American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1822-10-29
" OLD MORTALITY."
FROM THE NATIONAL GAZETTE.

!
Bile 10 the Toly party. Ii reused the attention oil
the Whigs-l mean not the Radicals but the des-
pendants and lovers OF the true g Wings of the
Covenant II excited burst of admiration, and
burst OF indignat on deep and severe.-The one
from the Tories and the mere admirers of fine
historical romance THE other from the religious
and deyout body OF the nation.
1t was novel affair; and it excited the public
feeling TO intense degree to see venerable cler-
gymen descending into the arena, to at ack the
statements and sentiments of romance. There
was reason for this The book was read by every
body, and it contains the sentiments o. torysm in
their most imposing form-and there is much that
approaches to degree OF impiety which that sober
Ipeople will not bear. Nay the religious pubic
deemed that they saw no less than design to ridi
cule the memory of the martyrs and patriots of tn
days OF Charles ii ; and to Witty their holy reli-
lglon. The description which he has given of the
conduct and the motives of the military cheilalns
the personal accomplishments, and the romantic
gallantry with whi'h his imagination has clothed
the atroclous Claverhouse, do prove that here is
too much room for the one and the absurd balder
dash and disgusting cant which he has put into the
mouths OF the leading preachers of that age land
they we're no mean men, do altogether show spi
rit OF hostility and persecution, not to be tameiy
submitted to in this enlightened aye
| The result of this public indignation was visibly
in favor OF the "good old cause" Accurate en-
cravings of Graham Of Clavers were brought for
ward In opposition to the romantic painting OF the
novelist, the harsh features of his iron face were
revealed. And the tout ensemble exhibited an ex-
terror IN every respect bs6ting the gloomy and
dark soul OF man whose hands were dipped in
human blood to The wrists! And in the late addi-
tional details Of his public chatac it has been
shown from authentic documents that, s'the gallant
and enterpnsing ofirer,'' of Hume, and OF the To-
lies, was cold blooded murderer of the unarnetI
peasantry that he shot down, without trial or form
Of law, free citizens. on their own lands, and by
heir own ile sides that he belonged TO hat cen-
sed bandtt', the Dppiessor OF their country
+" employed even the sagacily of blood hounds to
discover the lurking places OF the patriots and
Ityrs," whom they butchered in the presence of
heir wives and crying babes See Laing's His,o-
| ~ ct Scotland. vol ii. and Scottish Worthless, sc.
passim
| Another consequence OF this natlonal excitement
was hnly zeal which put Iorh its activities in re-
pairing the tombs and monuments over the bodies
of the martyrs Earh sacred spot, or mountains,
in vallies' or moors, where the patriots had fallen
by the steel OF the life guards, was sought out and
monuments erected, and tombstones repaired and
a host Of "Od Mortalitles" put in requsition to
chisscl deeper the names and the epitaphs of the
martyrs
/ Tins is my introduction.--I now offer you the
" Battle of Drumclog" And the battle of Both
we'll shall be lorthcoming--that you may Judge OF
the contrast between the account of these battles
IN the Wavery Romance, and in history.
| In his Battle OF Drumclog, the " great wizarti''
makes the Covenanter's army murder gallant
young officer. who came as the flag. Nothing can
be more erroneous and sanderous. 1t is only sur
passer by that outrageous fiction of their in
lend-d murder OF young Morton, in the night after
| Boutwell, battle.
The following is given in the words of the Laird
of rOrtoot whose estate is this day in the posses
sion of two brothers, his lneal descendants OF the
| 18th generation. The Laird speaks of what he saw,
aud wha he did | have carefully compared his
account with the statements handed down by family
tradition-paI tcularly with the statements OF We
nerable aunt who died lately in PennsyIsania, aged
nearly ninetv and who was the grand daughter Of
the Laird's second son. ] have also compared the
account, with the brie. printed account OF these bat
tiles in the Scottish Worthless" and the Cloud
1 of Witnesses" This last book, p. 3S4, Lond edit
records the Lairds in the last of those driven
into Punishment, but who in spite of Clavers and
Charles, and shpwrecks, by the grace OF God, re-
gained his native hills to bless his afflicted family
and who, finally, died in peace, in the presence oil
his family, in good old age.
i BATTLE OF DRUMCLOG.
"It was on fair Sabbath morning in June, al
A. ID. 1872 that an asse ably of Covenanters sal
down on the healthy mount aims OF Drumclog. We
had assembled not to ight--but TO worship the God
of our fathers. We were far from the tumult OF
cities The long dark heath waved around u.s. And
we disturbed no living creatures saving the PEGS
weep,f and the heather cock. As usual we had
come armed. 1t was for sef-defence. For despe-
rate and crocious bands made bloody raids through
the country And pretending TO put down treason,
. they waged war against religion and morals They
spread ruin and havoc over the face OF bleeding
Scotland
:, The venerable Douglas had commenced the So
The clerical characters who figured in the scenes