Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1829-12-31

or narrow feelings, they all slept or expired
on this august occasion. The traite which
distinguished that body, and in which they all
agreed, tic master passion tchieh acallo,ced up
the rest, was the LOVE OF COUNTRY.
They had this passion not on their lips on
"; but IN their hearts score. Each member
lost sight ofhimself, and forgot the Individual
In the public cause. Hence, self. with all its
degrading retnue of pride and vanity. morti-
hcahon and disappointments, chagrin and re-
sentiments, distrUst Immature, personality,
rudeness and reerimination, found no acmis-
SION within their wall; but in their stead -four
ished the ingenious and healthy offspring of
virtue and patriotism; candour, forbearance,
confidence, goodwill, modesty, decency and
dignity. Thus conducted, debate possessed
every advantage for which it was instituted
No man opened his lips but TO ask or give in
formation for the public good; and no man
who was capable of throwing the .aintest light
upon the subject shrank from debate in
winch ne was sure of being treated with po-
likeness and respect. is this the case at pre-
sent' Here again, leave the comparison to
the reader 1t will be for him to say whether
our manners as web rs our minds have not
most woiully degenerated.-And whether. in
all that respects public character, we not, like
fompey III my motto, rao,c stand the sLadoar,
merely, Of name once great
J tiow lar the old Congress surpassed us in
energy of intellect as well as grandeur of soul,
may be seen by their various reports, reso!u-
tons, memorials, remonstrances, petitions,
declarations and statutes, these evidences of
their character still live and will forever live,
while the name Of liberty shall be dear in any
corner of the globe.
It is impossible to read those compositions
without being strucl. with the dignity of ac-
a. IL. al
whole subject Is grasped; and the beautiful
! simplicity, and, at the same time, irresistible
conviction with which the argument is envol-
we'd. The magnanimity of sentiment which
| brsathes Throughout them, corresponds, in G.
| very part, with the force aud greatness of in
tellect which conducts the argument; forming
| together tosae ensemble, certainly not sur
passed, if equaliad Ivy any productions on
earth. No family ought to be without these
| state papers; moro especially those families in
| which there are children growing up. A great
part of those papers have been collected in
manuel called The observation-disclosures
been, myself, old enough to understand and
admire them as they came out, have careful
| ~ preserved my original copies and had them
all bound together in one large and sacred
volume. This book forms an annual exercise
in my family. My boys read it to me once
year with religious punctuality; and never
without producing in them the most sensible
effects In the first place it is salutary re-
currence to first,principles. II shews them at
full length and i'll the colours Of lie what a
patriot was, in the golden age of patriotism.
II gives them glorious model on which to
form their own principles and characters
1t anlmates their young bosoms with the same
great and noble spirit Of republicanism-an
the annual recurrence to this source of light
and warmth, keeps that spirit from languish-
ing or being smothered under the bushes. of
| lie; on the contrary, it rekindles and reyives
ut, and feeds, with never-failing fuel, the ho-
| ly flame Of liberty. Besides this training of
the heart to greatness, the practice, of which
| speak, produces correspondent effect up
on their minds. 1t teaches them the difference
between solid substance and fantastck shad-
ow. 1t shews them the superiority of thought
to words. 1t gives them a perfect standard of
manly and nervous eloquence; and proves in
the most striking and convincing manner how
much more power as well as dignity there is
in plain and simple period, loaded with
sense, than in all the pomp and pageantry,
and sound and fury of modern defamation.
II raises them above that trick of Incidence
or weakness of taking a short and partial
view of things, the common habit of Welding
to sudden impulses, or solitary and erratick
dtOhS, dfiu Tic mean anu DltlIul afti-
flee of appealing to existing prejudices, instead
OF making an honorable and manly appeal
to reason. On the contrary, it teaches them
how to look abroad over the whole of great
subject, and to seize all its strong points; how
to arrange, connect and set them forth to adj
vantage; and thus to combine the compre-
hensive and profound, with the beautifully
distinct and luminous view
1t is obvious that those men read more and
thought much more than their descendants
Their preparation for public life was on far
greater scale. Their minds were enlarged
by the contemplation of subjects, and invi-
! gorated by the pursuit of studies of which we
seem now to have lost sight entirely And
they entered upon business with an intimate
knowledge of every consideration which be-
longed 30 it, gained by labor; the place of
which their children seem to expect to supply
By inspiration:--It is true that the revolution
may have lent spring to their industry and
Ienterprize:-but are we willing TO confess our
selves sunk into an Incidence SO torpid and
ldisgraceful that nothing less than revolution
can rouse us to life and action?-This | do
mot believe. Our young men want only to be
made to understand their deficiencies; they
: want only some friendly monitor to point them
| to those sources of knowledge from which
, their forefathers drew, to render themselves
, worthy of being called and known as their
: descendants. Our great misfortune is, that
. narrow and contracted Preparations for pub
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