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

4
o, when, will men learn true wisdom.
Time forbids to dwell upon the charac-
tiers of our other native heroes. But a.
mong the list of our benefactors whom
not 10 name would be ungrateful, wers
many foreigners by birth who Joined
our standard in the darkest hour, and
stood manfully through the struggle,
shoulder to shoulder with our best and
brsvest Montgomery, the young, the
gallant, the accomplished, reposed his
graceful form in honors bed, amid the
SHOWS Of Canada. Ths simple. wise
and venerable De Kalb, fell pierced by
eleven wounds in the disastrous battle
of Cambden. Pulaski, the soul of CHI
vairy and romance, a very knight err
rand in arms, poured forth his fervid
blood Tor our cause on the arid plains
| of Savannah. While LAFAYETTE forsak-
ing the arms of beauty, the splendours
OF rank, the luxury of riches, bore heat
and cold, hunger and toll for our sakes.
Yes, he was no niggard Of his treasure,
his sweat and his blood in our cause.
and many family in Virginia owed the
roof that protected their heads from the
rude elements, and the bread that nour
ished them to his exertions. Many a
matron and virgin, our female an cestors
owed their preservation from a fate
worse than death, to his gallant and
skilfI defence of this our native SOIL
And are they Virginians who begrudge
MN the miserable Tittance to welcom
lin to iork- Town, the scene ofhis glo-
~, to give him the Joy Of meeting his
old companions in arms upon the spot
where they so gallantly fought and sfe-
riously trlunphed. DO we dole out 10
him who gave his all fer us, our graft
tude by the miserable standard of as d
Perhaps the entertainment might have
been more cheaply furnished; perhaps
the miserable fragments of the feast
might have been better sold, perhaps it
was wrong to pay for corn in the field,
where the cavalry paraded, because no
corn was there, know not, care not
whether it be so or not, loathe and ab-
hor all such degrading enquiries. An
know, or wish 10 know, is that LAFAYETTE
was the guest received, and York Town
the place of his reception How Il
mourn that such paltry contest should
have arisen in the proud old dominion
how must it degrade Der in the eyes of
our benefactor himself, how make her
bye word, hiss and a reproach n
mong all her sister states. |
.~w en-
sion to so unpleasant subject, let us |
not by dwelling 1T mar the festiyity
OF this joyful anniversary, but turn to |
the contemplation Of that great boon be-
slowed upon us by the sages and heroes
OF the revolution, and secured to us by
ffla wisdom of their successors.
When the din of war was DER, when
reluctant acknowledgment Of our in.
dependence had been wruAg from our
late foe, and wher The people recover
Ing from the conflict, had full time to |
reflect upon the important subject, i'll
was determined to call a convention to |
frame permanent constitution which
might supersede the provisional govern
nrents under which the affairs of the |
country had hitherto been administered.
and efiectually secure our dear bought
rights and liberties. This was the CON
vention of 1871, and the result Of their
lsbours was the excellent constitution !
under which We have so long and so
happily lived. The magnificent idea of ;
a great confederated republic, consist
ing of many independent sovereisnties, |
was as new asst was grand. II is net
surprising therefore that their should |
have been conflicting opinions concern
ing the constitution which was TO estab-
lish it. One party of the opponents of
the constitution in its present shape (the |
state right men of those days. insisted |
that the powers Of the general govern
ment were too extensive and strong, a.
mother, the ultra-lederalists, contended |
that they were too limited and weak
The one confidently prophecied that
owing to the two great preponderanc of !
the centripetal principle, the general
government would absorb the state
authorities, and that consolidation was
inevitable, while the other as confident |
ly foretold that the centrifugal force !
would send the states far wandering
from the centre, and that dismember |
ment was unavoidable. They were
both equally honest and both equally |
wrong. Experience, that best of Il ach- |
ers, has shewn us that the respective |
governments may be kept within their
proper orbits, and the beautiful syme-
hy OF the system preserved. Let us lot
then turn croakers in politics and anti,