Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1840-12-31


cessary continually TO exhort, and encourage
and admonish of his duty to his God and hi
nelghbor, the Christian layman, whose vow
have been registered on Earth and in Heaven
and whose duties are all so clearly defined ant
strongly inculcated in the Book of Liz
which is open Tor his perusal Why, from
| sabbath TO Sabbath, remind him of truth
with which he is already familiar, and repea
to him lessons which he has heard thou
sand times before? IT'S because he fears
lest Enowing. he should forget these things
because he remembers that apathy and indo
lence arc even more fatal than Ignorance it
self 10 Christian faith and excellence, and be
cause he would wake up the sleeping ener.
| ia. 81 .I.~ Live; orv, irysart by ills timely warn
ing, and call the wandering spirit back from
Earth to Heaven by dwelling upon the idle
vanities of the one and the never endinp fe.
llclty OF the other. So may ii be with many
OF .you-you know the blessings of cdu.
cation, and the duty, not only of acquiring il
yourselves, but of lending your aid to impair,
II to others; yet You forget the responsible
ties devolvlng upon you from your superior
fortune and attaInments and MY object is
not SO much to proce these things, as simply
| 10 recaH them to your minds, and ;..,DreSs
theIr vast Importance upon such Of the en-
ilglitened amongst You as have negleete1 10
give them due weight a.,d conSIJGration.--
! Moreover, there may be, and doubtless are
those present, who do not even &no,c how es-
sential it Is TO national prosperity and social
happiness tina, the lights knowledge should
be shed abroad upon al classes of society,"
and TO them at least my remarks will be nei-
thcr embarrassing nor proftless.
10 him, whose situation in life has afford
ed him an opportunity of approaching, and
whose circumstances might have furnished
him with the means and the leisure necessa-
ry for acquiring liberal education, and vet
has neglected those golden opportunities, !
have little to say. If his own Interest and
inclination, his pride, his ambition and the
encouragement OF his friends have not slim
ulated him TO exertIon, my feeble celebrations
Would neither penetrate his leadal ears nor
touch his bnnted sensibiities. tits to the truly
enlightened, to the good and wis., to those
whose wealth and Intelligence combined give
them power and influence in the and, that
address myself and, through and 1ciM them
mainly, to the hunbie by birth md the poor
in fortune-to him, in whose earno Fathers
or Mothers voice hath breathel lessons of
wisdom and morality, and around whose
hearth no torch light Of learning hath poured
lis rays--tc him, on whom Fortune hath law
ished but few of her golden stores, whose
hands are hard from daily labor, and whose
straItened circumstances afford him but little
leisure for intellectual pursuits. With such,
their parents, their brothers, their children.
let me commune for season, and teach
them, III can, to reflect seriously upon sub
ject of such vital consequence to their tenn
poroi, II not eternal welfare.
sore than sixty years ago Our fathers pur-
chased and sealed with their blood the indie
pendence OF these United States, and trans
united to thslr posterity, as a rich inheritance.
that national liberty, wealth and glory which
distinguished them above every other people
on earth. And looksat this our favored land
as 1t was only few years since. .4Jroad,
our nag was respected, our name honored,
our virtues celebrated, and our example held
up as tcrror.to the despot and beacon-light
OF nope and encouragement to the patriot
soldier, whose bosom swelled with lust in
dignatlon against his tyrant master, and
whose arm was preparing to strike for liber-
V. .HhOme, our fields were Welding boun-
THU return TO the labors of the husbandnan,
our villages sPringing up as if by the hand
OF magic on every stream and in every val
ley, our cities growing in extent and active
with enterprise and capital, our bold pioneers
penetrating the very wilderness and making
II TO blossom as the rose, Oar boards spread
with plenty, and our citizens in the enjoy
ment OF every blessing which bountiful
Providence could vouchsafe to man. Peace
smiled upon the land, even-handed Justice
was administered TO all whether rich or poor.
The humblcst citizen was protected in his
rights both. of person and property, and en-.
llghtened liberty, clad in the vestments of
CIVIL and religious freedom, spread her white
wings over the whole from ocean to ocean,
gathering her children beneath their all pro-
tecting cover, shielding them alike from the
tyranny oil despotism and the dsorganiza-
ton OF anarchy. And are not blessings like
these worth preserving and handing down to
yonr children ! Are they not the legitimate
fruits OF that civil and religious liberty which
your ancestors purchased at such sacrifice
OF blood and treasure and should You not
therefore guard diligently the citadel of that
Divinity TO whom you owe so much? For, re-
member, that the united wisdom of this and
| past ages has declared that "cternal vigilance
IS the price of Liberty" But how shall you
exercise the necessary vigilance ifyou be IN
! prepared with the meaus-if your minds be
nnmProved and your judgments uniformed!
True, against foreign foe, invading your
homes with fire and sword, your physical arm
might raise sufficient rampant of Defence
But should ali enemy from 3Utfhin, armed
with power and high in your confidence, by
secret and subtle devices attempt to under
mine your constitution and subvert your gov.
eminent, betraying the citadel into his OWL
hands by the slow process Of bribery and u
surpaiIon, how would you, the proper guar
dams OF liberty, the sworn supporters anC
defenders of that Constitution and govern
rnent, protect them against the insidious at
tacks Of this domestic foe, if wholly unac
quainted with their nature, their arrangement
OF parts, their requirements, their compile