Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1840-10-01
A dircss Of the Hon. Asher
Robbins,
Ar THE MEETING OF SOLDIERS or Tht
REVOLUTION Al FANEUiL HALL.

II NU owe all we have Ia boast al, as II
nation, 10 a national spirit. We owe II
to our confederation, our revolution, oui
| independence, and above all, our con
slnuiion, that proudest of all monuments
of human le islati"n but not more
wonderful in itself than that thirteen m
dependent States should have agreed t.
liz, and thereby made themselves ont
people. This is unique, alt"grtheJ
unique, in The history OF conIederacies
X Every where else, IN every age, the
esprit dn corps has ever been too strong
Il Tor The esprit national. Neither indeeo
beiorc, had the wit OF man been able t
solve the problem how State indcpen
dence might DO conciiaied with naIiona
sovereignty.
Il As IN the past, We owe all that Is grcn
in our fortunes to this national spirit, st
on this national spirit all our hopes %
the future are rested. The pride oI
country, therefore, is the scniin"n
which, above all others, rs to be nssidu'
omsy cultivated ~ essential 10 our well
being. That is the only guarantee we
can have for the pcrpetulty OF our Union,
| and upon our nnion our dcsilnies depend ;
i the highest that ever were In prospect
to nation ifthai UNION be preserved, ,bn'
| it lost, the most caIamitous. For there
| can be no middle state for this country
between the splendor Of one great and
prosperous nation, aud the degradation OF
petty independent sovcreignties, III per-
petual collision, and exposed TO internal
wars, not unlike the barbarians on the
coast of Barbary, not unlike our owl
early ancestors under the hoptarcby o
England.
But with this national spirit for our las,
anchor, there can be no fear of ship
wreck to our national prospects our
| Union then will ride out every storm in
safety that spirit will carry US iriun'-
phan through all wars, us it has done ;
and, as it has done, will put down every
iusurreciion, and control every faction.
But this national spirit has two rival
spirits 10 contend with ono not neces-
sarily hostile, but ii may become So
then it is most deadly ioe-l mean
party spirit. The cause Of party may
be the cause of the country then par
ty becomes II most efficient auxiliary
to the national spirit. Or party may
degenerate into faction, when ii subsii-
tules party for country (; then it is at war
with the national spirit, and may bo fatal
to it tho country then becomes m oil.
garchy or monarchy, always in sub
stance aud sometimes IN form. The
national spirit has then to submit or rise
IN arms to vindicate the national cause.
| The other Iiysl Is the sectional spirit
when extreme, when it will not identity
itself with the whole as part OF the
hole, 10 be governed by the whole; but
opposes what is beneficial to the nation,
II the benefit be only indirect to herself
as par, OF the whole, and assumes to
-abrogaie, as to herself, whatever laws
of the nation she may dishkoand decide
TO be unconstitutional. But short OF
these extremes the 81 ctional is pot COIN
patible with the national spirit on the
contrary it is auxiliary thereto, for 1t in
sures the attention of the nation 10 their
own interest 10 every part OF the mon.
Now why do mention these things
1t is because l consider this national
spirit as the guardian angel Of this conn-
try, that alone has saved us that alone
can save us in every rugged crisis OF our
affairs that Is our only hope III the
present crisis the most momcnIous that
hitherto has lmpended over our destnics; !;
and which, rs | think, is to decide then,
forever. d! that every child of our
country might imbibe this national spirit
with its mothers mix that it might be
tho lesson Of every school that all our
school libraries, which we arc now form
ing, might instil this pride of country
into every youthful bosom /! Many OF
the speeches of The great men OF our
country, would be admirable for thus
purpose. They were cnkindled bv this
spirit they would enkindle il to others.
Oilen have | hung with rapture on the
accents of that spirit and never shall
forget his tones, nor my emotions when
he spoke of the Surnpters, the Marions,
and the other chivalrous sons Of the
South, as tho common property OF the
county. Our youth would learn Of
him to make the love Of country, the ab-
sorbing passion of their souls. Efforts
to foster this national spirit, and TO make
it the dominant feeling of the rising gcu-
GRAFTON are the more necessary, as the
sectional spirit is The natural growth Of
our complex system, and as its present
tendency is to excess. | have said that
ma ional spirit is our only hope in the pres
ent crisis thank God, it now anmates
our whole country, and to degree that
gives conscience as we'll as hope every
where we see the People in motion, as
senbling by thousands and thousands
under the influence Of this spirit every
where we SEQ our statesmen, our patriots
and orators, taking the field to enkindle
and to give energy to the spirit in these
assemblies. Bu, il has TO contend with
the evil spirit, to which | have alluded.
the spri, of our domnan, party, that has
become n faction, that has substituted
party for country, that has made The
country their prey, that has accumulat, d
n power for selI-preservation never be-
fore Witnessed in this country, nor any
thing like il, and that is unscrupulous in
tho use of that power. lhave said, too,
that this contest is 10 decide our future
n