Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1836-08-18
WHOLE NO. 333

itself as it we're, TO the shores Of the Bos pho
! rus, and that inuDdatiOn Of Barbarians, which
soon afterwards obliterated every trace Of
thut character Oh which its increase depend
ed.
! Proyidencej from .he beginning, has Rad
to boast, some men--the number more or less
from. time To time--of this peculiar, tliis
iThcmstoclean character. Men who might
say, as The misiocles said; True ! do not
understand The art Of f.rsic, and canDos play
upon tie flute; hut understand the art Of
raising n small village into a great city,
He might point To Athens and sny-Bchold
the work Of my BANDS Athens, the pride of
Greece, and the glory OF tire aneiens werId.
] gave her that commerce, which gave she
feet, which conquered the Persans and made.
her the mistress OF the seas and the Empire
State OF Greece for So many years. SO these
, men might point to Providence and say--Ee-
hold the work Of our hands, not yet an A.
thens, but which the impulse we have given
to il may make another Athens iD every
thing but political power.
1t might he invidious Co refer TO names
promnen; in your history and signal IN their
influence upon the fortunes Of your town.
For in doing justice To some, ! might do in
Justice to others, whose merits ought not to-
be forgotten nor passed over in sill, nee. Bus
! cannot forbear to refer you to your dstin-
guished fellow citizen, now no more, who
opened to his country our co@rerce neyoad
the Cape Of Good Hope, and led Gle way
! lie was the very soul Of ardent enteIprize
and bold adventure, and no less ardent in
every public cause, than in his own pussxats-
! His every movement in Ge. was marked by
nobieness of seasp@ens---n nOHleness OF senti~
nent was indeed the distinguishing trait Of
1 his character. Perhaps no man ever Fsed
whose benefcent influence was ever more
felt in the growth Of any one place,
i Nor can forbear to refer you TO those Of
your fellow citizens who first opened to our
!! country that inextaustible source of wealth.
!, the cotton manufacture. And here you will
excuse me also for referring to him whose
Signature stands to the Declaraaioa of our
| National Independence; because he was s,icts
an ornament both to your town. and to our
country. ! knew him we'll. His tall aud
| venerable fie ure-his silver focks--his strik-
ing features tali Of intellectual character, ars
still fresh before me. lie was my friend and
patron at that early period Of my life How
often have sat with him, evening after eve
ming, TO listen to his instructive DISCOURSE
and never have known man more capable
Of imparting instruction. For have never
known man of more universal reading, nor
!,
Il his experience in the varied scenes of his
, political life, which spread over a great part
Of the early history of this State, then a Col
embrarieg her connection with the
mother country, and occasionally with the
other Colonies, made his conversation q
treasure Of interesting anecdote; and would
! have made his memoirs, if he had writteD
! them for posthumous publication, most in
terestng legacy to IRIS country.
4 attended him in his last moments; and is
was impossible not TO be struck with the
nagnanimity rhey displayed--magnanim
indeed was the distinguishing trait of his
character. No holy martyr of religion, nc.
heroic sage aud philosopher ever snbmilte6
to the stroke Of dcarhand paidthe debt of ma
ture with a more cheerful resignutism
i In conclusion, will beg leave to propose
as a sentiment,
/, The memory of stephen Hopkins, the tr'e
model Of the suye, the statesman and the
/ Patriot