Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1845-03-06

ADDRESS.


utmost degree Of diffdence l rise to
address this assemblage on the present
occasion. This arises from two causes;
first, from my own inability to speak
inpublic, and secondly, from the great
ness, the awful magnitude, and the
sublimity of the subject on which l am
to speak. For my imperfections, there
fore, | hope that my youth will mitigate
the severity of criticism. =
We have assembled, sir, this evening,
20 commemorate the birth of our great
and good one, immortal statesman, phi
lanthropist and soldier, long since con-
signed to the silence of the tomb, but
still living in the hearts of. grateful
people. There is not a man who bears
an American heart in his bosom, who
does not feel an impulse of thrilling &C.
stacy, at the sound of the name of
WASHINGTON. 81 -
Taking a rapid glance over the life
and iabors ofthis greatest of men, from
the commencement to the conclusion of
his great military career, we behold
him struggling under a series Of dis
heartening circumstances, greater than
any which ever surrounded mortal man;
yet, rising triumphantly superior to
them all, and working out by his own
arm, through the aid Of Omnipctence,
the deliverance Of a nation.
We see him at once contending with
the secret and insiduous Vaccinations
Of the Tories, and with the mighty ar
mics of England, hitherto invincible
by land and sea round the world, and
led by commanders whose martial re-
nown was unparalleled by the heroes
of ancient or modern times. And to
oppose those powerful ornaments, our
beloved General moved at the head of
little army-a mere handful of men,
and even these, with a few exceptions,
consisted of newly raised troops, unac-
customed to the art of war,--yet, with
those men, our hero met the armed le-
gions Of tyranny, with those he fought
and conquered them, laying the British
Lion harmless at his feet. But Wash
ington fought not for conquest nor for
military fame, and he led no mercenary
soldiery; no, he and his brave compan-
ions fought for liberty, and they taught
the proud Bri.ons that few men arm
ed in the holy cause Of the rights Of
san, are not to be subdued by the
sert .shtiest power on earth. We see our
~, with his little army, in the days
: AT tried mems souls now re.rea,ing
lefore the overwhelming forces of their
enemies, and now falling upon them
by surprise-we see their exertions on
the heights of Brandywine, Monmouth,
Long Island and Trenton, and many
other well-fought fields, in all exhibit
ing masterstrokes of Generalship une-
aualled in the authentic annals of war
fare, and at last closing his great mill
tary services in blaze of glory, at
Yorktown, in this State, capturing the
whole British army under the great
CORVALLIS, the hero of hundred bat
ties. This glorious achievement was
the death blow to the enemies of Amer.
lea. and closed the eight years war of
. ti,s.aes olul. !, ed the haugh-
ty pride OF me ems human liber-
ty. The war war "aSGed, and the
white-wlngeo anHace returned
to our shores. TIL armies were
refnoyed-ine 'neyastations
Of war ceasea-ou no longer
echoed with sl'e noltle, and the.
clangor o. resounpies is no
more heard 90 ou' ms. The
>itizen soldiers e*ce weapons
yarare for 'hs mefulimple-
,.Nt nnsDanory:,Fn to the
Gun ,,rtrSn OF the so,lhich their
CONe u CalleQ gay "A no,,r