Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-07-08

looked upon the holy struggle and refused to
brand it with the .sfoul, dishonor'ng name oi
Rebellion Mankind, BY common consent, mas
accorded TO the actors in that struggle the appel
laton Of Patriots. and they never dlsgraceu Tue
plorous title. Upon what base did these great
men erect the moral pyramids of their lame wnlch
nov tower to the clouds? The victories OF Alex
and.r and of Caesar exceed theirs in magnitude.
Hannibal exceled them in the stra tagems OF war;
The modern Attila has made thrice as many cou-
quests They cannot boast OF nations roN.eu;
KINGDOMS oyerthrown. armies slaughtered Anu
vet how resplendentiy bright is their pos'huho"s
fame when compared with the iurld glare ""'ch
surrounds the names OF most OF ancient anu ',o-
dern conquerors-,hosc devastators OF ',e ea''''
who. if thew have not sunk s'unhonored and I'M
snng. :, have at least been blotted from existence
unwcnt & unlamented! But nation tears have
u,tared the Graves of the men of whom We are
.upakinr. and their loss is mOurncd, even yet,
bitterly and sorrowfullY. He only is truly great
Who Gains the love and esteem of his countrymen;
ana by this standard we try the merits OF our
fathers. la estimating the claims Of men to dis
tinction. the peculiar circumstances under which
they act are mainly to be taken into the account.
r. in defiance of adverse events, In the tacc OF
unpropilious occurrences, &in opposition 'oa pow
or which can crush and destroy. they dare 20 al
tempt that which, under all these discouraging
positions. may bring down upon them the ven
reance of that power. We are disposed to accord
to ihem the highest need Of praise.
Let no one say. then. that we are cn'hu-
siastic in the admiration we nave already eN-
pressed. The simple signing OF that paper
which has been read TO you. displayed On the
part ot the sinners degree of moral hero,sm nn-
examrled in the annals of the world. IN a;iix-
mo their names 70 the instrument which declared
that these states care, and OF right, ought to be
Free and Independent" they pe,'i'ed. as they
eouueutly expressed il. ether lives, their tor
tunes and their sacred honor" They v"iun'a-
riy bound themselves as victims before the al
tar thew had erected, and if Heaven had not been
propitious. their immolaton would have been
certain. They saw the upliited knife, yet barred
| their bo,oms to the stroke and qnalied not
before the stern glance of power. And through
out the "iong agony consequent upon the
| Declaration so solemnly made, with what per-
servance, with what high-minded constancy,
with what firm resolution did they continue un-
| Ill all "was over" At the darkest period OF
our history when the political horizon was black
and low ering. aud not strip of clear SKY vas
seen, their ken pierced through it all and looked
upon brighter day in anticipation. Had they
| then faultered. had they even paused to look
back. how different might have been their fate,
! and how different our condition from what IT no"
lis! But from the first to the last, from the be-
ginning to the end, they never wearied, their
march was still onward Their cry was Liberty!
Shall un,ie the scroll of fame and read you the
names of the Fathers of the Republlcf Or has
nr,IfhnrfRsitali IF tbsU virtues already called up
those around whose memories recorded honors
gather and thicken. and for whose fame each sue
cessive generation forms wreath of laurel un-
! fading aud impershabe? And if their charac-
tiers were ilustri0us. noless SD were their achIev.
ments. To have simply sustained themselves
against the most powerful monarch o! Europe,
would in Itself have been an effort every way
worthy oftheirhigh purposes But when we think,
| that they fOied his ministers, defeated his ar
mics. captured his generals. and liberated the
! country: when we remember Bunker Hii.& Tren-
ton and York Town. we arc not satisfied that they
should receive a moderate panegyrIc. For eight
wears did theywalk through the frey furnace of war
and desolatiou. and escaped unscathed only 'hro'
the interposi,lOn of one shter than the MI hti
est of this earth need not fcllow-citizens. to
increase your admiration Of their services recount
! their privatious and di>trcsses. The tear of
! sympathy will glisten in the eve while reading
the pare that records the fact that the soldiers Of
Liberty could often be tracked b. the blood which
! flowed from their feet humanity shudders at The
remembrance of the Prison Ships of England. and
the coolest heart must feel glow at the recol-
| lection of the march on which moccasins were
! chewed for food and the bark Of trees eaten for
bread! Our oppressors were compelled TO de-
| clare that the spirit of the people was indomlta
| bic and could not be broken. The beginning of
the Revolution was itself unparalleled. Without
money, without preparation. wanting the sIEews
of war. unalied and friendless, they commenc
ed the fearful contest for freedom. They went
out like David with simple sling and pebbles to
| meet the mailed Goliath Of the enemy, and the
same power which directed the arm of the Cham
pion of Israel directed their counsels, and guided
their deliberations.
And now, fellow-citizcns, what has been the
result of these achievements, and what their in.
ilueuce upon the social, political. and moral con-
dition of the country. Revolutions have passed
over other lands. as blasting and as whitening in
their progress, as the siroc of the desert. We
have seen some put on the shapes of carnage AID
murder, and, like gaunt speCtres, stalk abroad,