Southern marksman. [volume] (Clinton, Miss.) 1838-1839, 1839-01-08
From the Ladies' Companion.
BUNKER HILL MONUMENT.
AN APPEAL.

r
We blush when we name Bunker Hill a
and are disposed 10 skulk away, and hide h
ourseIf in some secret corner, out of the \
SIGHT and The cognizance of men. And !
SO blusheth every American that hath
souI; the finger-post Of whose mind hath !
not so rotted at the base, that it toppIeth
end directeth downward 10 the earth and
sordid things, but pointeth upward and on,
ward. who of YOU would build house
and sitteth not down and count the cost?'
And did .pQt the projectors Of the monu,
m, bunker Hill; who would comv
memora g thereby the birthplace of Frees
dom--lhe glorious impulse TO a world
would rear an alter of sacrifice for pats
riotism on that holy of holies-did not
they count the cost? Had they no trea-
sury, that there standeth a monument hall
finished, bye-word and a reproach-dis-
honoring and numbering the ground that
supporteth it, Aye, truly, they did count;
and thought to draw from an exhaustIess
treasury-A nations gratitude! peoples
patrotism!-and it is that such treasury
should be soon reverberate the hollow
sound of emptiness, that we are humbled
aud ashamed--that we would hide from
the face of men!
Think of it, Men and women of Amer,
in .reAect upon it! Bot SIX years have
we been Il nation. Our growth is of less
than yesterday; SO small a period in the
lapse of years, that were all departed time
10 be spread out before US as a map, The
prick OF a needles point would more than
suffice 10 define our boundaries and eyis
tence there! And vet we are a mighty,
a prosperous, glorious people; wonder
10 all nations, ourselves foremost AMONGST
them. Our edIhce lowers above kingdoms
and municipalities and hnury empires-
overlapping the handiwork of centuries
on centuries--this edifce Of moment!-
We were nothing, and in a twinkiing, we
are every thing! Our history is a SEN
tence. 'We fought, conquered, were free.
and are a great natione They that saw
our sun OF freedom rise have not vet all
passed away. They yet breathe they
atlought on Bunker Hill! Ave, breathe
and move among us, and speak to US
they thai helped to make us what we are;
and we lislen 10 the tale of the inspiring
work from their own mouths. The sav
cred blood OF The martyrs to achieve what
VIC enjoy, yet tinges the ground where it
fell, for the earth hath not had time to drink
ii up. Our fathers--our own immediate
fathers, by whom we were begotten, Great
cd and fixed our fortunes on a rock, and
with ell these pure, running, gushing
founis OF inspiration TO patriotism, we
have bEilded monument, and left it half
made! Oh. ii is more than shame-it is
bitter, burning, accursed thing!
And 1t is an aggravation Of the degrees
datiCn of our own honor, that no difficult
testimony of our patriotism was demanx
Ged. IL was not asked That we should be-
come pilgrims to a distant shrine, like
Musslemen TO their prophets tomb. 1t
was not asked of US that we should morti-
IS our flesh, and dislort our limbs as doth
the Hindoo devotee-nor that we should
seperate ourselves from men, and live in
hermit solitude like the saints of olden
time; no, nor TO sacrifice one of the least
of our hopes or affections, or aught that
were indeed a hard thing; but only and
simply TO bestow olour superAuity of dress
"a little mite! and we cannot give it!
But what is The utility of a monument.
cry some In excuse? Aye, UTILITY! II
is an expressive word-a word of four svl,
Fables! and 1t is used 10 cover multitude
of sins! Out upon it.! 1t is used TO cloak
the very degradation Of sordld selfishness!
utility! Oh, this is the age of u,ilityl-
we build great stone houses, and labor
Ike dogs from morning to night, and bes
come strangers, in our toll, TO the sweet af.
fectIons, and the gentler sensibiIities. and
fhe enchanting perceptions of our natures
1--WE swallow our food with the raDidity of
any quickest thing we can fancy, to tae
manifest exposure of ourselves TO stran~
gulaiIon, that not moment NAV be lost.
sPnd we hoard and hoard, neither ENJOYING
81 ourselves the fruits of our labor, nor
opening lis benefits to others. We build
great railroads, for they will yield per.
.centage; we dig hugh canals, for they
swhi yield percentages; we make steam.
boats hiss and sputter, and fly, for they
swlll yield percentage; and when others
come upon our ack, we count not life as
h aught in the one absorbing pursuit, and
an the fierce competition, louder Kisses the
steam, broader spatter and spatter the
wheels, and faster flies tie boat, and then
"a sound as of thlnder-a few shrieks, and
hundreds are hugg ] in the embrace of
death! and all this is utility Then a
mite of these hoar6s is asked of US, that
monument may be reared to their memory,
who bled to give us title to build railroads,
dig canals, aad propel steamboats,, and
send our great ships, like living things,
Tapping their huge wings across the wat
ers, to fill up our store houses with the USE
al and the beautiful things of the whole
earth, and we snake our heads ard cry out