Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1854-07-20
C0ncluded fyDm ihe first page.

iVHt@~S'es S"sAsSiy oStoSS Nv A"so : ~ 'hS
ame terminus.
Remains Of these forts and rcdoabts may
everywhere be seen from the heights of Toa-
omy hill and 4 esteemit no snail part Of
the pride oil. my little farm, that upon it
arsstil to Dc triced the rcnn;as OF a Brit
iSh rcdoubt, despoiled, dism ntlcd and aban-
noned, which no foreign foe viii ever hold
.Iasiu. And it may he here observed with
apropriety, that whom Great Brian attempt.
ED to subdue the colonies, she put forth her
utmost energies. She found that She was
engaged limo child's play; that The progeny
she had sent forth from her own powerful
land most favored land had lost nothing of
the energy and manly daring which had
hcharactcrised their sires; and there was the
utmost danger, therefore, that the resistance
(which SIZE called Rebellion, might soon rip
slcn into Revolution and independence.
In this belief her war estimates in &c.
demanded $4,000 men for America alone,
hbesides a numerous and powerful squadron
of ships of war and it is supposed That
England has seldom, il ever, seat forth into
any foreign lud, a morAmposing force than
that which appeared of Staten Island in Ju-
D ~ Of that year under the command Of Sir
William Howe and his brother, the Lord
admiral.
The soldiers af Great Britain present at
the ,attlc of Waterloo, irrespective of allies,
numbered but little more that 10000 men;
while the troops, military and naval, concen-
trated at one lime near New York were not
less than $4,000; and it is one of the mar
wells Of history that such a demonstration
should have failed; mr. would it have failed,
If the c~olonists had not been " bone of Eng
lands bone," and AMERICAN in every fiber.
But war brought TO Newport, its long
train OF evils; toll and privation, suffering,
sorrow aud death. True it is, that Lafayette
was here that R~ochamben was here, and
b that the fleet Of D'Estaing, passing by our
Islands, up to the point Of Prudence,
3 caused the destruction OF six English frig-
ate, with ma y other vessels of war.
But we know also, that D'Estaing did not
stop to land his army of four thousand SOL
diers, near Dyers Island to cooperate with
the troops OF Sullivan and Greene in the at
tack of august, '7S; nor did he block up
our harbor and shut out Admiral Lord Howe
during the seige; but to the great d~isappo;nt-
ment Of the American army, the French
flag was carried beyond Brenton's reef, to
meet, not a foe, as they expected, but a storm
which drove them, shattered, to Boston.
The people Of Newport, nevertheless, al
though plundercd and maltreated by the
enemy, lost not a particle of their iortitude
or courage. They placed their reliance up
the God of Battles" whose outstret,hed
arm, they believed, would not be extended
in vain; the day of deliyerlncn at length
came on the 10th of October, l179, for that
glorious and e~xulting LAY saw the retreat.
lg departure OF a h,nner, which will never
waive again in hostile guise over Rhode Is
land, Independent now, and free in all time
TO come.
T'. Bat the scars Of our wounds were every
where to be seen. In 1867, tn, whole Is.
land Ind appeared to John Adams as "a
RI most beautiful garden, an ornamented farm :"
- alas, said he, at a later period, " hos
hle armies have since degarnished it of a
principal cmbcliishmenl,-the noble rows
and plantations of trees"
The sc%hoolboy now stands upon your hill
tops, 'nd learns his country's history by cast
ing his eyes upon the wales below. The far
mer knows where the fablcd dragons teeth of
Cadmus were sown, TO sprug up armed men,
for the ploughsharc turns over, "a this Jay,
on the fertile soil, bullet ofthc muShct ard
balls Of the cannon. But he who would
hnow what men were thcy that fought for
these fair fields, and left us this rich inhcri-
lance, he must go to your graves and your
church, Yards, and there lac will find the
mines of patriots and heroes, who struck
oaly "ior right for God and their country
Your history is ftdl of glorious pages
Your brigl I waters, studded al over with
Islands, more beautiful than those of the
Aegean sea, have been circumnavigated by
the adventurous whale-boats of Barton, eau
tiously feeling his way, to seize upon a ha-
ted military t!rant in the person of Pres
colt.
Your highways and by-paths have been
troldcn by the armed footsteps of patriots
from Massachusetts and Connecticut, hast
ing and eager to relieve your city from an
overpowcrlng foe, intrenched upon the broWs
Of y yur sacred hills. All, all is passed away,
but the recollection of these men and of
these events which shall endure forever
And tis to keep bright this glorious remem-
h,ance; to save from decay, and preserve
and hallow the names and the deeds of om
ancestors, that we have come together on
this suspicious day so full of hcart-stirring
thought and grateful rctrospection. Nor
did you, We men of Rhode Island, in after
times, even in the second war of your coun-
try's independence, come one whit short Of
the valiant deeds Of your fathers.
In yonder cemetery, almost within view as
1 stand here, repose the remains OF a sailor,
IA the calm security ofan honored grave. On
his beloved natal soil, where he wished and
would have chosen to lie, a son Of Rhode
Island sleeps the long sleep, which nothing
can wake but the trumpet sound which is to
call him up to immortal life. That which
WAS made to perish, has eonsummated the
purposes of its creation; but death couldnot
rob him of that, " which was not born to
die" and the hope of glory, which cheered
on the brave spirit Of Perry, through show
ering bullets to- new ship; u~ndisputed VIC
tory and fresh renown did no deal deceitful-
ly with his manly heart. Detraction for a
moment may have panied his sensitive ma
ture-cnvy's gnawing tooth, for a brief pc.
Rod perhaps, wounded his high and honora-
bic pride; injustice may have sought to tar
nish his fair fame but those who knew him
best, were those who loved him most and
now, all his countrymen with one accord,
and with one voice preserve his name clear
and high; while the daughters of Rhode
Island, with pious remembrance, will strcw
his grave with flowers, so long as the season
Of flowers shall come, and the voice Of the
turtle is heard in the hnd.
And now again, as il this brave little State
did not intend epe' to lose sight of enter
prises which serve to elevate and adorn the
human character, comes another sailor of
Rhode Islond-kindred IN that other son