indifference to the miseries of mankind p
profound contempt for moral ties; a marble
hearted atheism, TO which religion was
only a political instrument; and the stern,
persevering will to bend every thing to his
purpose, were the means of Napo = IN to
make himself the terror. the wonder, and
the scourge Of nations. The gslling of his
iron yoke taught Frenchmcn feelingly to
know how much they had lost in breaking
the bands of their allegiance. They had,
indeed. to amuse them. the pomp of tri-
rmph, the shout of victory, and the con
seriousness of force. which tndde the neigh
boring nations groan. But the fruits OF
their labor were wrested from them to
CRAFTY the extravaganza Of vanity. or sup
ply the waste of war. Their children were
torn from their boaoms, and marched off
in chains to the altar of impious, Unsuitable
ambition. Aged parents, WHO, with trem-
bling step had followed to bid the last of
many sons a final, fond adieu, IN returning
to their cottage, once the scene Of humble
happiness. but now stript by remorsless
collectors Of every thing which could be
sold, looking round in vain for the little OBJ
iects to which use and need had given value.
and seeing only the remnant of that loaf
from which they had taken their last meal,
moisteucd with bitter tears, turn their eyes
to heaven, then, throwing themselves in
each others ar.ps. exelaim, my child my
child. Such, France, were thy suiferings.
Thus was the innocent blood of thy sover-
eign visited upon thee. Frenchmen, by
these woes were you taught to feel the pre-
| sent, the avenging God. 1t was this deep
agony which led you to declare to your sove-
reign's brother in the language of nature
| end truth, " Sire, we bring you our hearts;
| the tyrant has left us nothing else to give
In the month of September. 1919 the
| son of an obscure family in a small island
| of the Mediterra mean, was at the head of a
greater force than was ever vet command
ed by one man, during the long period to
| which history extends. His brows encir-
cled with an imperial diadem. his sword red
with the blood of conquered nations. his
eyes glaring on fields he had devoted to
| plumber, his feet trampling on the meek
| of kings; his mind glowing with wrath. his
| heart swollen with the consciousness of
| power unknown before, he moved, he seem
ed, he believed himself, a God. While at
one extremity of Europe his ruthless le-
| eions drenched, with loyal blood. the arid
soil OF Spain, he marched, with gigantic
stride, at the other extremity, to Found his
vast dominion in the widest circle of the
civilized world. Already he had pierced
the Russian line of defence, Already his
hungry eagles were bouncing on bis pre-
Pause-View steadily this statue of colossal
| power. The arms are of iron (; .he breast
; of brass; but the feet are of clay. The
moment of destruction impends. Hark !
the blow is given. 1t totters; it falls; it
crumhles to dust. This mighty man. this
king, of kings, this demi god, is discounted.
He flies; he is pursued be hides Strip,
ed ~ofroyal robes, distracted with appre-
tension, tapping the wings Of fear. he
scuds in disguise across the wide plains of
Poland, not daring to. look behind. He