Washington sentinel., 1855-02-17

were exhausted, and appeared before the town al
night. mot scattering Indian had espied his
march, not rowing hulier had seen his trail ~
80 complete was the surprise, that the Town fell
without struggle The British were siill so
superior IN point Of forces, that Hamilton who
commanded al Vincennas, upon the Wabash, took
ms time for organizing scheme for not only driv-
ing him from kaskaskia, but for cutting of the
settlements on the Ohioup TO Fort Pitt. So secure
was no IN the consciousness OF his superior
strength, that he dispatched his Indian auxiliaries
10 harass the frontiers of Kentucky, whilst he re-
NAMED III garrison with his regulars, 10 commence
operations upon an extensive scale, after the close
OF the approaching winter. But in The very depth
OF winter, Clark, al the head Of one hundred and
thirty men, emerged rom the swamps, through
which he had marched for five days, and for the last
hve miles with the water up 10 their breasts fr sur
prising the fcrt and capturing ii with garrison and
stores. Marshall well says: "These expeditions of
Col Clarke We're highly important and beneficial
10 their consequences They broke and deranged
the plan OF operations Intended to pour destruction
upon the whole population west OF the Allegheny
mountains; they detached from the British interest
several OF the Indian tribes south Of the Great
Lakes; their influence in Kentucky was imme-
diate, extensive and salulary And all probability
they contributed essentially 10 fix the limits of the
United States ultimately by the Mississippi; as
those OF Virginia were extended 10 that river i'm
mediately after one of these conquests.nss That
Virginia herself estimated her western possessions
al their proper value, is proved by the exerions
she made to preserve them Mr.. Jefferson, in let
ter 10 General Washington, tells him that Yirgina
Is Obliged 10 keep on duty from FIVE 10 six hundred
men IN the defense OF The western settlements al
great and perpetual expense IN and in another
letter, 10 the same person in 17Sl, he says that
: She Is Obliged TO embody between two and three
thousand men in that quarer."au This, too, was
at the time when the British, under Arnold, had
invaded the State, and when the larger portion of
her forces were with the southern army.
Nor did Virginia forget the interests OF the terri
tory, thus painfully preserved from the British
grasp ahertheireaiy Of peace Evidences ofihe zeal
and energy with which she struggled to maintain
her right TO the navigation Of the Mississippi are
TO be found in Mr.. Madisons correspondence, as
published in his works, and MarshalPs History OF
Kentucky. And yet again, by an act as magnan
nous as can be found in the history of any people
she ceded away TO the United States this immense
territory, almost without any consideration, other
than that OF the benefit to be derived BY the peo-
pie who were TO settle in il, and the general vel.
fare OF the Confederacy. Nor would the act have
which excluded her own sons from an equal par.
ticipaton in the advantages of settling that coun.
try.
In the course Of this narrative of her relations
10 the western country, | have said but little oil
the part she bore in the Revolutionary War This
was soconspicuous as 10 be familiar 10 ALL NY OBJ
Ject has been 10 trace the social system Of Virginia
10 It's elements, 10 show lis origin, and point out
the circumstances under which il grew and pros.
pered. The great principle of division Of power
amongst connected jurisdictions, SO TO secure
the responsibility OF interests for the lust action
of each, has nowhere been presented SO surely
and so fully as in this State, aud nowhere else has
The action OF government ITSELF at so early pe-
rod, been SO proudly based upon individual liberty
and energy as in Virginia. This is the key which
VIII explain the nature OF the part she bore in the
Revolution, and also the early preferences she
displayed for the principle Of confederation over
that oi consolidation. So well had Virginia been
trained in this system OF government, that the
dissolution Of the old FORM and the disappearance
OF the governor in l775 scarcely made breach
| IN her proceedings. To the machinery of com.
mittees OF safety the convention of Virginia gave
at once distinct organization. " A general com.
mittee OF safety, was appointed by the convention
which was invested with the supreme executive
powers OF government. County committees were
elected by the free.holders Of the several coun.
ties and corporations, from which district COM
mlitees were deputed. On these committees de.
volved The appointment Of the captains and subal-
tern officers Of the regulars and minute-n and
the general superintendent ofthe recruiting SER
vicce.ep
The origination of the committee of correspon-
dence between the legislatures OF the different
States, which partially led 10 the first Continental
Congress. belongs, as Mr. Jefferson informs US 10
Virginiatpv BY herdelegates, too, was the resolu-
kpton for the Declaration OF Independence first
OF
by her own distinguished son was thar immortal
document drawn. OF her may be said, what per
haps, can be said OF none OF the other States that
there was no important theatre of military opera.
tions, and after Bunker Hill no important battle, in
which her blood did not freely flow From the
heights of Abram and Boston in the north TO
Charleston and Augusta, in the south, and from Ger
mantown and Yorktown, in the East, TO Vincennes
and kaskaskia, in the West her sons were every.
where in the field. In l7sO, Mr. Jefferson, in
letter 10 General Washington, says " The num-
ber ordered from this State into the northern ser.
vice are about seven thousand. trust we NAV
count that ffty-ive hundred owi actually pro-
coed. yy In a report, made at the first session OF
the twenty eighth Congress, by the Hon. E. w
HUBBARD, OF our own State, il is proved that Virgil
MA furnished sixteen continental regiments, be-
sides Lees light armed corps, and BANDS regi-
ment OF cavalry, and also seven State regiments,
and State navy numbering |, 500 men.zs Mr.
Jefferson, in an application 10 General Washing
ton TOR loan Of some supplies from Fort Pitt for
an expedition which Virginia medtated against
Detroit, says: We think the like friendly Office
performed by us 10 the States, whenever desired
and almost 10 the absolute exhaustion of our own
magazines, give well founded hopes that we may
be accommodated on this occasion. The supplies
Of military stores which have been furnished by
US TO Fort Pitt ITSELF 10 the northern army, and
most OF all 10 the southern, not altogether un-
known 10 you."s
Again, in speaking Of the unarmed condition Of
the militia, he says: {" II they (Coneress) would
repay us the arms we have lent them, we should
give The enemy trouble, though abandoned 10 our
selves.'f In the whole Of this great and difficult
contest, believe there Is no iant of selfshness
or illiberaty, TO be found in the conduct Of Virgil
MIA. Her escutcheon was borne by her sons
through that fiery ordeal unstained by aughi save
the blood Of the battlefield, or the smoke of the
fight. Hers, too, was that son. Of whom il was 80
justly said afier the Of his life were closed
that he had been first in war; first in peace and
first in the hearts Of his countrymen." Is il just
to such men that 30 much Of their story should be
lost TO mankind? These men undoubtedly had
proper regard TO fame. Were they not entitled 10
IL Shall Il bo lost, from the want Of pious care
on the part Of their descendants 10 preserve the
evidences, and set upthe monuments OF their title
10 the love and respect OF their race And how
much have we not already lost The whole story
ofour State navy rs now gone il IL known even
TO tradition. And yet, myself once heard Com.
modore Baron, who was q mdshipman in that
service, relate some incidents in It's career so stir.
ring, and give 80 many reasons for deploring the
loss of its history, as must make me ever regret
that my countrymen should have been so insensi.
bio 10 the value OF their story, as neither 10
have written il themselves, nor even preserved