Page images
PDF
EPUB

magnificent temple in America? It is eafy for us to maintain her doctrines, at this late day, when there is but one party on the fubject, an immenfe people. But what tribute fhall we bestow, what facred pæan fhall we raise over the tombs of those who dared, in the face of unrivalled power, and within the reach of majesty, to blow the blast of freedom throughout a fubject continent?

6. Nor did thofe brave countrymen of ours only exprefs the emotions of glory; the nature of their principles infpired them with the power of practice; and they offered their bosoms to the fhafts of battle. Bunker's awful amount is the capacious urn of their afhes; but the flaming bounds of the univerfe could not limit the flight of their minds.

7. They fled to the union of kindred fouls; and those who fell at the ftreights of Thermopyla, and those who bled on the heights of Charlestown, now reap congenial joys in the fields of the bleffed.

GENERAL WASHINGTON'S RESIGNATION.

Mr. PRESIDENT,

THE great events on which my refignation

depended having at length taken place, I have now the honor of offering my fincere congratulations to Congrefs, and of prefenting myfelf before them to furrender into their hands the truft committed to me, and to claim the indulgence of retiring from the fervice of my country.

2. Happy in the confirmation of our independence and fovereignty, and pleafed with the opportunity afforded the United States of becoming a refpectable nation, I refign, with fatisfaction, the appointment accepted with diffidence; a diffidence in my abilities to accomplish fo ardu ous a task, which, however, was fuperfeded by a confidence in the rectitude of our caufe, the fupport of the fupreme power of the Union, and the patronage of Heaven.

3.

The fuccefsful termination of the war has verified the most fanguine expectations; and my gratitude for the interpofition of Providence, and the affiftance I have re

ceived from my countrymen, increases with every review of the momentous conteft.

4. While I repeat my obligations to the army in general, I should do injuftice to my own feelings not to acknowledge, in this place, the peculiar fervices and diftinguished merits of the gentlemen who have been attached to my perfon during the war.

5. It was impoflible the choice of confidential officers to compofe my family fhould have been more fortunate. Permit me, Sir, to recommend in particular those who have continued in the fervice to the prefent moment, as worthy of the favorable notice and patronage of Congrefs.

6. I confider it as an indenfable duty to close this last folemn act of my official life, by commending the interests of our dearest country to the protection of Almighty God, and those who have the fuperintendence of them, to his holy keeping.

7. Having now finished the work affigned me, I retire from the great theatre of action; and, bidding an affectionate farewel to this auguft body, under whofe orders I have fo long acted, I here offer my commiffion, and take my leave of all the employments of public life.

Dec. 23, 1783.

G. WASHINGTON.

SPEECH OF A SCYTHIAN AMBASSADOR TO ALEXANDER.

WHEN the Scythian ambassadors waited

on Alexander the Great, they gazed on him a long time without speaking a word, being very probably furprised, as they formed a judgment of men from their air and stature, to find that his did not answer the high idea they entertained of him from his fame.

2. At laft the oldest of the ambaffadors addreffed him thus. "Had the gods given thee a body proportionable to thy ambition, the whole univerfe would have been too little for thee. With one hand thou wouldst touch the East, and with the other the West; and, not fatisfied with this, thou

K

thou wouldst follow the fun, and know where he hides himself.

3. But what have we to do with thee? We never fet foot in thy country. May not those who inhabit woods be allow ed to live, without knowing who thou art, and whence thou comeft? We will neither command over, nor fubmit to any

man.

4. And that thou mayeft be fenfible what kind of people the Scythians are, know, that we received from Heaven, as a rich prefent, a yoke of oxen, a ploughshare, a dart, a javelin, and a cup. These we make use of, both with our friends and against our enemies.

5. To our friends we give corn, which we procure by the labor of our oxen; with them we offer wine to the gods in our cup; and with regard to our enemies, we combat them at a distance with our arrows, and near at hand with our javelins.

6. But thou, who boastest thy coming to extirpate rob. bers, art thyfelf the greatest robber upon earth. Thou haft plundered all nations thou overcameft; thou haft poffeffed thyfelf of Lybia, invaded Syria, Perfia, and Bactriana; thou art forming a defign to march as far as India, and now thou comeft hither to feize upon our herds of cattle. -7. The great poffeffions thou haft, only make thee covet the more eagerly what thou hast not. If thou art a god, thou oughteft to do good to mortals, and not deprive them of their poffeffions.

art.

8. If thou art a mere man, reflect always on what thou They whom thou shalt not moleft will be thy true friends; the strongest friendthips being contracted between equals; and they are efteemed equals who have not tried their strength against each other. But do not fuppofe that those whom thou conquereft can love thee.”

THE REVENGE OF A GREAT SOUL.

DEMETRIUS Poliorcetes, who had done

fingular fervices for the people of the city of Athens, on fetting out for a war in which he was engaged, left his wife

and

and children to their protection. He loft the battle, and was obliged to feek fecurity for his perfon in flight.

2.

He doubted not, at first, but that he fhould find a fafe afylum among his good friends the Athenians; but thofe ungrateful people refufed to receive him, and even fent back to him his wife and children, under pretence, that they probably might not be fafe in Athens, where the ene my might come and take them.

3. This conduct pierced the heart of Demetrius; for nothing is fo affecting to an honeft mind, as the ingratitude. of those we love, and to whom we have done fingular fervices. Some time afterwards, this prince recovered his affairs, and came with a large army to lay fiege to Athens.

4. The Athenians, perfuaded that they had no pardon to expect from Demetrius, determined to die fword in hand, and paffed a decree, which condemned to death those who fhould first propofe to furrender to that prince; but they did not recollect, that there was but little corn in the city, and that they would in a fhort time be in want of bread.

Want foon made them fenfible of their error; and, 5. after having fuffered hunger for a long time, the most reafonable among them faid, "It would be better that Demetrius fhould kill us at once, than for us to die by the lingering death of famine. Perhaps he will have pity on our wives and children." They then opened to him the gates of the city.

6. Demetrius, having taken poffeffion of the city, ordered, that all the married men should assemble in a spacious place appointed for the purpofe, and that the foldiery, fword in hand, fhould furround them. Cries and lamentations were then heard from every quarter of the city; women embracing their hufbands, children their parents, and all. taking an eternal farewel of each other.

7. When the married men were all thus collected, Demetrius, for whom an elevated fituation was provided, reproached them for their ingratitude in the most feeling manner, infomuch that he himself could not help fhedding tcars. Demetrius for fome time remained filent, while the Athenians expected, that the next words he uttered would be to order his foldiers to maffacre them all.

8. It

8. It is hardly poffible to fay what must have been their Furprife when they heard that good prince fay, "I wish te Convince you how ungenerously you have treated me; for

was not to an enemy you have refufed affiftance, but to a prince who loved you, who ftill loves you, and who wishes to revenge himfelf only by granting your pardon, and by being fill your friend. Return to your own homes: while you have been here, my foldiers have been filling your houfes with provifions."

CUDJOE, THE FAITHFUL AFRICAN.

A NEW-ENGLAND floop trading on the

coaft of Guinea, in 1752, left a fecond mate, William Murray, fick on fhore, and failed without him. Murray was at the houfe of a black man named Cudjoe, with whom he had contracted an acquaintance during their trade.

2. He recovered; and the floop being gone, he continued with his black friend till fome other opportunity fhould offer of his getting home. In the mean time a Dutch fhip came into the road, and some of the blacks coming on board her, were treacherously seized and carried off as their flaves.

3. The relations and friends, tranfported with fudden rage, ran to the house of Cudjoe, to take revenge by killing Murray. Cudjoe ftopped them at the door, and demanded what they wanted. The white men, faid they, have carried away our brothers and fons, and we will kill all white

men.

4. Give us the white man you have in your houfe, for we will kill him. Nay, faid Cudjoe, the white men who carried away your relations are bad men; kill them when you can take them; but this white man is a good man, and you must not kill him. But he is a white man, they cried and the white men are all bad men; we must kill them all.. Nay, fays he, you must not kill a man who has done no harm, only for being white.

5. This man is my friend, my houfe is his poft, I am his foldier, and muft fight for him; you must kill me be

fore

« PreviousContinue »