The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1814-07-06

e'~"iy, ur'hoNSu w the SaCf1nceS OF ifecuniary
interest which the, encountered, we ind the NJ
persevering through every. difhc,i,y, until
they obtained a triumph 1T once complete and
glorious. lie :. nay Fellow citzehs, on The con-
temptation o. Gtese virtues chat we should
dwell, whc'l We mecr 70 celebrate the birth
day OF our liberty We shc1.d emulate tho
principles OF the heroes o. on! revolutions aud
| INITIATE then glorious exa, ulc. We should
endeavor 20 rsDirc our souls with their CON
tempt oil wealtT compared 20 freedom their
patience, thv~ tortitlle, their simplicity of
manners, their submission to privation, and
ilnally their devotion 20 their country, in the
most adverse and trying scenes, to which she
can be exposed. Yes, nv counsrvinen, cult
waite these virtues yourselves, incIucatc them
on your offspring, impress upon their tender
minds, that next 70 the love OF their God,
ought to be their devotion 10 their Corncrv-
And YOU, my fair countrywomen, do not honor
with your regard, nor bless with YOUR smiles,
the man, whose bosom is net warmed by the
holy fame Of patriotism.
In the Declaration of Independence, and in
the various resolutions, and public acts Of Con-
gresS, during the war, you viii find, my fellow
citizens, the principles of the revolution devcl-
oped and ;eclared in language which no hu-
man pen has ever cIccned, in sub!inity and
cloquence. Let these these be Your text
books (; let these be the manuals Of your rights,
and depositaries of your political creed. Put
them INTO the hands OF your children. Come
70 the celebration OF this holy festival every
year, with the full knowledge of your rights,
which these sacred oracles viii inspire, with
a resolution to perish, rather than surrender
them and determination u transmit them
rs the best and most valuable legacy to your
posterity. Do these things and YOU will IRE
serve & perpetuate the principles ofthat revo-
luton which IS conSecrated BIZ the valor OF
Washington, and by the blood OF Warren and
Mercer and Montgomery.
1T the recurrence Of the 4th of July, for the
considerations which have stated, shall ever
excite in the bosoms ofpat,'iots, feelings of the
deepest interest and most holy enthusiasm,
what tongue, or what pen can do Justice to the
awful Importance of the dty, which this morn
ing'S sun has ushcrcd i'll ? Would to God, that
the task Of describing the momcntous nature
OF tins CRISIS had devoived one more able co do
justice 10 the subject. Would TO God that
possessed portion of that sublime eloqucnce
which marked the epoch which we CONNIE
morate l would then endeavor to transfuse
into the bosoms of all who hear my voice, nv
conviction of the awful importance of the PC
ROD at which we meet. Yes, nv countlymep:
we are called upon to decide, whether that
independence which we boast as our greatest
earthly blessing shall be permanent, or shall
De sacnnccd to the ambition and injustice of
that very nation, from which it was wrested
by the valor and blood of our ancestors. We
are called upon to decide whether we have
degenerated from the virtue of our fathers
whether the same blood runs in our veins
whether the same American feelings animate
orr hearts. Our ancestors were driven into
war, by the injustice of Great Britain. We
conquered our liberties. They were acknowl-
edged; we were promised peace and friend
snip. But this on the part of England, was
the mere language of diplomacy. For length
of time, the Western Posts were withheld.
Our commerce was exposed to vexations,
produclnSa spirit of resentment III this country
which would have come to an open rupture
but was suspended in its effects by the adop-
ton or Mir Jay treaty /; although that treaty
was diSapproved by large portion of the A
merican people. From that period, to the pre-
sent, injuries and injustice on the part of Eng
land have never ceased. We have been sub
jected to a series of orders in council, which
eXpounded by courts, obeying the mandates
OF the British government, have swept our
commerce from the Ocean, wheneverit suit
ed the convenience of @. Britain to promul-
gate them. And III the progress of the war
with France, England asserted and acted on,
as bass tor her DEGREES, a pretended right
to "etaiiate on Us an innocent and friendly
neutral, the wrongs she aIledged she receiv-
ed from France. Thus attempting to intro
duce into the code of nations a principle alb
hOrrent TO every idea of moral reCtitude, that
because one nation commits an act of inus-
tee, the nation injured has & right to retaliate
that injustice not on the nation offending, but
IN one entirely innocent. Besides England
persisted, in the exercise OF this pretended
right, even after the fimsey pretcxt, by which
it was attempted to be justified, had entirely
failed, and avowed her determination to per
sist in those orders against as until the pro-
ducts OF Great Britain should be received in
to the markets of her enemy.
BY pretended blockades of the whole coasts
Of the enemy, which were not invested by an
adequate force-8c what frequently were inca
pable Of being invested by any force, She com
mitted on orr commerce spoliations 10 an i'm
mcnsc amount. And as these boCkadcs were
construed b. her 20 be i'll force from the dates
Of the notification they served as so many
sndrcs Tor our trade, against which no human
foresight or vigilance could guard. And what
tended to aggravate tie injuries We endured
under this system was, It's being directly op-
posed to her exposition Of the laws Of nations
as applied to bIockadcs, repeatedly and Off
cialiy announced.
And finally American seamen, the pride
and boast OF the nation, were impressed and
compelled to fight against, and spill the blood
OF their cOuntrymen srsrbint 90 nlignities
which to a freeman arc worse than death
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