The Northern star, and farmers' and mechanics' advocate. [volume] (Warren, R.I.) 1830-1834, 1833-08-17

Gus, and powerful army Of the Revolu-
ton and enquire, say, OF those ardent
children Of the sun, who resisted the force
OF their blazing opposilioni They may,
and doubtless will, assign to others more
efficient, efforts; but to no one more ZEAL
Gus, more faithful, or more untiring SER
wee, IN that great cause, than to me.
My fellow citizens,you may remember,
indeed trust it is forgotten by no one, that
|the provision proposed and first advocated
by me, for the revolutionary survivors, was
more considerable in amount and more avs
tensivc in application, than that which I'm
ally prevailed. 1t was wished to provide.
not only for the living men, who had en-.
dued the priyations aud periIs of the war.
but also Tor the widows Of such as hoI
died before their country gave then, arw
such testimonials Of her gratitude. These
'eheraoie women seem entitled to the
consideration and gratitude Of their coun-
try not only because their husbands mer-
lied but did not receive any token of Tint
gratitude but also on account Of their
own patrioism, and peculiar sufierinps.
Is there anything in the condition Of a
soldiers vile, net altogether deplorablef
Those are the most fortunate, who NAV
follow their husbands to the war share n
the tolls of the Campaign encounter the
peri's oil me battle ground, bury the man.
g'ed remains OF all that was dear 10 them.
on the field where they fell. What was
the allotment ofthose women who sent Ia
the war oil the revolution their husbands.
or those afiianced TO them by encourage.
mcnts equally dear,while they themselves
remained at home, in all the desolation Of
a youthful widowhood, How anxious
were their days and nights, when our arr
Inies were sometimes advancing on tho
Toe, and at others, retiring before his au-
PerIor numbers; when rumor, like ten
'hosand couriers, was riding post on everS
wind when every drum and fife brought
to their imagination the array of battle
when the report Of every gun, though in
sport, or aimed cat beast or bird alone =,
awakened them to all the horrors offha
murdcrous shot, or the fatal battle fieldt
Are those women, who then lived and
lived through such a conflict Of anxious.
horrors who at the call of their coun-
try, exclaimed to those most dear to them
] can soldiers feelings know,
| tyrant's power abhor
Can allthc patriots spirit feel.
Buckle the spurs upon thy heel,
Ana belt thee with thy brand Of steel,
And serd thee to the war;
and who are now in. al the desontion of
want, and age, and infrmity, and widow
hood; do they merit nothing Of their coun-
try, for such patriotism, and such suffer-
ings! Examine the reports, and the de-
bates Of Congress-, read the public papers,
and you will there find who proposed and
advocated plan for placing these pious
matrons, of more than Roman virtue,
these living monuments Of the high spirit
and noble self devotion of the American
women, in the memorable era Of our rev.
olution; of placing them, say, in a con-
dition alike demanded by their merit, and
the character and glory Of our country.
Calumny may prevail, and the people
be deceived, for a day or year; and
sometimes, the whole life Of man may pass
away aud terminate, before he shall have
worn the stain from bis character; but
truth will finally triumph, and Justice,
though late, be done. to human deserving.
My adversaries may labour with all the
subtility of cunning and malevolence; and
you may for time believe them; for the
wisest and the best Of men have been dc.
ceived and led into error. The records
oiour country can neither be destroyed,
nor oblteratcd. Those records contain
l5thiul history Of what the nation has
done for the survivors Of their revolution
AIRY warriors. In that history, may bo
sc ~ the names fell those who have aid
ed their county. in performing this great
achievement ol justice. IL among them
you do not find the rouc Of him, who now
addresses YOU, and whom for eight years
YOU have honored with your confidence;
then withdraw from him that confidence
and let him go down 10 the gra,o covered
with iniamy. 1hcle is another record of
this history, and Of those names. You
will find it written under the SCARED boz
sons on The living and warm tablets of the
hearts Of those brave veterans who have
su vived, TO be the monuments Of our ma
iionnl justice and gratitude. Let them
read this record to you; ana when, in one
state after another, they rchearse tho
names Of their friends and advocates, IL
they pnss over Rhode Island in silence,
or find blank where my name should bo
written, then have been miserably mis-
taken. il was the con,ulsion Of palsy
and not the grasp Of gladness which felt
when they took me by the hand; what I
saw in their eyes was not, az thought IL
to be, tho most edusion of grateful hearts,
but merely the rheum Of age and infrmity.
The "wolld Of tbanksr riyen 10 me. he