The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1827-01-25

owed their glory 20 the darkness OF its
clouds; their lustre 10 the brightness Of its
sunshine. Enough, however, here, who do
know, there was never before such an ar
my, such a service, such q result.
Without this army, our Revolution had
never been achieved. Instead Of "thus sit
ting, thus consulting" thus, in all the pride
and power Of self-government, we had, to
this hour, been the mere appurtenances OF
foreign empire; dragging after us the wea-
ry chain OF colonial dependence. The en-
terprsing trade Of your fathers was con-
fined 10 the waters, and the ports Of Brit
ain, This army conquered, for you, the
!. ecdOm Of The seas, and the commerce OF
the world. They, too, conquered for you,
the laods from almost the waters OF the
Mexican Gulf, to the head springs of the
Mississippi; and thus, finally, brought into
your acquisition, your whole present Ter.
ritory, extending over the broad breast oi
the continent, from ocean to ocean. What
a wilderness Of wealth What a teeming
parent Of popnleus and powerful States
The old colonies were more separate colo
nies. Tho Revolution united their hands
and formed them into political brother
hood. This army sustained that UNION,
placed US on the broad basis Of indepen-
dence; and we are. by their tolls and jeop-
ardies, now q nation, among the most ETH
| cient and prosperous. Does no spirit of
gratitude cG'l OH this nation TO remember,
| and TO relieve, the survivors Of that army,
now, as they are "old and weary with ser
vice." pray Of you, sir, let their country
give them this one look of kindness pour
this one beam Of gladness on the desolate
twilight Of their days.
| Does any one doubt whether the spirit
Of the nation will go along with us IN max
ing this provision? Why, sir, when that
venerable man, now standing in the can
vass yonder on your wall, stood, two years
ago, in his proper person or this floor, the
whole nation seemed to spring forward TO
! give him the hand Of graduation. Was.
this done because he was the noble de-
scendant of long line of illustrious an
cestors, q warrior, ond patriot, in another
country? Was il not rather because he
was u soldier Of our Revolutionary army
| When he travelled from city TO city, and
| the universal people went out TO meet, 10
welcome, aud to receive him to their.
! abodes, was it not because he was n sol
! iier Of our Revolutionary army? When
| from state TO state he moved, under one
| continued shout of o%ratulation, IT was
! not the great and illustrous nobleman,
but the. long remembered ard deeply en-
deared soldier OF our Revolutionary army,
| whom the people delighted to honor. At
| last, when he left our shores, carrying
with him such testimonials as were appro.
| pirate for such nation to give, and such
| 4 man 10 receive, no American imagined.
though such was tho fact, that VIC had
been doing honors 10 the most meritorous
man in Europe all men believed that Il
vas but the expression of national graft
ude To the soldier, the revolutionary sol
licr, who had devoted his youth, his fol
tune, and his blood, in defence of our in
| dependence. Is there no such sentiment
now in the bosom Of our nation, embracin~
warmly embracing, these his vencrd.,s
brothers In arms5
At the last great national festival Of in
depcndeno the first jubilee Of our couli.
try, why we're these men, by kind Of 81
mutaneous sentiment, "beating in every
pulse through" the nation, called out to
assist at the solcmnitics, and to partakc- of
the Joys and festivities Of the day? Was
this done, sir, merely to tantalize their
hopes or was il done 10 assure them that
already the voice Of the people had award.
u W llltIU lIlIS pIONISlpll, anu luhb llFy
we're only to wait until the forms Of law
had given efficiency To this award until
the recorded cnactments of their Repre-
sentatives in Congress had embodied and
promulgated this great voice of the peo
pie?
Sir, the character Of yor bcStowment
on La Fayettc depends on the fate of this
measure. Make this provision for the re-
nainder of your Revolutionary Army, and
this and that will forever stand on the
page of history as illustrious deeds of ma
tonal gratitude. Send away these, his
| meritorious brothers in arms, to "beg
their bread through realms their valor
saved" and your gifts to that illustrious
| foreigner will, in the eyes of other nauons
and Of postcrity, serve only to purchase
Tor you the character of a good and pit
| iiul ostentation.
| After all. sir, what is this vast sum.
which if bestowed on tho survivors OF the
army, may, as some anxious gentlemen
have intimatod, exhaust the National 1'rca-
sury? 1t is S3,0OO,O00, three dimes a
head, to our whole population Of the last
census This, too, in stock; legacy
charged on the rich inheritance which, as
we hope, will he transmitted by US to our
children who will rejoice that we have
left them something TO do in memory Of
those venerable friends Of their fathers.
The annual interests Of this sum, at 5 per
cent. will amount to Sl50000. Our very
school boys would pay it. Yes, sir, they
would pay it. have boy nine years
old, quite az much, and no more patriotic
than the children of each gentleman in
this hall, and do believe, sir could reck
on up among my constituents 800 more
the fathers OF such sons, all midding in
| Al Il. IL IL II