The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1843-07-10
From the Boston DAILY Times.

we learn from an esteemed conte mporary the New
York AuIora-for we did not ourselves see it-that
most offensive article appeared in the columns OF
the New York Piebeian Of Saturday, in relation TO
the Battle OF Bunker Hill, and the celebration of the
lith The Aurora handled the infamous article with
mercess but just severity, and advocates the cause
OF The heroes OF the Revolution and the fathers of
New England with zeal for which il will receive
the thanks not only of every New Highlander, but of
| every true-tearted American When we per,ised the
extract IRON this brutal essay we to the con-
cluslon that it must have crept into the columns of
the flebeian by some extraordinary oversight but on
consulting the Plebeian of Monday, we find not a
WORD oil retraction or explanation II glories there
lore, IN ITS shame. Listen, New Englanders to the
language IN which the Pebeian speaks of the deeds
OF your ancestry and the honors paid them by their
descendants.
:" The Bunker Hill monument, with the burs sting
gas with which the late celebration was inflated is
the latest humbug of Yankee land They have
PIastered 1t all over with so much patriotic quackery
ana nonsense, that the stomach of our proverbial
good nature and creduty utterly refuses to take the
whole OF it n at dose 1t is too much for the So
briefly of our countenance. Let us look into the
thing l;tlc
"a glorious battle was fought near or upon this
celebrated spot, early in the Revolution, and the re-
beis; our own gallant counrymen, behaved like men,
as they were bound to do. They fought bravely
That was all right But had they done less than
they did, they and their deeds would not have been
worth remembering We agree with Monesquieu
lnat The anclents magnIied by distance - and
also we believe with Mr.. James Grow that there
are as good fish in the ever was caught out of
It," But upon the laurels of this early skirmish
which ended in retreat, Massachusetts and her ora
tor are willing to repose apparently forever, re-
Vamplpg II, and rehashing it, and serving it up in
small homeopathic doses for the benefit of the gene
ratons as they 60 by, until it would SEEM they have
come to the settled conclusions and the nshakeable
belief that all other battles, either in ancient or mo-
dern mes are but hea-bites to the fight on Bunker
Hill"
Is this the language of an American newspaper
is THIS the comment made by an American upon one
OF the most glorious events that ever gowed in the
historical records of any country? The FIebeian it
appears, sees nothing in the Battle of Bunker Hill but
well contested skirmish ending in retreat He
does not understand the mmensity of the stake for
winch the patriots of Bunker Hill hazarded their
lives tie does not perceive the difference between
men hghtng for principles, for posterity-and hire
iings whose trade is war, and who stand up to be
shot at for sxpence day. He judges contest, not
by the principles at stake, bat the number of men en-
gagged According to his views the gaIlantry of e-
ondas and his three hundred at the pass OF Thermo
py!1 was nothing but the ordinary steadiness of
well-dred military detachment holding their ground
against considerable odds Lcondas was, of course,
"inagnihed by distance
The Pebcan evidently stands in a peculiar and
untenabe position. All it can say will never affect
the fame of Warren, or Prescott or Putnam, or of
single private who fred his last charge of powder
aid bali OYER the breastworks of Bunkef Hill Was
Bunker Hill nothing but C skirmish 7" Merely in
military point of view, the holding out Of basiy
redoubt by handful of undisciplned and Ill armed
troops against the flower Of the British army was an
action worthy of imperishabe honor But when we
look at the Importance of the results-the impetus
TINS battle gave to the spirit Of resistance oppres
son-the influence still exists of which the end is not
yeti we feel thatno honors too great to be paid
to the actors 10 that struggleno language too eulo-
CYSTIC IN which to speak of their great deeds But the
editor OF the Pebean cannot perceive the greatness
OF the actors or the event--he in the Battle Of
Bunker Hill only clever skIrmlsh, and in the Pill
grim fathers of New England only a handful Of
land SPECTATORS, who left their country for their
country's good" OF these men, who sought in the
untred wilderness
Freedom to worship God,"
the Plebeian speaks in terms of scurrty and insult
beneath notice. We leave it "solitary and alone.
in the glory it has won.