The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-04-18

at the window a. he foil NTH the blood gushing from
his breast in her sight tottered, fell again then
cawle nu hands ard knees towards his dwelling she
rxs tonssst him. but only reached him be expired
their threshhod Caleb Harrington, who had 2ane into
the nAeeting HOUSE ior powder shot he out
Samuel Hadey and John Brown pSrsuod and killed,
after they had left the green Ashel Porter Of WoLuTn
who had been taken prisoner Ivy British ts mach
endeasoans TO escape shot within few rods OF the
common -sssssss1 a.f ~ sos ssflessisi iasis-
Day caIae in all tho beauty of early spring. The
trees were budding the grass growing rsnkly full
month before the time the blue bird and tho Robin
gladenng the genial season and calling forth the beams
Of the sun, which on that morning shone with the
warmth Of summer but distress and horror gathered
the inhabitants of the peaceful town There ~ the
green lay in death the gray haired and the young the
grassy field was red ith the innocent blood Of their
brethren slain crying unto God for vengeance from the
ground. = t.tss ,f, y ~ asa5 III 49,.
seven Of the men Of Lexington wore killed; nine
wounded quarter part of those who stood in arms on
the green. These the village heroes who were more
than of noble blood, proving 10y their spirit that they
were divine They gave their lives in testimony
to the rights of mankind bequeathing their country
Of in the mighty struggle which they
began Their held in grateful remem bance
and the expanding millions OF their countrymen renew
and multiply their praise from generation to generation
They fulfilled their duty not from the accidental impulse
of their action the slowly ripcned fruit
of Providence and Of time The light that led them
combined Of rays from the whole history of the race
from the traditions of the Hebrews in the gray of
the worlds morning from the heroes and sages OF
republican Greece and Rome; from the example of
I Him who laid down his life the for the
life Of humanity from the religious creed which pro
claimed the Divine presence in man. and on this
TRUTH in life boat oated the liberties OF nations
the dark flood of the middle ages from the customs of
the Germans transmitted out of their forest to the
ellis Of Saxon England; from the burning faith and cour
age OF Martin Luther from trust in the inevitable uni
versatility Of Gods sovereignty taught by Paul of Tar
sus, and Augustine through Calvin and the divines of
New England from the avengng ferceness OF the Pur-
tans who dashed down the mitre on the ruins Of the
throne from the bold dissent and creative self as
serton Of the earliest emgrans 10 Massachusetts, from
the statesmen who made and the philosophers who
expounded the revolution Of England; from the liberal
spirit and analysing nquistiyenes of the eighteenth cen
ty from the cloud Of witnesses OF all the ages to the
atty and the rightulness Of human freedom All the
centuries bowed themselves from the Of past
eternity to cheer in their sacrifice the lowly men
who proved themselves worthy of their foreunneTs and
whose children rise up and call them blessed.
Needless of his own danger, Samuel Adams, with the
! voice of prophet, exclaimed, aOh! what glorious
morning is this! for he that his country ndepen-
dence rapidly fastening on, and like Columbus in
the tempest knew that the storm did but bear him the
/ more swiftly towards the undiscovered world.
! y Mr. Bancroft concluded amid much applause and
unanimously voted the thanks of the society which
then adjourned.