The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1833-06-19

fallen upon her bosom-a horde Of saw
age barbarians have been poured upon
her beautiful viilas-the Cossack's
scream and Tar,ar's yell are heard in
tne nails that have wrung with shouts Of
freedom. But they have not died in vain
upon their battle fields--the blood thus
poured upon the VistuIa's banks shall
yet cry from the ground; the seed sown
IN tempests, battles, and in tears. is dra-
gon teeth and the soil will vet Weld a
harvest of glory.
1t isgood on these holy days TO call un
the memory of those we love, and those
we have reason TO fear. l: is good to turn
our eyes upon the records of days thar
are past, that we learn to prize the fire.
sides's peace, and the comforts Of the
socisl hearth stone; that when we ioin in
the deep toned anthem of the free, we
may remember that our Liberties are the
price of blood. which flowed like gushing
rain drops. When we look abroad upon
the nations of the earth and see every
thing noble, generous, and exalted in the
scale of being, buried beneath the
rubbish of gloomy superstition, let il be
beacon to warn US ofthe Whirlpool of de-
struction. There comes voice from the
sepulchre of human greatness that tells
US to beware that the kindest charities of
the human heart, and the holy influence
of blessed religion are not, perverted to
the unhallowed purposes of spiritual am
bition.
Have ye not seen the lofty oak, the
crowned king Of the forest, whose giant
arms had defied the whirwind and tenn
pests of hundred wintsrs--wben the
sweet vernal season had clothed the
earth with mantle Of green, when all
was blossom and fragrance-st stand leaf
less, solitary and bare, lonely and DESC
late. while oil around was glowing with
life and beauty? Alas the changel An
insidious vine wound its treacherous
folds around its trunk--it clung To its
wide spreading branches, throwing fct-
fers of bondage around its green leaves
and the monarch of the wood, that would
have dared the red ihunderboli, has per-
ished in the poisonous chains of the
twining ivy.-WouId you realize this
picture Would yOn see an insidIous foe
in the garb of spiritual friend, steal up-
on the unwary and confding, winding
its serpent oil around the human heart,
en,wining it's deadly letters, its chain of
palsy, with the very fbres of life 4? If not
and God forbid-let us who are the
heirs of those who, in al age of glory,
resisted oppression even unto death, not
fold our arms with calm indifference.
when the angel ofdesolaiion Is sweeping
over our land on the wings of a whirI-
wind. Ii is no time to cry peace and
safety when the shrek Of the maniac is
ringing in our ears, and The earth is resk-
ing with human blood.
We ought to look at this subject an
stewards Of the great gifts bequea,hed
US by our forefalhers. If their is dan
ger abroad, il threatens the whole com.
munity alike. That there is evil in our
borders, great aud rapidly increasing
evil--one which we must unite in check
ing and removing, if removal or check
be longer possible-is well known to you
all. 1t is impossible that we can be de-
ceived. The signs Of the times are 10
portentous 10 be unheeded or miscon
ed. We already hear the muttering
thunder-cIoud which is stretching far
and wide above our moral horizon, speak-
ing IN tone too deep to be unheard, in
language too plain to be misund nderstood.
We have to defend from proclamation the
ark of political and religious liberty
from encroachment, that constitution
which has poured upon our land the a.
bundance Of prosperity.
We have for years witnessed the gath
ering of the waters, their ebb and Hood.
In Europe we have seen the stagnant
pools of priestcraft, like the broad river
of Egypt, overflow their banks, and roll
onward their polluted waves, unchecked
and inexhausted. Our hearts beat high
with the hope that in this country bar
rier had been raised that should say,
thus far shalt thou 60 and no farther"
but we have been doomed to be disap-
pointed. In this sunny land, where the
bulwarks of patriotism have been reared
upon our fathers bones where liberty
is inhaled with our first breath; even
here we see the dark wave rolling on,
which is designed to bury our proudest
monuments in oblivion. The darkness
of past ages begins to thicken on our
borders, feelings that have long been
slumbering in secret unholy fires that
have long been smothered, are bursting
into being. The serpent has found it's
way even to this Eden land, it 10 ascen-
ding the very tree of liberty, tanning its
leaves with slme,and shedding crocodile
tears upon it's roots, like drops of consul
ming FIRE ! And yet we slumber on,