THE LIBRARY OF THE 
 UNIVERSITY OF 
 NORTH CAROLINA 
 
 FROM THE LIBRARY OF 
 
 ALEXANDER B. ANDREWS 
 
 Class of 1893 
 
 TRUSTEE OF THE UNIVERSITY 
 FRIEND OF THE LIBRARY 
 
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 A 
 
M EMOR Y 
 
 OF 
 
 WASHINGTON 
 
 COMPRISING 
 
 A SKETCH or ms 
 
 LIFE and CHARACTER; 
 
 AND TI-I B 
 
 fatiOTtal Uwtvmoniald oj '3b&4fi6ci* 
 
 
 ALSO, 
 
 A COLLECTION OT 
 
 EULOGIES and ORATIONS, 
 
 WITH A 
 
 COPIOUS APPENDIX. 
 
 NEWPORT, R. I. 
 
 PRINTED BY OLIVER FARNSWORTH, 
 
 i Boo, 
 
 s 
 
 
 9 • 
 
4 
 
 
 
 jtized by the Internet Archive * 
 Cjn 2018 with funding from 
 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 
 
 
 https://archive.org/details/memoryofwashingtOOuh 
 

 TO TI1E PUBLIC. 
 
 i 0 render homage to that Character 
 
 o 
 
 which forms the fubjedl of the prcfent Work , 
 w /Ztf pride and ambition of every true Amer¬ 
 ican. Congrefs have decreed him the nob left 
 honors. Communities and individuals vie 
 with each other in tejlifying their refpecl and 
 veneration for fuch rare virtue and unri¬ 
 valled worth. And the Editor has the plea- 
 fare of announcing, that this Volume, which 
 is intended as a Tribute of Refpecl to the 
 Memory of the Father of our Country, will 
 be found to contain a copious variety of mat¬ 
 ter, highly interefling and valuable . 
 
 Should this Compilation, • which we 
 now have the happinefs of offering to the 
 Public, be favored with general approbation , 
 it is the intention of the Editor to publifh a 
 Second Volume ; in which, feveral Eulogies, 
 Orations, &c. unavoidably omitted in this, 
 and which are judged really meritorious — 
 together with the invaluable Political Le¬ 
 gacies of WASHING TON, will appear . 
 
 Newport, July 4 h, 1800. 
 
 Subfcription papers for the id Vol¬ 
 ume,will foon be forwarded to different parts 
 of the United States . 
 

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CONTE N T S. 
 
 
 CHARACTER of Wajhlngtorty * 
 
 Biographical Sketch of the Life of General 
 Geo/ge Wajhingtoiiy 
 
 Gen. Mar/kali 's Addrefs to Congrefs, on 
 the report of Gen. Wa/hington s death, 
 
 Prefident’s mcffage to Congrefs, cnclofing 
 Col. Lears letter, announcing the death 
 of Gen. Wajbirgion, 
 
 Gen. MarJbaW s fecond addrefs to Con¬ 
 grefs, propofing the adoption of fundry 
 refoiutions for paying fuitable honors 
 to the memory of Gen. JVaJhington, 
 
 Addrefs of condolence of the Houfe of 
 Reprefentatives, and the Prefident’s 
 anLver, - 
 
 Addrefs of condolence of the Senate, 
 
 Prefident’s anfwer, 
 
 Refoiutions of Congrefs* for perpetuating 
 the memory of Gen. IVa/bington, 
 
 Prefident’s Orders to the Army, ciireeling 
 funeral honors to be paid to Gen, 
 WajhingtMt 
 
 Prefident’s Orders to the Navy, directing 
 the ra >ft fuitable manner of commemo¬ 
 rating the death or Gen. JVaJbington, 
 
 General Orders from Maj. Gen. Hamilton s 
 
 Pteftdeni’s Proclamation, for celebrating 
 the 2zd day of February, i Sco, 
 
 A 2 
 
 TAGS 
 
 7 
 
 i3 
 
 49 
 
 5 ® 
 
 5 * 
 
 S 6 
 
 57 
 
 59 
 
 6.i 
 
 6c 
 
 65 
 
 67 
 
 m 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 * 
 
 VI 
 
 Particular account of the lad illnefs and 
 death of Gen. Wajhington , 
 
 Wajhington* b Funeral, 
 
 PiCfident/s meflVre to Congred, communi- 
 cating Mis. W n/h tag ton’s letter, • 
 
 Maj. Gan. Henry Lee’s Funeral Oration, 
 
 Thomas Paine’s Eulogy, 
 
 George R % Minot’s Eulogy, - » 
 
 George Blake’s Mafonic Eulogy, - 
 
 Tifoer Ames’ Oration, - • « 
 
 Extract from Rev, Dr. Wharton $ Sermon 
 on the death of General Wajhington, 
 
 Extra&s from the Funeral Oration on Gen, 
 Wajhington , pronounced at Paris, 
 
 Chara&er of Wajhington , written in London, 
 
 French intercepted letter, written in the 
 year 1753, 
 
 Defcripticn of Mount Vernon, the fuperb 
 feat of the late General Wajhington , - 
 
 W*Jhington\ reply to the Prefident of Congrefs, 
 on accepting his appointment, in 1775, 
 
 Account of a plot, which was meditated 
 for affaflinaung General Wajhington , in 
 the year 1776, - 
 
 Extraft fr m General Wajhington s Speech, 
 when fi d eleCled Prefident of the Unit¬ 
 ed States, - 
 
 General Wajhington*s letter of acceptance, 
 as Cv'mrnander in Chief of the Amer¬ 
 ican Armies, in 1798, r 
 
 Ex'raCK from General Wajhington *8 Lad 
 Wiil and Tcilament. 
 
JKiz kJKs *AfCfe tJKjLiJKjs 
 
 CHARACTER 
 
 OF 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 WRITTEN IN 1798» 
 
 BY AN AMERICAN. 
 
 • J3qES the proftitute page of 
 hiftory glow with the enthufiaftic euiogia 
 on the characters of tyrants, who have only 
 revelled in a Court, or of conquerors, who 
 have only (laughtered in the held ? And 
 fhall even the impartial portraitift reft in 
 apathetic torpidity, and {lumber in crimi¬ 
 nal filence, while our American Fabius 
 lives, and aftonifhes the world with the 
 plenitude of his virtue and his greatnefs ? 
 Are the characters of a Sidney , of a Pitt 7 
 and of a Fox, configned to immortality by 
 the nervous eloquence of their zealous and 
 partial countrymen, and fhall not an hum¬ 
 ble tribute of juftice be rendered to the man 
 of the people, whofe perfon is beloved by 
 his fellow-citizens, whofe name is revered 
 by the Nations of the earth, and whofe 
 
3 
 
 MEMORT o.t 
 
 fituation is the envy of even the monarch 
 himfelf, when feated fuperb on his throne 
 
 of empire. 
 
 % 
 
 WASHINGTON is equally majeflic 
 in mein, dignified in merit and exalted in 
 fame. While the manly and augufl firm- 
 nefs of his deportment and manners po¬ 
 tently characterize the foldier and the hero, 
 their graceful eafe and elegance befpeak 
 the man of fafhion and confummate polite- 
 nefs. His opennefs and unaffeCted affabili¬ 
 ty feem to invite an acquaintance, by ren¬ 
 dering accefs eafy, and intercourfe delight¬ 
 ful. 
 
 Though he dart not from his eye the 
 vengeful fire, nor bear on his brow the 
 haughty defiance of the inexorable Achilles , 
 yet is his countenance marked with the 
 calm intrepidity of the noble Heflor , and 
 the fuperior (lability of the youthful Patro - 
 But notwithstanding his whole afpeCl 
 pronounces him the Hero formed to rufh 
 fearlefs, yet terrible, through the rude 
 temped of war, and to ride triumphant in 
 the gilded car of conquefl ; yet do the rnild- 
 nefs and benignity of his countenance de¬ 
 clare him more fupremely bleft in the kin- 
 
WASHING TON. 
 
 *9 
 
 dred funfhine of public harmony and peace. 
 That this is indeed the true difpofition of 
 our Patriot and Hero, we learn not from 
 his countenance alone, for the uniform ten¬ 
 or of his public conduct proclaims that his 
 fupreme delight is to cultivate with afliduity 
 and care, the tender and precarious olive, 
 rather than to Hep fuperb and terrible be¬ 
 neath the fliadow of the laurels of glory. 
 
 Though his features,whenindividual- 
 ly examined, be neither elegant, delicate 
 nor fine, yet when viewed in conjuu&ion, 
 and confidered in their compofite refult, 
 they certainly give birth to an unequivocal 
 perception of elegant comlinefs, and make 
 an impreffion fo permanent as never to be 
 forgotten. 
 
 Though the elegance of our Hero 
 neigher eledricates by the divine fire of 
 Demofihenes , nor captivates by the lefs flow¬ 
 ing harmony of Cicero , yet does the ftyle of 
 his addrefs rival that of the Grecian in pre¬ 
 cision and force, and that of the illudrious 
 Roman in elegance and dignity. 
 
 Whatever be the fubjed of his in- 
 veltigation, he always deliberates with the 
 
MEMORY op 
 
 / 
 
 I« 
 
 mo ft profound attention, and by the wif- 
 dom and reditude of his decifion, feldom 
 fails to iniprefs convi&ion and beget confi¬ 
 dence. The evident utility and happy re¬ 
 fill t of his decifions on all matters relative 
 to public policy, have ever furnifhed the 
 ftrongefl and moft unequivocal teftimony 
 of their truth and julfice. 
 
 In his wife and happy choice of con¬ 
 fidants and friends, he has given to the 
 world fuch a fpecimen of thorough know¬ 
 ledge of human nature as no public charac¬ 
 ter ever exhibited before : For in no in¬ 
 fiance have his friends ever forfaken him ; 
 in no infiance have his confidants ever be¬ 
 trayed him, either while a commander in 
 the field, or a public officer in the cabinet. 
 
 In his invefiigation of fubjefis relative 
 either to the interefl and policy of his coun¬ 
 try, or the complicated rights of nations in 
 general, he does not appear to gain the fum- 
 mit of truth by the flow and laborious Heps 
 of argumentative arrangement and logical 
 deduction ; but after taking a general view 
 of the point immediately in queftion, fud- 
 denly bounds over every obftacie and difi> 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 a 
 
 ftculty by the power and a&ivity of an irre- 
 fiftible genius. 
 
 To the foregoing qualifications cf our 
 Statefman and Hero, we may add, that he 
 is himfelf a model in point of morality, and 
 a friendly patron of religion, and piety. 
 Neither the loud calls of wild difiipation, 
 nor the foft affuafive accents of pleafure 
 have ever been able to feduce him from 
 the paths of moral rectitude, and he is not 
 afhamed to mingle with his fellow-citizens, 
 and devoutly join them in a£ls of public 
 worfhip to the beneficent fource of the 
 univerfe. 
 
 In this amiable and augufi: perfonage, 
 we difcover a local concentration of thofe 
 truly invaluable and fublime characterises 
 which are particularly defigned to confii- 
 tute the aggregate worth and dignity of 
 human nature ; while on the other hand, 
 he is happily exempt from thofe weakneffes 
 and irregularities fo deftructive to the bap- 
 nefs, and fo humiliating to the pride of 
 felf adoring man. Thus we behold in the 
 Guardian of his country, the molt confuin¬ 
 mate valor, without precipitate rafhnefs—- 
 the utmoft caution, without effeminate dm- 
 
MEMORY op tsfe. 
 
 %& 
 
 {dity—the highefl patience and fortitude, 
 without either apathy or indolence—the 
 mod: dilpaffionate coolnefs, without liftlefs 
 Inactivity—the mod unalterable firmneis 
 and determined perfeverance, without 
 blind and incorrigible obftinacy—the mod 
 exquifite judgment and acute penetration, 
 without the fupercilious pride of knowl¬ 
 edge—and an unparalleled love of his fel¬ 
 low citizens, without an implicit fubmifhon. 
 to their eccentric whims and capricious 
 irregularities. 
 
 To conclude, it would indeed appear 
 that in the perfon of WASHINGTON, 
 nature and fortune had co-operated with 
 their utmofl energy, to aflonifh the world 
 with a character of goodnefs and confurn- 
 mate greatnefs. As a man, he has ever 
 been beloved by his fellow-citizens at large ; 
 as a General, he is an exquifite model of 
 bravery, tempered by prudence, and illu¬ 
 mined by wifdom ; and as the Supreme 
 Executive of the Union, he has diiplayed 
 all that public virtue and merit, neceiTary 
 to render him the pride of his friends, the 
 boaft of his country, and the admiration of 
 the world. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 
 
 OF 
 
 ^eTieral ftrxi j hi7t^io?i, 
 
 BY J. MORSE, D. D. 
 
 rjn 
 
 I HE death of this great man, 
 has rendered an account of his life particu¬ 
 larly defirable. To a nation whofe feelings 
 feem to be abforbed by this moft affliding 
 event, whofe attention is chiefly direfred to 
 the contemplation of the refplendenr virtues 
 of the deceafed Father of his country, every 
 circumftance of his life has become intereft- 
 ing. 
 
 I have not the vanity to a {fume to be 
 the Biographer of General WASHING¬ 
 TON. This arduous, honorable, and ufe- 
 ful tafk, is probably already afligned by 
 proper authority, to a man competent to 
 its execution, and who is already, or will, 
 
 B 
 
*4 
 
 MEMOIiT of 
 
 be, in poffdlion of all the requiiite docu¬ 
 ments for fo important a work. But hav¬ 
 ing heretofore given to the public, in a 
 work* defigned for their ufe, a brief fketch 
 of his life, I hope they will not confider it 
 as preemption in me, if, with a view to 
 fatisfy, in fome degree, folicitous inquiries 
 on the fubjeft, and as a humble tribute to 
 the memory of the firjl of men , I revife and 
 enlarge this (ketch, and in an improved 
 foi nn, at this moment of general feeling, 
 offer it to their perufal. 
 
 Tiie late General WASHINGTON 
 was bom in the parifh of Wafhington, 
 Weftmoreland county, in Virginia, Februa¬ 
 ry 22, 1732. He was the third fon of Mr* 
 AUGUSTINE WASHINGTON, a plant¬ 
 er or farmer of refpeclable talents, difliu- 
 guifhed reputation and large eflate in Vir¬ 
 ginia. The anceftors of this gentleman, 
 about the year 1657, removed from York- 
 (hire in England "to Virginia, and fettled in 
 King George’s county, where, at the com¬ 
 mencement of our revolution, the General 
 had three brothers living, viz. Samuel, 
 
 * The American Geography, 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 1 5 
 
 John and Charles, all gentlemen of con- 
 fiderable landed property, and a filler, the 
 wife of Col. Fielding Lewis,* 
 
 The General was the fir (l fruit of a 
 fecond marriage. His early education, 
 conducted by a private tutor, under the 
 direction of his father, was fuch as favored 
 the production of an athletic and vigorous 
 body, and the formation of a correct and 
 folid mind. Inhaling a pure mountain air, 
 accuflomed to the healthful occupations of 
 rural life, and to the manly toils of the 
 chafe, his limbs expanded to an unufual, 
 robuft, but well proportioned and graceful 
 fize, adapted to endure the fatigues of his 
 future life, and to fultain the active energies 
 of his noble foul. 
 
 By his tutor he was taught the rudi¬ 
 ments of the Latin language, Englifh gram¬ 
 mar, and the elements of the mathematicks. 
 At the age of ten years, his father died, 
 and the charge of a numerous family de¬ 
 volved on his elded brother, Mr. Lawrence 
 
 * See a letter, written at an early period of the 
 American Revolution, by John Bell , Efq. of Mary¬ 
 land, to a friend in Europe, and published in the Maffk- 
 chufetts Magazine, for March 1791, 
 
i<5 
 
 ME M ORT of 
 
 Wafhingion. This brother, a young gentle¬ 
 man of inoft promifmg talents, had a Cap¬ 
 tain’s command in the colonial troops, em¬ 
 ployed againd Carthagena, under Admiral 
 Vernon . On his return from this expedi¬ 
 tion, he married the daughter of the Hon. 
 William Fairfax , of Belvoir, and fettled on 
 his patrimonial eflate, which he called 
 Mount Vernon, in honor of his Admiral, 
 from whom he had received many civilities. 
 He was afterwards made Adjutant General 
 of the militia of Virginia, but did not long 
 furvive his appointment. He left one 
 daughter, who dying young, and his fecond 
 brother alfo having deceafed without ilfue, 
 the General fucceeded to the family feat, 
 and to a very confiderable landed eflate. 
 
 It is a circumftance which ought not 
 to be here omitted, that, at the age of 
 fifteen, he was entered a mid (hip man on 
 board a Bri'tifh (hip of war Rationed on the 
 coad of Virginia, and his baggage prepared 
 for embarkation ; but his mother, then a 
 widow, expreffing her reluctance at his en¬ 
 gaging in that profefilon, the plan was aban¬ 
 doned. 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 l 7 
 
 The office of adjutant general, made 
 vacant by the death of his brother, in con- 
 fequence of the extenfive limits of the pro¬ 
 vince, was now divided into three diitricls ; 
 and the future Hero of America, before he 
 had completed his twentieth year, began 
 his military fervice by a principal appoint¬ 
 ment in that department, with the rank of 
 Major. 
 
 When he was little more than twenty 
 years of age, an event occurred which call¬ 
 ed forth his great talents into public notice 
 and exercife. In 1753, the French from 
 Canada, aided by the Indians, whom they 
 engaged for the purpofe, made inroads 
 and encroachments upon the weftern fron¬ 
 tiers, along the Allegany and Ohio rivers. 
 Orders were received from England, by the 
 Governor* and Council of Virginia, to re¬ 
 pel by force thefe encroachments. It was 
 however thought a prudent preliminary 
 Hep, to make an effort to prevent open hof- 
 tilities, by friendly and fpirited remon- 
 ftrances to the French, and conciliatory 
 overtures to the Indians. Major WASH- 
 
 * Lieut, Governor Dinwiddle at this time 
 adminifteied the government* 
 
IS MEMORT 02 
 
 INGTON was deputed to undertake this 
 important and perilous embaffy. Accord¬ 
 ingly he was difpatched by the Governor, 
 ■with a letter to the Commander in Chief 
 of the French on the Ohio, complaining of 
 the infra&ions of the treaties fubfifling be¬ 
 tween the two crowns ; and with induc¬ 
 tions and plenary powers to treat with the 
 Six Nations and other tribes of Weftera 
 Indians, and to fecure their attachment to 
 England. He commenced his journey late 
 in October, with about fifteen attendants, 
 and endured the fatigues, and performed 
 the duties of his million, with lingular for¬ 
 titude, induflry, intelligence and addrefs. 
 When he returned with Monfieur de St. 
 Pie re’s anfwer, and gave information of 
 his fuccefs in his negociations with the In¬ 
 dians, he received the approbation and 
 thanks of his country. His journal* and 
 report to Governor Dinwiddle , which were 
 pubiiflied at the time, early announced to 
 the world, that ftrength and corre&nefs of 
 znind, eafe and manlihefs offlyle, and that 
 
 Vhi* Journal was pnblifhed in the Maflachu-r 
 fetts Magazine tor June and July 1789, from a copy 
 ff»t to the w riter of this, from his correfpondent in 
 V irginia. 
 
WASHINGTON,\ 
 
 ig 
 
 judgment, method, and accuracy in doing 
 bufinefs, which have fince charaderifcd 
 him iii conducting more arduous affairs. 
 His journal for many years after, proved 
 of effential fervice to travellers into that 
 weFern wildernefs. 
 
 Notwithstanding the remonftran- 
 ces made by the government of Virginia to 
 the French commander on the Ohio, 
 through Major WASHINGTON, hoFile 
 operations in that quarter, were Fill con¬ 
 tinued, as part of a meditated plan of gene¬ 
 ral attack upon the then Britifh colonies.-j- 
 In this Fate of things, orders were received 
 from the mother country, for the colonies 
 to unite, and prepare to defend themfelves. 
 The Aflembly of Virginia took the lead ; 
 and early in the year 1754, voted a fum of 
 money for the public fervice, and agreed to 
 raife a regiment of 400 men for the defence 
 of the frontiers of that colony. Mr. Fry , 
 one of the profeffors of the College of 
 William and Mary, was appointed Colonel 
 of this regiment, and Major WASHING¬ 
 TON, then about twenty-three years of 
 age, received thecommiifion of Lieutenant- 
 
 f Se % Note (A) m the Appendix, 
 
20 
 
 MEMORY of 
 
 Colonel. Col. Fry died fhortly after hig 
 appointment, and left his regiment and 
 rank to the fecond in command. 
 
 Col. WASHINGTON now was inde¬ 
 fatigable in his efforts to form his regiment, 
 to effablifh magazines, and open roads fo 
 as to pre-occupy the advantageous pod at 
 the confluence of the Allegany and Mo- 
 nongahela rivers (now Pittfburg) which he 
 had recommended for that purpofe, in his 
 report the preceding year. Impreffed with 
 the neceffity of expedition in accomplifhing 
 this important object, without waiting for 
 a detachment of independent regulars, and 
 fome companies of provincials from the 
 neighboring colonies, who were expelled 
 to join him, he commenced his march in 
 the month of May. 
 
 On his way, at a place called Red 
 Stone, he met a ffrong party of the French 
 and Indians, which he engaged and routed 
 after killing and capturing fifty of the ene¬ 
 my. Among the prifoners was the cele¬ 
 brated Monf. de la Force, and two other 
 officers, from whom Col. WASHINGTON 
 received intelligence, that the French forces 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 2r 
 
 on the Ohio confided of upwards of ioo^ 
 regulars, and feveral hundred Indians, and 
 that they had already erected a fort at the 
 pod he had intended to occupy, which 
 they called Fort du Quefiie. Upon this 
 intelligence, lie took his dation with his lit¬ 
 tle army at a place called Great Meadows, 
 for the convenience of forage and fupplies, 
 where he built a temporary dockade, to 
 cover his dores, and named it fort Nccejjity . 
 Here he waited the arrival of expecled fuc- 
 cours from New-York and Pennfylvania, 
 but was joined by Capt. McKay’s regulars, 
 only,which increafed his force to about 400 
 effective men. He remained unmoleded 
 till July, when he received information 
 from his fcouts that a confiderable party of 
 the enemy was approaching to reconnoitre 
 his pod ; he fallied and defeated them ; but 
 in return was attacked by an army of 
 French and Indians, computed to have been 
 1500 drong, under the command of the 
 Sicur de Villiers. The little garrifon made 
 a gallant defence, of feveral hours, during 
 which they killed nearly 200 of the enemy, 
 and more than one third of their own num¬ 
 ber were either killed or wounded. The 
 
22 
 
 MEMORY op 
 
 French commander, difcouraged by fuch 
 bold oppofition, propofed a parley, which 
 terminated in an honorable capitulation, 
 Col. WASHINGTON, at the head of his 
 troops, quitted the fort with the honors of 
 war, agreeable to the articles of capitula¬ 
 tion, and carried with him his military 
 (lores, and baggage ; but the French com¬ 
 mander either unable or unwilling, did not 
 rellrain his Indian auxiliaries from plun¬ 
 dering the provincials, and making a cGu¬ 
 ilder able daughter of men, cattle and hord¬ 
 es. After this difafter, the remains of the 
 Virginia regiment returned to Alexandria 
 to recruit. 
 
 The Britifh ambaffador at the court of 
 Verfailles was directed to remonflrate to the 
 French government againft the breach of 
 the articles of capitulation above mention¬ 
 ed ; and this may be confidered as the period 
 when the French court began to unmaik, 
 and to difcover that the conduct of its gov¬ 
 ernors and offi:crs in America, was in 
 conformity to their orders. After this, 
 warlike preparations on the frontiers were 
 made by the French with redoubled aCtivi- 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 tv, and were continued through the winter 
 of 1754, and the fpring of 1755. 
 
 During this period the government 
 of Virginia raifed an additional number of 
 troops, who built fort Cumberland, and 
 fort Loudon, and formed a camp at Wills 
 Creek, a fituation convenient for the an¬ 
 noyance of the enemy on the Ohio. In all 
 thefe fervices, and particularly in the erec¬ 
 tion of the forts, Col. WASHINGTON 
 was actively and principally employed. 
 
 At this time, May 1755, Gen. Brad- 
 dock arrived at Alexandria, from England, 
 with two veteran regiments from Ireland, 
 to which were to be joined the independent 
 and provincial corps in America, and at the 
 head of this army he was to repel the inva¬ 
 ders of the colonial frontiers. Upon a 
 royal arrangement of rank, by which “ no 
 officer who did not immediately derive his 
 commiffion from the king, could command 
 one who did,” Col. WASHINGTON re- 
 figned his commiffion, and as a Volunteer, 
 and extra Aid de Camp, joined General 
 Braddock. The army marched diredly for 
 Fort du Quefne, by the route of Wills 
 
^4 
 
 MEMORT cf 
 
 Creek. No perfon was fo well acquainted 
 with this route as Col. WASHING I ON, 
 and no other officer in the colony, at tnis 
 time, fuftained fo high and well eftabliffied 
 a military reputation; and had his counfel 
 been fufficiently regarded, there is reafon to 
 believe the misfortunes which followed 
 would have been prevented. In his route, 
 Gen. Braddock unexpectedly, and of confe- 
 quence, unpreparedly, met a large body of 
 the enemy. Without detailing minutely the 
 particulars of the hard fought and bloody 
 battle which enfued, and which terminated 
 in the total defeat of Braddock's army, 
 which confided of 2000 regular Britifh for¬ 
 ces, and nearly 800 provincials. I {hall on¬ 
 ly fay, in the words of the refpeCtable and 
 correCt writer,* to whom I am indebted 
 far many of the faCts contained in this 
 {ketch, that, <c it is allowed on all fides, 
 that the haughty behavior of Gen. Brad - 
 dock , his high contempt of the provincial 
 officers and foldiers, and his difdainful ob- 
 ftinacy in rejecting their advice, were the 
 caufes of this fatal difafter. With what re- 
 folution and fteadinefs the provincials, and 
 
 * John Bell, Efcp 
 
WASHING TON 
 
 25 
 
 their gallant commander (Col. WASH¬ 
 INGTON) behaved on this trying ccca- 
 fion, and in covering the confufed retreat 
 of the army,f let every Britiffi officer and 
 foldier confefs, who were refcued from 
 flaughter on that calamitous day by their 
 valor and conduct. 
 
 To this information it is proper toadd, 
 that Col. WASHINGTON was the only 
 
 <0 
 
 Officer, whofe duty obliged him to be on 
 horfeback during the battle, who was not 
 either killed or wounded. Providence 
 feemed to referve him to fave from utter 
 deftrudlion the wreck of a defeated army. 
 Having fecured their padage over the ford 
 of the Monongahela, and finding the ene¬ 
 my did not purfue their victory, Colonel 
 WASHINGTON haftened to concert mea- 
 fures for their further fecurity, with Col. 
 Dunbar who had remained fome diflance in 
 the rear, with the fecond divifion of the ar¬ 
 my and the heavy baggage. To effedt this, 
 he travelled with two guides, all night, 
 through a dreary wildernefs, notwithftand- 
 
 t See Capt. Orme's Letter to Gov. Dinwiddle, 
 and alfo the other accounts of that day, 
 
 c 
 
MEMORT of 
 
 lag the fa iguesof the preceding day, and 
 the enfeebled (late of his health, having but 
 imperfectly recovered from ficknefs. So 
 exhaufted was he in the morning, that he 
 was obliged to be fupported with cufhions 
 on his horfe. The public accounts of this 
 affair, both in England and America, were 
 not parfimonions of applaufe for the effen- 
 tial fervice he rendered his country on fo 
 trying an occahon. 
 
 Not long after this time, the regula¬ 
 tion of rank, which had been fo injurious 
 to the Colonial officers was changed to their 
 fatisfaction, in confequence of the difcon- 
 tent of the officers and the remonftrance ol 
 Col. WASHINGTON ; and the govern¬ 
 ment of Virginia, impreffed with a due 
 fenfe of his merits, gave him, in a new and 
 extenfive commiilion, the command of all 
 the troops railed, and to be raifed in that - 
 colony. This commiilion he held, with 
 fignal credit to himfelf, and advantage to 
 his country, till 1759, when, tranquillity 
 being reffored on the frontiers of the mid¬ 
 dle colonies, and his ccnflitution having 
 become extremely enfeebled and endanger¬ 
 ed by an inveterate pulmonary complaint* 
 
WASHING TON. 
 
 he refigned his military appointment. Im¬ 
 partial hiflorians will do jufticeto his char¬ 
 acter, in detailing the judicious plans he 
 fuggefted, and the fyflem he purfued for 
 defending the frontiers, and his perfonal 
 hazards, bravery, and achievements previ- 
 oiifly to the period of his refignation. Nor 
 are authentic documents wanting to fhew 
 the tender regret which the Virginia line 
 cxpreifed at parting with their commander, 
 and the affectionate regard which He en¬ 
 tertained for them. 
 
 From this period, till the year 1775, 
 he cultivated the arts of peace. Soon after 
 he refigned his commiflion in 1759, his 
 health having been gradually re-eftablifhed* 
 he married the prefent Mrs. WaJhington 9 
 then Mrs. Martha Cuftis* an amiable and 
 beautiful young widow, cc with whom he 
 had a fortune of twenty thoufand pounds 
 fterling in her own right, be Tides her dower 
 in one of the principal eftates in Virginia,”f 
 and fettled, as a Planter and Farmer, at 
 
 * General and Mrs. Wajhington were both 
 born in the fame year. 
 
 d Bell’s Letter,, 
 
MEMORY of 
 
 ' m 
 
 fsS 
 
 his favorite, delightful feat, the far famed 
 Mount Vernon. | 
 
 General WASHINGTON was the 
 larged landholder, probably in the United 
 States. Befides the large eflates which 
 came into his poffedion by his marriage, 
 and by the death of Mrs. Wajhingior ?s only 
 daughter (amounting in the whole to thirty 
 thoufand pounds derling) he owned large 
 trails of excellent land in different parts of 
 the date, which, in early life, while he was 
 Surveyor, he had taken up for himfelf, or 
 purchafed of officers who had lands allot¬ 
 ted them for their fervices. He alfo made 
 large additions to his edate at Mount Ver¬ 
 non,which, in 1787, confided of about nine 
 thoufand acres, under his own cultivation. 
 His income from his edates was reckoned, 
 in 1776, to amount at lead to four thoufand 
 f ounds Jlerling a year ; and it was then fup- 
 pofed they would have fold for more than 
 one hundred andfixty thoufand pounds* of the 
 fame money, equal to upwards of 666,000 
 dollars. There can be no doubt, that un* 
 
 f Sec Note ( B ) in the Appendix, 
 
 * See Bell's Letter, 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 29 
 
 del* his fuperintendence and admirable 
 management, his property has fmce much 
 increafed. 
 
 General WASHINGTON was not 
 lefs diftinguifhed as a Farmer , than as a 
 Warrior and a St at cfman . He undertook 
 every thing on a great fcale, proportioned 
 to his great and comprehenfive mind ; and 
 his exaCt and exemplary method in tranf- 
 acting all his bufinefs, enabled him to ac- 
 complifh more, and in a more perfect and 
 advantageous manner, than perhaps any 
 other man of the age. He has raifedfeven 
 thoufand bufhels of wheat, and ten thou- 
 land of Indian corn in one year, on his 
 eflate at Mount Vernon. In a fucceeding 
 year he railed two hundred lambs, fowed 
 twentv-feven bufhels of flaxfeed, and plant- 
 more than feven hundred bufhels of pota¬ 
 toes. At the fane time he had manufactur¬ 
 ed under his eye, by his domeftics, linen 
 and woolen cloth fufficient for his houfe- 
 hold, which confided of nearly a thoufand 
 fouls. His land, defigned for cultivation, 
 he had enclofed in lots of equal dimenfions, 
 and crops afligned to each for many years. 
 On Saturday in the afternoon, every week, 
 
 C 2 
 
MEMORT o* 
 
 he was accuftomed to receive reports from 
 all his ovsrfeers, (and thefe reports, I have 
 been informed, were received and attended 
 to, conftantly, during the periods of his 
 Command of our rmies, and his Prefiden- 
 cy of the United States) which reports were 
 correctly regiftered in books kept for the 
 purpofe ; fo that, at the end of the year, 
 he was able accurately to afeertain the quan¬ 
 tity of labor bellowed on each of the feveral 
 lots, and the amount of the produce. Or¬ 
 der and economy were eftablilhed in all the 
 departments within and without doois. 
 
 Agriculture was his favorite em¬ 
 ployment, and he purfued it in a manner 
 worthy of hlmfelf. One great objedl which 
 he ever kept in view, was to introduce or 
 augment the culture of thofe articles which 
 he conceived would be the molt beneficial 
 in their confequences to his country. Up¬ 
 on this principle, he early gave up planting 
 tobacco, and went altogether into the fann¬ 
 ing bufmefs. To acquire and communi¬ 
 cate practical knowledge, he correfponded 
 with the celebrated Mr. Arthur Young of 
 England, and with many agricultural gen¬ 
 tlemen in this country. As improvement 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 was known to be his object, he was in the 
 habit of receiving rare feeds, and refults of 
 new projects from every quarter. He like- 
 wife made copious notes, relative to his 
 own experiments, the (late of the feafons, 
 the nature of foils, of which he was an 
 excellent judge, and the effedls of different 
 kinds of manure, and fuch other topics, as 
 tended to the improvement of agriculture. 
 
 While he was thus ufefully occupied 
 as a Farmer, and giving to all around him, 
 and to pofterity, a noble example of induft- 
 ry, economy, and good management, he 
 was, at the fame time, affiduous in ferving 
 the State. From the time he left the ar« 
 my, in 1759, until the year 1774, he was 
 conflantly a Member of AfTembly ; he was 
 alfo a Magiftrate of the county in which 
 he lived, and a Judge of the Court, He 
 was elected a Delegate to the nrft Congrefs 
 in 1774, and to that which axTembled the 
 year following. 
 
 It was while he was a Member of this 
 AfTembly of the wife ft men in America, 
 that he was, on the 15th of June 1775, by 
 their unanimous vote, appointed Com- 
 
MEMORY of 
 
 3 * 
 
 mander in Chief of all the forces raifed, or 
 to be raifed for the defence of the then 
 colonies. He accepted his appointment \ 
 ■with what diffidence and difintereftednefs, 
 his reply to the Prefident of Congrefs-, 
 when his appointment was announced to 
 him, witneffes.* tc It was a fortunate 
 circumftance, attending his election, that 
 it was accompanied with no competition, 
 and followed by no envy. That fame gen¬ 
 eral impulfe on the public mind, which led 
 the Colonifb to agree in many other par¬ 
 ticulars, pointed to him as the mod proper 
 perfon for prsfiding over the military ar¬ 
 rangements of America. Not only Con- 
 grefs, but the inhabitants in the eaft and 
 wed, in the north and the fouth, as well 
 before as at the time of embodying a Con¬ 
 tinental Army, were in a great degree 
 unanimous in his favor.”f “ The very 
 high eftimation he flood in for integrity 
 and honor, his engaging in the caufe of his 
 country from fentiment and a convi&ion of 
 her wrongs ; his moderation in politics, 
 his extenfive property, and his approved 
 
 * See Note ( C ) in the Appendix, 
 f Ramsay’s Hift. Revc-1, Yol. I. p, 192, 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 35 
 
 abilities as a Military Commander, were 
 motives which obliged the choice of Ame¬ 
 rica to fall upon him. 5, f 
 
 We have now arrived at a period in 
 the life of this great man, fince which, the 
 events of it have been more confpicuous 
 and more generally interefting ; and it is 
 the lefs neceffary to particularize them in 
 this place, becaufe they have been often 
 detailed, and are familiar to aimed every 
 perfon. I will only obferve, that Genera! 
 WASHINGTON arrived at the camp in 
 Cambridge, and took the Supreme Com¬ 
 mand of the American army, July 2, 1776s 
 Ci He was received with that heart felt ex¬ 
 ultation, which fuperior merit alone can in- 
 infpire, after having, in his progrefs through 
 the States, been honored with every mark 
 of affedlion and edeem which they conceiv¬ 
 ed were due to the man, whom the whole 
 continent looked up to for fafety and free¬ 
 dom.' 
 
 It is hoped poderity will be taught 
 in -what manner he transformed an undif- 
 ciplined body of peafantry int# a regular 
 
 X ibid. 
 
 f Bell, 
 
MEMORY c* 
 
 34 
 
 army of foldiers. Commentaries on his 
 campaigns would undoubtedly be highly 
 interefling and inTru&ive to future genera¬ 
 tions. The conduct of the hrfl campaign, 
 in compelling the Britilh troops to abandon 
 Bo Ton by a bloodiefs victory, will merit a 
 minute narration. But a volume would 
 fcarcely contain the mortifications he ex¬ 
 perienced, and the hazards* to which he 
 was expofed in 1776 and 1777, in con¬ 
 tending againT the prowefs of Britain, 
 with an inadequate force. His good defiiny 
 and confummate prudence, prevented want 
 of fuccefs from producing want of confi¬ 
 dence on the part of the public ; For want 
 of fuccefs is apt to lead to the adoption of 
 pernicious counfels through the versatility 
 of the people, or the ambition of dema¬ 
 gogues. Shortly after this period, fprang 
 up the only cabal that ever exiTed during 
 his public life, to rob him of his reputation 
 and command. It proved as impotent in 
 effect, as it was audacious in ' dehgn. In 
 the three fucceeding years, the germ of 
 difcipline unfolded ; and the refources 
 ©f America having been called into co-ope» 
 
 5 See Note ( D )la the Appendix® 
 
WA S RING TO N. 
 
 'J f? 
 0 0 
 
 ration with the land and naval forces of 
 France, produced the glorious conclufion 
 of the campaign in 1781. From this time 
 the gloom began to difappear from our po¬ 
 litical horizon, and the affairs of the Union 
 proceeded in a meliorating train, until a 
 peace was mod ably negociated by our Ara« 
 baffadors, in Europe, in 1783. 
 
 No perfon, who had not the ad¬ 
 vantage of being prefent when General 
 WASHINGTON received the intelligence 
 of peace, and who did not accompany him 
 to his domeftic retirement, can defcribe the 
 relief which that joyful event brought to his 
 laboring mind, or the fupreme fatisfadtion 
 with which he withdrew to private life. 
 From his triumphal entry into New-York, 
 upon the evacuation of that city by the B'rit- 
 ifh army, to his arrival at Mount Vernon, 
 after the refignation of his cotnmiffion to 
 Congrefs, feflive crowds impeded his paf- 
 fage through all the populous towns ; the 
 devotion of a whole people purfued him 
 with prayers to Heaven for bleffings on his 
 head, while their gratitude fought the moft 
 expreffive language of manifefting itfelf to 
 him as their common father and beuefadlor* 
 
MEMORT or 
 
 When he became a private citizen, he had 
 the unufual felicity to find that his native 
 State was among the mofl zealous to do 
 juflice to his merits ; and that flronger de- 
 monflrations of affectionate efteem (if poffi- 
 ble) were given by the citizens of his neigh¬ 
 borhood, than by any other description of 
 men on the continent. But he conftantly 
 declined accepting any compenfation for his 
 fervices or provifion for the augmented ex- 
 penfes incurred in confequence of his pub¬ 
 lic employment, although propofais were 
 made him in the mofl delicate manner, par¬ 
 ticularly by the States of Virginia and Penn* 
 iylvania. 
 
 The virtuous fimplicity which diflin* 
 guifhed the private life of General WASH¬ 
 INGTON, though lefs known than the 
 dazzling fplendor of his military achieve¬ 
 ments, is not lefs edifying in example, or 
 worthy the attention of his countrymen. 
 The confpicuous character he adted on the 
 theatre of human affairs, the uniform dig¬ 
 nity with which he fuftained his part amidfl 
 difficulties of the moil difcouraging nature, 
 and the glory of having arrived through 
 them at the hour of triumph, made many 
 
WASHINGTON 1 
 
 bffieial and literary perfons, on both fides 
 of the ocean, ambitious of a correfpondence 
 with him. Thefe correfpondencies una¬ 
 voidably engroffed a great portion of his 
 time ; and the communications contained 
 in them, combined with the numerous pe¬ 
 riodical publications and newspapers which 
 he perufed, rendered him, as it were, the 
 focus ofpolitical intelligence for the new world* 
 Nor were his converfations with well-in¬ 
 formed men lefs conducive to brine; him 
 
 o 
 
 acquainted with the various events w hich 
 happened in different countries of theglobe. 
 Every foreigner of diflindtion, who travel¬ 
 ed in America, made it a point to vifit him. 
 Members of Congrefs and other dignified 
 psrfonages did not pafs his houfe, without 
 calling to pay him their refpects. As 
 another fource of information it may be 
 mentioned, that many literary produ&ions 
 were fent to him annually by their authors 
 in Europe ; and that there was fcarcely one 
 
 work written in America on any art, 
 fcience, or fuhjecf, which did not leek his 
 protection, or which was not offered to him 
 as a token of gratitude. > Mechanical in¬ 
 ventions were frequently fubmitted to him 
 
3* 
 
 MEM CRT op 
 
 for his approbation, and natural cur’ofi- 
 ties prefented for his invedigation, But 
 the multiplicity of epidolary applications, 
 often on the remains of fome bufnfefs which 
 happened when he was Commander in 
 Chief; fometimes on fubjetts foreign to 
 his fituation, frivolous in their nature, and 
 intended merely to gratify the vanity of 
 the writers, by drawing anfwers from him, 
 was truly diftrefling and almofl incredible. 
 His benignity in anfwering, perhaps, in- 
 creafed the number. Had he not hufband- 
 ed every moment to the bed advantage, it 
 would not have been in his power to have 
 noticed the vad variety of fubje&s that 
 claimed his attention. 
 
 In this manner he fpent his time, 
 from the peace of 1783, till he was ele&ed 
 a Member of the Convention who framed, 
 in Philadelphia, in the fummer of 1787, 
 the prefent Conditution of the United 
 States. Of this Convention of fares, he 
 was chofen Prefident, and with his name 
 he has fandlioned the Conditution of their 
 and his country’s choice. 
 
 When this Conditution, adopted by 
 the nation, was to be organized and put iu 
 
 1 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 59 
 
 operation, by an eledlion of the proper offi¬ 
 cers, the United States, “fteadfaft in their 
 preference, with one voice furnmoned their 
 beloved WASHINGTON, impraftifed as 
 he was, in the duties of civil adrniniftra- 
 tion,” to the chair of government. He 
 heard their voice cc with veneration and 
 love,”* and with that felf diffidence and 
 
 modefty, which ever accompany pre-emi¬ 
 nent merit, he obeyed their fumrnons. On 
 the 50th of April, 1789, he was inaugurat¬ 
 ed President of the United States, in 
 the city of New-York, amidft the acclama¬ 
 tions of thoufands of fpedhtors. 6; It feem- 
 ed, by the number of witneffbs,” fays one, 
 who beheld the interefling feene, “ to be a 
 folemn appeal to heaven and earth at once. 
 Upon the fu hjecl of this great and good 
 man, I may perhaps be an enthufiaft : but 
 I confefs, I was under an awful and reliei- 
 ous periualion, that the gracious Ruler of 
 the Univer e was looking down at that mo¬ 
 ment, with peculiar complacency, oh an 
 aft, which, to a part of his creatures, was 
 fo very important. Under this impreffion, 
 when the Chancellor pronounced, in a very 
 
 * See Note ( E ) n the Appendix, 
 
40 
 
 MEMORY cs 
 
 feeling manner, cc Long live GEORGE 
 WASHINGTON,” my fen Ability was 
 wound up to fuch a pitch, that I could do 
 no more than wave my hat with the red, 
 without the power of joining in the repeat¬ 
 ed acclamations which rent the air.” 
 
 In the autumn after his induction 
 into office, he vifited the Eaftern States ; 
 with how much delight and advantage to 
 the people, and fatisfa&ion to his own 
 mind, let the volume of their addrefles and 
 his anfwers teftify. 
 
 With what dignity, wifdcm, firm- 
 nefs, integrity,and high and general appro¬ 
 bation, he performed the duties of his mod 
 arduous, elevated, and refponfible office, 
 during his eight years adminidration, his 
 Eulogids have eloquently announced, and 
 Hiftorians will record with pride and admi¬ 
 ration. “ Commencing his adminillration, 
 what heart is not charmed with the recol¬ 
 lection of the pure and wife principles an¬ 
 nounced by himfelf, as the balls of his po¬ 
 litical life. He bed underdood the indif- 
 foluble union between virtue and happinefs, 
 between duty and advantage, between the 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 genuine maxims of an honed and magnan¬ 
 imous policy, and the folid rewards of 
 public profperity and individual felicity : 
 watching with unequal and comprehenfive 
 eye over this great affemblageof communi¬ 
 ties and inrereds, he laid the foundations of 
 our national policy, in the unerring and im¬ 
 mutable principles of morality, bafed on 
 religion, exemplifying the pre-eminence of 
 free government, by all the attributes which 
 win the affections of its citizens, or com¬ 
 mand the refpectof the world.”* 
 
 During his adminidration as our 
 Supreme Executive Magiftrate, cc bis tal¬ 
 ents and his virtues increafed with his cares. 
 Ilis foul feemed not to bear the limits of 
 office a moment after the obligations of du¬ 
 ty and patriotifm withdrew their restraints 
 from his univerfal love. When the mif- 
 guided favages of the wildernefs, after feel¬ 
 ing his chadifemenf, had fued for peace ; 
 he feemed to labor for their happinefs as the 
 common reprefen tative of mankind. In- 
 furreClion was fo {truck at his countenance, 
 that it fled from the {hock of his arms. 
 Intrigue attempted to entangle him in her 
 
 MajorGkn.I?. Lee’s Funeral Oration. 
 
 D 
 
 4J 
 
MEMORT oP 
 
 d.2 
 
 t 
 
 poifonous web, but hebnrft it with gigantic 
 ftrength, and crufhed her labors. Anarchy 
 looked out from her cavern, and was dalli¬ 
 ed into oblivion, as we trull, forever. The 
 nations of Europe faw the wifdom of our 
 laws, the vigor of our meafures, the juftice 
 of our policy, the firmnefs of our govern¬ 
 ment, and acquiefced in the neutrality of 
 cur ftation.”f 
 
 Twice ele£led by the unanimous voice 
 of his country to the Prefidential chair, 
 when the period for a third election arrived, 
 in September 1796, when the (late of his 
 country was fuch that he confidered it no 
 longer neceffary for him to facrihce his in¬ 
 clination to his duty, he announced to his 
 fellow citizens, in an address which will 
 be immortal as his name, his determination 
 to retire, and requeuing them not to con- 
 fzder him as a candidate for their future 
 fuffrages *, thus preventing cc the anxious 
 wifhes of an affectionate people, from add¬ 
 in^ a third unanimous teflimonial of their 
 
 O 
 
 unabated confidence in the Man fo long 
 enthroned in their hearts.” Having fpent 
 forty-jive years of his life in the fervice of 
 
 i Judge Minot’s Eulogy, 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 43 
 
 his country, he ccnfoled himfclf with the 
 hope that he was now quitting forever 
 4: the boundiefs field of public action, in- 
 cefiant trouble, and high refponfibility,” in 
 which he had fo long afted a principal part ^ 
 but this fond hope was not realized. He 
 had not yet arrived at the pinnacle of hu¬ 
 man greatnefs. One afcending ftep yet 
 remained untaken. From March 1797, to 
 July 1798, he lived in peace, at his belov¬ 
 ed retreat, difeharging the duties of a 
 private citizen with a condefceniion and 
 greatnefs of mind peculiar to himfelf. At 
 the latter period, u when every thing we 
 hold dear and facredwas fertoufly threaten¬ 
 ed,”* the voice of his countrymen was raif- 
 ed to him, as the Inftrument, under Provi¬ 
 dence,for their protection : He heard it and 
 inflantly obeyed ; and thus advanced the 
 Jaft afcending ftep in the career of earthly 
 glory. On this high and commanding 
 ground, he flood, venerable in fervices as 
 in years, the cement and the bulwark of 
 cur nation, till the 14th of Dec. 1799, 
 when he was fummoned above, to join that 
 noble company of the “ wife, who fan 11 
 
 See Note ( F ) in the Appendix, 
 
MEMORY cr 
 
 44 
 
 fbinc as the brightnefs of the firmament, 
 
 and as the fears forever and ever.” 
 
 ♦ 
 
 His lad ficknefs was fhori and painful. 
 On Thurfday the 12th, he was abroad on 
 one of his plantations. The day was rainey 
 and he took cold ; which, on Friday, pro¬ 
 duced a violent inflammation in the throat. 
 The following night his difeafe became very 
 alarming, and he was urged to fend to 
 Alexandria for his phyfleian. His humanity 
 for his fervants prevented it till the next 
 morning. At 11 o’clock on Saturday his 
 Phyfleian arrived. It was too late. The 
 hand of death was already upon him. Tho 
 his diflrefs was extreme, he was calm and 
 refigned. cc He informed his attendants that 
 his affairs were in good order ; that he had 
 made his will, and that his public buflnefs 
 was but two days behind hand.” A very 
 fhort time before he died, he faid to his 
 Phyfleian, 45 Doclor What is the clock ? How 
 long am I to remain in this fit nation ? The 
 Doclor replied, 44 Not long Sir." He then 
 rejoined with the firmed countenance t4 / 
 have no fear , Doctor , to die." His breath¬ 
 ing foon grew fhorter ; and prefently after 
 he expired without a flgh or a groan.” 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 45 
 
 GENERAL WASHINGTON in hi* 
 perfon was tall, upright, and well made ; 
 in his manners eafy and unaffected. His 
 eyes were of a blueifti caff, not prominent, 
 indicative of deep thoughtfulnefs, and 
 when in adion, on great occafions remark¬ 
 ably lively. His features ftrong, manly, 
 and commanding ; his temper referved and 
 ferious; his countenance grave, cornpofed,. 
 and fenfible. There was in his whole ap¬ 
 pearance an unufual dignity and graceful- 
 nefs which at once fecured for him profound 
 refpeet, and cordial efteem. He feemed 
 born to command his fellow men. In his 
 official capacity he received applicants for 
 favors, and anTvered their requefts with fo 
 much eafe, condcfcenfion and kindnefs, as 
 that each retired, believing himfelf a favorite 
 of his Chief. He had an excellent and well 
 cultivated underftanding; a correct, difcern- 
 ing, and comprehenfive mind y a memory 
 remarkably retentive ; energetic paffions 
 under perfect controul; a judgment fober* 
 deliberate, and found. He was a man of 
 the drifted: honor and hone ft v, fair and 
 honorable in his dealings ; and punctual 
 to his engagements. His difpofition was 
 mild, kind, and generous. Candour fmce- 
 
MEMORY or 
 
 4 6 
 
 rity, moderation, and fimplicity, were, in 
 common, prominent features in his charac¬ 
 ter ; but when an occafion called, he was 
 capable of difplaying the moft determined 
 bravery, firmnefs, and independence. Me 
 was an affectionate hufband, a faithful 
 friend, a humane mailer, and a father to the 
 poor. lie lived in the unvarying habits of 
 regularity, temperance, and induftry. Me 
 fteadily rofe at the dawn of day, and retired 
 to reft ufualiy at 9 o’clock in the evening. 
 The intermediate hours all had their pro¬ 
 per bufinefs affigned them. In his allot¬ 
 ments for the revolving hours, religion was 
 not forgotten. 'Feeling, what he fo often 
 publicly acknowledged, his entire depen¬ 
 dence on God, he daily, at ftated feafons, 
 retired to his clofet, to worfhip at his foot- 
 ftool, and to afk his divine blefling. lie was 
 remarkable for his drift obfervation of the 
 Sabbath, and exemplary in his atten¬ 
 dance on public worfhip. 
 
 Of his faith in the truth and ex¬ 
 cellency of the holy feriptures, he gave evi¬ 
 dence, not only by his excellent and mm ft 
 exemplary life, but in his writings ; especial¬ 
 ly when he aferites the meliorated con- 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 47 
 
 dition of mankind, and the increafed bleflf- 
 ings of fcciety, cc above all , to the pure and 
 benign light of revelation N and when 
 he offers to God, his earned prayer <c that 
 he would mod gracioufly be pleafed to dif- 
 pofe us all to do judice, to love mercy, and 
 to demean ourfelves with that charity, 
 humility, and pacific temper of mind, which 
 were the chara&eriftics of the Divine Author 
 sf our ble[fed religion ; without an humble 
 imitation of whofe example, in thefe things 
 we can never hope to be a happy nation .”* 
 Inanaddrefs to him, immediately after he 
 commenced his Preddency over the United 
 States, from a venerable and refpedlable 
 body of men, who were in the bed dura¬ 
 tion to know his religious character, and 
 who, no doubt, exprefled what they knew, 
 is the following teftimony to, his faith in 
 Chridianity 44 But we derive a prefage,” 
 fay they, ci even more flattering, from the 
 piety of your character. Public virtue is 
 the. mod certain mean of public felicity ; 
 and religion is the fured bads of virtue. 
 We therefore edeetn it a peculiar happi- 
 
 * See his Circular Letter to the Governors of the 
 fevcral States, dated Mew burg, June i8, j 783. 
 
MEMORT of 
 
 nefs to behold in our Chief Magi Urate, a 
 jteady , uniform , avowed friend of the Chrif- 
 turn Religion ; who has commenced his ad- 
 miniftration in rational and exalted fenti- 
 ments of piety, and who, in his private 
 conduct, adorns the doctrines of the G of pci 
 of Chrijl.” Grounded on thefe pure and 
 excellent doftrines, to which his life was 
 fo conformable ; copying, as he did, with 
 fuch exemplary flridnefs and uniformity, 
 the precepts of Chrift, we have ftrong con- 
 folation and joy in believing, that e’re this, 
 he has heard from his God and Saviour, 
 this enrapturing fentence : Wtll done good 
 and faithful fervant , enter into the joy of your 
 L ord . 
 
 What a blefling to the world, what 
 an honor to human nature, is a character 
 thus <c throughout fublime r” What a 
 bright exemplar for kings, for princes, for 
 rulers of every name, for warriors, for far¬ 
 mers, for Chriftians, for mankind ? Thanks 
 be to God for fo rich a gift \ praife to his 
 name for bellowing it on our nation, and 
 thus diuinguifhing it above all others on 
 the globe, and let all the people of 
 COLUMBIA, WITH ONE VOICE, SAT 
 AMEN. 
 
WASHING TON. 
 
 49 
 
 KdMBBBflPmi 
 
 Jfaiional J&dhonoiucil^ of\tflcjji&ct* 
 
 
 CONGRESS of the UNITED STATES , 
 
 Houfe of Pveprefentatives, Dec. 18, 1799* 
 
 Immediately after the jour- 
 
 nals were read, General Marjhall came 
 into the Houfe of Reprefentatives, appa¬ 
 rently much agitated, and faid, 
 
 Mr* Speaker , 
 
 Information has juft been received, 
 that our illuftrious fellow-citizen,the Com¬ 
 mander in Chief of the American army, and 
 the late Prefident of the United States, is 
 no more. Though this diftreffing intelli¬ 
 gence is not certain, there is too much rea- 
 fon to believe its truth. 
 
 After receiving information of a na¬ 
 tional calamity fo heavy, and fo afflicting, 
 
5 3 
 
 MEMORT of 
 
 the Houfe of Reprefentatives can be 
 but ill fitted for public bufmefs. 1 move 
 you, therefore, that we adjourn. 
 
 The Houfe immediately adjourned. 
 
 Thursday, Dec. 19. 
 
 The following Mefage was received from 
 The President of the United States . 
 
 Gentlemen of the Houfe of Reprefentatives, 
 
 THE letter herewith tranfmitted will 
 inform you, that it has pleafed Divine Pro¬ 
 vidence to remove from this life, our ex¬ 
 cellent fellow-citizen, GEORGE WASH¬ 
 INGTON, by the purity of his character, 
 and a long feries of fervices to his country 
 rendered illuftrious through the world. It 
 
 o 
 
 remains for an affeSionate and grateful 
 people, in whofe hearts he can never die* 
 to pay fintable honor to his memory. 
 
 JOHN ADAMS, 
 
WASHINGTON. 51 
 
 “Mount Vernon, Dec. iS, 1799* 
 
 S/i? ? 
 
 « IT is with inexpreflible grief that I 
 have to announce to you the death of the 
 great and good Gen. WASHINGTON. 
 He died laft evening, between 10 and 11 
 o’clock, after a fnort iilnefs of about twen¬ 
 ty-four hours. His diforder was an inflam¬ 
 matory fore throat which proceeded from a 
 cold, of which he made but little com¬ 
 plaint on Friday. On Saturday morning 
 about three o’clock, he became ill. Dr, 
 Dick attended him in the morning, and Dr, 
 Craik , of Alexandria, and Dr. Brown , of 
 Port Tobacco, were foon after called in. 
 Every medical affiltance was offered, but 
 without the defired effect. His laft fcene 
 correfponded with the whole tenor of his 
 life. Not a groan, nor a complaint, efcap- 
 ed him, though in extreme diftrefs.— 
 With perfect refignation, and a full 'pof- 
 fefiion of his reafon, he clofed his well 
 fpent life. I have the honor to be, &c. 
 
 “ TOBIAS LEAR, 
 
 Ci The Prcfident of ^ 
 the United States” 3 
 
MEMORY c? 
 
 Gen. Marshall, with deep forrow 
 on his countenance, and in a pathetic tone 
 of voice, thus addreffed the houfe :*— 
 
 Mr . Speaker , 
 
 The melancholy event which was 
 yefterday announced with doubt, has been 
 rendered but too certain. Our WASH¬ 
 INGTON is no more !—The hero, the 
 fage, and the patriot of America-—the man 
 on whom in times of danger, every eye 
 was turned, and all hopes were placed, 
 lives now, only in his own great actions, 
 and in the hearts of an afledionate and 
 affected people. 
 
 If, Sir, it had not been ufual, openly 
 to teftify refpeft for the memory of thofe 
 whom heaven had felefted as its inflru- 
 ments, for difpenfmg good to man : yet, 
 fuch has been the uncommon worth, and 
 fuch the extraordinary incidents which 
 have marked the life of him whofe lofs we 
 all deplore, that the whole American na¬ 
 tion, impelled by the fame feelings, would 
 call with one voice for a public manifefta- 
 tion of that forrow which is fo deep and fo 
 univcrLh 
 
WASHING TON. 
 
 53 
 
 More than any other individual, and 
 as much as to one individual was poffible, 
 has he contributed to found this our wide 
 fpreading empire, and to give to the weftern 
 world its independence and its freedom. 
 Having effected the great objeft for which 
 he was placed at the head of our armies, 
 we have feen him convert the fword into 
 the piough-fhare, and voluntarily fink the 
 foldier in the citisen. 
 
 When the debility of our federal 
 fyitem had become manifefl, and the bonds 
 which connected the parts of this vaff con¬ 
 tinent were diffolving, we had feen him the 
 chief of thofe patriots who formed for us a 
 conftitution,which,by preferving the union, 
 will, I truft, fubftantiate and perpetuate 
 thofe bleffmgs our revolution had promifed 
 to bedow. 
 
 In obedience to the general voice of 
 his country, calling on him to prefide over 
 
 a great people, we have feen him once 
 more quit the retirement he loved, and in 
 a feafcn more dormy and tempeftuous than 
 
 war itfelf, with calm and wife determination 
 
 Ez 
 
54 
 
 MEMORT of 
 
 purfue the true interefts of the nation, and 
 contribute, more than any other could con¬ 
 tribute, to the eflabiifhment of that fyflem 
 of policy which will, I trull, yet preferve 
 cur peace, our honor, and our indepen¬ 
 dence. Having been twice unanimoufly. 
 chofen the chief magiftrate of a free people, 
 we fee him, at a time when his re-election 
 with the univer.fal fuffrage could not have- 
 been doubted, afFording the world a rare 
 inftance of moderation, by withdrawing 
 from his high Ration to the peaceful walks 
 of private life. 
 
 Ho wever public confidence may 
 change, and the public affedlions fluctuate 
 with refpedt to others, yet, with refpedl to 
 him, they have, in war and in peace in pub¬ 
 lic and in private life, been as Ready as his 
 own firm mind, and as conRant as his owa 
 exalted virtues. 
 
 Let us then, Mr. Speaker, pay the 
 lafl tribute of refpecl and afFedlion to our 
 departed friend. Let the grand council of 
 the nation difplay thofe fentimeats which 
 the nation feels. 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 55 
 
 For this purpofe, I hold in my hand 
 fome refoiutions which I will take the lib¬ 
 erty to offer to the Houfe : 
 
 Resolved, that this Iioufe will 
 wait on the Prefident of the United States, 
 in condolence of this mournful event: 
 
 65 Resolved, that the Speaker’s chair 
 be fhrouded with black, and that the Mem¬ 
 bers and officers of the Houfe wear black 
 during the fefllon : 
 
 <c Resolved, that a committee, in 
 conjunction with one from the Senate, be 
 appointed to confider on the moll fuitable 
 manner of paying honor to the memory of 
 the man, fir ft in war, firft in peace, and 
 fir ft in the hearts of his country t- 
 
 cc Resolved, that this Houfe, when 
 it adjourn, do adjourn to Monday.” 
 
 These refoiutions were unanimoufly 
 agreed to. Sixteen members were ap¬ 
 pointed on the third refolution. 
 
 Generals MarJh.aH and Smith , hav¬ 
 ing waited on the Prefident to know when 
 
ME MORT on 
 
 he would be ready to receive the Houfe—- 
 the Prefident named one o’clock this day. 
 The Houfe accordingly waited on him, 
 when the Speaker thus addreiTed the Prefi- 
 dent: 
 
 Sir , 
 
 The Houfe of Reprefentatives, pene¬ 
 trated with a fenfe of the irreparable lofs 
 fuftained by the nation, by the death of that 
 great and good man, the iliuftrious and 
 beloved WASHINGTON, wait on you. 
 Sir, to exprefs their condolence on this 
 melancholy and diftrefting event. 
 
 c ±o which the Prefident replied • 
 Gentlemen of the Houfe of Reprefentatives, 
 
 I receive with the greatefl refpedt 
 and afieflion, the condolence of the Houfe 
 of Reprefentatives, on the melancholy and 
 afilidfcmg event in the death of the mod 
 illuftrious and beloved perfonage which 
 this country ever produced. I fympathize 
 with you—with the nation, and with good 
 men, through the world, in the irreparable 
 lofs fuftained by us all. 
 
 JOHN ADAMS. 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 57 
 
 Philadelphia, Dec. 23, 1799. 
 
 The Senate of the United States, this 
 day, fent the following letter of condolence 
 to the Prefrdent, by a committee of its 
 Members, to which he returned the annex¬ 
 ed anfwer. 
 
 To the Prejldent of the United States • 
 
 Tiie Senate of the United States ref- 
 pe£tfully take leave, Sir, to exprefs to you 
 their deep regret for the Iofs their country 
 fuftains in the death of GENERAL 
 GEORGE WASHINGTON. 
 
 This event, fo diflrefling to ali our 
 fellow citizens, mud be peculiarly heavy on 
 you, who have long been affociated with 
 him in deeds of patriotifm. Permit us, 
 Sir, to mingle our tears with yours : On 
 this occafion it is manly to weep. To lofe 
 fuch a man at fuch a crifis is no common 
 
 r 
 
 calamity to the world: Our country mourns 
 her father. The Almighty Difpofer of hu¬ 
 man events has taken from us our great- 
 efl benefactor and ornament. It becomes 
 us to fubmit with reverence to him, who 
 Ci maketh darkuefs-his pavillion.” 
 
5 ^ 
 
 MEMORT cs 
 
 With patriotic pride we review the 
 life of our WASHINGTON, and compare 
 him with thofe of other countries who have 
 been pre-eminent in fame. Ancient and 
 modern names are ditninifhed before him. 
 Greatnefs and guilt have too often been 
 allied ; but his fame is whiter than it is 
 brilliant. The dedroyers of nations flood 
 abafhed at the majefly of his virtues. It 
 reproved the intemperance of their ambi¬ 
 tion, and darkened the fplendor of victory. 
 The fcene is clofed, and we are no longer 
 anxious led misfortune fhould fully his 
 glory ; he has travelled to the end of his 
 journey, and carried with him an mcreaf- 
 ing weight of glory : he has depofitcd it 
 fafely, where misfortune cannot tarnifh it, 
 where malice cannot biad it. Favored of 
 Heaven, he departed without exhibiting 
 the weaknefs of humanity ; magnanimous 
 in death, the darknefs of the grave could 
 not obfcure his brightnefs. 
 
 Such was the man whom we deplore. 
 Thanks to Gon, his glory is confummat- 
 ed ; WASHINGTON yet lives on earth 
 in his fpotlefs example—his fpirit is ia 
 Heaven. 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 59 
 
 Let his countrymen confecrate the 
 memory of the heroic General, the patri¬ 
 otic Statefman, and the virtuous Sage : let 
 them teach their children never to forget 
 that the fruits of his labors, and his exam- 
 pie, are their inheritance. 
 
 P r (fide nf s A if we r . 
 
 Gentlemen of the Senate, 
 
 I receive with the mod refpeftful 
 and affectionate fentiments, in this impref- 
 five addrefs, the obliging expreffions of 
 your regret, for the lofs our country has 
 fudained, in the death of her mod efteem- 
 cd, beloved, and admired citizen. 
 
 .In the multitude of my thoughts and 
 recollections on this melancholy event, you 
 will permit me only to fay, that I have feen 
 him in the days of adverfity, in fome of 
 the feenes of his deeoeft did refs and mod 
 
 j. 
 
 trying perplexities—I have alfo attended 
 him in his highed elevation and mod pros¬ 
 perous felicity—with uniform admiration 
 of his wifdom, moderation and condancy* 
 
6q 
 
 MEMORT or 
 
 Among all our original afTociates, in 
 that memorable league of the Continent in 
 1774, which fir ft exprefted the fovereign 
 will of a free nation in America, he was 
 the only one remaining in the general gov¬ 
 ernment. Although, with a conftitution 
 more enfeebled than his, at an age when 
 he thought it neceffary to prepare for re¬ 
 tirement, I feel myfelf alone, bereaved of 
 my laft brother—-yet I derive a ftrong con- 
 folation from the unanimous difpofition, 
 which appears in all ages and claftes, to 
 mingle their forrows with mine, on this 
 common calamity to the world. 
 
 The life of our WASHINGTON 
 cannot fuffer by a comparifon with thofe of 
 other countries, who have been moft cele¬ 
 brated and exalted by fame. The attri¬ 
 butes and decorations of royalty, could 
 have only ferved to eclipfe the rnajefty of 
 thofe virtues which made him, from being a 
 modeft citizen, a more refplendent lumi¬ 
 nary. Misfortune, had he lived, could 
 hereafter have fullied his glory only with 
 thofe fuperficial minds, who, believing that 
 characters and actions are marked by fuc- 
 cefs alone, rarely deferve to enjoy it, 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 St 
 
 Malice could never have blafted his honor, 
 and envy made him a fmgular exception 
 to her univerfal rule. 
 
 For himfelf he had lived enough, to 
 life and to glor*y : for his fellow-citizens, 
 if their prayers could have been anfwered, 
 he would have been immortal. For me, 
 his departure is at a moll unfortunate mo¬ 
 ment. Trufting, however, in the wife 
 and righteous dominion of providence over 
 the paflions of men, and the refults of their 
 councils and aftions, as well as over their 
 lives, nothing remains for me, but humble 
 refignation. 
 
 His example is now complete, and 
 It will ieach wifdom and virtue to maeif- 
 
 o 
 
 trates, citizens, and men, not only in the 
 prefent age, but in future generations, as 
 long as our hiftory fhall be read. If a 
 Trajan found a Pliny, a Marcus Aurelius 
 can never want biographers, eulogifls, or 
 hiltorians. 
 
 JOHN ADAMS . 
 
 In the Houfe of Representatives, 
 General Marjkall , made a report in part, 
 
 F 
 
6 s 
 
 MEMORT op 
 
 from the joint committee appointed to con- 
 fid-er a fuitable mode of commemorating the 
 death of Gen. WASHINGTON. 
 
 He reported the following resolutions : 
 
 Refolded by the Senate and Houfe of 
 Reprefentaiives of the United States of Ameri¬ 
 ca, in Congrefs affembled , That a marble 
 monument be erefted, by the Uuited States, 
 in the capitol of the city of Walhingcon, 
 and that the family of Gen. WASHING¬ 
 TON be requeued to permit his body to 
 l^e depofited under it, and that the monu¬ 
 ment be fo defigned as to commemorate 
 the great events of his military and politi¬ 
 cal life. 
 
 And be itfurtherRefolved ,That there be 
 a funeral proceflion from Congrefs hall, to 
 the German Lutheran church, in memory 
 of GENERAL GEORGE WASHING¬ 
 TON, on Thurfday, the 26th in ft. and 
 that an Oration he prepared at the requeft: 
 of Congrefs, to be delivered before both 
 Uoufes on that day ; and that the Prefident 
 of the Senate, and Sneaker of the Houfe of 
 Reprefentaiives, be defired to requeft one 
 of the Members of Congrefs to prepare 
 and deliver the fame. 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 s 3 
 
 And be it further Rtfolved , That it be 
 recommended to the people of the United 
 States, to wear crape on their left arm, as 
 mourning, for thirty days. ! 
 
 And be it further Refolded , That the 
 Prefident be requeftea to direct a copy of 
 thefe refolutions to be tranfmitted to Mrs. 
 Wafhington , alluring her of the profound 
 refped Congrefs will ever bear to her per- 
 fon and chara&er, of their condolence on 
 the late affli&ing difpenfation of providence, 
 and entreating her affent to the interment 
 of the remains of Gen. WASHINGTON 
 in the manner expreffed in the firft refo- 
 lution. 
 
 And be it further Refolded , That the 
 Prefident be requefted to ilfue a Proclama¬ 
 tion, notifying to the people throughout 
 the United States, the recommendation, 
 contained in the third refolutioiu 
 
 These resolutions palfed both Houf- 
 es unanimoufly. 
 
 December 24* 
 
 This day, in the Houfe of Reprefen- 
 tatives, the Speaker informed the Houfe, 
 that in conformity to the fecond refolution 
 
&4 
 
 ^r; 
 
 MEMORT of 
 
 paffed on Monday, Major-General Lee had 
 been appointed, by the Prefident of the 
 Senate, and the Speaker of the Houfe of 
 Reprefentatives, to prepare and deliver the 
 Oration in honor of our late illuftrlous 
 Commander in Chief, on Thurfday next, 
 which appointment he had been pleafed to 
 accept. 
 
 A message was received from the 
 Prefident of the United States, notifying 
 the Houfe that he had agreed to the refo- 
 lutions paffed on Monday, in honor to the 
 memory of GENERAL WASHINGTON, 
 and depofited them among the rolls and 
 records of the United States. 
 
 The Senate of the United States 
 have come to an order, that, the Members 
 wear black during the feffion, and that the 
 chair of the Prefident be fhrouded with 
 black, overhung with curtains of black, and 
 the whole chamber lined in a fimiiar man¬ 
 ner—as a teflimony of refpefl for the 
 memory of their beloved and regretted late 
 fellow-citizen, GEORGE WASHING¬ 
 TON. 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 WAR DEPARTMENT. 
 
 The Prefident, with deep regret, 
 announces to the army the death of its be¬ 
 loved Chief, General GEORGE WASH¬ 
 INGTON.—Sharing in the grief, which 
 every heart mud feel for fo heavy and 
 afflicting a public lofs, and defirous to ex- 
 prefs the high fenfe of the vafl debt of 
 gratitude which is due to the virtues, tal¬ 
 ents, and ever memorable fervices of the 
 illuitrious deceafed, he direds that funeral 
 honors be paid to him at all the military 
 Rations, and that the officers of the army 
 and of the feveral corps of volunteers, wear 
 crape on the left arm, by way of mourn¬ 
 ing, for fix months. Major-General Ham¬ 
 ilton will give the neceflary orders for car¬ 
 rying into effeCt the foregoing directions. 
 
 Given at the War-Office of the United 
 States , in Philadelphia , this lgth 
 clay of December , A. D. 1799, and 
 in the 24 th year of the Independence 
 of the faid States. 
 
 By coaiir.and of the Prefident, 
 
 JAMES M‘HENRY. 
 
 Secretary of War, 
 
 Fa 
 
MEMORY of 
 
 <r 
 
 NAVY DEPARTMENT, 
 
 December 20th, 1799. 
 
 The Prefident, with deep affliction, 
 announces to the Navy, and to the Marine?, 
 the death of our beloved fellow-citizen 
 GEORGE WASHINGTON, Command¬ 
 er of our Armies, and late Prefident of the 
 United States; but rendered more illuflri- 
 ous by his eminent virtues, and a long 
 feries of the mod: important fervices, than 
 by the honors which his grateful country 
 delighted to confer upon him. 
 
 / ' -''Of * * . ^ 
 
 Dehrous that the Navy and Marines 
 should exprefs, in common with every other 
 defcription of American citizens, the high 
 fenfe which all feel of the lofs our country 
 has fuflained in the death of this good and 
 great man ; the Prefident direQs that the 
 veflels of the Navy, incur own and in Fo¬ 
 reign ports, be put into mourning for one 
 week, by wearing their colours half- mad 
 high ; and that the offlcers of the Navy 
 and of the Marines, were crape on the left 
 arm, below the elbow, for fix months. 
 
 BENJAMIN STODDERT. 
 
 »■ * — * 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 <S 7 
 
 \ 
 
 GENERAL ORDERS. 
 
 IvlAjoR-General Hamilton prefaces his 
 Orders to the Military of the UnitedStates 
 after reciting the Prefident’s orders, as 
 follows ;—' 66 The impreflive terms, in which 
 this great National calamity is announced 
 by the Prefident, could receive no new 
 force from any thing that might be added. 
 The voice of praife would in vain endea¬ 
 vor to exalt a character, unrivalled on the 
 lids of true glory. Words would in vain 
 attempt to give utterance to that profound 
 and reverential grief, which will penetrate 
 every American bofom, and engage the 
 fympathy of an admiring world. If the 
 fad privilege of pre-eminence in forrow may 
 juflly be claimed by the companions in 
 arms of our lamented Chief, their affections 
 will fpontaneoufly perform the dear though 
 painful duty. *Tis only for me to mingle 
 my tears with thofe of my fellow-foldiers, 
 cheriftiing with them the precious recollec¬ 
 tion, that while others are paying a merit¬ 
 ed tribute to “ "The Man of the Agef we 
 in particular, allied as we were to him by 
 a clofer tie, are called to mourn the irre¬ 
 parable lofs of a kind and venerated Patron 
 and Father l” 
 
c ar 
 
 MEMORY* of 
 
 In obedience to the directions of the 
 President, the following funeral honors 
 will be paid at the feveral flations of the 
 army. 
 
 At day-break fixfeen guns will be fir¬ 
 ed in quick fucceflion, and one gun at the 
 diftance of each half hour till fun-fet. 
 
 During the proceflion of the troops 
 to the place reprefenting that of interment, 
 and until the conclufjon of the ceremonial 
 minute guns will be fired. 
 
 The bier will be received by the troops 
 formed in line, prefentin-g their arms, and 
 the officers, drums and colours faluting ; 
 after this the proceflion will begin ; the 
 troops marching by platoons in inverted 
 order, and with arms reverfed to the place 
 of interment; the drums muffled and the 
 aaufic playing a dead march. 
 
 The bier carried by four Serjeants 
 and attended by fix pall-bearers, where 
 there is cavalry, will be preceded by the 
 cavalry and will be followed by the troops 
 on foot. Where there is no cavalry, a de¬ 
 tachment cf infantry will precede the bier. 
 
WASHINGTON. % 
 
 which itfeif will in every cafe be preceded 
 by fuch of the Clergy as may be prefent. 
 The Officers of the General Staff will im¬ 
 mediately fucceed the bier. 
 
 Where a numerous body of citizens 
 fhali be united with the Military in the pro* 
 eeffion, the whole of the troops will precede 
 the bier, which will then be followed by 
 the Citizens. 
 
 When arrived near the place of inter¬ 
 ment, the proceffion will halt. The troops 
 in front of the bier will form in line, and 
 opening their ranks will face inwards to 
 admit the paffage of the bier, which will 
 then pafs through the ranks, the troops 
 leaning on their arms reverfed while the 
 bier paffes! When the bier fhali have paff- 
 ed, the troops will refume their pofitionin 
 line, and reverfmg their arms will remain 
 leaning upon them until the ceremonial 
 {hall be clofed. 
 
 The Mufic will now perform a folemn 
 air, after which the introductory part of 
 this order fhali be read. 
 
MEMORT of 
 
 At the end of this a detachment of 
 infantry appointed for the purpofe will ad¬ 
 vance and fire three vollies over the bier. 
 The troops will then return ; the mufic 
 playing the Prefident’s march, the drums 
 previoufly unmuffled. 
 
 Ti-ie uniform companies of Militia are 
 invited to join in arms the Volunteer corps. 
 
 The Commanders at particular Ra¬ 
 tions* conforming generally to this plan,' 
 will make fuch exceptions as will accom¬ 
 modate it to fituation. At places where 
 proceflions of unarmed Citizens ihall take 
 place, it is the wifh of the Major-General 
 that the military ceremonial fliould be unit¬ 
 ed. And the particular Commanders at 
 thofe places are authorifed to vary the plan* 
 fo as to adapt it to the ciroumRances. 
 
 The day of performing the ceremonial 
 at each Ration is left to the particular Com¬ 
 mander. 
 
 PHILIP CHURCH, 
 
 Aid-de-Camp* 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 7t 
 
 A PROCLAMATION. 
 
 By the President of the United States o? 
 
 America. 
 
 "WhEREAS the Congrefs of the United 
 States have this day refolved, ;s That it be 
 recommended to the people of the United 
 States to affembieon the twenty-fecond day 
 of February next, in fuch numbers and man¬ 
 ner as may be convenient, publicly to teflify 
 their grief for the death of Gen. GEORGE 
 WASHINGTON, by fuitable eulogies,ora¬ 
 tions and difcourfes, or by public prayers 
 and, cc That the Prefident be requeued to 
 iiTue a Proclamation, for the purpofe of car¬ 
 rying the forgoing refolution Into effedL” 
 NO W, THEREFORE, I, John Adams, 
 Prefident of the United States of America, 
 do hereby proclaim the fame accordingly. 
 
 Given under my hand , and the feal of 
 the United States , at Philadelphia^ 
 the fixth day of January, in the year 
 ef our Lord one thoufand eight hun¬ 
 dred , and of the Independence of the 
 faid States the twenty-fourth . 
 
 IOHN ADAMS, 
 
 By the Prefident, 
 
 Timothy Pickering, Secretary of State, 
 
MEMORT on 
 
 '7* 
 
 Alexandria, (Virg.) dec.21* 1799# 
 
 PARTICULAR ACCOUNT OF THE LATE ILLNESS 
 
 AND DEATH OF 
 
 GEORGE WASHINGTON. 
 
 SoME time in the night of Friday, the 
 10th inflant, having been expofed to a rain 
 on the preceding day. General WASH¬ 
 INGTON was attacked with an inflam* 
 matory affection of the upper part of the 
 wind pipe, called in technical language 
 Cynache Trachealies. The difeafe com¬ 
 menced with a violent ague, accompanied 
 with fome pain in the upper and fore part 
 of the throat, a fenfe of ftridture in the 
 fame part, a cough, and a difficult, rather 
 than a painful deglutition, which were 
 foon fucceeded bv fever and a quick and 
 
 j ■*- 
 
 laborious refpiration. The neceffity of 
 bloodletting fuggefting itfelf to the Gener¬ 
 al, he procured a bleeder in the neighbor¬ 
 hood, who took from his arm in the night 
 12 or 14 ounces of blood. Ele could not 
 by any means be prevailed on by the fam¬ 
 ily to fend for the attending phyfician till 
 the following morning, who arrived at 
 Mount Vernon at about 11 o’clock on Sat- 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 n 
 
 urday. Difcovering the cafe to be highly 
 alarming, and forefeeing the fatal tenden* 
 cy of the difeafe, two confulting phyficians 
 were immediately fent for, who arrived, 
 one at half after three, and the other at 
 four o’clockin the afternoon : In the mean 
 time were employed two pretty copious 
 bleedings, a blifter was applied to the part 
 affected, two moderate dofes of calomel 
 v/ere given, and an injection was adminif- 
 tered, which operated on the lower intef- 
 tines, but all without any perceptible ad¬ 
 vantage, the refpiration becoming fill more 
 difficult and diftrefling. Upon the arri¬ 
 val of the firff of the confulting phyficians, 
 it was agreed, as there were yet no figns 
 of accumulation in the bronchial veffels of 
 the lungs, to try the refult of another 
 bleeding, when about 32 ounces of blood 
 were drawn, without the fuelled: apparent 
 alleviation of the difeafe. Vapours of vin¬ 
 egar and water were frequently inhaled, 
 ten grains of calomel were given, fucceed- 
 ed by .repeated dofes of emetic tartar, 
 amounting in all to 5 or 6 grains, with no 
 
 other effect than a copious difff 
 
 G 
 
MEMORT 02 
 
 the bowels. The powers of life feemed 
 now manifeftly yielding to the force of the 
 diforder ; blitiers were applied to the ex¬ 
 tremities, together with a cataplafm of 
 bran and vinegar to the throat. Speak¬ 
 ing, which was painful from the begin¬ 
 ning, now became almofl impracticable ; 
 refpiration grew more and more contract¬ 
 ed and imperfeCt, till half after 11 on Sat¬ 
 urday night, retaining the full poffeffion 
 of his intellect—when he expired without 
 a ftruggle. 
 
 IIe was fully impreffcd at the begin¬ 
 ning of his complaint, as well as through 
 every fucceeding ft age of it, that its con¬ 
 dition would be mortal; fubmitting to 
 the feveral exertions made for his recovery 3 
 rather as a duty, than from any expecta¬ 
 tion of their efficacy. He confidered the 
 operations of death upon his fyftem as 
 coeval with the difeafe; and feveral hours 
 before his death, after repeated efforts to 
 be underflood, fucceeded in exprefling a 
 defire that he might be permitted to die 
 without further interruption. 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 7S 
 
 During the fhort period of his illnefs, 
 he economized his time, in the arrange¬ 
 ment of fuch few concerns as required his 
 attention, with the utmod ferenity; and 
 anticipated his approaching diiTolution 
 with every demonftration of that equan¬ 
 imity for which his whole life has been fo 
 uniformly and fmgularly confoicuous. *■ 
 
 JAMES CRAIK, Attending Phvjtciatt. 
 
 ELISHA C. DICK, Conjuhing PhjJIcian. 
 
 WASHINGTON'S FUNERAL. 
 
 Extract of a letter from a Gentleman in 
 Alexandria , dated Dec. 19, 1799. 
 
 cc Yesterday I attended the Funeral 
 of the Saviour of our country at Mount 
 Vernon ; and had the honor of being one 
 who carried his Body to the vault. He 
 was borne by military gentlemen, and 
 brethren of our Lodge, of which he was 
 formerly Mafter. I inclofe you a fketch 
 of the Proceffion. To defcribe the fcene 
 is impoffible. The coffin bore his Sword 
 and Apron; and the Members of the 
 Lodge v/alked as mourners. Ills horfe 
 
*6 
 
 / 
 
 MEMORV of 
 
 was led, properly caparifoned, by two of 
 his fervants, in mourning. 
 
 cc As I helped place his body in the 
 vault, and flood at the door while the fu¬ 
 neral fervice was performing, I had the bed: 
 opportunity of obferving the countenances 
 of all. Every one was affedted, but none 
 fo much as his domeflics of all ages.” 
 
 INTERMENT. 
 
 Georgetown, Dec. 20, 1799. 
 
 On Wednefday lafl, the mortal part 
 of WASHINGTON the great—the father 
 of his country and the friend of man, was 
 configned to the tomb, with folemn hon* 
 ors and funeral pomp. 
 
 A multitude of perfons afTembledj 
 from many miles around, at Mount Ver¬ 
 non, the choice abode and lafl refidence of 
 the illuflrious Chief. There were the 
 groves, the fpacious avenues, the beautiful 
 and fublime fcenes, the noble manfion 5 
 but, alas! the auguft inhabitant was now 
 no more . That great foul was gone. His 
 mortal part was there indeed, but ah! how 
 
WASHINGTON 
 
 77 
 
 affecting ! how awful the fpe&acls of fuch 
 worth and greatnefs, thus, to mortal eyes, 
 fallen : Yes! fallen ! fallen ! 
 
 In the long and lofty Portico where 
 oft the Hero walked in all his glory, now 
 lay the fhrouded corpfe. The counte¬ 
 nance flill compofed and ferene, feemed to 
 exprefs the dignity of the fpirit which late¬ 
 ly dwelt in that lifelefs form. There thofe 
 who paid the lait fad honors to the bene¬ 
 factor of his country, took an impreffive, 
 a farewell view. 
 
 On the ornament, at the head of the 
 coffin, was infcribed Surge ad judicium; 
 about the middle of the coffin Gloria 
 Deo ; and on the filver plate, 
 
 GENERAL 
 
 GEORGE WAS RING TO 
 
 DEPARTED THIS LIFE, ON THE 14th DECEMBER, 
 
 1799, 2Eu 68. 
 
 Between three and four o’clock, the 
 found of artillery from a veffel in the river, 
 firing minute guns, awoke atrefh our fo¬ 
 ie inn farrow; the corpfe was moved ; a 
 
 G 2 
 
MEMORT of 
 
 band of mufic with mournful melody, 
 melted the foul into all the tendernefs of 
 woe. 
 
 The proceflion was formed and. mov¬ 
 ed on in the following order : 
 
 Cavalry, 7 
 Infantry, j 
 
 With arms reverfed 
 
 { 
 
 Guard, 
 
 Mufic, 
 
 Clergy, 
 
 r lhe General’s horfe, with his faddle, hol¬ 
 ders, and pidols. 
 
 Col. Gilpin, 
 
 Col. Marfteller, 
 
 J Col. Little, 
 
 Mourners, 
 
 Mafonic Brethren, 
 
 Citizens. 
 
 Col. Simms, 
 
 Col. Ramfay, 
 
 Col . Payne, [ 
 
 O 
 
 O 
 
 & 
 
 ►d 
 
 co 
 
 W 
 
 When the proceflion had arrived at 
 the bottom of the elevated lawn, on the 
 banks of the Potomac, where the family 
 vault is placed, the cavalry halted, the in* 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 79 
 
 fantry marched towards the Mount and 
 formed the inlines ; the clergy, the Mafonic 
 brothers, and the citizens, defcended to 
 the vault, and the funeral fervice of the 
 church was performed. The firing was 
 2'epeated from the vefiel in the river, and 
 the founds echoed from the woods and hills 
 around. 
 
 Three general difcharges by the infan¬ 
 try ; the cavalry, and 11 pieces of artillery, 
 which lined the banks of the Potomac back 
 of the vault, paid the lafi tribute to the en¬ 
 tombed Commander in Chief of the Ar¬ 
 mies of the United States* and to the vene¬ 
 rable denarted Hero. 
 
 4 . 
 
 The fun was now fetting. Alas! the 
 Sun of Glory was fet forever. No—the 
 name of WASHINGTON, the American 
 Prefident and General, will triumph over 
 death 5 the unclouded brightnefs of his Glo« 
 ry will illuminate future ages. 
 
So 
 
 MEMORT cy 
 
 PRESIDENTS message. 
 
 Mr. Shaw, Secretary to the Prefident* 
 communicated the following Mefiage : 
 
 Gentlemen of the Senate, and 
 
 Gentlemen of the Houle of Reprefentatives* 
 
 IN compliance with the requeft in 
 one of the refolutions of Congrefs of the 
 21 ft of December laft, I tranfmitted a copy 
 of thofe refolutions by my Secretary, Mr. 
 Shaw, to Mrs. Washington, alluring her 
 of the profound refpedi Congrefs will ever 
 bear to her perfon and chara&er ; of their 
 condolence in the late afflicting difpenfation 
 of Providence, and intreating her afTent to 
 the interment of the remains of General 
 GEORGE WASHINGTON, in the man¬ 
 ner exprefted in the firft refolution. As 
 the fentiments of that virtuous lady, not 
 lefs beloved by this nation, than lire is at 
 prefent greatly affii&ed, can never be fo 
 well expreffed as in her own words; I tranf- 
 mit to Congrefs her original letter. 
 
 It would be an attempt of too much 
 delicacy, to make any comments upon it, 
 but there can be do doubt, that the nation 
 at large^ as well as all the branches of the 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 government, will be highly gratified by 
 any arrangement which may diminifh the 
 
 facridce (he makes of her individual feelings, 
 
 JOHN ADAMS. 
 
 United States, Jan* 8, 1800. 
 
 Mrs. WASHINGTONS LETTER. 
 
 Mount Vernon , Dec . 31, 1799. 
 SIR, 
 
 WHILE I feel with keened anguifh, 
 the late difpenfations of Divine Providence, 
 I cannot be infenfible to the mournful 
 tributes cf refpecl and veneration, which 
 are paid to the memory of my dear deceaf- 
 ed hufband ; and, as his bed fervices and 
 mod anxious wifhes, were always devoted 
 to the welfare and happinefs of his country, 
 to know that they were truly appreciated, 
 and gratefully remembered, affords no in- 
 confiderable confolation. 
 
 Taught by the great example, which 
 I have fo long had before me, never to op- 
 pofe my private willies to the public will, I 
 mud confent to the requed made by Con* 
 grefs, which you have had the goodnefs to 
 
MEMORY of 
 
 82 
 
 tranfmit me ; and in doing this I need not, 
 I cannot fay, what a facrifice of individual 
 feeling I make to a fenfe of public duty. 
 
 With grateful acknowledgments and 
 unfeigned thanks for the perfonal refpect 
 and evidences of condolence expreffed by 
 Corigrefs and yourfelf; I remain very ref- 
 pe£lfully,Sir, your moil obedient and hum¬ 
 ble fervant, 
 
 MARTHA WASHINGTON. 
 
 The PreSdent of the United States. 
 
WASHING TO N. 
 
 Oration'S, fyc. 
 
 FUNERAL ORATION, 
 
 ON THE DEATH OF GENERAL WASHING. 
 TON, PRONOUNCED BEFORE BOTH 
 HOUSES OF CONGRESS, ON THE 
 26th DECEMBER, 1799. 
 
 BY MAJOR-GENERAL HENRY LEE . 
 
 In obedience to your will, I rife 
 your humble organ, with the hope of exe¬ 
 cuting a part of the fyllem of public mourn¬ 
 ing which you have been pleafed to adopt, 
 commemorative of the death of the mod 
 Illufirious and moll beloved perfonage this 
 country has ever produced ; and which, 
 while it tranfmits to polterity your fenfe 
 of the awful event, faintly reprefents your 
 knowledge of the confummate excellence 
 you fo cordially honor* 
 
MEMORY of 
 
 84 
 
 Desperate indeed is any attempt on 
 earth to meet correfpondently this difpen- 
 fation of Heaven : For, while with pious 
 refignation we fubmifc to the will of an all- 
 gracious Providence, we can never ceafe 
 lamenting in our finite view of Omnipo¬ 
 tent Wifdom, the heart-rending privation 
 for which our nation weeps. When the 
 civilized world (hakes to its centre : when 
 every moment gives birth to ((range and 
 momentous changes, when our peaceful 
 quarter of the globe, exempt as it happily 
 has been from any (hare in the (laughter 
 of the human race, may yet be compelled 
 to abandon her pacific policy, and to rifk 
 the doleful cafualties of war: What limit 
 is there to the extent of our lofs ? None 
 within the reach of my words to exprefs : 
 None which your feelings will not dis¬ 
 avow. 
 
 The founder of our federate republic 
 ■—our bulwark in war, our guide in peace, 
 is no more. Oh that this were but queftion- 
 able I Hope, the comforter of the wretched, 
 would pour into our agonising hearts its 
 
 balmy dew. 
 for us. Our 
 
 But, alas! there is no hope 
 
 WASHINGTON is removed 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 85 
 
 forever. Poffeffmg the flouted: frame, and 
 pured mind, he had paffed nearly to his 
 fixty eighth year, in the enjoyment of high 
 health, when, habituated by his care of us 
 to neglect himfelf, a flight cold, disregard¬ 
 ed, became inconvenient on Friday, op- 
 preffive on Saturday, and defying every 
 medical interpofition, before the morning 
 of Sunday, put an end to the bed of men. 
 An end did I fay ?—his fame furvives l 
 bounded only by the limits of the earth, 
 and by the extent of the human mind. 
 He furvives in our hearts, in the growing 
 knowledge of our children, in the affec¬ 
 tions of the good throughout the world— 
 and when our monuments fhali be done 
 away : When nations now exiding fhali 
 be no more : When even our young and 
 far fpreading empire fhali have perifhed, 
 ftill will our WASHINGTON’S glory un¬ 
 faded fhine, and die not, until love of vir¬ 
 tue ceafe on earth, or earth itfelf fink into 
 chaos. 
 
 How, my fellow citizens, fhali I fingld 
 to your grateful hearts his pre-eminent 
 worth ? Where fhali I begin in opening to 
 
 H ~ 
 
85 
 
 MEMORT of 
 
 your view a character throughout fubiime ? 
 Shall I fpeak of his warlike achievements, 
 all Fpringing from obedience to his coun¬ 
 try’s will—all directed to his country’s 
 
 good ? 
 
 Will you go with me to the banks 
 of the Monongahela, to fee your youthful 
 WASHINGTON, fupporting in the dif- 
 mal hour of Indian victory, the ill fated 
 Braddock , and faving, by his judgment and 
 by his valor, the remains of a defeated ar¬ 
 my, preiTed by the conquering favage foe ? 
 Or, when opprefied America, nobly refolv- 
 ing to rilk her all in defence of her violat¬ 
 ed rights, he was elevated by the unani¬ 
 mous voice of Congrefs to the command of 
 her Armies : Will you follow him to the 
 high grounds of Bolton, where to an undif- 
 ciplined, courageous & virtuous.yeomanry, 
 his prefence gave the liability of fyItem, and 
 infufed the invincibility of love of Coun¬ 
 try ? Or (hall I carry you to the painful 
 fcenes of Long Ifland, York lQand, and 
 New-Jerfey, when,combating fuperior and 
 gallant armies,aided by powerful fleets, and 
 led by Chiefs high in the roll of fame, he 
 flood the bulwark of our fafetv • undifmay- 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 87 
 
 cd by dlfafler; unchanged by change of 
 fortune. Or will you view him in the pre¬ 
 carious fields of Trenton, where deep 
 glooms unnerving every arm, reigned 
 triumphant through our thinned, worn 
 down, unaided ranks : himfelf unmoved,— 
 Dreadful was the night ; it was about this 
 time of winter—The florm raged—theDel- 
 aware rolling furioufly with floating ice 
 forbade the approach of man. WASH¬ 
 INGTON, felf-coliecled, viewed the tre¬ 
 mendous fcene—“his Country called; un¬ 
 appalled by furrounding dangers, he pafled 
 to the hoflile fhore: he fought ; he con¬ 
 quered. The morning fun cheered the 
 American world. Our country rofe on 
 the event ; and her dauntlefs Chief purfu- 
 ing his blow, completed in the lawns of 
 Princeton what his vaft foul had conceived 
 on the fhores of Delaware. 
 
 Thence to the flrong grounds of 
 Morris Town he led his fmali but gallant 
 band, and through an eventful winter, by 
 the high efforts of his genius, whofe 
 matchlefs force was meafurable only by the 
 growth of difficulties, he held in check for¬ 
 midable hoflile legions^ conducted by a 
 
MEMORY op 
 
 10 
 
 Chief experienced in the art of war, and 
 famed for his valor on the ever memorable 
 heights of Abraham, where fell Wolfe , 
 Montcalm , and fince our much lamented 
 Montgomery , all covered with glory. In 
 this fortunate interval, produced by his 
 mafterly conduct, our fathers, ourfelves, 
 animated by his refifllefs example, rallied 
 around our Country’s ftandard, and con¬ 
 tinued to follow her beloved Chief, through 
 the various and trying feenes to which the 
 deflinies of our Union led. 
 
 Who is there that has forgotten the vales 
 of Brandywine—-the fields of Germantown, 
 or the plains of Monmouth ? Every where 
 prefent, wants of every kind obflru&ing, 
 numerous and valiant Armies encounter* 
 ing, himfelf a hoft, he affuaged our fufibr¬ 
 in gs, limited our privations, and upheld 
 our tottering Republic. Shall 1 difplay to 
 you the fpread of the fire of his foul, by re- 
 hearfing the praifes of the Hero of Sarato¬ 
 ga, and his much loved compeer of the 
 Carolinas ! ^ T o, our WASHINGTON 
 wears not borrowed glory ; To Gates —to 
 Green , he gave without referve the ap- 
 plaufe due to their eminent merit \ and 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 89 
 
 long may the Chiefs of Saratoga and of 
 Eutavvs receive the grateful refpeft of a 
 grateful people. 
 
 Moving in his own orbit, he imparted 
 heat and light to his mod didant fateilites; 
 and combining the phyfical & moral force of 
 all within his fphere, with irrefutable weight 
 he took his courfe, commiferating folly, 
 difdaining vice, difmaying treafon, and in¬ 
 vigorating defpondency, until the aufpici- 
 ous hour arrived, when, united with the in¬ 
 trepid forces of a potent and magnanimous 
 ally, he brought to fubmiflion the fince con¬ 
 queror of India; thus fmifhing his long 1 
 career of military glory with a luftre cor- 
 refponding with his great name, and in this 
 his laff a£l of war, affixing the feal of fate 
 to our Nation’s birth. 
 
 To the horrid din of war fweet peace 
 fucceeded ; and our virtuous Chief, mind¬ 
 ful only of the public good, in a moment 
 tempting perfonal aggrandizement, hufh- 
 ed the difcontents of growing fedition, and 
 furrendering his power into the hands from 
 which he had received it, converted his 
 
 ¥,2 
 
MEMORT o$ 
 
 9<5 
 
 fwordinto a ploughlhare, teaching an ad¬ 
 miring world that to be truly great, you 
 muft be truly good. 
 
 Was I to flop here the picture would 
 be incomplete, and the talk impofed un- 
 finifhed—great as was our WASHING¬ 
 TON in war, and much as did that great- 
 nefs contribute to produce the American 
 Republic, it is not in war alone his pre¬ 
 eminence (lands confpicuous—his various 
 talents combining all the capacities of a 
 Statefman with thole of a foldier, fitted him 
 alike to guide the Councils and the Armies 
 of our Nation. Scarcely had he reded 
 from his martial toils, while his invaluable 
 parental advice was dill founding in our 
 ears, when he who had been our fhield and 
 our fword, was called forth to aft a lefs 
 fplendid but more important part. 
 
 Possessing a clear and penetrating 
 mind, a drong & found judgment, calmnefs 
 and temper for deliberation, with invinci¬ 
 ble firmnefs and perfeverance in resolutions 
 maturely formed, drawing information 
 from all, acting from himfelf, with incor¬ 
 ruptible integrity and unvarying patriotifm: 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 9i 
 
 his own fuperiority and the public coni- 
 >dence alike marked himas the mandefigned 
 by Heaven to lead in the great political as 
 well as military events which have diftin- 
 guifhed the sera of his life. 
 
 The finger of an over-ruling Provi¬ 
 dence, pointing at WASHINGTON, was 
 neither miftaken nor unobfcrved ; when, 
 to realize the vaft hopes to which our Re¬ 
 volution had given birth, a change of politi¬ 
 cal fyflem became indifpenfable. 
 
 How novel, how grand the fpeflacle. 
 Independent States ftretched over an im- 
 menfe territory, and known only by com¬ 
 mon difficulty, clinging to their Union as 
 the rock of their fafety, deciding by frank 
 comparifon of their relative condition, to 
 rear on that rock, under the guidance of 
 reafon, a common Government through 
 whofe commanding prote&ion, Liberty and 
 Order, with their long train of bleffings, 
 fhould be fafeto themfelves, and the fure 
 inheiitance of their poflerity. 
 
 This arduous talk devolved on Citi¬ 
 zens felected by the people, from know¬ 
 ledge of their wifdom and confidence in 
 
MEMORT of 
 
 92 
 
 their virtue. In this auguft affembly of 
 fages and of patriots, WASHINGTON of 
 courfe was found ; and, as if acknowledged 
 to be mod wife, where all were wife, with 
 one voice he was declared their Chief. How 
 well he merited this rare diftinction,,how 
 faithful were the labors of himfelf and his 
 compatriots, the work of their hands and 
 our union, flrength and profperity, the 
 fruits of that work, belt atteft. 
 
 But to have efTentially aided in pre- 
 fenting to his Country this confummation of 
 her hopes, neither fatished the claims of 
 his fellow-citizens on his talents, nor thofe 
 duties which the pofteflion of thofe talents 
 impofed. Heaven had not infufed into his 
 mind fuch an uncommon (hare of its setheri- 
 al fpirit to remain unemployed, nor be flow¬ 
 ed on him his genius unaccompanied by the 
 correfponding duty of devoting it to the 
 common good. To have framed a con ft i- 
 tution, was {hewing only, without realiz¬ 
 ing the general happinefs. This great 
 work remained to be done, and America, 
 fteadfaft in her preference, with one voice 
 fummoned her beloved WASHINGTON, 
 unpractifed as he was ia the duties of civil 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 95 
 
 adminiftration, to execute this lad acl in 
 the completion of the National felicity* 
 Obedient to her call, he affiumed the high 
 office with that felf-didrud peculiar to his 
 innate modedy, the condant attendant of 
 pre-eminent virtue.—What was the burd 
 of joy through our anxious land on this 
 exhilerating event is known to us all. The 
 aged, the young, the brave, the fair, rivall¬ 
 ed each other in demondrations of their 
 gratitude ; and this high wrought delight¬ 
 ful fcene was heightened in its effefl by the 
 fingular con ted between the zeal of the 
 beflowers and the avoidance of the receiver 
 of the honors bellowed. Commencing his 
 adminidration, what heart is not charmed 
 with the recolledlion of the pure and wife 
 principles announced by himfelf, as the 
 bads of his political life ? He bed under- 
 flood the indidbluble union between virtue 
 and happinefs, between duty and advan¬ 
 tage, between the genuine maxims of an 
 honed and magnanimous policy, and the 
 folid rewards of public profperity and indi¬ 
 vidual felicity : watching with an equal and 
 comprehenfive eye over this great affiem- 
 blage of communities and intereds, he laid 
 the foundations of our National policy in 
 
54 
 
 MEMORY os 
 
 the unerring immutable principles of mo¬ 
 rality, baled on religion, exemplifying the 
 pre-eminence of free government, by all 
 the attributes which win the affections of its 
 citizens or command the refpect of the 
 world. 
 
 £i 0 fortunatos dimiurn.fuaft bona norint !” 
 
 Leading thro the complicated diffi¬ 
 culties produced by previous obligations 
 and conflicting interelts, feconded by fuex¬ 
 ceeding Houfes of Congrefs, enlightened 
 and patriotic, he furmounted all original 
 obftruCtions, and brightened the path of 
 our National felicity. 
 
 The Prefidential term expiring, his 
 folicitude to exchange exaltation for hu¬ 
 mility returned, with a force increafed 
 with increafe of age ; and he had prepared 
 his farewell addrefs to his Countrymen 
 proclaiming his intention, when the united 
 interpofition of all around him, enforced by 
 the eventful profpeCts of the epoch, produc¬ 
 ed a further facrifice of inclination to duty. 
 The election of PrefiJent followed, and 
 WASHINGTON, by the unanimous vote 
 of the Nation, was called to refume the 
 Chiu Magiftracy : what a wonderful fix-* 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 95 
 
 lure of confidence !—Which attracts moft 
 our admiration, a people fo correct, or a 
 citizen combining an aflemblage of talents 
 forbidding rivalry, and Rifling even envy 
 itfelf ? Such a Nation deferves to be happy, 
 fuch a Chief muR be forever revered. 
 
 War, long menaced by the Indian 
 tribes, now broke out; and the terrible 
 conflict deluging Europe with blood, be¬ 
 gan to filed its baneful influence over our 
 happy land. To the firfl outflretcning his 
 invincible arm, under the orders of the 
 gallant Wayne, the American Eagle foared 
 triumphant through diflant forefls. Peace 
 followed victory, and the melioration of 
 the condition of the enemy followed peace. 
 Godlike virtue, which uplifts even the fub- 
 dued favage! 
 
 To the fecond he eppofed himfelf. 
 New and delicate was the conjuncture, and 
 great was the Rake. Soon did his pene-^ 
 trating mind difeern and feize the only 
 courfe, continuing to us all, the bleflings 
 enjoyed. He iffued his proclamation of 
 neutrality. This index to 'his whole fub- 
 fequent conduct, was functioned by the ap« 
 
MEMORT of 
 
 9 6 
 
 probation of both houfes of Congrefs, 
 and by the approving voice of the peo¬ 
 ple. 
 
 To this fublime policy he inviolably 
 adhered, unmoved by foreign intrufion, 
 unfhaken by domeflic turbulence. 
 
 Juftum et tenacem propofiti viru3i, 
 
 “ Non civium ardor prava jubencium, 
 
 <( Non vultus inftantis tyranni 
 <r Mcnte quatit folida. 
 
 Maintaining his pacific fyflem at 
 the expence of no duty, America faithful 
 to herfelf and unflamed in her honor, con¬ 
 tinued to enjoy the delights of peace, while 
 afflicted Europe mourns in every quarter 
 under the accumulated miferies of an un¬ 
 exampled war ; miferies in w hich our hap¬ 
 py country mud have fliared, had not our 
 pre-eminent WASHINGTON been as 
 firm in council as he was brave in the 
 held. 
 
 Pursuing ftedfaftly his courfe he 
 held fafe the public happinefs, preventing 
 foreign war, and quelling internal difor- 
 der, tiil the revolving period of a third 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 tr 
 
 election approached, when he executed his 
 interrupted but inextinguifhable defire of 
 returning to the humble walks of private 
 life. 
 
 The promulgation of his fixed refo- 
 lution, flopped the anxious withes of an 
 affedlionate people from adding a third 
 unanimous teflimonial of their unabated 
 confidence in the man fo long enthroned 
 in their hearts. When, before, was affec¬ 
 tion like this exhibited on earth ?—Turn 
 over the records of ancient Greece—Re¬ 
 view the annals of mighty Rome—-exam¬ 
 ine the volumes of modern Europe : you 
 fearch in vain. America and her WASH¬ 
 INGTON only afford the dignified ex¬ 
 emplification. 
 
 The illuflrious perfonage called by the 
 national voice in fucceflion to the arduous 
 office of guiding a free people, had new 
 difficulties to encounter; the amicable 
 effort of fettling our difficulties with France, 
 begun by WASHINGTON, and purfued 
 by his fucceffor in virtue as in Ration, prov¬ 
 ing abortive, America took meafuree of 
 
 I 
 
9 * MEMORT a* 
 
 feir-defence. No fooner was the public 
 mind roufed by a profpecl of danger, 
 than every eye was turned to the friend of 
 all, though fecluded from public view, and 
 grey in public fervice ; the virtuous veter¬ 
 an following his plough,f received the un- 
 ex peeled fummons with mingled emotions 
 of indignation, at the unmerited ill-treat¬ 
 ment of his country, and of a determina- 
 tion once more to rifk his all in her de¬ 
 fence. 
 
 The annunciation of thefe feelings, 
 in his affecting letter to the Prefident, ac¬ 
 cepting the command of the army, con¬ 
 cludes his official conduct. 
 
 First in war—firfh in peace'—and 
 find in the hearts of his countrymen, he 
 was fecond to none in the humble and en¬ 
 dearing feenes of private life ; pious, juft, 
 humane, temperate and fin-cere; uniform, 
 dignified, and commanding, his example 
 was as edifying to all around him, as were 
 the effects of that example lading. 
 
 + General Washington, though opulent, 
 gave much of his time and attention to practical 
 
WASHINGTON . 
 
 99 
 
 To his equals he was condescending, 
 to his inferiors kind, and to the dear ob¬ 
 ject of his affections, exetnplarily tender ; 
 correct throughout, vice fhuddered in his 
 prefence, and virtue always felt his fofter- 
 ing hand ; the purity of his private char- 
 after gave effulgence to his public virtues. 
 
 His lad fcene comported with the 
 whole tenor of his life—Although in ex¬ 
 treme pain, not a figh, not a groan efcaped 
 him; and with undiflurbed ferenity lie 
 clofed his well fpent life. Such was the 
 man America has loft—Such was the man 
 for whom our nation mourns. 
 
 Mjethinks I fee his auguff image, 
 and hear falling from his venerable lips 
 thefe deep finking words: 
 
 <£ Cease, Sons of America, lamenting 
 eur reparation : Go on, and confirm by 
 your wifdom thefruits of our joint councils, 
 joint efforts, and common dangers : rever¬ 
 ence religion ; diffufe knowledge through¬ 
 out your land ; patronize the Arts and 
 fciences \ let Liberty and Order be in¬ 
 separable companions. Controul party 
 fpirit, the bane of free Government \ ob- 
 

 MEMORT of 
 
 ferve good faith to, and cultivate peace 
 with all nations ; {hut up every avenue to 
 foreign influence ; contract rather than ex¬ 
 tend national connection ; rely on your- 
 felves only : Be Americans in thought, 
 word, and deed—Thus will you give im¬ 
 mortality to that union, which was the 
 conftant objeCt of my terrefl rial labors ; 
 thus will you preferve unclifturbed to the 
 latefl: poflerity, the felicity of a people to 
 me mo ft dear ; and thus w ill you fupply 
 (if my happinefs is now aught to you) the 
 only vacancy in the round of pure blifs 
 high Heaven bellows,” 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 lot 
 
 EULOG r. 
 
 ON THE LIFE OF GENERAL GEORGE 
 WASHINGTON, DELIVERED AT 
 NEWBURY PORT, 2d. 
 JANUARY, 1800. 
 
 BY THOMAS PAINE, A. M. 
 
 AMERICANS. 
 
 The Saviour of your countr 
 has obtained his lad viflorv. Havin 
 
 j 
 
 reached the fumtnit of human perfection, 
 he has quitted the region of human glory. 
 Conqueror of Time , he has triumphed over 
 mortality; Legate of Heaven fit has returned 
 with the tidings of his million ; Father of his 
 People , he has afeended to advocate their 
 caufe in the bofom of his God. Solemn, 
 cc as it were a pau r e in nature,” was his 
 tranfit to eternity ;—thronged by the 
 fhades of heroes, his approach to the con¬ 
 fines of blifspseaned by the fong of an¬ 
 gels, his journey beyond the liars 1 
 
 la 
 
 to 
 
1 02 
 
 MEMORT op 
 
 The voice of a grateful and affli£ked 
 people has pronounced the eulogium of 
 their departed hero— <c Firji in war , firji 
 in peace , firji in ihe hearts of his coun - 
 try nunJ’ That this exalted tribute is yuft- 
 ly due to his memory, the fear*honored 
 veteran, who has fought under the banners 
 of his glory, the enraptured flatefman, who 
 has bowed to the dominion of his elo¬ 
 quence, the hardy cultivator, whofe foil 
 has been defended by the prodigies of his 
 valor, the protedted citizen, whofe peace¬ 
 ful rights have been fecured by the vigi¬ 
 lance of his wifdom ; yea, every fibre, that 
 can vibrate in the heart of an American, 
 will atteft with agonized fenfibility* 
 
 Born to direct the deffiny of em¬ 
 pires, his character was as majeftic, as the 
 events, to which it was attached, were il¬ 
 ia ft rious. In the delineation of its fea¬ 
 tures, the vivid pencil of Genius cannot 
 brighten a trait, nor the blighting breath 
 of Calumny obfeure. His principles were 
 the refult of organic philofophy, his fuccefs 
 of moral joffice. His integrity affirmed 
 the port of command, his intelligence the 
 afpecl of infpiration. Glory, to many im- 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 103 
 
 pregnable, he obtained without ambition; 
 —popularity, to all inconftant, he enjoyed 
 without jealoufy. The one was his from 
 admiration, the other from gratitude. The 
 former embellifhed, but could not reward ; 
 the latter followed, but never could lead 
 him. The robuil vigor of his virtue, like 
 the undazzled eye of the Eagle, was inac- 
 ceffibie to human weaknefs; and the un- 
 afpiring temperament of his paffions, like 
 the regenerating allies of the Phoenix, gave 
 new life to the greatnefs it could not ex- 
 titfguifh. In the imperial dignity of his 
 perfon, was exhibited the augull flature of 
 his mind : 
 
 <( See what a grace was feated on his brow, » 
 te An eye like Mars, the front of Jove himfeIf, 
 
 * f A combination, and a form indeed, 
 
 - “ Where every God did feem to fet his feal, 
 
 “ To give the world affarance of a man !”* 
 
 Oppressed by the difcorifo-late fenfi- 
 bilities, which this melancholy occafioa 
 has excited, yet infpired by a veneration, 
 which no fenfe of calamity can fufpend, 
 how fhall the feeble eulogill of the mo 
 
 * Shakefpear, 
 
104 
 
 MEMORY cjt 
 
 ment retrace the path of the Hero through 
 the rugged acclivities of his fame—how 
 ihadow the outlines of a life, whofe in¬ 
 fluence on fociety has baffled the imitation 
 of the wife—how define the great propor¬ 
 tions of a character, which, like the elec¬ 
 tric principle, can only be deferibed by its 
 e fie els ? What wing of human defeription 
 fhall foar to the unclouded height of his 
 talents—what chemiflry of human judg¬ 
 ment fhall feparate the elements of his vir¬ 
 tues ?—The magnificence of his deeds has 
 outvied the heraldry of fancy—and the 
 purity of his motives has bewildered the 
 deductions of reafon. 
 
 From his firfl appearance on the the¬ 
 atre of public life, ere the rnodefl fimpli- 
 city of enterprize had invited the decora¬ 
 tions of artificial honor, ere the hair¬ 
 breadth efcapes” of the Monongahela had 
 elicited the native energies of heroifm, to 
 the maturefl era of his excellence, when 
 victory had nothing left to beflow, and 
 Fame herfelf had defpaired of rendering to 
 Tiis merits their equivalent reward, we be¬ 
 hold the fame undeviating courfe of mag¬ 
 nanimous action, rifing, like the fun, in 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 105 
 
 gradual and majefHc progredion. In no 
 fituation, to which the emergencies of his 
 country have called him, however inflat¬ 
 ed with peril, or fortified by profperity, do 
 we at any time detect his invincible equan¬ 
 imity, modified by incident. In no climax 
 of fortune, do we behold him, dejedted by 
 obltacle, or elevated by fuccefs ;—-defper- 
 ate in danger, or fanguine in triumph. 
 Deliberate to concert, he was vigorous to 
 executeintrepid to conquer, he was 
 humane to forgive. In council, he unit¬ 
 ed the calculations of the veteran, to the 
 ruling impulfe of the patriot:—-In battle, 
 he never fed the blood of an enemy but 
 for vidlory, nor gained a vittory but for his 
 country. 
 
 As the diredlor of that important and 
 dubious coined, which ifi'ued in the eftab- 
 lidiment of our liberty and Independence, 
 he difplayed an impreffive grandeur of ex¬ 
 ertion, which marfhalled into hoftility the 
 fluctuating vigor of his countrymen, and 
 is Hill remembered with awe in the adon- 
 ifliment of nations. To the rapacious cab¬ 
 inet of the mother country,’ which had re¬ 
 cently learnt, in the difadrous campaign of 
 
MEMORT o* 
 
 ic 6 
 
 Brad Jock , that her glory was mortal, he 
 had given his name a formidable eftima- 
 tion by his military prowefs on that mem¬ 
 orable occafion. In the enjoyment of an 
 ample paternal domain, he was repofing 
 under the groves of Fame and Philofophy,- 
 when the chafed lion of New-England 
 leaped on the daring huntfman, that had 
 galled him,” and boldly bade defiance to 
 his power. The dawn of our revolution 
 was overfhadowed with clouds, that would 
 have damped the ardor of any people, 
 whofe bofoms were not infpired by the in- 
 controlable enthufiafni of liberty. But 
 what hope of fuccefs could this high-born 
 principle, though {Emulated by injury, af¬ 
 ford to the unwarlike peafantry of a coun¬ 
 try, without arms, without difeipline, with¬ 
 out funds, without a leader, in contending 
 with an empire, whofe policy and valor 
 had for centuries kept the nations of Eu¬ 
 rope in its toils ? Yet, at this inaufpicious 
 juncture, when every profpect was envelop¬ 
 ed with difafter, when unfuccefsful oppo- 
 fition could prornife no reward but aggra¬ 
 vated opprefllon, when political infidelity 
 had alrnoft chilled with difmay the kind¬ 
 ling fervor cf Americans j—-at this mo* 
 
WASHING TO N. 
 
 toy 
 
 ment, fo portentous, fo gloomy, did the 
 calm, inflexible, unaflimilating WASH¬ 
 INGTON, relinquifh without reludtance 
 the magnificent retirement of wealth and 
 honor ; and, committing to the hazard of 
 the contefi, the pleafures that allured him 
 to feclufion, and the character that attach¬ 
 ed him to life, appealed to the God of 
 armies to attefl a foldier’s oath —I will 
 iriimph , or die with my countrymen !”— 
 Animated by his guiding intelligence, 
 America awoke to the confcioufnefs of her 
 powers ; and, realifmg the boafi of the 
 Roman hero, an army, organized by his 
 creative difcipline, arofe at his command. 
 
 Through the viciflitudes of a war, 
 Angularly fludluating in its fortunes, and 
 defolating in its eifedts, he difeovered a 
 conftant principle of adtion, which acquir¬ 
 ed no luflre from the brilliant exploits it 
 achieved, but derived all its glory from its 
 own original greatnefs. Self-dependent, 
 and felf-elevated, it difdained the fictitious 
 aid of circum fiance ; and never did it fliine 
 with more fplendor and energy, than when 
 fortune had deferred him, and his country 
 had defpaired. Theadiivity of a fortitude. 
 
MEMORY of 
 
 io8 
 
 whofe (lability was reafon, invigorated the 
 operations of an intellect, vvhofe object was 
 liberty. What but this invincible confti- 
 tution of foul, whofe gigantic philofophy 
 always rofe with the difficulties it encoun¬ 
 tered, could have fuftained the drooping 
 caufe of an half-conquered people, at that 
 momentous and almofl hopelefs crifis, 
 when the banks of the Delaware were lin¬ 
 ed by a triumphant enemy, impatient for 
 our fubjugation ; when the ranks of our 
 brave defenders, thinned by battle, by fam¬ 
 ine and retreat, crimfoned their flying en¬ 
 campments with the blood of their foot- 
 fleps; when the fate of a continent was 
 fufpended on the incredible exertions of a 
 night, and a confpiracy of the elements op- 
 poled the progrefs of the eventful enter- 
 prize ! The mind, that was inacceffible to 
 defpair, was invulnerable to difafler ; and 
 at the inftanf, when, the fangs of our Inva¬ 
 der were unclutched to fallen on his prey, 
 when his pampered ambition was gloating 
 on the fpoils of unconditional fubrniffion, 
 the diflant thunder of the camion at Tren¬ 
 ton aroufed him from his dreams of do¬ 
 minion, and convinced him that the re- 
 fources of a WASHINGTON were not 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 109 
 
 to be computed by the extent of his en¬ 
 trenchments, nor his activity to be palfied 
 by a campaign of difaders. 
 
 To the pen of the hidorian mud be 
 refigned the more arduous and elaborate 
 tribute of judice to thofe efforts of heroic 
 and political virtue, which conduced the 
 American people to peace and liberty.— 
 The vanquifhed foe retired from our ref- 
 piring fhores, and left to the Controiing 
 Genius , who repelled them, the gratitude 
 of his own country, and the admiration, 
 of the world. The time had now arriv¬ 
 ed, which was to apply the touch done to 
 his integrity—which was to affay the affin¬ 
 ity of his principles to the dandard of im¬ 
 mutable right. Enjoying the unbounded 
 confidence of an emancipated people, 
 whofe filial reverence had affociated in his 
 charadler, a greatnefs, unexampled by pat- 
 riotifm, with a purity, unfunned by fufpi- 
 cion—and commanding the implicit affec¬ 
 tions of an army of veterans, whofe unli¬ 
 quidated demands, on the judice of an im- 
 paverifhed public, might have rendered 
 them zealous indruments of ambition—-the 
 deliverer of his country was now the arbi- 
 
 K 
 
I IO 
 
 MEMORT of 
 
 ter of its fate. It was now the flood-tide 
 of his glory, on which he had on T y to em¬ 
 bark, and the current would have wafted 
 him to his haven. That decifive moment 
 in the exigence of nations and men, on 
 which the deflinies of both are fufpended, 
 was now flitting on the dial’s point of the 
 crifis.'—On the one hand, a realm, to which 
 he was endeared by his fervices, aimoft in¬ 
 vited him to empire : On the other, the 
 liberty, to whofe protection his life had 
 been devoted, was the ornament and boon 
 
 of human nature.--WASHINGTON 
 
 could not depart from his own great felf. 
 His country was free ;—he was no longer 
 a General! Sublime fpectacle! more ele¬ 
 vating to the pride of virtue, than the 
 fovereignty of the globe united to the fcep- 
 tre of ages! Enthroned in the hearts of 
 his countrymen, the gorgeous pageantry 
 of prerogative was unworthy the majefty 
 of his dominion. That effulgence of mii- 
 itiary character, which in ancient dates has 
 blafled the rights of the people, whofe re¬ 
 nown it had brightened, was not here per¬ 
 mitted, by the hero, from whom it eman¬ 
 ated, to fhine with fo deftru&ive a luftre. 
 Its beams,though intenfely refplendent, did 
 
WASHINGTON ,; 
 
 in 
 
 not wither the young blofToms of our In¬ 
 dependence ; and liberty, like the burning 
 bujh , flouriflied unconfumed by the glory 
 which furrounded it. 
 
 To the illuflrious founder of our re¬ 
 public was it reserved, to exhibit the ex¬ 
 ample of a magnanimity, that commanded 
 vi&ory—of a moderation, that retired from 
 triumph. Unlike the erratic meteors of 
 ambition, whofe flaming path {beds a dif- 
 aflrous light on the pages of hiflory, his 
 bright orb, eclipfing the luminaries, among 
 which it rolled, never portended “ fearful 
 change” to religion, nor from its “ gol¬ 
 den trefies” fliook peflilence on empire. 
 What to other heroes has been glory, 
 would to him have been difgrace. To his 
 intrepidity it would have added no honora¬ 
 ry trophy, to have waded, like the con¬ 
 queror of Peru , through the blood of cre¬ 
 dulous millions, to plant the flandard of 
 triumph at the burning mouth of a vol¬ 
 cano ! To his fame it would have erected 
 no auxiliary monument, to have invaded, 
 like the ravager of Egypt , an innocent, 
 though barbarous nation, to infcribe his 
 name on the pillar of Pcmpey! 
 
ms 
 
 MEMORT of 
 
 Self, the grand hinge, on which re¬ 
 volve the principles and paffions, that have 
 fwelled the obituary of nations, made not 
 an unit in the calculations of a mind, 
 which confidered grandeur as the infepar- 
 able incident of rectitude ;—which owed 
 to fortune nothing of its glory, to enthu- 
 fiafoi nothing of its virtue. From “ hea¬ 
 ven’s high chancery” had iffued his corn- 
 million ;—he obeyed the godlike precept 
 it contained he created a nation ! The 
 glorious work completed, fo was his ambi¬ 
 tion. The reward of his labors was the 
 enjoyment of that liberty he had protect¬ 
 ed from violation ; and the boalt of his 
 pride was the cultivation of that foil he 
 had defended from fubjedtion. Amid the 
 fondeft cardies of fame, that purfued him 
 to retirement-blufh ye heroic murder¬ 
 
 ers of mankind !—never did the tranfeen- 
 dent WASHINGTON, on the pinnacle of 
 his greatnefs, deign to be confcious, that 
 by his talents his country was free—that 
 in her glory himfelf was immortal ! 
 
 Public opinion has in all ages been as 
 volatile as the air, that wafts it;—and the 
 fate, which has attended the benefactors of 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 XI 3 
 
 their country, has been as chequered as 
 <he paffions, and perverfe as the ingrati¬ 
 tude of man. A tyrant, fainted by the 
 people he had enflaved, has been elevated 
 to a niche in the Pantheon ; while a hero, 
 whofe talents and fervices had propped a 
 failing empire, has found at lafl a more 
 faithful friend in the maftiff that conducted 
 him, than in the nation he had protested* 
 But it has been the peculiar lot of a 
 WASHINGTON, to unite to an integri¬ 
 ty, which could impeach the ambition of 
 malice, the vigilance of an enterprife, 
 which could arreil the decifions of fortune. 
 Through the long labors of a life, which 
 forms an epoch in hiflory, never for a 
 moment was he rivalled in the affe&ions 
 of his countrymen ; and to the honor of 
 Americans, be it recorded, that their grat¬ 
 itude to the man, who had eftahlifhed their 
 Independence, exifted, at the period of 
 impending anarchy, the only cementing 
 bond of union, which preferved their jarr¬ 
 ing interefts from a deftradive collifion. 
 
 The temporary flrudure of the old 
 confederation, which had been planned 
 merely for the purpofes of a revolutionary 
 
MEMORY cf 
 
 114 
 
 government, when the paffions of the peo¬ 
 ple were united, was found, upon a brief 
 experiment, to be totally incompetent to 
 direct the affairs of an extending nation, 
 when peace had reftored the complicated 
 occupations of life, and demanded a more 
 uniform protection from the energies of 
 law. The inconveniences, refulting from 
 its defeCts, had given occafion to defign- 
 ing demagogues, who hoped to profit by a 
 feparation of the States, to foment divifions 
 among a people, who too lightly valued the 
 bleffings they enjoyed. The union of the 
 country was in danger ; and the evil was 
 of too baneful a nature to admit of a par¬ 
 tial or dilatory remedy. But, how novel, 
 how afpiring, was the hope of connecting, 
 under one compaCt code of general jurif- 
 prtidence, fo many diftinCt fovereignties, 
 each jealous of its independence, without 
 impairing their refpeCtive authorities! The 
 unbalanced bodies of the confederacy had 
 almoft overcome the attracting power, that 
 retrained them ; when the watchful guar¬ 
 dian of his country’s interefts, the heart- 
 uniting WASHINGTON appeared, the 
 political magnet in the center of difcord, 
 and reconciled and confolidated the clafh- 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 ”5 
 
 ing particles of the fyflem in an indiffolu- 
 ble union of government. 
 
 Possessing, as well from experience, 
 as intuition, the mailer fcience, that could 
 direct the impulfes of human action ;—and 
 invefled, by the crowded benefadlions of a 
 life of glory, with a charm of eloquence, 
 which impreffed the con visions of reafon 
 on the pliant gratitude of his countrymen ; 
 
 *—he ruled in the councils of that augufh 
 body of llatefmen and patriots, the fruit of 
 whofe co-operating talents was the prefent 
 Conflitution of America. By the unani¬ 
 mous fuffrage of an enlightned and confid¬ 
 ing people, appointed to the adminiflration 
 of a government, in whofe conlirudlion he 
 had exerted fo beneficial an influence, he 
 brought, to the execution of that impor¬ 
 tant and arduous trufl, the energy of a 
 mind, whofe elevation could borrow no 
 dignity from fiation, and the integrity of 
 a heart, whofe fenfibility could receive no 
 bias but from his country. With what 
 wifdom and vigor he difcharged the haz¬ 
 ardous and thronging duties of an incipient 
 magitlracy, the revival of political harmo¬ 
 ny, the extended confidence of commerce, 
 the unexampled increafe of national credit 
 
MEMORT os 
 
 1 16 
 
 and wealth, and the happinefs and morali¬ 
 ty of the people, will furnifh a more fatis- 
 fa&ory evidence, than the moft brilliant 
 defcription of the panegyrift. In this un¬ 
 precedented tranfition of office, his charac¬ 
 ter had affumed a new and aftoniffiing at¬ 
 titude ;—the impenetrable hardihood of 
 the conqueror was rivalled by the intelli¬ 
 gent policy of the ftatefman. Pierced by 
 the glance of his adminiftration, Party, 
 like the recreant eye of the felon, ffirunk 
 abaffied from his fcrutiny ;—and unnerved 
 by the fan&ity of his perfon, Degeneracy , 
 like the viper at Me lit a, fell harmlefs from 
 his hand.—Appalled by the oppreffive con¬ 
 templation of his greatnefs, the “ cloud- 
 capt ?? creft of Ambition was overawed by 
 the majefty of virtue ;—and, maddened to 
 defperation by the invulnerable purity of 
 his life, the fnakes of Envy recoiled upon 
 the head of their miflrefs, and burrowed to 
 the brain, that fupplied their venom. 
 
 Exemplar of Heroes ! in what fa¬ 
 vored nation, or eia, (hall the exulting phi- 
 lanthropift record the exigence of a char¬ 
 acter, uniting, like thine, in one bright 
 condellation of talents, every civic and 
 military glory, that blazons in legend, or 
 
WASHINGTON. 117 
 
 beams in hiflory ?—Should we fearch in 
 the archives of claffic antiquity, we might 
 find a wife and venerable Fabius , who, like 
 thee, could fave a nation by delay 
 but never, like thee, could feize vitlory by 
 cnterprize, and outftride fortune by the 
 forefight of philofophy J—We might be¬ 
 hold the majeftic Cincinnatus , who, like 
 thee, in the vigor of Roman heroifm, could 
 return from the conqueft of his country’s- 
 enemies, to his humble Mount Vernon be¬ 
 yond the Tyber -but never, like thee, to 
 protedl from faction the liberties he had 
 wrefted from invafion ! We might trace 
 the great Julius , extending the terror of 
 his eagles, through realms, before unfhad- 
 owed by their pinions —we might follow 
 him to the forum, and liken to an elo¬ 
 quence, like thine, when applauding fenates 
 Inflindlly moved at his control but 
 zuhcre^ in the map of thy victories, fhall we 
 find the banks of a Rubicon ! 
 
 Encumbered with honors,the father 
 of his country once more returned to the 
 unambitious abodes of his afFe&ion, follow¬ 
 ed by the tears & bleffings of his fellow-citi¬ 
 zens 1 The glory, which had encircled the 
 
ii8 
 
 MEMORY of 
 
 fcenes of his aCtion, could not be exclud¬ 
 ed by the folitude of retirement. He had 
 divefted the infignia of command, but his 
 empire v/as not diminiftied. He had fur- 
 rendered the badges of fame—but the gaze 
 of the world did not fufpend its veneration. 
 The name of WASHINGTON was dill a 
 battlement to his country, under whofe 
 protection liberty exulted, at whofe terrors 
 hodility trembled. 
 
 Ti-iougii remote from the caufes of 
 European conteft, yet affeCted by the con? 
 vulfions it excited, in vain had our Nation 
 attempted to maintain with honor an un¬ 
 protected neutrality. Piracy plundered the 
 ocean ; Invafion threatened our fhores.— 
 Again, were the eyes of America directed 
 with trembling folicitude to her venerable 
 deliverer ; and, again did this Man without 
 example , this Patriot without reproach , whofe 
 life was his country, whofe glory was 
 mankind, refign with alacrity, to the caufe 
 he had fworn to defend, the tranquil hope 
 of repofe, to which he had devoted the un¬ 
 clouded evening of a life of toils !—The 
 character was perfeCt ! WASHINGTON 
 now touched c; the higheft point of all his 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 119 
 
 greatnefs.” A mors than human fplendor 
 furrounded him. The etherial fpirit of 
 his virtues towered above the globe they 
 adorned, and feemed to meditate their de¬ 
 parture to their native manfion. Of the 
 frailty of man, nothing now remained but 
 his mortality ; and, having accomplifhed 
 the embaffy of a benevolent Providence— 
 having been the founder of one Nation, 
 and the fublime infirudtor of all— He took 
 his flight to Haven ; not like Mahomet , 
 for his memory is immortal without the 
 ii&ion of a miracle ; not like Elijah , for 
 recording Time has not regiftered the 
 man, on whom his mantle fhould defcend ; 
 but in humble imitation of that Omnipotent 
 Architect, who returned from a created 
 univerfe, to contemplate from his throne 
 the fiupendous fabric he had eredted ! 
 
 The augufl form, whofe undaunted 
 majefly could arrefl: the lightening, ere it 
 fell on the bofom of his country, now 
 fleeps in blent ruin, untenanted of its celcf- 
 tial eifence. But the incorruptible exam¬ 
 ple of his virtues (hall lurvive, unimpaired 
 by the corrofion of time ; and acquire 
 new vigor and influence, from the crimes 
 of ambition, and the decay of empires. 
 
120 
 
 MEMORY* ot 
 
 The invaluable valediction, bequeathed to 
 the people, who inherited his affections, is 
 the effort of a mind, whofe powers, like 
 thofe of prophecy, could overleap the tar¬ 
 dy progrefs of human reafon, and unfold 
 truth without the labor of inveftigation. 
 Impreffed in indelible characters, this Le¬ 
 gacy of his Intelligence will defeend, unful- 
 lied as its purity, to the wonder and in- 
 ffruCtion of fucceeding generations ; and, 
 fhouid the mild philofophy of its maxims 
 be ingrafted into the policy of nations, at 
 no diflant period will the departed hero, 
 who now lives only in the fpotlefs fplendor 
 of his own great actions, exift in the hap- 
 pinefs and dignity of mankind. 
 
 The fighs of cotemporary gratitude 
 have attended the Sublime Sri lit to its 
 paternal abode ; and the prayers of ame¬ 
 liorated poflerity will afeend in glowing re¬ 
 membrance of their illuftrious benefactor ! 
 The laurels, that now droop, as they fliad- 
 ow his tomb with monumental glory, will 
 be cultivated by the tears of ages ; and, 
 embalmed in the heart of an admiring 
 
 world, the temple, ereCted to his memory, 
 will be more glorious than th t pyramids, and 
 as eternal as his own imperifhable virtues! 
 
121 
 
 WASHINGTON. 
 
 EULOGY ,; 
 
 ON GEORGE WASHINGTON , DE¬ 
 LIVERED AT THE REQUEST 
 OF THE INHABITANTS 
 OF BOSTON, JANUA¬ 
 RY 9th, 1800. 
 
 BY GEORGE R. MINOR , A. M. A. A. 3* 
 
 OlJR duty, my Fellow-Townf- 
 men, on this diftrefling occafion, is dictat¬ 
 ed by the dignity and refplendent virtue of 
 the beloved Man whofe death we deplore. 
 We aiTeinble to pay a debt to departed 
 merit, a debt which we can only pay by 
 the fincerity of our grief, and the refpedt- 
 ful effufions of gratitude; for the highefi 
 eulogy left us to beflow upon our lament¬ 
 ed WASHINGTON, istheftrianarratiop 
 of the truth ; and the loftiefl chara&er 
 
 which we can aflhrn to him, is the 
 
 verv 
 
122 
 
 MEMORY of 
 
 difplay of himfelf. When ambition allies 
 itfelf to guilt, when power tramples upon 
 sight, when vi&ory triumphs in blood, 
 when piety fits clouded in fup'erftition, 
 when humility is affedled by cunning, 
 when patriotifm is founded on felfifhnefs; 
 then let adulation fpread her proflituted 
 mantle, to fcreen the difgraces of her pat¬ 
 rons, and amufe with the falfehoods of her 
 imagination. But to our political Father, 
 the faithful page of hiftorv is panegyric, 
 and the happinefs of his country is the 
 monument of his fame. 
 
 Come, then. Warriors ! Statefmen! 
 Philofophers ! Citizens ! affemble round 
 the tomb of this favorite fon of virtue ; 
 with ail the luxury of forrow recoiled the 
 important events of his life, and partake of 
 the created: leuaev which a mortal could 
 
 O O j 
 
 bequeath you, in the contemplation of his 
 example. Whilft we folemnize this act, 
 his difembodied fpirit, if it be permitted 
 to retrace the feenes of its terreftrial exig¬ 
 ence, will fmiie with approbation cn the 
 inltrudive rite. 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 
 Your anniverfaries have long honor¬ 
 ed the eleventh of February,* one thoufand 
 feven hundred and thirty-two, as the birth¬ 
 day of our illuftrious Chief, and the parifh 
 of his own name in Weft morel and county, 
 in Virginia, beads itfeif the place of his 
 nativity. But to fouls like his, local re- 
 flridiions are not attached. Where Lib¬ 
 erty was, there would be his country : - 
 Happy for us, the Genius of Liberty, ref- 
 ponfive to his affedions, refoived that 
 where WASHINGTON was, there alio 
 fhould be her abode. 
 
 Educated by private indrudion, his 
 virtue grew with his knowledge, and the 
 lifeful branches of literature occupied the 
 whole powers of his mind. Exemplary 
 for folidity of thought, and chaflity of 
 morals, he was honored by the government 
 of Virginia, with an important million, at 
 an age when the levities of the human 
 character feldom yield to the earlieft opera¬ 
 tion of reafon. 
 
 At the opening of the great war of 
 encroachments upon our wedern frontiers, 
 he was the bearer of the remonftrance to 
 * Old Style. 
 
124 
 
 MEMORY 69 
 
 the French. Such was the addrefs, fidelity 
 and perfeverance with which he executed 
 this important trull, that he was honored 
 at twenty-two years of age with the com¬ 
 mand of a regiment railed by his province. 
 His military talents were foon called to the 
 tell. At RedRone, Victory perched upon 
 his ftandard ; but, with that volatility by 
 which file tries the powers of her favorite 
 heroes, file in a few months afterwards left 
 him, by his own - exertions, to fave the 
 honors of war for his little band, in an une¬ 
 qual, but well fupported battle. In Brad- 
 dock's flaughtcred army, he was a witnefs 
 to fcenes of horror, which his caution, had 
 it been adopted, would have prevented, 
 and which his Ready courage afiifted much 
 to retrieve. During the remainder of this 
 war, he was employed in fortifying his na¬ 
 tive province, in arranging and perfecting 
 its militia, and in checking the incurfions 
 of the enemy, until the crifis of the conteR 
 had palled in this country, when he resign¬ 
 ed his command. 
 
 Retirement to him was only a dif¬ 
 ferent mode of adtion, and his repofe par¬ 
 took not of indolence. AmidR the hon- 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 * 2 5 
 
 orable purfaits of agriculture, he difeharg- 
 ed various civil offices, until we find him 
 rifmg amongd the patriots of our country, 
 as a delegate from Virginia, in the fir it 
 American Congrefs. 
 
 We ffiall ever remember the fifteenth 
 day of June, one thoufand feven hundred 
 and feventy-five, when Providence directed 
 to his appointment as the Commander in 
 Chief of our revolutionary army. In this 
 neighborhood he hr ft drew his fword. 
 Many of you, my Fellow-Townfmen, were 
 then languifhing under the fetters of tyran¬ 
 ny, or were imprifoned within the joylefs 
 confines of your own habitations. Your 
 hope was fixed on him. His command, 
 independent of the refources of his own 
 mind, afforded no ground for the fupport 
 of your feelings, fie had an army brave 
 indeed, but with little difcipline ; naked at 
 the approach of winter; and almoft fubjedl 
 to diffolution from temporary enlifhnents 5 
 a pay-mafler without money ; a commiffary 
 ftrugeling on the utmofl (fretch of credit. 
 A veteran army lay under his eye ftrongly 
 fortified, regularly paid, warmly clothed. 
 
 La 
 
126 
 
 MEMORY os 
 
 and boafting its faperiority to militia. Yet 
 did his victorious fword relieve you, and 
 fave your city. Juftly have you afcribed 
 <c your reinflatement to his wife arrange¬ 
 ments, which compelled your invaders to 
 adopt a lefs deflruftive policy than that 
 which on other occafions they fo wantonly 
 praCtifed.” Could our gratitude forget it, 
 the heights around us bear the triumphant 
 evidence of his conqueft. 
 
 To trace this proteCtor of our liberties 
 through his unrivalled career, from his 
 gloomy retreat through the Jerfies to his 
 feveral victories and his fplendid triumph 
 at York-Town, would be to narrate the 
 varying hiftory of our Revolution. To 
 him, public labor was amufement, father¬ 
 ing in the caufe of freedom was a luxury, 
 and every hour as it flew carried an offering 
 to his country. 
 
 J 
 
 As obedience to the voice of his op- 
 preffed fellow-citizens drew his fword on 
 ihe approach of war, fo at the 'declaration 
 of peace, by the fame refpeCled voice he 
 reftored it to its fcabbard. He left them 
 his bldflng and their liberties. O Human 
 
WASHING TON. 
 
 \2J 
 
 Nature* how haft thou been traduced! 
 With thee, has it been faid, is effentially 
 connected that lull of power which is infa li¬ 
 able ; which reftores not voluntarily what 
 has been committed to its charge ; which 
 devours all rights, and refoives all laws 
 into its own authority; which labors not 
 for others, but feizes the fruits of their 
 labors for itfelf; which breaks down all 
 barriers of religion, fociety and nature that 
 obftruct its courfe ; now art thou vindicat¬ 
 ed ! Here we behold thee allied to virtue, 
 worn in the fervice of mankind, fuperioi* to 
 the meannefs of compenfation, humbly 
 hoping for the thanks of thy country alone, 
 faithfully furrendering the fvvord, with 
 which thou wall entrufted, and yielding up 
 power with a promptnefs and facility equal¬ 
 led only by the diffidence and reluctance 
 with which thou received ft it. 
 
 Now will the future inquirer fay, this 
 Hero has finilhed the talk afiigned him, the 
 meafure of his glory is full. A world is 
 admitted to freedom—a Nation is born. 
 Favored beyond the leader of Ifrael, not 
 only with the prolpect, but with the fruition 
 of the promifed bluffing, he has retired 
 
128 
 
 MEMORY of 
 
 / 
 
 like that prince of meeknefs, to the Mount a 
 whence he is to afcend, unfeen by a weep¬ 
 ing people, to the reward of all his labor?. 
 No, he is to live another life upon this 
 globe ; he is to reap a double harveft in the 
 field of perennial honor. The people 
 whom he has faved from external tyranny, 
 fmTer from the agitations of their own un¬ 
 fettled powers. 1 he tree of Liberty which 
 he has planted, and fo carefully guarded 
 from the (forms, now flourifhes beyond its 
 flrength ; its lofty excrefcences threaten to 
 tear its lefs extended roots from the earth, 
 and to proflrate it fruitlefs on the plain. 
 But, he comes ! In Convention he prefides 
 over councils, as in war he had led the 
 battle. The Conflitution, like the rain¬ 
 bow after the flood, appears to us, now 
 juft emerging from an overwhelming com¬ 
 motion ; and we know the truth of the 
 pledge from the fan (ft ion of his name. 
 
 The produ&ion was worthy of its 
 authors, and of the magnanimous people 
 whom it was intended to eftablifh. You 
 adopt it, you cherifhit, and you refolve to 
 tranfuiit it, with the name of WASHING- 
 
1 23 
 
 WASHINGTON ,; 
 
 TON, to the lateft generation, who (hall 
 prove their juft claim to fuch an illuftrious 
 defcent. 
 
 Who was To worthy, as our greaS 
 Legiilator, to diredl the operations of a 
 Government which his councils and his 
 fword had labored to eredt ? By a unani¬ 
 mous fufFra'ge he was invited to the exalt¬ 
 ed ftation of Prefident of the United States* 
 The call was too facred to admit of doubt: 
 It fuperceded the happinefs of retirement, 
 the demands of private intereft, the fweet 
 attractions of domeftic fociety, and the 
 hazard (forgive it WASHINGTON ! for 
 thou waft mortal) the hazard of public re¬ 
 putation. Behold the man on this occa- 
 fion to mighty in the eye of all the world, 
 fo humble in his own ! He accepts the 
 high appointment with fuch diftruft of his 
 natural endowments, with fuch diffidence 
 in his capacity, as can be relieved only by 
 his reliance on that Almighty Being, 
 cc who rules over the Univerfe, who pre° 
 fides in the councils of nations, and whofe 
 providential aids can fupply every human 
 defect.” 
 
MEMORY* 09 
 
 130 
 
 One of the earlier!: acts of his admin- 
 iftration was that circular vifit to transfufe 
 his love, and receive the grateful benedic¬ 
 tions of his loving countrymen, in which 
 you, my Fellow Townfmen, partook fo 
 liberal a fliare. What fenfations ruffied 
 upon your minds, when you compared tha 
 dreadful afpect of your befieged city, with 
 its now finding condition. The well-cul¬ 
 tivated fields were fcreening from view the 
 lam terrific ramparts of the enemy, and the 
 groans of the diftreffed had yielded to the 
 bufy noife of commerce and pleafure. Mow 
 grateful now is the recollection, that with 
 tears of joy you crowded to meet him in 
 your flreets, difplaying the very infignia 
 which you this day bear in mournful pro- 
 ceffion ; and your children, bowing their 
 heads with eager folicitude to attract his 
 fatherly eye, received his pious bleffing. 
 
 Did the occafion admit of it, how 
 pleafing would be the review of his ad¬ 
 ministration, as our Supreme Executive 
 Magifirate ! His talents and his virtues in- 
 creafed with his cares. Ilis foul feemed 
 not to bear the limits of office, a moment 
 after the obligations of duty and patriotifna 
 
WASHING TO N. 
 
 * 3 * 
 
 withdrew their reftraints from his univer- 
 fal love. When the mifguided favages of 
 the wildernefs, after feeling his chaftife- 
 ment,had fued for peace, he feemed to labor 
 for their happinefs as the common Repre- 
 fentative of mankind. Infurre&ion was fo 
 flruck at his countenance, that it fled from 
 the fliock of his arms. Intrigue attempt¬ 
 ed to entangle him in her poifonous web, 
 but he buril it with gigantic ftrength, and 
 crufhed her labors. Anarchy looked out 
 from her cavern, and was daPned into ob¬ 
 livion as w r e truft, forever. The nations 
 of Europe faw the wifdom of our laws, the 
 vigor of our meafures, the juftice of our 
 policy, the firmnefs of our government, 
 and acquiefced in the neutrality of our Ra¬ 
 tion. 
 
 The dangers of the Commonwealth 
 having fubfided at the clofe of his fee end 
 adminiftration, he felt himfelf juftified, af¬ 
 ter dedicating forty-live years of his valua¬ 
 ble life to her fervice, in withdrawing to 
 receive with refignation the great change 
 of nature, which his age and his toils dem- 
 onflrated to be near. When he declined 
 your future fuffrages, he left you a legacy. 
 
* 3 a 
 
 ME MORI~ op 
 
 What! like Cefar’s to the Romans, money 
 for your fports ? Like Attalus’s, a kingdom 
 for your tyranny ? No he left you not 
 fuch baubles, nor for fuch purpofes. He 
 left you the records of wifdom for your 
 government ; a mirror for the faithful re- 
 prefentation to your own view, of your- 
 felves, your weakndfes, your advantages, 
 your dangers : a magnet which points to 
 the fecret mines and windings of party 
 fpirit, faction, Foreign influence : a pillar 
 to the unity of your Republic : a band to 
 inclofe, conciliate, and flrengthen the 
 whole of your wonderful and almofl bound- 
 lefs communities. Read, preferve the fa- 
 cred depofit; and led poflerity ffiould for¬ 
 get the truth of its iftaxiins, engrave them 
 on his tomb, that they may tead them 
 when they weep before it. 
 
 In his fecond refignation of power 
 and the charms of office, the American 
 Leader appears fuperior to ancient or mod¬ 
 ern examples. Yet another grade was 
 affigned to his virtue. Our national rights, 
 fo well defended at home, were invaded on 
 the ocean. The alarm reaches his retreat ; 
 the ® honor of our Republic warms his. 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 *3 3 
 
 heart ; and he again accepts the fword for 
 its defence from the hand of another, 
 placed by the voice of the people in that 
 Supreme Magiftracy, which he alone had 
 heretofore filled. With a lefs dignified 
 foul, this official inferiority might have 
 availed to injure his country ; but he who 
 could defcend from the head of a nation, to 
 difcharge the minuted duties of a private 
 citizen, was too great to allow the influence 
 of etiquette to endanger the fafety of the 
 people. His condefcenfion raifes him above 
 himfelf ; his fpirit fires all ranks of men ; 
 he is overwhelmed with the gratitude and 
 applaufe of an enraptured nation. 
 
 Whilst we confide in his arm, and 
 are marfhalling our warriors to march un¬ 
 der his banners, the GOD of armies, whofe * 
 counfels are beyond the fcrutiny of man, 
 prepares for us the ted of our fubmiffion to 
 his chaftifing rod. It is decreed that our 
 WASHINGTON fhall die, but that his 
 death fhall be worthy of his life. He is to 
 die by the hand of Virtue. The rapid dif- 
 eafe which is feledled as the inflrument of 
 his diffolution, indantaneoufly fazes him. 
 
*34 
 
 MEMORT 6* 
 
 His humanity delays the immediate aid to 
 which alone it may yield. Inconfolablef 
 Domeflics! what dorms would you not 
 have braved, what hazards would you not 
 have encountered, to fave that life which 
 was facridced to your comfort and fafety ! 
 At length Science flies to fave him. Alas ! 
 what avails its (kill againd the mandate of 
 He aven ? It comes too late !—It is finiflied* 
 
 Wonderful event ! Greatnefs de¬ 
 parts in glory, and envy is filent! All ac¬ 
 knowledge him to be the fird of citizens, 
 and none feel hurt by his fuperiority. So 
 impartial was he, that none impeach his juf- 
 tice ; fo moderate, none complain of his 
 power; fo magnanimous,his conquered ene¬ 
 mies applaud his humanity ; fo philanthro¬ 
 pic, that neither colour,nor climate, nor re¬ 
 ligion, nor politics could exclude the unfor¬ 
 tunate from his fuccor. He had the habit 
 of combining fentiment with a&ionin fuch 
 method and force, that he flied his benevo¬ 
 lence on communities of men with the fame 
 cafe as the fudden impulfe of momentary 
 fenfibility bedows it upon individuals. Un¬ 
 exampled virtue ! allotted to its merited 
 reward. Many founders of nations have 
 
WASHINGTON. 135 
 
 V 
 
 been left to obtain from poflerity that re¬ 
 putation which prejudice or bigotry has de¬ 
 nied at their deaths. The tomb has been 
 neceffary to bury anger, petty interefls and 
 emulation, which barred an equitable judg¬ 
 ment. But in regard to this Sage, the 
 gratitude of his country has been co-exift- 
 ent with his exertions. Time has not been 
 required to remove him from our view, in 
 order to magnify his exploits through the 
 medium of fame ; nor was it requifite that 
 we fhculd be deprived of the good he had 
 done us, to entertain a juft fenfe of its im¬ 
 portance. Medals and flatues have been 
 decreed him when living, and your tears 
 announce his greater triumph in your 
 hearts, when dead. Difmterefted love! 
 What motives have you, freemen, for thus 
 offering up your applaufe ? He has now no 
 fhield to defend you from the invafions of 
 your enemies; his head lies cold in the 
 grave, and no counfel can arife from his 
 lips. Ills eyes were dofed by his own un- 
 fhaken hand, and no fmile can now beam 
 from his countenance to animate your 
 troops. Grateful Republicans! indeed you 
 weep not from felfifhnefs. A fill fled with 
 
 ** f- 
 
1 36 
 
 MEMORY on 
 
 the thought of the bleffings which he has 
 Ihowered upon yourfelves and your chil¬ 
 dren, you would call him, could your voice 
 be heard, from the clofed manfions of the 
 dead, again to receive the tribute of your 
 aftedion. You weep for her, whofe ten¬ 
 der participation in the anxieties of a huf- 
 band relieved his cares, and protraded the 
 invaluable life which love itfelf could no lon¬ 
 ger detain. Difconfolate woman ! mourn 
 not \ for the faithful is gene to receive the 
 reward of his uprightnefs. The whole de- 
 fire of his heart, the whole purfuit of his 
 labors has been the good of his fellow- 
 men. Contrafl: him with thofe who have 
 been raifed by the empty, the criminal ad¬ 
 miration of mankind, to the highefl ranks 
 in the Pantheon of fame. See one inftead 
 of liberating and protecting, employed in 
 conquering and enflaving a world, and 
 weeping that his guilty talk could be con¬ 
 tinued no longer. Another retiring from 
 the purple, not with the united bleffings of 
 all religious feds, but the bigoted perfecu- 
 tor of the only rational and divine religion : 
 See the mailer of fo many crowns, after 
 yielding them up for a convent, inftead of 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 *37 
 
 interefl-ing himfelf in the welfare of man¬ 
 kind to the hour of his departure, relapfmg 
 into the abfurdities of monkifh fuperfrition: 
 and another, whofe allies are fcarcely cold, 
 flaughtering the armies of half the nations 
 of Europe, to extend the limits of an Elec¬ 
 torate, with as much zeal as our departed 
 Hero labored to extend the limits of free¬ 
 dom, civilization and morals. When fo 
 much worth dtps off from the ftage of life, 
 the weaknefs cf our nature is the only apol¬ 
 ogy for our tears. Such an exit is not 
 death, it is the triumph of the juft. 
 
 <3 
 
 w 
 
 Sons of Freedom ! as you regard th 
 memory of your afcended Chief, attend to 
 the injunctions of his will. Remember 
 that it was not for you alone he labored. 
 It was for your pofterity alfo ; it was for 
 the human race. For you and for then! 
 he was drft in building the nohleft political 
 •fyftem that adorns the world. It is an ex- 
 periment to afcertain the nature of man * 
 whether he be capable of freedom,or wheth¬ 
 er he mud be led by the reins of tyranny; 
 whether he be endowed with that modera¬ 
 
 tion and underilandmg which check 
 
 M 2 
 
 q trig* 
 
MEMORT op 
 
 138 
 
 extreme indulgence of his will; and by al¬ 
 lowing to others the fame rational enjoy¬ 
 ment with himfelf, forms the liberty of the 
 whole upon the p'artial rePtraint of each in¬ 
 dividual > or whether he mull: go on at¬ 
 tempting to follow the dictates of felfifh- 
 nefs, and find his only reftraint in a power 
 which will efiablilh itfelf independent of 
 his confent, and make him its Have. Who 
 of us can be fuppofed to be fo loft to him¬ 
 felf, fo forgetful of his children, and fo 
 traitorous to the world, as to contemplate 
 the overthrow of this magnificent temple 
 of wifdom ? No, iny Fellow-Townfmen, 
 whatever zeal may fuddenly fuggeft, or 
 apprehenfions tempt us to fufped, there? 
 lives not a man among us, fo depraved, fo 
 curfed by Heaven. Shall it be faid, that 
 the works of his hands whom we this day 
 almoft adore ; that the hope w hich he held 
 cut to the nations of the earth, fhall be 
 fruftrated by our divifions ? To the honor 
 of our country, not a man but anfwers. 
 No : -All, when rightly informed, wave 
 their particular prejudices in fupport of the 
 great pillar of our national union. It is 
 cur pride 3 it was creeled by our fathers 3 
 
WASHINGTON ., 
 
 *39 
 
 It Is the fiandard of our defence. Lei us 
 then, with a view of forever maintaining it, 
 banifh all animofity, melt down all parties, 
 wipe away all diftin&ions. Let us no Ion** 
 ger designate men who have differed in 
 fentiment, by odious epithets mutually re- 
 fle&ed and mutually difavowed : But if a 
 common name be wanted, let it be formed 
 from his,whom we now feek to honor, and 
 let it be ufed to denote good will to one 
 another, refpeci to our Confiitution, forti¬ 
 tude to our enemies, love to our country* 
 devotion to our Goo. 
 
 In the condolence of this day, we can- 
 mot fail to notice the honor which we feel 
 by the prefence of the Fathers of the State. 
 It was not unbecoming the dignity of office, 
 on fuch an occafion, to fufpend its occupa¬ 
 tions and join the general forrow. To de¬ 
 vote this portion of time to his memory 
 who devoted a long life to cur happinefs, 
 is rational and juft. Within the prefent 
 political year, you, Honorable Magiftrates 
 and Legiflators, in this 1 place folemnized 
 the obfequies of the late excellent Gover¬ 
 nor of our Commonwealth, the much ref- 
 pe&ed SUMNER. Thus pafs away the 
 
MEMORY or 
 
 34s 
 
 wife, the virtuous and the faithful; by an 
 irrevocable decree, lefs unwelcome to them, 
 as it refpe&s themfelves, than grievous to 
 us. Their lives are long enough for their 
 own glory, but, alas! (till too neceifary to 
 their country’s welfare. The experience 
 of circumffances, which are neceffary to 
 form that effulgence of character, by which 
 they enlighten, civilize and direct fociety, 
 fall to the lot of few. When fuch lamps 
 are extinguifhed, we are happy if our dark- 
 nefs be tranfient. But in your wifdom the 
 people of our Commonwealth fafely con¬ 
 fide ; nor as members of our united coun¬ 
 try, do they mourn like thofe who are 
 without hope ; for although in the prefent 
 gloom of our political hemifphere, their 
 late ruling planet has travelled to the morn¬ 
 ing of another clime, yet its kindred lumi- 
 lrary rifes on the horizon, brilliant, heady, 
 and propitious to direct their courfe. They 
 lament that their beloved WASHINGTON 
 fleeps in death ; their confolation is. that 
 his faithful Brother, the vigilant ADAMS, 
 furvives* 
 
 vA • • : - - ' *‘>dj 
 
 \ 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 147 
 
 1BSSL i&. g- J ' yjr ' ; xr-rrr^z-. 
 
 MASONIC EULOGV , 
 
 ON THE LIFE OF GEORGE JVASMNGTOX> 
 PRONOUNCED BEFORE THE BRETH¬ 
 REN OF ST. JOHN’S LODGE IN 
 BOSTON, 4 th. FEBRUARY, 
 
 5S00, 
 
 BY BROTHER GEORGE BLAKE . 
 
 LaBOR, be at reft ! Mirth hi 
 not thy voice be heard ! Joy, our once 
 fweet vifitant, we have now no place for 
 thee here! our Lodge has become the 
 abode of melancholy and forrow :—Griefs 
 oh , Grief! moil fincerely do we welcome 
 thee to the hall of this fraternity ; thou 
 dull diimal meffenger of woe, it is thy pri¬ 
 vilege to rule our Lodge this night; from 
 heaven’s high arch, art thou cotnmiffioned, 
 by the weeping genius of Ivlafonry , to take 
 the charge of this her tcrreftrial habitation, 
 
MEMORT op 
 
 342 
 
 —We acknowledge thy credentials—they 
 are attelled by the fignature of Death-—we 
 bow to thy authority—we yield to thy 
 commands.—Come, then. Grief! dark 
 and gloomy Spirit; we are now thy Broth¬ 
 ers. At this moment we are ready to in¬ 
 duct thee to office—to inveit thee with the 
 black fymbols of ftately promotion. In the 
 Eafl, where gay light once had dominion^ 
 there (halt thou fit enthroned on clouds 
 and darknefs In the Weft thy faithful 
 Wardens are Sadnefs and Sympathy ; and 
 as the Sun fitteth in the Weft , to clofe the 
 day, fo do they fit there to draw thy clou¬ 
 dy mantle over this Lodge* Dreffied in 
 thy moll difmal attire, we hail thee, Grief 
 as the mafter of this meeting ;—for thy 
 Truncheon , we give thee the Grave-man’s 
 Mattock .—on thy bofom will we fallen a 
 beamlefs Jewel , that is covered by the fa¬ 
 ble veftment of night; for thy Girdle , thou 
 Ill alt wear a wandering moon beam, whofe 
 glimmering light ffiall ferve to make more 
 vifible the darknefs of thy form. The 
 Tomb-Sione is thy Truffell Board , and thy 
 Tow Line ffiall be twilled from the fined 
 chords of Mafotis hearts,— Here then 5 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 *43 
 
 Grief, we await thy commands ; our hearts, 
 and not our hands, will perform the joylefs 
 labors of the night. Our refrefhment 
 {ball be the cup of bitternefs, and when we 
 have drunken it to the dregs, our bofoms, 
 with three times three thoufand pulfations, 
 (ball give the fignal of our fmcerity and 
 unifon. 
 
 But whence my Brothers and where¬ 
 fore is all this gloom and flillnefs r Why 
 Is the noife of the bufy hammer fufpended, 
 and our ears greeted only by the flow beat¬ 
 ings of kindred bofoms. Why has cur 
 noon tide Sun retired fo foon to the dark 
 chambers of the Weft I Our Lodge, which 
 has fo often refounded with the voice of 
 induflry and mirth, is now filent as the 
 manfion of death ; thofe dazzling lumina¬ 
 ries, which have been wont to enlighten 
 our labors, why are they extinguifhed ; 
 why do they now refufe their accuftomed 
 radiance ? The Compafs, the Square , the 
 Level, the Plumb, and all thofe fparkling 
 jewels, once the pride and the ornament 
 of Mafons, are now concealed by a veil of 
 blacknefs ; the cheerful fong, which has 
 fo often welcomed the eve of labor, has 
 
*44 
 
 MEMORT of 
 
 ceafed to undulate—I hear nothing but the 
 doleful melody of fighs and groans—where 
 I have once feen the fprightly features of 
 eafe and contentment—where I have often 
 beheld the expanded countenance of glad- 
 nefs and hilarity—through this dubious 
 quivering light, I can now difeern naught 
 but the pale fickly vifage of melancholy 
 and forrow. Need 1 alk, my Brothers, 
 whence this awful change ? Of our refpedt- 
 cd Mafter flia.ll I inquire, why hands a tear 
 trembling in his eye, or of you, my friends, 
 why every breath feerns to travel from the 
 lungs in pain ; or why this difmal night 
 fhade is more fuited to the prefent “ habit 
 of your fouls f than the jocund afpecl of 
 day ?—No ! my own heart, my Brothers, 
 refolves the myftery—--WASHING¬ 
 
 TON ! OH WASHINGTON ! OUR 
 MASTER, OUR BROTHER, OUR 
 FATHER, OUR FRIEND, WASH¬ 
 INGTON IS NO MORE! -lie, who 
 
 was greater than Hiram , better and more 
 beloved than Solomon ; he, whofe virtues 
 have been fo long the example, the boafl 
 of our fraternity ; whofe countenance dif- 
 fufed fplendor and brightnefs through the 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 *45 
 
 wide arch of Mafonry , has gone down in 
 the Weft, has defcended to the filent man- 
 fions of the dead. That perfect Afhlcr 
 which flood at the Ead corner of our 
 Temple ; that Stone which the Builders fe- 
 ledted, which was wrought and polifhed 
 by the hand of God himfelf; that on which 
 relied the main pillar of our Fabric, is torn 
 away and removed by the refifllefs arm of 
 Heath ; the flrength of our building is de¬ 
 cayed ; its beauty and ornament are oblit¬ 
 erated forever; the Grand Architect in 
 heaven has recalled from his embafiy, a 
 being, who was fent to us, as a light to 
 our defigns, a model for our labors. Pare 
 Spirit cf Mafonry ! thy lofs is Irreparable- 
 Well mayeft thou now make the <c dud 
 thy paper, and with rainy tears, write fur¬ 
 row on the bol’om of the earth.”—The 
 faired column of thy earthly Temple is brok¬ 
 en ; the column on which the brightest fea¬ 
 tures of thy chara&er were engraven, is de- 
 molifhed, and in the quarries of heaven 
 alone is there a precious done to fupply 
 its place# 
 
 N 
 
MEMORT of 
 
 *4 6 
 
 Tiiink not, my Brothers, that T have 
 felt it my duty, on the prefent occafion, to 
 aflifl you in eftimating the magnitude of 
 your lofs, by an attempt to difplay all the 
 virtues of the wonderful man, whofe death 
 we commemorate. Forgive me, if I touch 
 lightly on a few lineaments of a chara&er, 
 whofe aggregate is not only far beyond my 
 powers to defcribe ; but as far beyond my 
 faculties to comprehend. A few days on¬ 
 ly have elapfed fince I was Rrft invited by 
 my brethren to afiift in this folemn offer¬ 
 ing of grief. In this bufy, thoughtlefs, tu¬ 
 multuous world, I leave you to confider, 
 what a fmall, very fmall portion of our re¬ 
 flection is fit to be dedicated to a fubject fo 
 interesting, fo fublimely affecting.—For 
 myfelf, I can hardly contemplate the death 
 of WASHINGTON without a feeling of 
 piety and devotion ; I dared not think of 
 the event, until I had purified my mind 
 from every fentiment relating to the ftale 
 concerns of ordinary life ; and to fpeak 
 of him, in this folemn Lodge, I fhould con¬ 
 fider as nearly allied to blafphemy, had I 
 not fir ft cleanfed my tongue from all the 
 frivolous language to which it is accuf- 
 tomed. 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 147 
 
 With thefe Impreflions on my mind, 
 few indeed mud have been the moments I 
 have had to prepare for this folemnity ; 
 but I complain not of their brevity, for 
 Time himfelf could not lend me hours 
 enough to complete the talk—Had every 
 minute of my leifure been protra&ed to 
 months—had every month been prolonged 
 to years, dill fhoutd 1 have been but at the 
 beginning of a duty, fo dupendous as that 
 of recording the virtues of our illuflrious 
 deceafed. Were the flight of my fancy 
 fwift as a fun-beam ; were the vifion of 
 my mind fnarp as lightning, in the 6C col- 
 lied night, 5 ’ yet would they be flow in. 
 their progrefs, dill mud they loiter in the 
 rear of his glory and renown. What then, 
 my Brothers, can be expected of me, dull 
 and feeble as I am; what can I fay to 
 magnify the Eulogitun he deferved; to 
 fwell the tide of grief, that is now burfting 
 from the eyes of his faithful, affectionate, 
 and grateful countrymen. Compared to 
 his virtues, and the world’s forrow for his 
 death, all the little praife in my power to 
 beffow, is but as the tranflent night fly’s 
 twinkle, to the fteady iuflre of the pole flar 
 
148 
 
 MEMORY of 
 
 —my voice as a figh to the whirlwind— 
 and our united fympathy but as a fingle 
 tear drop on the billows of ocean. 
 
 Were we contemplating the charac¬ 
 ter of other heroes and Ratefmen, whom 
 hiftory hath celebrated, well indeed might 
 it be fufpetled that hypocrify had put on 
 for a while the vizard of grief ; that cold 
 fenfelefs duty has been blowing its (tudied 
 praifes through the trump of hollow adu¬ 
 lation ; but on a theme like the prefent, 
 language lofes the power to exaggerate, 
 and even diflimulation itfelf could hardly 
 conjure up a pretence, that would reach in 
 femblance to the height oi reality. The 
 char after of WASHINGTON flood Tin¬ 
 gle and alone. In him all the qualities 
 which conRitute the excellence of man, 
 however contrary in nature or repugnant 
 in principle, were almoft miraculoufly 
 united and reconciled ;—with the ardor of 
 his youth, was affociated the temperance 
 of age ; imagination was inftrufled by 
 prudence, without being trammelled by 
 timidity ; caution guided the Reps of rafh- 
 nefs, but fear did not retard the celerity of 
 
 n. ^ 
 
 courage. 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 149 
 
 His firft achievement in war, was but 
 the experiment of youth ; and yet on the 
 field of Braddock , his fuccefs feerned to 
 have refulted alone, from the ripened ex¬ 
 perience of manhood. He was then little 
 more than a beardlefs tripling, the leader 
 of an undifciplined militia, c: difdainfully 
 thrown in the rear” of a veteran foldierv ; 
 but on that memorable day, when victory 
 had already pronounced a decifion on the 
 conflict, when death, furious and inclem¬ 
 ent, had reached to the very middle of his 
 ranks, and with hideous yell, was in fwift 
 purfuit of a difordered and affrighted ar¬ 
 my, there did we behold our youthful hero, 
 with calmnefs and ferenity on his front, 
 collected in the midft of carnage, and un- 
 difmayed by the horrors that fur rounded 
 him. Awed by his prefence, deifiny for¬ 
 got its refolves, and even death himfelf, as 
 if outgeneraled by his management, aban¬ 
 doned in defpair his half completed pur- 
 pofe of defolation. 
 
 But the prefages of his youth, bold 
 and promifing as they were, have been 
 more than confummated. At an early 
 
 Na 
 
150 
 
 MEMORT os 
 
 period of life, the great properties of hb 
 mind were too refplendent to need an in¬ 
 terpretation from fcrutiny, and their ten¬ 
 dency, too perfpicucus to require an affur- 
 ance from the tongue of prophecy. 
 
 Our country was menaced by oppref- 
 fion ! Bellona *s fcourge had already been 
 tinged with the blood of our countrymen; 
 our fhores w r ere fhadowed by the floating 
 meffengers of deflrudlion ; and the very air 
 we breathe, thickened by the fmoak of our 
 conflagrated villages ; when the voice of 
 millions, almoft at the fame moment, wdth 
 a kind of inftindlive confidence, appealed 
 for protection to the heroifm of a WASH¬ 
 INGTON. At this perilous crifis, the 
 heart of every American, like the tremb¬ 
 ling needle at the pole, refled on him as 
 the lafl point of its dependence. Influenc¬ 
 ed by no other excitement than the pureft 
 lov.e of his country, aided by few other re- 
 four ces, than the exhaufllefs arfenal of his 
 own great mind, at a time when bravery 
 might have faltered, and defpair itfelf been 
 difarmed of its refolution, did he become 
 the bold decided champion of American 
 liberty. 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 With what unfhaken firmnefs, with 
 what unerring fidelity, he executed the 
 fearful duties of his ftation, it is thy bufi- 
 nefs, Hi/lory ! to pronounce to future gen* 
 erations; thy work is already begun, and 
 when the ftory is complete, it will be the 
 larged, and the mod indrucHve volume in 
 thy Archives. In vain may thy Plutarch 
 and Polibius vaunt their Alexanders , their 
 Hannibals , the Scipios and Ceefars ; all their 
 boaded virtues would but ferve as an ap¬ 
 pendix to the biography of our WASH¬ 
 INGTON. Faithful Clio , thou who pre¬ 
 fid ed in the regidry of human tranfa&ions, 
 thy book and thy trumpet, which have 
 been wont to report the deeds of heroic 
 murderers , are now required for a new and 
 more grateful employment ; before thou 
 writed the name of WASHINGTON, 
 well mayed thou tear from thy records, the 
 pages on which are infcribed the inevitable 
 follies and crimes of mankind—well may¬ 
 ed thou now exult, there has once lived 
 a man, who had power without ambition, 
 glory without arrogance, fame without in¬ 
 fatuation ; a man who united the meek- 
 nefs of a chriftian, with the influence of a 
 defpot 3 a man whofe heart did not fink 
 
* 5 * 
 
 MEMORT of 
 
 by misfortune, and whofe head became 
 more fleady by elevation; a man who faved 
 a country by his valor, and could receive 
 its praifes without ailumption. 
 
 It was, my Brothers, the fentiment of 
 a very profound writei, “ that all human 
 advantages confer more power of doing 
 evil than good.” To this opinion, found¬ 
 ed on the degeneracy of our nature, com¬ 
 mon experience had given almofl the au¬ 
 thority of maxim ; but the degrading prin¬ 
 ciple, like almofl every other, deduced from 
 the frailty, the imbecility of man, was pre- 
 cifely reverfed in the character of WASH¬ 
 INGTON. All his advantages, all his 
 powers, extenfive as they were, and in oth¬ 
 er hands, deftru&ive as they might have 
 been, by a kind of fupernatural agency, 
 feeined to have been dire&ed to but one 
 and the bell of purpofes, the welfare of his 
 country and the glory of his God. 
 
 There was a time, when, had the 
 ambition of a Sylla> been united to the pow¬ 
 er of a WASHINGTON, this fair coun¬ 
 try, which we inhabit; this favored refi- 
 dence of liberty and peace, might perhaps 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 *53 
 
 have been proflrate at the foot of an impe¬ 
 rious tyrant. Inftead of greeting our illus¬ 
 trious Brother in the (treets, with love and 
 the familiarity of his equals, we might have 
 commixed with an obfequious rabble, and 
 followed in the rear of a conqueror in tri¬ 
 umph ; inflead of weeping at his grave in 
 all the fincerity of grief, we might now 
 have been engaged in a mimic folemnity, 
 a cold unfeeling flavifii ceremonial. Was 
 there not a time, my Brothers, when he 
 might perhaps have decimated our coun¬ 
 cils, like a Cromwell , garbled our parlia¬ 
 ment, and trampled with impunity, on the 
 freedom he was commiffioned and affected 
 to protect ? When with a devoted, unfat- 
 isfkd army at command, he could have 
 ipoken to us in the name of liberty, and 
 his vacant pretenfions, been received as the 
 only pledge of our rights ? 
 
 But praifes be to heaven, our WASH- 
 INGTON was incorruptible by the poffef- 
 fion of glory, as he had been magnanimous 
 in purfuit of his Nation’s Independence 
 his exalted foul would have difdained to 
 command, when duty and honor enjoined 
 him to obey ) his valor which had done 
 
MEMORY* op 
 
 15 4 
 
 every thing for others, had nothing to per¬ 
 form for the aggrandizement of himfelf, 
 America victorious, her freedom fecured, 
 the commanding attitude of a General, the 
 renowned conquering General, was in an 
 infiant converted to the humble demeanor 
 of an obedient, unafpiring citizen. At the 
 altar of liberty, when he preferred the char¬ 
 ter of Independence, he alfo laid down the 
 fword, by which it had been refcued. By 
 this laft aft, the vaunting predictions of 
 his enemies were, in a moment, biafled, 
 and the fondeft hopes of his countrymen 
 confirmed. He who had conquered the 
 proudefl nation of Europe, by a nobler 
 achievement,had now “conquered himfelf,’ 9 
 had vanquifhed the frailties and infirmities 
 of nature. 
 
 From that period, nothing remained 
 of the foldier, the veteran, but the fruits 
 of his victory, and our imperiftiable remem¬ 
 brance of the valor by which they were ac¬ 
 quired. For himfelf, folitude and retire¬ 
 ment were the only recompenfe he could 
 aik for his fervices ; but even this recom¬ 
 penfe, little, as it feemed, was greater than 
 his country had power to bellow. Again 
 
WASH INC TO N. 
 
 *55 
 
 was he wanted ; his nation called—he could 
 not refrain to liften and obey—He who 
 had been fir ft in the field, was now requir¬ 
 ed to be firft in the councils of his country. 
 In this elevated department ; if any thing 
 could furpafs the reCtitude of his conduct, 
 it was the facility and moderation with 
 which he afterwards refigned the authority 
 of his office. Power, that delufive phan- 
 tafm, which bewilders little minds, had no 
 charm for him ; but when duty required 
 its exercife for the happinefs of mankind— 
 at a time, when the very name of WASH¬ 
 INGTON had in it the force of magic, 
 when like a fecret talifman, it could har¬ 
 monize the difcord of paffions, mod hoftile, 
 and reconcile the variance of principles the 
 mod oppofite j at a time when the diftbnant 
 voices of conflicting party would have melt¬ 
 ed into unifon, to proclaim him again the 
 leader of our Republic ; at that very time, 
 when like Augujhts , he could perhaps have 
 managed his fame, to perpetuate his au¬ 
 thority, did we behold the venerable Prefix 
 dent , as we had before feen the victorious 
 General , defcending with complacence to 
 the humble occupation of an huibandman. 
 
MEMORT of 
 
 156 
 
 His labors completed, how much 
 more than his duties performed, our iiluf- 
 trious hero was once more permitted to en«. 
 joy in retirement the luxury of his reflec¬ 
 tions. Retirement he might have, but in 
 the dreariefl wilds of our continent, there 
 is not a covert, mofl hidden and infcruta- 
 ble, that could hold a being like him, a 
 moment inobfcurity ;—Glory, like the pil¬ 
 lar and the cloud, marked his progrefs by 
 night and by day. As well might the fun 
 conceal his difk behind the vapor of a dew 
 drop—as well might the flaming meteor 
 travel unnoticed through the dark welkin 
 of night, as thou, Oh WASHINGTON ! 
 couldft have lived in thy country, unac¬ 
 companied by its regard and aflonifhment. 
 In thy own family, at the head of thy do- 
 meftics, thou wert not lefs confpicuous than 
 when leading to vi&ory in the van of thy 
 armies. In the view of Americans thou 
 wert the fame illuftrious being, whether 
 they beheld thee prefiding in their councils, 
 or an unafluming umpire in a village de¬ 
 putation ;—in thy hands, the meane ft im¬ 
 plement of a farmer was more graceful and 
 impofing than the feeptre of a monarch ? 
 
[WASHINGTON* 15 ; 
 
 and in the loneliefl vale of thy farm, thou 
 wert as high and elevated as if perched on 
 the fummit of towering Alleghany ;—the 
 luflre of thy character was intrinfic, un¬ 
 changeable ; it could neither be increafed 
 by accident, nor diminifhed by the cafual- 
 ties of ftation* 
 
 But in his own view the duties of a 
 patriot were flill unfatisfied. All the de¬ 
 lights of youth, the energies of manhood, 
 the tranquility of age, which had been fuc- 
 ceffively devoted to his country, he confid- 
 ered but as the intereft of a debt which 
 time fhould not limit nor even death itfelf 
 annul-—beyond the very coniines of the 
 grave, when fenfe fhould lofe its faculty to 
 difcern, and action its power to perform, it 
 was his wifh to continue in ufefulnefs to 
 mankind—his contemplations, his reflec¬ 
 tions, (the very beggars privilege) were be¬ 
 lieved by WASHINGTON to be the pro¬ 
 perty of his fellow-citizens—to his country 
 he bequeathed them—were the inheritance 
 divifibfe, and the whole world the inheri¬ 
 tors, each man’s portion of the gift, would 
 be of more value than the wealth of Potcfi, 
 
 O 
 
MEMORT 01? 
 
 158 
 
 or the accumulated treafures of the Indies 
 •—it is a treafure lading as virtue, and im- 
 perilhable as his foul. 
 
 A few years only, my Brothers, have 
 elapfed fmce, in this very metropolis, our 
 eyes, now weeping at his death, have gaz¬ 
 ed with afloniflmient on this wonder, this 
 prodigy of men. Never fnall I forget the 
 folemnity, the impreffive folemnity, which 
 his prefence infpired. Age forgot its de¬ 
 crepitude—youth forfook its amufements, 
 and flew together to behold, in reality, a 
 being whom fame had hitherto prefented, 
 but as a picture to the imagination. (lie 
 lias often fpoken of it himfelf as the mod 
 aiTe&ing fcene of his life.) I have (till in 
 remembrance the awe, the love and vene¬ 
 ration that crowded together on my mind. 
 The gratitude of his countrymen was re¬ 
 ceived with as much modefly, cc as if he 
 had been in the aft of apology for his 
 offences.”—He could not fpeak, for fenfi- 
 bility had choaked expreflion ; but h>j 
 countenance add refled us in a language 
 
 o o 
 
 more than human, in a language, by the. 
 tongue, unutterable; when he bowed, eve¬ 
 ry heart that unrounded him, as if it had 
 
WASHINGTON . 
 
 J 59 
 
 received the lad falutation of a dying man, 
 funk in forrow and dejection. At a time 
 when joy fhould have rent the air with its 
 acclamations, when every eye would have 
 beamed with rapture, and every tongue 
 fpoken in the accents of gladnefs, the fcene 
 was filent and folemn, and feemed fearfully 
 to portend the fad: approaching event which 
 we now commemorate. 
 
 tr 
 
 I had read of triumphal entries, of 
 conquerors in cars, all the fplendor of Ro¬ 
 man and Grecian celebrations, and the noify 
 fhouts of a nation of parafites, were fami¬ 
 liar to my conceptions ; but never till then, 
 had I a fentiment of any thing fo fublime 
 as the attitude of fuch virtue, in fuch a 
 triumph. 
 
 But, my friends, the circumftances 
 of his life, ft range, furprifing indeed, were 
 not more remarkable than the fcenes which 
 have followed his death. More than live 
 millions of people on our own continent, 
 and if the tidings of death have flown on 
 the rapid wing of his living fame, more 
 than ten times five millions on other conti¬ 
 nents, are, at this moment lamenting the 
 
MEMORY of 
 
 160 
 
 fame melancholy event which we now fol- 
 emnize. Americans , though his neareft re¬ 
 lations, have not a right to monopolize an 
 exclufive alliance with WASHINGTON. 
 He was a Man, the bed friend of man, and 
 every thing wearing the form or feature of 
 humanity, mud feel a pride in being called 
 his kinfman. Vernon ! high and lofty as 
 thou art, thou fecond Arrarat , on which 
 the Ark of American fafety was lodged, 
 every acre of our continent, as well as thy 
 own proud hill, was refcued and protected 
 by his arm, and has a right to conted thy 
 bonded pre-eminence ! Virginia , favored 
 fpot of his nativity, he was not thine, thy 
 lifters in the North and the South, claim a 
 portion of his glory as their inheritance ! 
 Columbia , he was not thine, he was a des¬ 
 cendant of Adam , and every foil and daugh¬ 
 ter of Adam , may exult that he was their 
 friend and their brother . Earth , he was 
 not thine, he was the offspring of virtue, 
 the favorite of Heaven ; to Heaven has he 
 afeended—there is his own, his lad, his 
 eternal abode ! ! 
 
WASHINGTON. i6i 
 
 ORATION , 
 
 ON THE SUBLIME VIRTUES OF GENERAL 
 GEORGE WASHINGTON , PRONOUNCED 
 EE FORE THE HONORABLE LEGIS¬ 
 LATURE OF MASSACHUSETTS, 
 CONVENED IN BOSTON, 
 FEBRUARY 8th, 1800, 
 
 BY FISHER AMES . 
 
 Jt is natural that the gratitude of 
 mankind Ihould be drawn to their benefac¬ 
 tors, A number of thefe have fucceffively 
 arifen, who were no lefs diftinguifhed for 
 the elevation of their virtues, than the luf- 
 tre of their talents. Of thofe however who 
 
 were bom, and who acted through life, as 
 if they were born, not for themfelves, but 
 for their country and the whole human, 
 race, how few, alas! are recorded in the long 
 
 annals of ages, and how wide the intervals- 
 
 O2. 
 
1 62 
 
 MEMORY 0* 
 
 of time and fpace that divide them. In all 
 this dreary length of way, they appear like 
 five or fix light houfes on as many thoufand 
 miles of coaft: they gleam upon the fur¬ 
 rounding darknefs, with an inextinguilha- 
 ble fplendor, like liars feen through a milt^ 
 hut they are feen like liars, to cheer, to 
 guide, and to fave. WASHINGTON is 
 now added to thatfmall number. Already 
 he attra£fs curiofity, like a newly di(covered 
 liar, whole benignant light will travel on to 
 the world’s and time’s fartheil bounds. Al¬ 
 ready his name is hung up by hillory as 
 confpicuoully, as if it fparkled in one of the 
 conllellations of the Iky. 
 
 By commemorating his death, we are 
 called this day to yield the homage that is 
 due to virtue; to confcfs the common debt 
 of mankind as well as our own ; and to 
 pronounce for pofterity, now dumb, that 
 culogium, which they will delight to echo 
 ten ages hence, when we are dumb. 
 
 I consider myfelf not merely in the 
 mid(l of the citizens of this town, or even 
 of the State. In idea, I gather round me 
 the nation. In the vail and venerable con- 
 
WASHINGTON. 163 
 
 gregation of the patriots of all countries and 
 of all enlightened men, I would, if I could* 
 raife my voice, and fpeak to mankind in a 
 drain worthy of my audience, and as ele« 
 vated as my fubjedk But how fhall I ex- 
 prefs emotions, that are condemned to be 
 mute, becaufe they are unutterable ? I felt* 
 and I was witnefs, on the day when the 
 news of his death reached us, to the throes 
 of that grief, that faddened every counte¬ 
 nance, and wrung drops of agony from the 
 heart. Sorrow labored for utterance, but 
 found none. Every man looked round for 
 the confolation of other men’s tears. Gra¬ 
 cious Heaven! what confolation ! Each face 
 was convulfed with forrow for the pad $ 
 every heart fhivered with defpair for the 
 future. The man, who and who alone, 
 united all hearts, was dead ^ dead, at the 
 moment when his power to do good was 
 the greatefl, and w hen the afpe£f of the 
 imminent public dangers feetned more than 
 ever to render his aid indifpenfable, and 
 his lofs irreparable: irreparable; for two 
 WASHINGTONS come not in one age. 
 
 A grief fo thoughtful, fo profound, 
 fo mingled with tendernefs and admiration* 
 
i 5 4 MEMORY oir 
 
 fo interwoven with our national felf-love, fo 
 often revived by being diffufed, is not to be 
 expreffed. You have affigned me a talk 
 that is impoffible. 
 
 O ! if I could perform it; if I could il- 
 ludrate his principles in my difcourfe as he 
 difplayed them in his life ; if I could paint 
 his virtues as he praftifed them ; if I could 
 convert the fervid enthufiafm of my heart 
 into the talent to tranfmit his fame, as it 
 ought to pafs to pofterity j I fhould be the 
 fuccefsful organ of your will, the minifter 
 of his virtues, and may I dare to fay, the 
 humble partaker of his immortal glory. 
 Thefe are ambitious, deceiving hopes, and 
 I rejeft them. For it is perhaps almofl as 
 difficult, at once with judgment and feel¬ 
 ing, to praife great actions, as to perform 
 them. A lavifh and undiftinguifiling eulo- 
 gium is not praife \ and to discriminate 
 fuch excellent qualities as were charadter- 
 iftic and peculiar to him, would be to raife 
 a name, as he raifed it, above envy, above 
 parallel, perhaps, for that very reafon, above 
 emulation. 
 
WASHINGTON. 165 
 
 Such a portraying of character, how¬ 
 ever, mufl be addreffed to the underftand- 
 ing, and therefore, even if it were well ex¬ 
 ecuted, would feem to be rather an analyfis 
 of moral principles, than the recital of a 
 hero’s exploits. It would rather conciliate 
 confidence and efteem, than kindle enthu- 
 fiafm and admiration. It would be a pic¬ 
 ture cf WASHINGTON, and, like a pic¬ 
 ture, flat as the canvas; like a flatue, cold 
 as the marbie on which he is reprefented ; 
 cold, alas, as his corpfe in the ground ! 
 Ah, how unlike the man late warm with 
 living virtues, animated by the foul once 
 glowing with patriotic fires ! He is gone 1 
 the tomb hides all, that the world could 
 fcarce contain, and that once was WASH-. 
 INGTON, except his glory ; that is the 
 rich inheritance of his country ; and his 
 example ; that let us endeavor by deline¬ 
 ating to impart to mankind. Virtue will 
 place it in her temple, wifdom in her trea- 
 
 fjiry. 
 
 * 
 
 Peace then to your farrows. I have 
 done with them. Deep as your grief is, I 
 aim not to be pathetic. I defire lefs to 
 give utterance to the feelings of this age 3 
 
MEMORT 6s 
 
 1 66 
 
 than to the judgment of the next. Let us 
 faithfully reprefent the illuftrious dead, as 
 hiftory will paint, as poflerity will behold 
 
 him. 
 
 With whatever fidelity I might exe¬ 
 cute this talk, I know that fome would pre¬ 
 fer a pi&ure drawn to the imagination. 
 They would have our WASHINGTON 
 reprefented of a giant’s fize, and in the 
 character of a hero of romance. They 
 who love to wonder better than to reafon, 
 would not be fatisfied with the contempla¬ 
 tion of a great example, unlefs, in the ex¬ 
 hibition, it fhould be fo diflorted into pro¬ 
 digy, as to be both incredible and ufelefs. 
 Others, 1 hope but few, who think meanly 
 of human nature, will deem it incredible, 
 that even WASHINGTON fhould think 
 with as much dignity and elevation, as he 
 a died ; and they will grovel in vain in the 
 fearch for mean and felfifh motives, that 
 could incite and fuflain him to devote his 
 life to his country. 
 
 Do not thefe fuggeflions found in your 
 ears like a profanation of virtue ? and, 
 while I pronounce them, do you not fed a 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 167 
 
 thrill of indignation at your hearts ? For¬ 
 bear. Time never fails to bring every ex¬ 
 alted reputation to a drift fcrutiny : the 
 world, in paffing the judgment that is ne¬ 
 ver to be reverfed, will deny all partiality, 
 even to the name of WASHINGTON. 
 Let it be denied : for its juftice will con¬ 
 fer glory. 
 
 Such a life as WASHINGTON'S 
 cannot derive honor from the circumftances 
 of birth and education, though it throws 
 back a luflre upon both. With an inquifi- 
 tive mind, that always profited by the lights 
 of others, and was unclouded by paflions 
 of its own, he acquired a maturity of judg¬ 
 ment, rare in age, unparalleled in youth. 
 Perhaps no young man had fo early laid up 
 a life’s flock of materials for folid reflection, 
 or fettled fo foon the principles and habits 
 of his conduft. Grey experience liftened 
 to his counfels with refpeft, and at a time 
 when youth is almofl privileged to be rafh, 
 Virginia committed the fafetv of her fron¬ 
 tier, and ultimately the fafety of America, 
 not merely to his valor, for that would be 
 fcarcely praife ) but to his prudence. 
 
MEMORT of 
 
 168 
 
 It is not in Indian wars that heroes 
 are celebrated ; but it is there they are 
 formed. No enemy can be more formida¬ 
 ble, by the craft of his ambufhes, the fud« 
 dennefs of his onfet, or the ferocity of his 
 vengeance. The foul of WASHINGTON 
 was thus exercifed to danger; and on the 
 firft trial, as on every other, it appeared 
 firm in adverfity, cool in action, undaunt¬ 
 ed, felf-podefled* His fpirit, and dill more 
 his prudence, on the occafion of Braddock’s 
 defeat, diffufed his name throughout Amer¬ 
 ica, and acrofs the Atlantic. Even then 
 his country viewed him with complacency, 
 as her mod hopeful fon. 
 
 At the peace of 1763, Great-Britain, 
 in confequence of her victories, dood in a 
 pofition to prefcribe her own terms. She 
 chofe, perhaps, better for us than for her- 
 felf: for by expelling the French from 
 Canada, we no longer feared hodile neigh¬ 
 bors ; and we foon found juft caufe to be 
 afraid of our protestors. We difcerned 
 even then a truth, which the conduct of 
 France has fmce fo drongly confirmed, that 
 there is nothing which the gratitude of 
 weak dates can give, that will fatisfy ftrong 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 169 
 
 allies for their aid, but authority. Nations 
 that want protedlors, will have mailers. 
 Our fettlements, no longer checked by en¬ 
 emies on the frontier, rapidly increafed; 
 and it was difcovered, that America was 
 growing to a fize that could defend itfelf. 
 
 In this, perhaps unforefeen, but at 
 length obvious (late of things, the Britilh 
 Government conceived a jealoufy of the 
 Colonies, of which, and of their inten¬ 
 ded meafures of precaution, they made no 
 fee ret. 
 
 Thus it happened, that their forefight 
 of the evil, aggravated its fymptoms, and 
 accelerated its progrefs. The colonifis 
 perceived that they could not be governed, 
 as before, by affedtion ; and refolved that 
 they would not be governed by force. 
 Nobly refolved ! for had we fubmitted to 
 the Britifh claims of right, we fhould have 
 had, if any, lefs than our ancient liberty ; 
 and held what might have been left by a 
 worfe tenure. 
 
 Our nation, like its great leader, had 
 cnlv to take counfel from its courage. 
 
 tr 
 
 P 
 
MEMORY or 
 
 * 7 ° 
 
 When WASHINGTON heard the voice 
 of his country in didrefs, his obedience was 
 prompt \ and though his facridces were 
 great, they cod him no effort. Neither the 
 objed nor the limits of my plan, permit 
 me to dilate on the military events of the 
 revolutionary war. Our hidory is but a 
 tranfeript of his claims on our gratitude. 
 Our hearts bear tedimony, that they are 
 claims not to be fatisfied. When over¬ 
 matched by numbers; a fugitive, with a 
 little band of faithful foldiers ; the States 
 as much exhauded as difmayed ; he ex¬ 
 plored his own undaunted heart, and found 
 there refources to retrieve our affairs. We 
 have feen him difplay as much valor as 
 gives fame to heroes, and as confummate 
 prudence as enfures fuccefs to valor ; fear- 
 lefs of dangers that were perfonal to him \ 
 hefitating and cautious, when they affeded 
 his country ; preferring fame before fafety 
 or repofe \ and duty, before fame. 
 
 Rome did not owe more to Fabius, 
 than America to WASHINGTON. Our 
 nation diares with him the fingular glory 
 of having condudcd a civil war with mild- 
 nefs, and a revolution., with order. 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 171 
 
 The event of that war feemed to 
 crown the felicity and glory both of Amer¬ 
 ica and its Chief. Until that conted, a 
 great part of the civilized world had been 
 furprifingly ignorant of the force and char¬ 
 acter, and almoil of the exidence, of the 
 Britifh Colonies. They had not retained 
 what they knew, nor felt curiofity to know 
 the date of thirteen wretched fettleinents, 
 which vad woods inclofed, and dill vader 
 woods divided from each other. They did 
 not view the colonifts fo much a people, as 
 a race of fugitives, whom want, and foli* 
 tude, and intermixture with the lavages, 
 had made barbarians. Great-Britain, they 
 faw, was elate with her victories : Europe 
 flood in awe of her power : her arms made 
 the thrones of the mod powerful undeady, 
 and didurbed the tranquility of their States, 
 with an agitation more extenfive than an 
 earthquake. As the giant Enceladus is 
 fabled to lie under Etna, and to fhake the 
 mountain when he turns his limbs, her 
 hodility was felt to the extremities of the 
 world. It reached to both the Indies ; in 
 the wilds of Africa, it obftru&ed the com¬ 
 merce in Haves $ the whales, finding, in 
 
? 7 2 
 
 MEMORT o? 
 
 time of war, a refpite from their purfuers, 
 could venture to fport between the tropics, 
 and did not flee, as in peace, to hide be** 
 neath the ice-fields of the polar circle. 
 
 At this time, while Great-Britain 
 wielded a force not inferior to that of the 
 Roman empire under Trajan, fuddenly, 
 aflonifiled Europe beheld a feeble people, 
 till then unknown, {land forth, and defy 
 this giant to the combat. It was fo une¬ 
 qual, all expelled it would be fhort. The 
 events of that war were fo many miracles, 
 that attracted, as much perhaps as any war 
 ever did, the wonder of mankind. Our 
 final fuccefs exalted their admiration to its 
 highefl point ; they allowed to WASH¬ 
 INGTON all that is due to tranfcendent 
 virtue, and to the Americans more than is 
 due to human nature. They confidered 
 us a race of WASHINGTONS, and ad¬ 
 mitted that nature in America was fruitful 
 only in prodigies. Their books and their 
 travellers, exaggerating and diftorting all 
 their reprefentations, afiifled to eflablifh the 
 opinion, that this is a new world, with a 
 new order of men and things adapted to it; 
 that here we pra&ife induftry, amidfl the 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 *73 
 
 abundance that requires none ; that we 
 have morals fo refined, that we do not 
 need laws ; and though we have them, yet 
 we ought to confider their execution as an 
 infult and a wrong ; that we have virtue 
 without weaknefTes, fentiment without paf- 
 fions, and liberty without fa&ions. Thefe 
 illufions, in fpite of their abfurdity, and, 
 perhaps, becaufe they are abfurd enough to 
 have dominion over the imagination only, 
 have been received by many of the male- 
 contents againft the governments of Eu¬ 
 rope, and induced them to emigrate. Such 
 illufions are too Toothing to vanity, to be 
 entirely checked in their currency among 
 Americans. 
 
 / i 
 
 They have been pernicious, as they 
 cherifh falfe ideas of the rights of men and 
 the duties of rulers. They have led the 
 citizens to look for liberty, where it is not * 
 and to confider the government, which is 
 its cattle, as its prifon. 
 
 WASHINGTON retired to Mount 
 Vernon, and the eyes of the world follow¬ 
 ed him. He left his countrymen to their 
 
 Pa 
 
17 4 
 
 MEMGRT of 
 
 fimpliclty and their pafftons, and their glory 
 foon departed. Europe began to be un¬ 
 deceived, and it feeined for a time, as if, 
 by the acquifition of Independence, our 
 citizens were difappointed. The Confed¬ 
 eration was then the only compact made 
 6C to form a perfect union of the States, to 
 eftablifh juftice, to enfure the tranquillity, 
 and provide for the fecurity, of the nation 
 and accordingly, union was a name that 
 ftill commanded reverence, though not obe¬ 
 dience. The fyflem called juftice, was, in 
 feme of the States, iniquity reduced to ele¬ 
 mentary principles \ and the public tran¬ 
 quillity was fuch a portentous calm, as 
 rings in deep caverns before the explofion 
 of an earthquake. Moft of the States then 
 were in fact, though not in form, imbalan¬ 
 ced democracies. Reafon, it is true, fpoke 
 audibly in their conflitutions ; paffion and 
 prejudice louder in their laws. It is to the 
 honor of MaiTachufetts, that it is chargea¬ 
 ble with little deviation from principles. 
 Jts adherence to them was one of the cauf- 
 es of a dangerous rebellion. It was fcarce- 
 ly poiTible that fuch governments fhould 
 not be agitated by parties, and that pre- 
 
WASHING TON. 
 
 *75 
 
 vailing parties fhould not be vind'i&ive and 
 unjuft. Accordingly, in fome of the States, 
 creditors were treated as outlaws; bank¬ 
 rupts were armed with legal authority to 
 be perfecutors; and, by the fliock of ail 
 confidence and faith, fociaty was fhaken to 
 its foundations. Liberty we had ; but we 
 dreaded its abufe altnoft as much as its lofs; 
 and the wife, who deplored the one, clear¬ 
 ly forefaw the other. 
 
 The States were alfo becoming for¬ 
 midable to each other. Tribute, under 
 the name of impoft, was for years levied 
 by fome of the commercial States upon 
 their neighbors. Meafures of retaliation 
 w r ere reforted to, and mutual recriminations 
 had begun to whet the refentmeins, whofe 
 never failing progrefs among States is more 
 injuflice, vengeance, and war. 
 
 The peace of America hung by a 
 thread, and factions were already fharpen- 
 ing their weapons to cut it. The project 
 of three feparate empires in America was 
 beginning to be broached, and the progrefs 
 of iicentioufnefs would have foon rendered 
 her citizens unfit for liberty in cither of 
 
MEMORY os 
 
 176 
 
 them. An age of blood and mifery would 
 have punifned our difunion: But thefe 
 were not the confiderations to deter ambi¬ 
 tion from its purpofe, while there were fo 
 many circumftances in our political fitua- 
 tion to favor it. 
 
 At this awful crifis, which all the 
 wife fo much dreaded at the time, yet which 
 appears, on a retrofpedl:, fo much more 
 dreadful than their fears ; fome man was 
 wanting, who polfeffed a commanding pow¬ 
 er over the popular paffions, but over whom 
 thofe paffions had no power.—That man 
 was WASHINGTON. 
 
 ; i 
 
 His name, at the head of fuch a lift of 
 worthies as would refled: honor on any 
 country, had its proper weight with all the 
 enlightened, and with almoll all the weli- 
 difpofed among the lefs informed citizens, 
 and, bleflfed be God ! the Cpnftitution was 
 adopted. Yes, to the eternal honor of 
 America among the nations of the earth, 
 it was adopted, in fpite of the obitacles 
 which, in any other country, and perhaps 
 in any other age of this, would have been 
 infurmountable 5 in fpite of the doubts and 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 177 
 
 fears, which well meaning prejudice creates 
 for itfelf, and which party fo artfully in¬ 
 flames into flubhornnefs; in fpite of the 
 vice, which it has fubjected to reftraint, 
 and which is therefore its immortal and 
 implacable foe; !n fpite of the oligarchies 
 in fome of the States, from whom it {hatch¬ 
 ed dominion ; it was adopted, and our 
 country enjoys one more invaluable chance 
 for its union and happinefs: Invaluable 1 
 if the retrofpeft of the dangers we have 
 efcaped, {hall fufiiciently inculcate the prin¬ 
 ciples we have fo tardily eftablifhed. Per¬ 
 haps multitudes are ncr to be taught by 
 their fears only, wdthout fullering much to 
 deepen the impreflion : For experience 
 brandifhes in her fchooi a whip of fcorpi- 
 oils, and teaches nations her fummary lef- 
 fons of wifdorn by the fears and wounds of 
 their adverfity. 
 
 The amendments which have been 
 projected in fome of the States {how, that 
 
 in them at leafl, thefe leiTons are not well 
 
 / 
 
 remembered. In a confederacy of States, 
 fome powerful, others weak, the weaknefs 
 of the federal union will, fooner or later, 
 encourage, and will not reftrain, the ambi« 
 
 O ^ 1 
 
MEMORT of 
 
 1 78 
 
 tion and injuftice of the members. The 
 weak can no otherwife be ftrong or fafe, 
 but in the energy of the national govern¬ 
 ment. It is this defeat, which the blind 
 jealoufy of the weak States not unfrequent- 
 iy contributes to prolong, that has prov¬ 
 ed fatal to all the confederations that ever 
 exifled. 
 
 9 
 
 Although it was impofuble that fuch 
 merit as WASHINGTON’S fhould not 
 produce envy, it was fcar.cely poffible that, 
 with fuch a tranfcendent reputation, he 
 fhould have rival's# Accordingly, he was 
 unanimoufly chofen Prefident of the Unit¬ 
 ed States. 
 
 As a General and a Patriot, the mea- 
 fure of his glory was already full : There 
 was no fame left for him to excel but his 
 Own ; and even that talk, the mightieft of 
 all his labors, his civil magiftracy has ac¬ 
 complished. 
 
 No fooner did the new government 
 begin its aufpicious courfe, than order fee ru¬ 
 ed to arife out of confufion. The govern¬ 
 ments of Europe had feen the old Confed- 
 
WASHING TO N. 
 
 179 
 
 eration finking, fqualid and pale, into the 
 tomb, when they beheld the new Ameri¬ 
 can Republic rife fuddenly from the 
 ground ; and, throwing off its grave cloaths, 
 exhibiting the flature and proportions of a 
 young giant, refrefhed with ileep. Com¬ 
 merce and induflry awoke, and were cheer¬ 
 ful at their labors ; for credit and confi¬ 
 dence awoke with them. Every where 
 was the appearance of profperity ; and the 
 billy fear was, that its progrefs was too 
 rapid, to confift with the purity and fim- 
 plicity of ancient manners. The cares and 
 labors of the Prefident were inceffant: His 
 exhortations, example, and authority, were 
 employed to excite zeal and activity for the 
 public fervice : Able officers were feleded, 
 only for their merits ; and fome of them re¬ 
 markably diftinguifhed themfelves by their 
 fuccefsful management of the public bun- 
 xiefs. Government was adminiffered with 
 fuch integrity, without my fiery, and in fo 
 profperous a courfe, that it Teemed to be 
 wholly employed in acls of beneficence. 
 Though it has made many thoufand male- 
 contents, it has never, by its rigor or injuf- 
 tice, made one man wretched. 
 
i8o 
 
 MEMORT of 
 
 Such was the date of public affairs: 
 and did it not feem perfectly to enfure un¬ 
 interrupted harmony to the citizens ? did 
 they not, in refpeft to their government 
 and its adminiftration, poffefs their whole 
 heart’s defire ? They had feen and differed 
 long the want of an efficient Conflitution : 
 they had freely ratified it : They fawr 
 WASHINGTON, their tried friend, the 
 father of his country, invefted with its pow¬ 
 ers. They knew that he could not exceed 
 or betray them, without forfeiting his own 
 reputation. Confider, for a moment, what 
 a reputation it was: Such as no man ever 
 before poffeffed by fo clear a title, and in 
 fo high a degree. His fame feerned in its 
 purity to exceed even its brightnefs : office 
 took honor from his acceptance, but con¬ 
 ferred none. Ambition flood awed and 
 darkened by his ffiadow. For where, thro 
 the wide earth, was the man fo vain as to 
 difpute precedence with him ; or what 
 were the honors that could make the pof- 
 feffor WASHINGTON’S fuperior ? Re¬ 
 fined and complex as the ideas of virtue 
 are, even the grofs could differn in his life 
 the infinite fuperiority of her rewards. 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 i8r 
 
 Mankind perceived fome change in their 
 ideas of greatnefs: the fplendor of power, 
 and even of the name of conqueror, had 
 grown dim in their eyes. They did not 
 know that WASHINGTON could aug¬ 
 ment his fame ; but they knew and felt, 
 that the world’s wealth, and its empire 
 too, would be a bribe far beneath his ac¬ 
 ceptance. 
 
 This is not exaggeration : never was 
 confidence in a man and a chief magiftrate 
 more widely diffufed, or more folidly eftab- 
 lifhed. 
 
 If it had been in the nature of man 
 that we fhould enjoy liberty, wdthout the 
 agitations of party, the United States had 
 a right, under thefe clrcumftances, to ex¬ 
 pert it: but it was impoffible. Where 
 there is no liberty, they may be exempt 
 from party. It will feem ft range, but it 
 fcarcely admits a doubt, that there are few¬ 
 er malecontents in Turkey, than in any 
 free ftate in the world. Where the people 
 have no power, they enter into no contefts, 
 and are not anxious to know how they 
 
MEMORY of 
 
 x8a 
 
 (hall ufe it. The fpirit of difcontent be¬ 
 comes torpid for want of employment, and 
 fighs itfelf to reft. The people fleep 
 foundly in their chains, and do not even 
 dream of their weight. They lofe their 
 turbulence with their energy, and become 
 as tradable as any other animals ; a ftate 
 of degradation, in which they extort our 
 fcorn, and engage our pity, for the mifery 
 they do not feel. Yet that heart is a bafe 
 one, and fit only for a flave’s bofom, that 
 would not bleed freely, rather than fub- 
 mit to fuch a condition ; for liberty with 
 all its parties and agitations is more defira- 
 ble than flavery. Who would not prefer 
 the republics of ancient Greece, where 
 liberty once fubfifted in its excefs, its de¬ 
 lirium, teriible in its charms, and gliften- 
 ing to the laft with the blaze of the very 
 fire that confumed it ? 
 
 I do not know that I ought, but I am 
 fure that I do, prefer thofe republics to the 
 dozing flavery of the modern Greece, 
 where the degraded wretches have fullered 
 fcorn till they merit it, where they tread 
 on claflic ground, on the afhes of heroes 
 and patriots, unconscious of their anceftry. 
 
WA S RING TO N. 
 
 183 
 
 ignorant of the nature, and almoft of the 
 name of liberty, and infenfible even to the 
 paffion for it. Who, on this contraft, can 
 forbear to fay, it is the modern Greece that 
 lies buried, that fleeps forgotten in the 
 caves of Turkifh darknefs ? It is the ancient 
 G reece that lives in remembrance, that is 
 (till bright with glory, (till frefh in immor¬ 
 tal youth. They are unworthy of liberty, 
 who entertain a lefs exalted idea of its ex¬ 
 cellence. The misfortune is, that thofc 
 who profefs to be its moft paffionate ad¬ 
 mirers have, generally, the leaf!: cotnpre- 
 henfion of its hazards and impediments r 
 they exped that an enthufraftic admiration 
 of its nature will reconcile the multitude 
 to the irkfomenefs of its reftraints. Delu* 
 five expedition ! WASHINGTON was 
 not thus deluded. We have his folernn 
 warning again ft the often fatal propenfities 
 of liberty. He had refleded, that men are 
 often falfe to their country and their honor, 
 falfe to duty and even to their intereft ; 
 but multitudes of men are never long falfe 
 or deaf to their paffions ; thtfe will find 
 obftacies in the laws, affociates in party. 
 The fellowfhips thus formed are more inti- 
 
184 
 
 MEMORT 0? 
 
 mate, and impofe commands more imperi¬ 
 ous, than thofe of fociety. 
 
 Thus party forms a (late within the 
 ffate, and is animated by a rivalfhip, fear, 
 and hatred, of its fuperior. When this 
 happens, ; the merits of the government 
 will become frefh provocations and offen¬ 
 ces ; for they are the merits of an enemy. 
 No wonder then, that as foon as party 
 found the virtue and glory of WASH¬ 
 INGTON were obftacles, the attempt was 
 made, by calumny, to furmount them both. 
 For this, the greateft of all his trials, we 
 know that he was prepared. He knew 
 that the government muff poffefs fufficient 
 ffrength from within or without, or fall a 
 victim to faction. This interior ffrength 
 was plainly inadequate to its defence, un- 
 lefs it could be reinforced from without by 
 the zeal and patriotism of the citizens ; 
 and this latter refourcc was certainly as ac- 
 ceffible to Prefident WASHINGTON, as 
 to any chief magiffrate that ever lived. 
 The life of the federal government, he 
 confidered, was in the breath of the peo¬ 
 ple’s noftriis: whenever they fhouid hag- 
 
TV ASHING TON. 
 
 lu 5 
 
 pen to be fo infatuated or inflamed as to 
 abandon its defence, its end muft be as 
 fpeedy, and might be as tragical, as a con- 
 flitution for France. 
 
 While the Prefident was thus ad- 
 miniflering the government, in fo wife and 
 juft a manner, as to engage the great ma¬ 
 jority of the enlightened and virtuous citi¬ 
 zens to co-operate with him for its fupport, 
 and while he indulged the hope that time 
 and habit were confirming their attach¬ 
 ment, the French revolution had reached 
 that point in its progrefs, when its terrible 
 principles began to agitate all civilized na¬ 
 tions. I will not, on this occafion, detain 
 you to exprefs, though my thoughts teem 
 with it, my deep abhorrence of that revo¬ 
 lution ; its defpotifm, by the mob or the 
 military, from the firft, and its hypocrify 
 of morals to the lafl. Scenes have palled 
 there which exceed defcription, and which, 
 for other reafons, I will not attempt to def- 
 cribe ; for it would not be pofiible, even 
 at this diflance of time, and with the fea 
 between us and France, to go through with 
 the recital of them, without perceiving 
 
MEMORY of 
 
 1 86 
 
 horror gather, like a frod, about the heart, 
 and a!molt dop its pulfe. That revolution 
 has been condant in nothing but its vicif- 
 fitudes, and its promifes ; always delufive 
 but always renewed, to eftablifh philofophy 
 by crimes, and liberty by the fword. The 
 people of France, if they are not like the 
 modern Greeks, find their cap of liberty is 
 a foldier’s helmet ; and, with ail their im¬ 
 itation of didators and confuls, their ex¬ 
 uded fimiiitude to thtfe Roman orna¬ 
 ments, is in their chains. The nations of 
 Europe perceive another refemblance, in 
 their all conquering ambition. 
 
 But it is only the influence of that 
 event on America, and on the meafures of 
 the Prefident, that belongs to my fubjed. 
 It would be ingratefully wrong to his char¬ 
 acter to be filent in refped to a part of it, 
 which has the mod fignally illudrated his 
 virtues. 
 
 The genuine charader of that Revo¬ 
 lution is not even yet fo well underdood as 
 the didates of felf-prefervation require it 
 fhould be. The chief duty and care of all 
 Governments is to proted the rights of 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 1 87 
 
 property, and the tranquillity of fociety. 
 The leaders of the French Revolution, 
 from the beginning,cxcited the poor againlt 
 the rich : This has made the rich poor, but 
 it will never make the poor rich* On the 
 contrary, they were ufed only as blind in- 
 druments to make thofe leaders mailers, 
 fu ll of the_adverfe party, and then of the 
 State. Thus the powers of the State were 
 turned round into a direction exa&ly con¬ 
 trary to the proper one, not to preferve 
 tranquillity and redrain violence, but to 
 excite violence by the lure of power, and 
 plunder, and vengeance. Thus all France 
 has been, and Hill is, as much the prize of 
 the ruling party as a captured (hip ; and if 
 any right or pofTeflion has efcaped conhf- 
 cation, there is none that has not been liable 
 to it. 
 
 Thus it clearly appears that, in its 
 origin, its chara&er, and its means, the 
 government of that country is revolution¬ 
 ary ; that is, not only different from, but 
 direflly contrary to, every regular and well 
 ordered fociety. It is a danger, fimilar in 
 its kind, and at lead equal in degree, to 
 that, with which ancient Rome menaced 
 
A /#MORT op 
 
 1S8 
 
 her enemies. The allies of Rome were 
 Slaves ; and it cod fome hundred years 
 efforts of her policy and arms, to make her 
 enemies her allies. Nations, at this day, 
 can trud no better to treaties ; they can¬ 
 not even trud to arms, unlefs they are ufed 
 with a fpirit and perfeverance becoming 
 the magnitude of their danger. For the 
 French revolution has been, from the fird, 
 hodile to all right and judice, to all peace 
 and order in fociety; and, therefore, its 
 very exidence has been a date of warfare 
 againd the civilized world, and mod of all 
 againd free and orderly Republics. For 
 fuch are never without fa&ions, ready to 
 be the allies of France, and to aid her in the 
 work of dednndion. Accordingly, fcarce- 
 lyany but Republics have they fubverted. 
 Such governments, by fhowing in practice 
 .what Republican Liberty is 9 deteft French 
 iinpodure, and ihow what their pretexts 
 are not . 
 
 To fubvert them, therefore, they had, 
 befides the facility that faftion affords, the 
 double excitement of removing a reproach, 
 and converting their greated obdacles into 
 their molt efficient auxiliaries. 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 189 
 
 Who then, on careful reflection, will 
 be furprifed, that the French and their par- 
 tizans inftantly conceived the defire, and 
 made the mod powerful attempts to revo¬ 
 lutionize the American Government ? But 
 it will hereafter feem ftrange that their 
 exceffes fhould be excufed, as the effects of 
 a druggie for liberty, and* that fo many of 
 our citizens fhould be flattered, while they 
 were infulted, with the idea, that our ex*- 
 ample was copied, and our principles pui^ 
 fued. Nothing was ever more falfe, or 
 more fafcinating. Our liberty depends 011 
 our education, our laws, and habits, to 
 which even prejudices yield ; on the difper- 
 fion of our people on farms, and on the ai« 
 mod equal diffufion of property \ it isfound- 
 ed on morals and religion, whofe authority 
 reigns in the heart, and on the influence all 
 thefe produce on public opinion before 
 that opinion governs rulers. Here liberty 
 is redraint, there it is violence ; here it is 
 mild and cheering, like the morning fun of 
 our fuaimer, brightening the -hills, and 
 making the vallies green \ there it is like 
 the fun, when his rays dart pedilence on 
 the fands of Africa. American liberty 
 calms and redrains the licentious paflions, 
 
MEMORT of 
 
 190 
 
 like an angel that fays to the winds 
 and troubled feas, be (till. But how has 
 French licentioufnefs appeared to the 
 wretched citizens of Switzerland and Ve¬ 
 nice ? Do not their haunted imaginations, 
 even when they wake, reprefent her as' a 
 monfter, with eyes that flaih wild fire, 
 hands that hurl thunderbolts, a voice that 
 (hakes the foundation of the hills ? She 
 (lands, and her ambition meafures the 
 earth ; (he fpeaks, and an epidemic fury 
 feizes the Nations. 
 
 Experience is loft upon us, if v/e 
 deny, that it had feized a large part of the 
 American Nation. It is as fober, and in¬ 
 telligent, as free, and as worthy to be free, 
 as any in the world ; yet, like all other peo¬ 
 ple, we have pailions and prejudices, and 
 they had received a violent impulfe, which, 
 for a time, milled us. 
 
 Jacchinism had become here, as in 
 France, rather a feet than a party ; inspir¬ 
 ing a fanaticifm that was equally intolerant 
 and contagious. The delufion w r as gene¬ 
 ral enough to be thought the voice of the 
 people, therefore claiming authority with- 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 *9* 
 
 out proof; and jealous enough to exact 
 acquiefcence without a murmur of con¬ 
 tradiction. Some progrefs was made in 
 training multitudes to be vindictive and fe¬ 
 rocious. To them nothing feemed amiable* 
 but the revolutionary juflice of Paris ; 
 nothing terrible, but the government and 
 juflice cf America. The very name of 
 Patriots was claimed and applied in propor¬ 
 tion as the citizens had alienated their 
 hearts from America, and transferred their 
 affedtions to their foreign corrupter. Party 
 dilcerned its intimate connexion of interefl 
 with France, and confummated its profli¬ 
 gacy by yielding to foreign influence. 
 
 The views of thefe allies required that 
 this country fhould engage in war with 
 Great-Britain. Nothing lefs would give ro 
 France all the means of annoying this 
 dreaded rival : Nothing lefs would enfure 
 the fubjeCtion of America, as a Satellite to 
 the ambition of France: Nothing elfe 
 could make a Revolution here perfectly in¬ 
 evitable. 
 
 For this end, the minds of the citi¬ 
 zens were artfully inflamed, and the mo- 
 

 MEMORT of 
 
 ment was watched, and impatiently waited 
 for, when their long heated padions fhould 
 be in fufion, to pour them forth, like the 
 lava of a volcano, to blacken and confume 
 the peace and government of our country. 
 
 The fydematic operations of a fa&ion 
 under foreign influence had begun to ap« 
 pear, and were fuccefiively purfued, in a 
 manner too deeply alarming to be foon for* 
 gotten. Who of us does not remember 
 this word of evils in this word of ways i 
 Shame would forget, if it could, that, in 
 one of the States, amendments were pro« 
 pofed to break down the Federal Senate, 
 which, as in the State Governments, is a 
 great bulwark of the public order. To 
 break down another, an extravagant judi¬ 
 ciary power was claimed for States. In 
 another State a rebellion was fomented by 
 the agent of France: And who, without 
 frefh indignation, can remember, that the 
 powers of Government were openly ufurp- 
 ed ; troops levied, and fhips fitted out to 
 fight for her ? Nor can any true friend to 
 our Government ccnfider without dread, 
 that, foon afterwards, the treaty making 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 *93 
 
 power was boldly challengedfor a branch 
 of the Government, from which the Condi- 
 lution has wifely withholden it. 
 
 I am oppreffed, and know not how to 
 proceed with my fubjed—WASHING¬ 
 TON, bleffed be God ! who endued him 
 with wifdom and clothed him with power 
 —WASHINGTON iffued his Proclama¬ 
 tion of Neutrality, and, at an early period, 
 arrefted the intrigues of: France and the 
 paffions of his countrymen, on the very 
 edge of the precipice of war and revolution. 
 
 This ad of firmnefs, at the hazard of 
 his reputation and peace, entitles him to 
 the name of the fird of Patriots. Time 
 was gained for the Citizens to recover their 
 virtue and good fenfe, and they foon re¬ 
 covered them. The cribs was puffed, and 
 America was fayed. 
 
 You and I, mod refpeded fellow'-citi¬ 
 zens, fhould be fooner tired than fatisfted 
 in recounting the particulars of this illudri- 
 ous man’s life. 
 
 How great he appeared, while he ad- 
 minidered the Government, how much 
 
 R 
 
194 
 
 MEMORT or 
 
 greater when he retired from it, how he ac¬ 
 cepted the Chief military command under 
 his wife and upright fucceifor, how his life 
 was unfpotted like his fame, and how his 
 death was worthy of his life, are fo many 
 diftindt fubjects of inftruction, and each of 
 them fmgly more than enough for aneulogi- 
 um. I leave the talk, however, to hiftory 
 and to poflerity ; they will be faithful to it. 
 
 It is not impoffible, that feme will af¬ 
 fect to confider the honors paid to this great 
 Patriot, by the Nation, as excefiive, idola¬ 
 trous, and degrading to free-men, who are 
 all equal. I anfwer, that refufing to virtue 
 its legitimate honors would not prevent 
 their being Iavifhed, in future, on any 
 worthlefs and ambitious favorite. If this 
 day’s example (hould have its natural effect, 
 it will be falutary. Let fuch honors be fo 
 conferred only when, in future, they (hall 
 be fo merited : Then the public fentiment 
 will not be mined, nor the principles of a 
 juft equality corrupted. The beft evidence 
 of reputation is a man’s whole life. We 
 have now, alas ! all WASHINGTON’S 
 before us. There has fcarcely appeared a 
 really great man, whofe character has been 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 *95 
 
 more admired in his life time, or lels cor¬ 
 rectly underllood by his admirers. When 
 it is comprehended, it is no eafy talk to de¬ 
 lineate its excellencies in fuch a manner, 
 as to give to the portrait, both interefl and 
 refemblance. For it requires thought and 
 fludy to underhand the true ground of 
 the fuperiority of his character over many 
 others, whom he refembled in the princi¬ 
 ples of aCtion, and even in the manner of 
 aCting. But perhaps he excels all the 
 great men that ever lived, in the headinefsL 
 of his adherence to his maxims of life, and 
 in the uniformity of all his conduCt to the 
 fame maxims. Thefe maxims, though 
 wife, were yet not fo remarkable for their 
 wifdom, as for their authority over his life : 
 For if there were any errors in his judg¬ 
 ment, (and he difcovered as few as any 
 man) we know of no blemifhes in his vir¬ 
 tue. lie was the Patriot without reproach : 
 He loved his country well enough to hold 
 his fuccefs in ferving it an ample reconi- 
 penfe. Thus far felf-love and love of coun¬ 
 try coincided : But when his country need¬ 
 ed facrifices, that no other man could, or 
 perhaps would be willing to make, he did 
 
MEMORY os 
 
 196 
 
 not even hefitate. This was virtue in its 
 mod exalted chara&er. More than once 
 he put his fame at hazard, when he had 
 reafon to think it would be facrificed, at 
 lead in this age. Two inftances cannot be 
 denied : When the army was diibanded ; 
 and again, when he flood, like Leonidas at 
 the pafs of Thermopylae, to defend our In¬ 
 dependence againfl France. 
 
 / It is indeed almofl as difficult to draw 
 his chara&er, as the portrait of Virtue. 
 The reafons are fimilar. Our ideas of 
 moral excellence are obfcure, becaufe they 
 are complex, and we are obliged to refort 
 to illuftraiions. WASHINGTON’S ex¬ 
 ample is the happiefl to fhow what virtue 
 is; and to delineate his charadler, we na¬ 
 turally expatiate on the beauty of virtue : 
 Mucli mud be felt, and much imagined* 
 His pre-eminence is not fo much to be feen 
 in the difplay of any one virtue, as in the 
 pofleffion of them all, and in the pra&ice 
 of the mod difficult. Hereafter therefore 
 his character mud be dudied before it will 
 be (hiking ; and then it will be admitted 
 as a model ; a precious one to a free Re¬ 
 public ! 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 *97 
 
 It is no lefs difficult to fpeak of his 
 talents* They were adapted to lead, with¬ 
 out dazzling mankind ; and to draw forth 
 and employ the talents of others, without 
 being milled by them. In this he was cer¬ 
 tainly fuperior, that he neither unhook nor 
 mifapplied his own. His great modefty 
 and referve would have concealed them, if 
 great occafions had not called them forth ; 
 and then, as he never fpoke from the af¬ 
 fectation to fhine, nor acted from any finif- 
 ter motives, it is from their effects only 
 that we are to judge of their greatnefs and 
 extent. In public trulls, where men, act¬ 
 ing conlpicuoufly, are cautious, and in 
 thofe private concerns, where few conceal 
 or refill their weakneffes', WASHING¬ 
 TON was uniformly great ; pudding right 
 conduct from right maxims. Kis talents 
 were fuch, as a Gift a found judgment, and 
 ripen with it. His prudence was confuru¬ 
 inate, and feerned to take the direction of 
 his powers and paffions ; for, as a Soldier, 
 he was more felicitous to avoid mi Hakes 
 that might be fatal, than to perform ex¬ 
 ploits that are brilliant ; and as a Statef- 
 man, to adhere to juft principles, however 
 
 R2 
 
MEMORY o* 
 
 198 
 
 old, than to purfue novelties ; and there¬ 
 fore, in both characters, his qualities were 
 Angularly adapted to the intereft, and were 
 • tried in the great-eft perils, ot the country. 
 His habits of inquiry were fo far remark¬ 
 able, that he was never fatisfied with invef- 
 tigating, nor debited from it, fo long as he 
 had lefs than all the light that he could 
 obtain upon a fubjeCt ; and then he made 
 his decifion without bias. 
 
 This command over the partialities that 
 fo generally Hop men fnort, or turn them 
 alide, in their purfuit of truth, is one of' 
 the chief caufes of his unvaried courfe of 
 right conduct in fo many difficult feenes, 
 where every human actor inuft be prefum¬ 
 ed to err. 
 
 # 
 
 If he had firong paffions, he had 
 learned to fubdue them, and to be moderate 
 and mild. If he had weakneftes he con¬ 
 cealed them, which is rare, and excluded 
 them from the government of his temper 
 and conduCt, which is ftill more rare. If 
 he loved fame, he never made improper 
 compliances, for what is called popularity. 
 The fame he enjoyed, is of the kind that wilt 
 
WA S H1NG TO N. 
 
 *95 
 
 laft forever; yet it was rather the effed, 
 than the motive, of his cortdud. Some 
 future Plutarch will fearch for a parallel to 
 his charader. Epaminondas is perhaps the 
 brightefl name of all antiquity. Our 
 WASHINGTON refembled him in the 
 purity and ardor of his patriotilm ; and 
 like him, he firff exalted the glory of his 
 country. There, it is to be hoped, the 
 parallel ends ': For Thebes fell with Epami¬ 
 nondas. But fuch comparifons cannot be 
 purfued far, without departing from the 
 fimiiitude. For we fhall find it as difficult 
 to compare great men as great rivers. Some 
 we admire for the length and rapidity of 
 their current, and the grandeur of their 
 catarads : Others, for the majedic filence 
 and fullnefs of their dreams : We cannot 
 bring them together to meafure the differ¬ 
 ence of their waters. The unambitious 
 life of WASHINGTON, declining fame, 
 yet courted by it, feemed, like the Ohio, 
 to choofe its long way through folitudes, 
 diffufmg fertility ; or like his own Poto¬ 
 mac, widening and deepening his channel, 
 as he approaches the fea, and difplaying 
 mod the ufefubiefs and ferenity of 1m 
 
20 C> 
 
 MEMORY op 
 
 greatnefs towards the end of his courfe. 
 Such a citizen would do honor to any 
 country. The conftant veneration and af¬ 
 fection of his country will fhow, that it was 
 worthy of fuch a citizen. 
 
 However his military fame may ex¬ 
 cite the wonder of mankind, it is chiefly 
 by h is civil magiflracy, that his example 
 will inflruct them. Great Generals have 
 arifen in all ages of the world, and perhaps 
 mofl in thofe of defpotifm and darknefs. 
 In times of violence and convulfion, they 
 rife, by the force of the whirlwind, high 
 enough to ride in it, and direCl the florin. 
 Like meteors, they glare on the black 
 clouds with a fplendor, that, while it daz¬ 
 zles and terrifies, makes nothing vifible but 
 the darknefs. The fame of heroes is in¬ 
 deed growing vulgar : They multiply in 
 every long war: They (land in hiftory, 
 and thicken in their ranks, almofl as un- 
 diftinguilhed as their own foldiers. 
 
 But fuch a Chief-Magi ft rate as 
 WASHINGTON, appears like the pole 
 flar in a clear iky, to direCt the fkilful 
 flateftnan. His Prefidency will form an 
 
WASHINGTON. tot 
 
 epoch, and he diftinguifhed as the age of 
 WASHINGTON. Already it affuines its 
 high place in the political region. Like 
 the milky way, it whitens along its allotted 
 portion of the hemifphere. The latefb gen¬ 
 erations of men will furvey, through the 
 telefcope of hidory, the fpace where fo ma¬ 
 ny virtues blend their rays, and delight to 
 feparate them into groups and diliinft vir¬ 
 tues. As the bed illuftration of them, the 
 living monument, to which the fird of 
 Patriots would have chofen to confign his 
 fame, it is my earned prayer to heaven, 
 that our country may fubfid, even to that 
 late day, in the plenitude of its liberty and 
 happinefs, and mingle its mild glory with 
 WASHINGTON’S. 
 
£c2 
 
 MEMORY os 
 
 K*a 
 
 EXTRACT FROM A SERMON, ON THE 
 DEATH OF GENERAL WASHING - 
 TON, PREACHED AT BURLING- 
 TON, NEW-JERSEY. 
 
 BY REV. DR. WHARTON . 
 
 I Maccabees, c. ix. v. 18, 20, 21, 22. 
 
 judas alfo was killed . And all Ifrael mads 
 great lamentation for him , and mourned 
 many days s faying—Row is the valiant 
 man fallen that delivered Ifrael, As for 
 the other things concerning Judas and his 
 wars , and the noble ads which he did , and 
 his greainefs , they are not voritten , jfar 
 
 many • 
 
 H how much propriety 
 
 thefe words refer to the illuflrious Man, 
 whofe lofs we now deplore, you my hear- 
 ers, mud feel more powerfully than I can 
 exprefs.—The achievements of the Jewidi 
 hero bear a ftrong refemblance to thofe of 
 our iate glorious fellow*citizen ; and they. 
 
WASHING TO N. 
 
 203 
 
 who read the book s of the Maccabees, will 
 readily perceive that Judas Maccabees was 
 the Washington of his day. His exploits 
 indeed, and his virtues were too numerous to 
 be written, as the labor of recording in thefe 
 days, was attended with many difficulties, 
 which the art of printing has happily done 
 away ; whereas the tranfeendant accom- 
 pliffiments and unparalleled transitions of 
 our great deliverer, hand recorded upon 
 the pages of multiplied hiftory, and are be¬ 
 come even already the obje&s of admiration 
 and applaufe among all civilized nations.— 
 Well, therefore, may 1 be excufed from en¬ 
 tering on a detail fo familiar to every fon 
 and daughter of America ; fo familiar to 
 the univerfe; well may I be excufed from 
 attempting to throw any additional luftre 
 upon the brilliancy of that character, which 
 for fo many years has fwelled the fweeteft 
 notes of the trumpet of'fame, and, borne 
 upon the wings of unadulterated glory, has 
 exhibited to mankind the firh great fpe£ta- 
 cle of the mod exalted heroifm accompani¬ 
 ed with dove-like modehy ; of the moh in¬ 
 defatigable patriotifin untained with fclfiffi- 
 nefs—of the foft irradiations of genuine 
 magnanimity and greatnefs, eclipfing the 
 
204 
 
 MEMORY of 
 
 obtrufive glare of pride, and effe&ually op- 
 preffing the fwell of arrogance and prefump- 
 tion. At the grand and Toothing idea, that 
 this greateft in (lance of human perfe&abil- 
 ity, this confpicuous phenomenon of hu¬ 
 man elevation and grandeur, fhould have 
 been permitted to rife fir ft on the horizon 
 of America, every citizen of thefe hates 
 mud feel his bofom beat with rapturous 
 and honed pride, tempered with reveren¬ 
 tial gratitude to the great author and fource 
 of all perfection.—He will be penetrated 
 with adoniihment, and kindled into thanks¬ 
 giving, when he refledls that our globe had 
 exided 6000 years before a Washington 
 appeared on the theatre of the world; and 
 that he was then dedined to appear in 
 America—to be the ornament, the deliv¬ 
 erer, the protestor, the delight ! ! !—But 
 alas ! he is now no longer among us; He 
 is gone, to his death bed, inclofed in the 
 blent tomb ; and all that is now left us, is 
 “like all Ifrael, to make great lamentation 
 for him, and to mourn many days, faying, 
 how is the valiant man fallen that delivered 
 Ifrael.My brethren, had the character 
 of WASHINGTON reded folely on the 
 bads of military achievements, and pokti- 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 20£ 
 
 cal fagacity ; had the vaft fabric of his im¬ 
 mortal reputation been fupported merely by 
 the hollow columns of univerfal applaufe, 
 and perfumed with no other fweets than 
 the incenfe of adulation, proffered by the 
 wayward multitude to merit, often as falfe 
 as it is glaring ; had the virtues of the 
 man been ftained by the vices of the hero, 
 or the Chriflian difappeared amidfl the pre- 
 tenfions of the philofopher, with whatever 
 delight you might have liflened to his pan- 
 egyrifls in other places, you would have 
 heard no tribute paid to his memory in 
 this. The temple of God is not defigned 
 to difplay the importance and fafcination. 
 of human glory and pre-eminence, but 
 rather to exhibit the tranfient glory and 
 emptinefs of both. And yet, O holy and 
 divine religion ! who prefidefl within thefe 
 walls, I trufl it will be deemed no violation 
 of thy fanctuary to have juft hinted at the 
 genuine glory and unparalleled pre-emin¬ 
 ence of character which adorned the great 
 deliverer and beloved Father of our coun¬ 
 try. His refpedt for thee, was uninterrupt¬ 
 ed and fmcere. In private and in public, 
 his conduct and converfation were marked 
 
 S 
 
2oS 
 
 MEMORY op 
 
 with an awful reverence for thy truths and 
 ordinances ; nothing profane ever dropt 
 from his lips; nothing irreligious ever ap- 
 peared in his behavior; to Providence he 
 afcribed all his fuccefs and his glory ; he 
 depofited all his laurels at the foot of the 
 altar, and the affedionate addrefies of his 
 fellow-citizens, joined with the applaufes of 
 diflant nations, indead of fwelling his great 
 foul with the lumes of vain glory, feemed 
 only to deprefs every fenfe of felf-fufficien- 
 cy, and rivet more firmly his confidence in 
 the Almighty. In his lad pathetic addrefs 
 to his country, he bears open and ample 
 teflimony to the fandions of Revelation j 
 and affures us all, that without religion, 
 neither the wifdom of laws, nor the pre¬ 
 cepts of morality will be able to preferve a 
 date from dedrudion. Let this fentiment, 
 my hearers, red permanently upon our 
 minds. It is the important legacy of our 
 beloved WASHINGTON, calculated to 
 promote our worldly and eternal happinefs; 
 and I trud that he now enjoys the bleffed 
 effeds of its adoption. And now let us, 
 from the death of this good and wonderful 
 man, endeavor to learn wifdom. 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 A view of his life mud fill every ci¬ 
 tizen with adonifhment, veneration and 
 love—while his death conveys the moil 
 affe&ing leifons to a Chriftian. Let us 
 prefume to follow his difembodied foul in¬ 
 to the depths of eternity. There he now 
 is alone with his God. What a fudden 
 revolution takes place in ail his faitiments 
 and ideas ! What avails him now, that he 
 lived a folitary example of uninterrupted 
 admiration and worldly profperity ; that 
 he reigned in the afiedions of every virtu¬ 
 ous heart; that his memory is honored bv 
 the tears of his own and difiant nations ; 
 the painter, the fculptor, the hiftorian and 
 the poet, fhall vie with each, other in con¬ 
 veying to future ages the benign traits of 
 his countenance, the majefiic fymmetry of 
 his perfon, the fair features of his expand¬ 
 ed mind, and the fair fame of his achieve¬ 
 ments ; what avails him now, that the mod 
 enlightened ftrangers from the European 
 world, eroded the vad Atlantic, to behold 
 the JoOiua and the Solomon of America \ 
 that mighty vefiels, and towns, and cities, 
 and provinces, bear his name ! a name that 
 feems to combine whatever is good, and 
 
•2 o8 
 
 MEMORY op 
 
 great, and amiable among men! Alas! 
 neither this mighty name, nor all the 
 events that now agitate the earth, are any 
 thing to him. The vaft extent of eternity 
 now difplayed before his eyes ; his everlafi- 
 ing deftiny in a new hate of exigence j 
 the realities of the eternal world opened 
 upon his view, fix all the attention and 
 abforb all the faculties of his immortal 
 fpirit—thrice happy, I truft, to have learn¬ 
 ed from the bleffed religion, which he pro- 
 feffed and refpefled, that all the fucceffes 
 and difgraces of this tran.fitpry hate, when 
 not referred to God, are little elfe than 
 empty dreams; that there is no real hap- 
 pinefs or mifery but in eternity. Thefe 
 are leffons which our divine religion had 
 delivered to the venerable and beloved fath¬ 
 er of our country : It was his happinefs to 
 believe them : The veil is now rent afun- 
 der ; and I doubt not but this great bene¬ 
 factor of mankind, is adtually perceiving, 
 feeling, and approving them, in the bofoirt 
 of the Eternal. And we my hearers, fhall 
 very foon perceive thefe truths and ap¬ 
 prove them alfo. A few days perhaps, 
 but certainly a few years, will put a period 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 209 
 
 to our mortal exigence. Eut were our 
 Jives to be protraded even through a feries 
 of ages, yet ftill the longed life would be 
 only a moment, when meafured upon the 
 fcale of eternity ; the duration of the Iofti- 
 ed cedar upon Libanus, is not lefs con- 
 traded and precarious, than that of the 
 humble flirub that grows in its (hade. The 
 whole of man feems to be, “ to be born and 
 to die.” The fpace that intervenes between 
 thefe terms of his mortality is fo very fhort, 
 that it appears to be jud nothing. Genius 
 opulence, fame, authority and reputation ; 
 all the gifts and treafures of nature and of 
 fortune, are evidently contained in a fmall 
 vedel of clay ; which no fooncr falls, than 
 it is broken in pieces, and its fcattered 
 fragments, lie ufelefs on the ground. My 
 hearers, let us accudom ourfelves to think, 
 as we dial! think in eternity ; to judge as 
 we fhall then judge. Happy, thrice happy, 
 the venerable fage and patriot, whofe death? 
 we now lament, that in life he regarded. 
 God as the fovereign mader ; religion as 
 the fovereign law ; the happinefs of eterni¬ 
 ty as the fupreme objed, that fhould intered 
 his afiedions. To us, O Lord, it belongs 
 
 82 
 
210 
 
 MEMORY of 
 
 not to penetrate into the depths of thy 
 judgments ; and well we know that human 
 virtues, the moft refplendent and fublime, 
 can entitle no man to the benefit of falva- 
 tion» From thy pure mercy only can this 
 grace be derived. This we trufl has been 
 extended to our beloved Father, and Pro- 
 leCtor. Though a conquering warrior, he 
 delighted in peace; and therefore we con- 
 fider he is now called a child of God 
 With juftice and humanity he judged his 
 Ifrael; and therefore we humbly hope that 
 he aifo has been judged according to the 
 abundance of thy mercy. And if any re¬ 
 mains of human frailty were Hill hanging 
 about him, when ufhered into thy prefence^ 
 O ! may the cleanfing blood of the Lamb 
 have wafned every {tain ; may the gates 
 of Sion have opened to receive him, and in¬ 
 troduce this defender and benefactor of na¬ 
 tions, into the everlafting repofe of the 
 deft of God. —Amen, 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 3 - 1 1 , 
 
 EXTRACTS FROM THE 
 
 FUNERAL ORATION, 
 
 ON GENERAL WASHINGTON , DELIVER- 
 ED AT PARIS, IN THE TEMPLE 
 OF MARS, 20th PLUVIOSE, 
 
 8 th FEBRUARY, iSoo. 
 
 BY LOUIS FONTANES . 
 
 narrow prejudices which exift between na¬ 
 tions, and admiring virtue wherever it be 
 found, decrees this tribute of refped to the 
 inanes of WASHINGTON. At this mo. 
 ment (he contributes to the difcharge of a 
 debt due by two nations. No government, 
 whatever form it bears, or whatever opin¬ 
 ions it holds, can refufe its refpedl to this 
 great father of liberty. The people who 
 fo lately fligmatifed WASHINGTON as a 
 rebel, regard even the enfranchifment of 
 America, as one of thofe events confecrat- 
 ed by hitlory and by pad ages. Such is 
 
313 
 
 MEMORY of 
 
 the veneration excited by great chara&ers. 
 The American revolution, the cotemporary 
 of our own, is fixed forever. WASH¬ 
 INGTON began it. with energy, and fin- 
 ifhed it with moderation. He knew how 
 to maintain it, purfuing always the prof- 
 perity of his country ; and his aim alone 
 will juftify at the tribunal of the Mofl High, 
 enterprifes fo extraordinary* 
 
 “To pronounce the eulogy of the hero 
 of America,requires the fublimeft eloquence 
 of the firft orators. I refledi, with fenti- 
 ments of admiration, that this temple, orna¬ 
 mented with the trophies of valor, was raif- 
 ed up in an age of genius, an age which 
 produced as many great writers as illuflri- 
 ous commanders. Then the memory of 
 heroes was entrufled to orators whofe gen¬ 
 ius gave immortality. Now, military glo¬ 
 ry fhines with lull re [eclat ]—and in every 
 country the glory of the fine arts is fhroud- 
 ed in darknefs. My voice is too feeble to 
 be heard on an occafion fo folemn and mo¬ 
 mentous, and fo new to me. But as that - 
 voice is pure ; as it has never flattered any 
 fpecies of tyranny ; it has never been ren¬ 
 dered unworthy, of celebrating heroifm and 
 virtue. 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 ft 
 
 ~ 1 & 
 
 Nevertheless, thefe funeral and mil¬ 
 itary honors will fpeak to all hearts ; it 
 needs not the aid of fpeech, to raife flrong 
 and indefcribable emotions. The mourn¬ 
 ing which the firft conful orders for WAS H- 
 INGTON, declares to France that WASH¬ 
 INGTON’S example is not loft. It it lefs 
 for the illuflrious general, than for the ben- 
 efa 61 or and friend of a great people, that 
 the crape of mourning now covers our ban- 
 nets and the uniform of our warriors. 
 Neither do we prepare that unmeaning 
 pomp, fo contrary to policy and humanity, 
 in which infult is offered to misfortune, con¬ 
 tempt to venerable ruins, and calumny to 
 the tomb. Every exalted idea, every ufe- 
 ful truth is fccn in this affembly. I fpeak 
 before warriors, the honorable praife of a 
 warrior, firm in adverfity, modeft in victory 
 and magnanimous in every ftage of fortune. 
 —-Before the miniflers of the French repub¬ 
 lic, I fpeak the praifes of a man whom am¬ 
 bition never fwayed, and whofe every care 
 tended to the welfare of his country; a man 
 who, unlike others that have changed em¬ 
 pires, lived in peace in his native land; and 
 in that land which he had freed, and in 
 which he had held the higheft rank, died 
 as a Ample individual. 
 
2T4 
 
 MEMORY of 
 
 “ General WASHINGTON offers 
 examples not lefs worthy of imitation. 
 Amidft all the diforder of camps ; amidfl 
 all the exceffes infeparable from a civil war, 
 humanity took refuge in his tent, and was 
 never repulfed. In triumph and in defeat, 
 he was always as tranquil as wifdom, as 
 fimple as virtue. The finer feelings of the 
 heart never abandoned him, even in thofe 
 moments when his own interefl would feem 
 to juflify a recurrence to the laws of ven¬ 
 geance. This I call thee to atteff, O youth¬ 
 ful Afgill! thou whofe misfortunes have in- 
 terefled England, France and America ! 
 With what afliduous care did WASHING¬ 
 TON endeavor to delay a fentence which 
 the laws of war would have precipitated ! 
 He expected that a voice, then all power¬ 
 ful, would have been heard acrofs the ex¬ 
 pand ve ocean, and demanded a pardon 
 which could not be refufed. That voice, 
 fo conformable to the feelings of the heart, 
 was heard and felt; and the day which 
 faved an innocent vi&im ought to be in- 
 feribed among the glories of victorious and 
 Independent America. ***** 
 
 “ It is thefe extraordinary men, who 
 appear at intervals on this vaft fcene, with 
 
WASHINGTON. 215 
 
 ehara&ers commanding and illuftrious. An 
 unknown and fuperior caufe fends them 
 when it is fit, to lay the foundations of new 5 
 or to build up the ruins of old empires. 
 It is in vain that thefe men ftep afide, or 
 mingle in the crowd : Deiliny leads them 
 on ; they are carried from obflacle, to ob- 
 flacle, from triumph to triumph, until they 
 arrive at the fummit of power. Something 
 fupernatural animates all their thoughts: 
 An irreliflable movement is given to all 
 their enterprifes. The multitude hill feek 
 them among themfelves, and find them not j 
 they raife their eyes, and fee in a fphere 5 
 dazzling with light and glory, thofe whom 
 their ignorance and envy would call rafh. 
 WASHINGTON had not thofe high and 
 commanding traits which fit ike every mind: 
 He difplayed more order and juftice, than 
 force and elevation in his ideas. He pof- 
 felled above all, in an eminent degree, that 
 quality which fome call vulgar, but which 
 very few poffefs; that quality not lefs ufe- 
 ful to the government of fates than to the 
 conduct of life, and which gives more tran¬ 
 quility than emotion to the foul, and more 
 happinefs than glory to thofe who poffefs 
 it: It is of good fenfe that I fpeak.— 
 
MEMORY of 
 
 ui 6 
 
 Andacity deflroys, genius elevates, good 
 fenfe preferves and perfe&s. Genius is 
 charged with the glory of empires ; but 
 good fenfe alone affures their fafety and re- 
 pofe.—His end ‘pourtrayed all the do- 
 meftic virtues—as his life had been an illus¬ 
 trious example in war and politics. Amer¬ 
 ica regarded with relpect the manfion 
 which contained her defender : From that 
 retreat, where fo much glory dwelt, fage 
 counfels iffued, which had no lefs w r eight 
 than in the days of his power ; but death 
 has fwept all away ; he died in the midft 
 of thofe occupations which fweeten domef- 
 tic life, and fupport us in the infirmities of 
 age. 1 ' i — .. 
 
 cc From every part of that America 
 which he had delivered, the cry of grief is 
 heard. It belonged to France to echo back 
 the mournful found ; it ought to vibrate 
 on every generous heart. The fhade of 
 WASHINGTON,on entering beneath this 
 lofty dome, will find a Turenne , a Catinat , 
 a Conde , all of whom have fixed their hab¬ 
 itation here. If thefe illuftrious warriors 
 had not ferved in the fame caufe during life, 
 yet the fame of all, will unite them in death. 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 217 
 
 Opinions fubjed to the Gaprices of the world 
 and to time ; opinions, weak and changea¬ 
 ble, the inheritance of humanity, vanifh in 
 the tomb ; but glory and virtue live forever. 
 When departed from this flage, the great 
 men of every age and of every place, be¬ 
 come in fome meafure, compatriots and co¬ 
 temporaries. They form but one family in 
 the memory of the living ; and their ex¬ 
 amples are renewed in every fucceffive age. 
 Thus, within thefe walls the valor of 
 WASHINGTON attrads the regard of 
 Conde ; Ills modefly is applauded by Tu- 
 renne ; his philofophy draws him to the bo- 
 fom of Catinat . A people who admit the 
 ancient dogma of a tranfmigration of fouls, 
 will often confefs that the foul of Catbird 
 dwells in the bofom of WASHINGTON. 
 
 £C The voice of republicanifra, which 
 refounds from every part of thefe walls, 
 outfit to pleafe above all, the defenders of 
 America. Can they not love thefe foldiers 
 who, after their example, repelled the ene¬ 
 mies of their country ? We approach with 
 pleafure thofe veterans, whofe trophies add 
 iuflre to thefe walls, and fome of whom 
 
 T 
 
2l8 
 
 MEMORT cr 
 
 have gained laurels with WASHINGTON, 
 in the wilds of Carolina and Virginia.”— 
 
 C5 But there is fomething more due to 
 the memory of WASHINGTON ; it is the 
 union of France and America : It is the 
 happinefs of each ; it is peace between the 
 two nations. It now feems to me, that 
 WASHINGTON calls to all France from 
 the very fummit of his dome'—“ Magnani¬ 
 mous People /” you who know fo well how 
 to honor glory ; I have conquered for In¬ 
 dependence ; the happinefs of my country 
 was the reward of that victory. Imitate 
 not the fir ft half of my life ; it is the fecond 
 that recommends me to pofterity. 
 
 cc Yes, thy counfels {hall be heard, O 
 WASHINGTON ! O warrior ! O Legiila- 
 tor ! O citizen without reproach i He who 
 while yet young , rivals thee in battles, fhall, 
 like thee, with his triumphant hands, heal 
 the wounds of his country.——Even 
 now we have his difpofition, his character, 
 lor the pledge ; and his warlike genius, 
 unfortunately neceflary, fhall foon lead 
 fweet peace into this temple of war : 1 hen 
 the fentiment of univerfai joy fhall oblite- 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 219 
 
 rate the remembrance of oppreflion and in- 
 juflice. Already, the opprefied forget their 
 ills, in looking to the future. The accla¬ 
 mations of every age will be offered to the 
 hero who gives happinefs to France, and 
 feeks to refioreit to a contending world/* 
 
220 
 
 MEMORY of 
 
 % 
 
 TAKEN FROM " THE COURIER ,s 
 A LONDON PAPER—OF THE 
 24th JANUARY, 1800. 
 
 Genera!/ Washington 
 
 ■was, we believe, in his 68th year. The 
 heightof his perfon was about 5 feet,eleven ; 
 his cheft full; and his limbs, though rather 
 ilender, well fnaped and mufeular. His 
 head was fmall, in which refpeft he refem- 
 bled the make of a great number of his 
 countrymen. His eyes were of a light grey 
 colour ; and, in proportion to the length of 
 his face, his nofe was long. Mr. Stewart , 
 the eminent portrait painter, ufed to fay, 
 there were features in his face totally dif¬ 
 ferent from what he had ever obferved in 
 that of any other human being 5 the fock- 
 ets for the eyes, for indance, were larger 
 than what he ever met with before, and the 
 upper part of the nofe broader. All his 
 features, he obferved, were indicative of 
 
WASHING TON. 
 
 221 
 
 the ftrongeft paffions; yet, like Socrates , his 
 judgement and great felf-command have al¬ 
 ways made him appear a man of a different 
 caft in the eyes of the world. He always 
 fpoke with great diffidence, and fometimes 
 hefitated for a word ; but it was always to 
 find one particularly well adapted to his 
 meaning. His language was manly and 
 expreffive. At levee, his difcourfe with 
 Grangers turned principally upon the fuh- 
 iefl of America; and if they had been 
 through any remarkable places, his conver- 
 fation was free and particularly interefting, 
 for he was intimately acquainted with eve¬ 
 ry part of the country. He was much 
 more open and free in his behavior at 
 levee than in private, and in the company 
 of ladies Hill more fo than when folely 
 with men* 
 
 Few perfons ever found themfelves 
 for the fir (I time in the prefence of General 
 WASHINGTON, without being imprefN 
 ed with a certain degree of veneration and 
 awe , nor did thofe emotions fubfide on a 
 clofer acquaintance; on the contrary, his 
 perfon and deportment were fuch as rather 
 
222 
 
 MEMORT of 
 
 tended to augment them. The hard fer- 
 vice he had feen, the important and labori¬ 
 ous offices he had filled, gave a kind of auf- 
 terity to his countenance, and a referve to 
 his manners; yet he was the kindeit huf- 
 band, the molt humane mailer, the fleadi- 
 eft friend. 
 
 The whole range of hiitory does not 
 prefent to our view a character upon which 
 we can dwell with fuch entire and unmixed 
 admiration. The long life of General 
 WASHINGTON is notftained by a fmgle 
 blot. He was indeed a man of fuch rare 
 endowments, and fuch a fortunate temper¬ 
 ament, that every action he performed was 
 equally exempted from the charge of vice 
 or weaknefs. Whatever he faid, or did, 
 or wrote, was (lamped with a flriking and 
 peculiar propriety. His qualities W'ere fo 
 happily blended, andfo nicely harmonized, 
 that the refult was a great and perfect whole. 
 The powers of his mind, and the difpofi- 
 dons of his heart, were admirably fuited to 
 each other. It was the union of the mo ft 
 confummate prudence with the mod per¬ 
 fect moderation. His views, though large 
 and liberal, were never extravagant $ his 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 223 
 
 virtues, though comprehenfive and benefi¬ 
 cent, were difcriminating, judicious, and 
 practical. 
 
 Yet his chara&er, though regular and 
 uniform, pofTeffed none of the iittienefs 
 which may fometimes belong to thefe de¬ 
 scriptions of men. It formed a majeftie 
 pile, the eftedt of which was not impaired, 
 but improved by order and Symmetry. 
 There was nothing in it to dazzle by wikl- 
 neSs, and Surprize by eccentricity. It was 
 of a high Species of moral beauty. It con¬ 
 tained every thing great and elevated, but 
 it had no falfe and tinfel ornament. It was 
 not the model cried up by fafhion and cir- 
 cumftance ; its excellency was adapted to 
 the true and juft moral tafte, incapable of 
 change from the varying accidents of man¬ 
 ners, of opinions, and times."——General 
 WASHINGTON is not the idol of a day, 
 but the hero of ages! 
 
 Pl aced in circumftances of the moft: 
 trying difficulty at the commencement of 
 the American conteft, he accepted that Sit¬ 
 uation which was pre-eminent in danger 
 and reSponSibility. His perSeverance over- 
 
MEMORT op 
 
 4*4 
 
 came every obftacle ; his moderation con- 
 ciliated every oppofition ; his genius fup- 
 plied every refource ; his enlarged view 
 could plan, revife, and improve every 
 branch of civil and military operation. He 
 had the fuperior courage which can a d or 
 xorbear to ad, as true policy dictates, care- 
 lefs of the reproaches of ignorance, either 
 in power or out of power. He knew how 
 to conquer by waiting, in fpite of obloquy, 
 for the moment of vidory ; and he merit¬ 
 ed true praife by defpifing undeferved cen- 
 fure. In the mo if arduous moments of the 
 conteft, his prudent firmnefs proved the 
 falvation of the caufe which he fupported* 
 
 His condud was, on all occafions, 
 guided by the mod: pure diflntereftednefs. 
 Far fuperior to low and groveling motives, 
 he feetned even to be uninfluenced by that 
 ambition, which has juflly been called the 
 inftind of great fouls. He aded ever as if 
 his country’s welfare, and that alone, was 
 the moving fpring. His excellent mind 
 needed not even the Ilimulus of ambition, 
 or the profped of fame. Glory was but a 
 fecondary confideration. He performed 
 great adions, he perfevered in a courfe cl 
 
WASHINGTON. 
 
 22 S 
 
 laborious utility, with an equanimity that 
 neither fought diflintlion, nor was flattered 
 by it. His reward was in the confcioufnefs 
 of his own re&itude, and in the fuccefs of 
 his patriotic efforts. 
 
 As his elevation to the chief power 
 was the unbiaffed choice of his countrymen, 
 his exercife of it was agreeable to the puri¬ 
 ty of its origin. As he had neither folicit- 
 ed nor ufurped dominion, he had neither 
 to contend with the oppofition of rivals, 
 nor the revenge of enemies. As his au¬ 
 thority was undifputed, fo it required no 
 jealous precautions, no rigorous feverity* 
 Kis government veas mild and gentle; it 
 was beneficent and liberal ; it was wife and 
 juA. His prudent adminiftration confoli- 
 dated and enlarged the dominion of an in- 
 fant Republic., In voluntarily refigning 
 the magiftracy, which he had filled with 
 fuch diflinguifhed honor, he enjoyed the 
 unequalled fatisfa&ion of leaving to the 
 State he had contributed to eAablifh, the 
 fruits of his wifdom and the example oi 
 his virtues. 
 
 It is fome confolation, amidA the vio- 
 lence of ambition and the criminal third 
 
226 
 
 MEMORT of, Uc\ 
 
 of power, of which fo many indances occur 
 around us, to find a chara&er whom it is 
 honorable to admire, and virtuous to imi¬ 
 tate. A Conqueror, for the freedom of his 
 country! A Legiflator for its fecurity ! A 
 Magiflrate for its happinefs! His glories 
 were never fullied by thofe exceffes into 
 which the highefl qualities are apt to de¬ 
 generate. With the greateft virtues he 
 was exempt from the correfponding vices. 
 He was a man in whom the elements were 
 fo mixed, that “ nature might have flood 
 up to all the world” and owned him as 
 her work. His fame, bounded by no coun¬ 
 try, will be confined to no age. The char¬ 
 ter of General WASHINGTON, which 
 his cotemporaries regret and admire, will 
 be transmitted to poflerity; and the mem- 
 cry of his virtues, while patriotifm and 
 virtue are held facred among men, will re¬ 
 main undiminiiheda 
 
 i 
 
I 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 __ Note (A) page 19. 
 
 The following intercepted letter from Monf. La 
 Roche, to Monf. L’Mai ne, a French ofReer, was 
 publifhed by Mr. Thomas Fleet of Bofton, in 1754, 
 Ihortly alter it was intercepted, and is an authentic 
 and important document, containing a particular ac¬ 
 count of the deep defigns and extenfive plans of the 
 French for fubjugating the Btitilh colonies at that 
 period ; of their forces, and arrangements ; and alfo 
 of the defencelefs fituation of the colonies. In a word, 
 it throws much light on the hiftory of that gloomy 
 and interefting period of our hiftory, and developes 
 the nature of that long and cruel war, in which the 
 hero of the preceding memoirs bore fo confpicuous a 
 part. 
 
 Quebec, Feb, 16 , 1753. 
 
 "Sir, 
 
 THE day of my arrival at this place, I fsnt dif~ 
 patches to all the commanding officers in New France, 
 to meet me within ten days at Montreal : I alfo 
 immediately fent expreffes to all the commanding offi¬ 
 cers at Miflifippi, to mufter with all expedition, the 
 natives enlifted in his Moll Chriftian Msjefty’s fervice, 
 to join our troops from France, and proceed forth¬ 
 with to Ohio, there to follow fuch direftions as front 
 time to time they fhsll receive from us at Canada • 
 And according to time appointed, I met Monf. Du- 
 verney at Montreal, with our other officers ; at which 
 interview^, I received a meft agreeable account from 
 them, in favor of our royal mailer’s intereft, which 
 gives us a glorious prcfptft of focn adding a 
 
228 
 
 APPENDIX, 
 
 kingdom unto our dread fovereign's dominion* ; for 
 by thair account from north to fouth, they have en- 
 liftedinto his majefty's fervice, four or five thoufand 
 relolute young natives among the feveral tribes ; and 
 thofe have been for fome time difciplined, and well 
 equipt with all neceffmes. They alfo inform me, that 
 our regulars from France, with the natives included, 
 at Miffifippi, amount to near two thoufand four hun¬ 
 dred, who are to build many ftrong forts at Ohio and 
 places adjacent, which in a little time we expeft will 
 prove impregnable againft any force the Englifh can 
 raife in thofe parts. The cannon for faid forts i9 al¬ 
 ready difpatched. 
 
 Our army at Canada, with our regulars included, 
 will amount to near five thoufand, which we determine 
 to divide into three main bodies, one to be command¬ 
 ed by Count Montery, the fecond by Monf. Boriel, 
 and the third by Monf. Eftrides. Count Montery 
 to proceed to Crown-Point, and divide his fquadron 
 into parties on the back of Albany. The fecond di- 
 vifion under Monf. Boriel, on the back of Maryland 
 and Pennfylvania ; and the third under Monf. Eftrides, 
 on the back of New-England ; which are all to be di¬ 
 vided into parties, as the commanding officers fhall 
 judge proper. We defign only to fend fmall parties 
 of Indians into their back fetilements, to bring us frefh 
 fupplies of provifions until we are properly fortified. 
 Father Anthony, by an uncommon affiduity and in¬ 
 fluence, has gained over to our intereft, a number of 
 young men of the fix Nations, who by the Engiifli 
 are locked upon as our enemies; let that fufpicion 
 remain, and they may keep the old men and women. 
 
 I muff not omit to acquaint you, that our new 
 Governor is more and more zealous and refolute to be 
 a principal inflrument (with the united affifiance of 
 thehoufes of Bourbon) to fubdueand extirpate Here¬ 
 tics out of America. And fuch a glorious acquifition, 
 will add a kingdom, which will prove fuperior to Scot¬ 
 land and Ireland, and furnifh flors3 of every kind for 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 Mi moll chriftian and catholic majefty’s navy, and 
 provifions and other neccfTaries even to profufion, for 
 the fupply of their royal majefty’s pofleflions in the 
 Weft-IndieB. 
 
 Our young Hero, the prefent governor of Cana¬ 
 da, did not take this talk upon him, of making a con- 
 queft of that part of North-America podefied by the 
 Englifh, only from a motive which makes him ruler 
 thereof, and becaufe he has not a fuperior title ; but his 
 prefent difpofition animates him to be revenged on the 
 Englifh Heretics for the late indignities offered his 
 illuftrious perfon and royal predeceffors; and is come 
 into thefe parts, inverted with the power and authori¬ 
 ty of church and flate, and fupported W'ith money 
 and other afliftance, by his mort chriftian and catho¬ 
 lic majaftics ; and has Hkewife received the fupreme 
 fandlion and fovereign benedidion of his holinefs the 
 Pope, to drive cut of America peftilent Heretics, to 
 make room for good Cothoiics. 1 have alfo the fatic- 
 fadion of acquainting you, that the regiments raifed 
 in the Switz Cantons fome time part, which our gov¬ 
 ernor brought over w ith him, are in high fpirits, zea¬ 
 lous to affift us againft the Englifh, and conceive an 
 infinite fatisfadion at our prefent profped of pcfTeffing 
 thofe fruitful lands now enjoyed by the Englifh, 
 
 I have lately had a conference with M’Laifh, an 
 Irifh Jefuit of the order of St. Patrick, a politic in¬ 
 genious man, who has been among the feveral tribes, 
 influencing and enlifting the natives into his mafic 
 chriftian majefty’s fcr\ ice : He gives me a very fuc- 
 cind and fatisfadory account of the fevcral tribes of 
 natives near Canada, that upon any emergent occafion* 
 we may command what numbers we In all hive occa¬ 
 fion for. He gives roe alfo a particular relation of the 
 feveral provinces inhabited by the Englifh on the fta 
 courts, and appears perftdly acquainted with their 
 manners and curtoms. He informs me there are many 
 of our hearty friends among them, with whom he has 
 fettled a coirefpondence by letters, by the way of Cape 
 
<230 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 Breton, and from thence to Quebec. The Engllfh 
 (he fays) are our good friends; that the meafures we 
 have concerted, could not be fo effedually carried on, 
 were it not that one hundred fail of their veflels year¬ 
 ly arrive at Cape Breton, with provifion and other 
 necefiaries from Philadelphia, New York, Bofton, 
 Rhode-lfland, &c. which, by a moderate computation, 
 have brought this year io,oco barrels of flour, 5000 
 barrels of pork and beef, 1500 tons of bread, and of 
 butter, checfe, hog 3 , neat cattle, and poultry, even to 
 protufion ; fome of which is fent to our Southern 
 plantations, aad the king’s commiflioners fupply the 
 magazines at Cape Breton, and fend large quantities 
 to our array at Quebec, which elevates the fpirits of 
 our foldiers. We have alfo a good fupply of powder 
 by the way of Cape Breton. M’Laifh's fentiments of 
 the Englifh bordering on the fea coaft is fatisfadory 5 
 they having little or no military difeipline among 
 them, no arms nor ammunition, neither do they know 
 properly how to ufe them, except thofe Oliverian 
 heretics who took our Cape Breton; thefe caft a damp 
 on our undertakings ; they have the fame Governor 
 Shirley, who is an enterprifing, refolute man ; and 
 when he, and the puritan minifters,fay to the inhabit¬ 
 ants, “ Go, fight for your religion and country/' 
 they rufli like lions, and had rather die in battle, than 
 fubmit to the didates of our holy Fathers, Jefuits, 
 Friars, and Monks, and become members of our 
 mother church. They retain the mod martial fpirit 
 cf any in North America, and have a tindure ofOliver 
 Cromwell's blood remaining ; therefore for the pre- 
 fent, we fhall not ered any forts bordering near them ; 
 fhould we attempt fuch a thing, even with ten thou- 
 fand men, M’Laifh is confident we fhould be prevent¬ 
 ed, and all our meafures difconcerted, by the vigilance 
 of thofe New England hererics; for if they could take 
 Cape Breton (which we imagined to be impregnable) 
 what can we luppofe they could not efFed, when their 
 indignation and refentment provokes them to eppofe 
 
A P P E NDIX. 
 
 231 
 
 cur encroachments on their territories ? And they are 
 fenfible, that when once wc bee tme their matters, fix 
 and gibbet will be their portion, if they do not fail 
 down and worfhip the images we fhall fet up. 
 
 Our defign is to get footing in the wettern pro¬ 
 vinces, Lotd Baltimore was one of our mother church, 
 and a good friend to king James ; and in Mtryland 
 and Virginia, and thofe parts, there arc many true 
 Catholics that will not fight their brethren. M’Laifh 
 acquaints me, the inhabitants of Pennfyivania are a 
 meak, peaceable people, who will neither furnifh mon¬ 
 ey, arms, nor ammunition, that if you take their coat, 
 they will give you their cloak alfo : thefewe fhall in¬ 
 dulge with many priviledges, for their not oppofing 
 our meafures, and quietly furrendering their lands, 
 and fuhinitting to the godly admonitions of our holy 
 fathers. 
 
 M’Laifh likewife acquaints me, that from New~ 
 York weft ward, the inhabitants are not fuch bigots to 
 religion, therefore may more eafily be prevailed on to 
 be of our holy religion. The rich traders in thofe 
 parts, are not concerned at our erefting forts near 
 them, from a view of private gain in the fur trade* 
 And M’Laifh fays, the Euglifh might have demolifhed 
 Crown Point, but many in Albany and New York 
 have received confiderable advantages by our fur trade, 
 by which, we have alfo been benefitted, in receiving 
 ammunition, &c. in exchange. 
 
 There 19 now a difpute between our grand mon¬ 
 arch and the Englifh, relating to the boundary line in 
 the North, and what are called the neutral iflands, in. 
 South America j but his mutt chrittian majefty is 
 determined to decide the controverfy very foon: He 
 is now peopling the neutral iflands, and what can- 
 con wilf be rrquifite to fortify the fame, already at 
 Martinico. From Canada and Mittifippi we are to 
 have a fufficient number of regular troops to join the 
 natives, fo foon as we are prepared to receive them, 
 and thofe to be difpsrfed on the back of the Englifh, 
 
APPEND 11, 
 
 between Crown Point ant! Ohio. Our officers are dt« 
 refted to fend proper peifons into the Enghfh provinces, 
 to make a more perfedl difcovery of their ftrength and 
 weaknefa : Thofeare to deceive the Engiifh which 
 (French policy has frequently done!) by amufing 
 them, with being deferters. 
 
 Our grand monarch’s will and pleafure is, that 
 we immediately build ffrong forts between Crown 
 Point and Ohio, fufficient to fecure fifty thoufand 
 men, and fo fiiuated, that upon any extraordinary oc« 
 cafion, they may immediately unite and oppofe the 
 Engiifh, if they fhould attempt to oppofe us ; but, at 
 prefent, they appear unconcerned and fecure. How¬ 
 ever, their numbers cannot terrify us, when they have 
 no difeipline or union. Had they as many as Mexi¬ 
 co, before the conqueft, could boafl of, our regulars, 
 headed by our hero, the prefent governor, would de- 
 Sroy as many thoufands as Cortes did of the Mexicans. 
 
 I muft, with fee ret pleafure to ourfelves, tell yoa 
 Sir, that we are pitying not envying, the Engiifh who 
 are peopling Nova-Scotia : In thus fatigueing them- 
 felves in clearing land, and expending confiderable 
 fums in building, &c. as his mofi chriftian majefty's 
 pleafure is, to prepare a large fquadron to deprive them 
 of their labor and poffefiions : Then will they cry out. 
 Who would have imagined this would have befallen us, 
 when no more diflurbance has been at home ? When 
 this is efifefted, the Englifn may undertake by reman- 
 Frances, to complain of a violation and infringement 
 cf treaties. 
 
 I need not its form you. Sir, of our well concerted 
 plan, which is, to keep New England, South Carolina 
 and Georgia, fully engaged to defend their own terri¬ 
 tories, in order to prevent their aflifting the interven¬ 
 ing provinces, which will fall an eafy prey, as their 
 ports will be blocked up by our (hips, and thofe of his 
 catholic majefty’s, who have alfo a fufficient number 
 to devert the Engiifh fquadrons, and keep them at 
 borne; at which time, with our numerous Indian al- 
 
APPEND IX. 
 
 * 3 $ 
 
 lies we fhall enter the Englifh provinces of New-York, 
 Pennfylvania, Virginia, See* Our Indian allies eaft- 
 vvard, are to attack the eaftward fettlements ; and 
 his catholic majefty to tranfport a number of regulars 
 from the Havanna, who are to attack Georgia and 
 South Carolina, which will be added to his other do¬ 
 minions of New Spain ; und his moll chriftian majefty 
 to poffefs ail the land from South Carolina to New¬ 
 foundland. 
 
 I need not caution you. Sir, to conceal the con¬ 
 tents of this letter, which you muff be fenfible fhould' 
 remain an entire fecret, left the Engiifh fhould difeov- 
 er the meafures we,have concerted : and while they 
 axe amufing themfelves with idle difputes and debates, 
 and one province contending, and promoting jealou- 
 fies, and railing groundlefs fufpicions of each other, 
 without making any preparations for defence, let us 
 unite as one body, as loyal fubje&s and good catho¬ 
 lics, then (hall we accomplifh our glorious undertak¬ 
 ing, and ftng Te Deum, and celebrate irsafs in thofe 
 places which have been long defiled by the breath of 
 heretics. 
 
 I remain. Sir, your obedient Servant, 
 
 DE ROCHE. 
 
 Note ( B ) page 28. 
 
 Mount Vernon, the leaf of the late Gen¬ 
 eral WASHINGTON, is pleafantly fituated on the 
 Virginia bank of Potomac river, in Fairfax county, 
 Virginia, where the river is nearly two miles wide ; 9 
 miles below Alexandria ; 4 above the beautiful feat of 
 the late Col. Fairfax, called Bellevoir 3 127 from Point 
 Look Out, at the mouth of the river, and 280 miles 
 from the fea. The area of the mount is 200 feet 
 above the furface of the river ; and, after furnifhing a 
 lawn of five acres in front, about the fame in roar of 
 the buildings fails off rather abruptly on thofe two 
 quarters. On the north end it fabfides gradually into 
 sx ten five pafiuxe grounds; while on the fouth it flopga 
 
«34 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 more deeply, in a fborr diftance, and terminates witk 
 the coach houfe, ftables, vineyard, and nurfcries. On 
 either wmg is a thick grove of different flowering 
 fo'efl trees. Parallel with them, on the land fide, are 
 two fpacious gardens, into which, one is led by two 
 ferpeminc gravel walks, planted with weeping willows 
 and fhidy fhrubs. The manfion houfe itfelf (though 
 roach embeli ih;d by, yet not perfectly fiuisfa&ory t j, 
 the chafle tafte of its late poflhfibr) appears venerable 
 and convenient. 7 'he faperb banqueting room was 
 finifhed after he returned home from the army, ia 
 3783. A 1 >fcy portico, 96 feet in length, fupported 
 b} 8 pillars, has a pleafing effect when viewed from the 
 water; the whole afTemblage of the green houfe, fchool 
 houfe, offices, and fervants* halls, when feen from ths 
 Jand fide, bears a refemblaoce to a rural village ; es¬ 
 pecially as the la ds on that fide are laid out fo me what 
 .in the form *f Ei glith gardens, in meadows and grafs 
 grounds, >rnamented with, little copfes,circular clumps, 
 & tingle tiees. A final! park on ihe margin of the river, 
 where the Englifli fallow deer and the American wild 
 deer are feen through the thicket, alternately with the 
 •vefTels as they are failing along, add a romantic and 
 pibturefqtie appearance to the whole feenery. On the 
 oppoiite fide of a (mall meek to the northward, an ex-, 
 teniive plain, exhibiting corn-fields, and cattle grazing, 
 affords in futruaer a luxuriant landscape , while the 
 blended verdure of wood-lands and cultivated declivi¬ 
 ties, on the Maryland fhore, variegates the profipedt 
 in a charming manner. Such are the philofophic 
 fhades to which the Commander ia Chief of the Ameri¬ 
 can army retired in 1783, at the clofe of a vi&orious 
 %var j which he again left in 1789, to dignify, with 
 his unequalled talents, the highett office in the gift of 
 his.fellow-citizens ; and to which he again retreated 
 211 179;, loaded with honors, and the benedictions of 
 h'S country ; where, in 1798, having again heard and 
 obeyed the call of his endangered country to command 
 her armies, he was fummoned, on the 14th oh Dec* 
 * 799 * to join the Heavenly Hjfts. 
 
APPENDIX.' 
 
 a 
 
 35 
 
 Note ( C ) page 32. 
 
 Mr. President. 
 
 €ff THOUGH 1 am truly fenfible of the high honor 
 done me in this appointment, yet I feel great diftrefs 
 from a confciou fuels, that my abilities and military 
 experience may not be equal to the extenfive and im¬ 
 portant truft : However, as the Cong refs defire it, I 
 will enter upon tnc momentous duty, and exert every 
 power I poffefs in tiieir fervice, and for the fnpporf 
 of the glor.ous caufe. I beg they will accept my in oft 
 cordial thanks for this diltinguifhcd tcftimony of their 
 approbation. 
 
 ft But left fome unlucky event ftiould happen 
 unfavorable to ray reputation, I beg it may be re- 
 membered by every gentleman in the room, that I 
 this day declare with the utmoft fincerity, 1 do not 
 think myfeif equal to the command I am honored, 
 with. 
 
 et As- to pay,Sir,I beg leave to allure the Congrefs, 
 that as no pecuniary confideration could have tempted 
 sne to accept this arduous employment, at the expcnfo 
 of my domeftic cafe and happinefs, I do not with to 
 make any profit from it. I will keep an exafl account 
 of my ex pen fes. Thofe I doubt not they will dif- 
 fharge, and that is all I defire.” 
 
 Note ( D ) page 34. 
 
 AMONG the many hazards to which Genera! 
 WASHINGTON wasexpofed, while at the head of 
 the American armies, the following deferves to 
 be particularly mentioned. lathe month of June, 
 1776, while the army lay at New-York, a plot was> 
 meditated under the direction of Gov. Tryon, manag¬ 
 ed by the then Mayor of the city, to aid the king's 
 troops on their arrival at New-York. The plot was fo 
 far matured as to have been communicated to fome of 
 the American army, and Thomas Hickey, one of the 
 General’s life guards was engaged in it, and had en~ 
 lifted others. General WASHINGTON was to hays- 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 * 3 ® 
 
 • 
 
 been taken off, either by poifon or aflaffination. By ft 
 Providential and timely difcovery, the deteftable de« 
 uefign was fruftrated. Hickey was tried by a court 
 martial, on the morning of the 28th of June, found 
 guilty, and executed, amidll the execrations of the ar¬ 
 ray, at eleven o’clock the fame day. 
 
 Note { E ) page 39, 
 
 Ext raft from his Speech to the firjl Cong refs under ou> 
 prefent form of Government , delivered May 1789. 
 Fellow-Citizens of the Senate, and op, 
 the House of Representatives, 
 AMONG the viciffitudes incident to life, no 
 event could have filled me with greater anxieties than 
 that of which the notification was tranfmitted by your 
 order, and received on the 14th day of the prefent 
 month., On the one hand, I was fummoned by my 
 country, whofe voice I can never hear but with vene¬ 
 ration and love, from a retreat which I had chofen 
 with the fondeft predilection, 2nd, in my flattering 
 hopes, with an immutable decifion as the afylum of 
 my declining years : A retreat which was rendered 
 every day more nectflary as well as more dear to me, 
 by the addition of habit to inclination, and of fre¬ 
 quent interruptions in my health to the gradual wails- 
 committed on it by time. On the other hand, the 
 magnitude and difficulty of the truft to which the 
 voice of my country called me, being fufficient to 
 awaken in the wifeft and mod experienced of her citi¬ 
 zens, a diflruflful ferutiny into hh qualifications, 
 could not but overwhelm with defpondencc cne, who, 
 inheriting inferior endowments from nature, and un- 
 pradifed in the duties of civil adminiftration, ought 
 to be peculiarly confeious of his own deficiencies. In 
 this conflict of emotions, all I dare aver is, that it has 
 been my faithful fludy to coiled my duty from a juft 
 appreciation of every circumftance by which it might 
 be aflfeded. All I dare hope is, that if in executing 
 3&is talk X have.besu too much fyyayed by a.grateful 
 
APPEND II. 13,7 
 
 remembrance of former inftances, or by an affeftionafa 
 fenfibility to this tranfcendent proof of the confidence 
 of my fellow-citizens ; and have thence too little con¬ 
 futed my incapacity as well as difmclination for the 
 weighty and untried cares before me; my error will 
 be palliated by the motives which milled me, and its 
 confequences be judged by ray country, with fome 
 fharc of the partiality in which they originated. 
 
 Such being the impreffions under which I have,, 
 in obedience to the public fummons, repaired to the 
 prefent Ration, it would be peculiarly improper to emit 
 in this firft official aft, my fervent fupplications to that 
 Almighty Being, who rules over the Univerfe, who 
 prefides in the councils of nations,and whofe providen¬ 
 tial aids can fupply every human defeft, that his bene- 
 diftion may cor.fecrate to the liberties and happinefs 
 of the people of the United States, a government infli- 
 tuted by themfelves for thefe effential purpofes, and 
 may enable every instrument employed in its adminif- 
 tration, to execute with fuccefs, the fuoftions allotted 
 to h:s charge. In tendering this homage to the great 
 A uthcr of every public and private good, I allure my- 
 felf that it expreffes your fentiments not lefa than my 
 own; nor thofe of my fellow-citizens at large, lefs 
 than either. No people can be bound to acknowledge 
 and adore the invifible hand, which condufts the affairs 
 of men, more than the people of the United States, 
 Every flep, by w hich they have advanced to the char- 
 after of an independent nation, feems to have been dif- 
 tinguifhed by fome token of providential agency. And 
 in the important revolution juft accomplilhed in the> 
 fyftem of their, united government, the tranquil delibe¬ 
 rations and voluntary confent of fo many dillinft com¬ 
 munities, from which the event has refuked, cannot 
 be compared with the means by which moft govern¬ 
 ments have been efta'oiilhed, without fome return or 
 pioos gratitude along with an humble anticipation of 
 the future bleffings which the paft feem to prefage, 
 *Ehefe rdkftions, arifing cut of- the prefent crifis* 
 
APPENDIX .. 
 
 23S 
 
 have forced themfelves too ftrongly on my mind to be 
 fupprefled. You will join with me, I truft, in think- 
 ing that there are none under the influence of which, 
 the proceedings of a new and free government can 
 more aufpicioufly commence/' 
 
 ■ ■■ — .i «• mtm 
 
 Note ( F ) page 43. 
 
 WASHINGTON’S Letter of Acceptance as Commander 
 in Chief of the American Armies, 
 
 Mount Vsrnon, 13th July, 1798. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 I HAD the honor on the evening of the nth 
 inftant, to receive from the hand of the Secretary of 
 War, your favor of the 7th, announcing that you had, 
 with the advice and confent of the Senate, appointed 
 me “ Lieutenant* Gen. and Commander in Chief of all 
 the Armies raifed, or to be railed for the fervice of the 
 United States.” 
 
 I cannot exprefs how greatly af&dedl acn at this 
 new proof of public confidence, and the highly flatter¬ 
 ing manner in which you have been pleafed to make 
 the communication ; at the fame time I mud not con¬ 
 ceal from you my earned wifh, that the choice had 
 fallen upon a man iefs declined in year?, and bettez 
 qualified to encounter the ufual vicifiitudes of war. 
 
 You know, Sir, what calculation I have made re¬ 
 lative to the probable courfe of events, on my retiring 
 from office, and the determination I had confoled my- 
 fclf with, of doling the remnant of my days in my 
 prefent peaceful abode ; you will therefore be at no 
 lofs to conceive and appreciate the fenfaiions I mud 
 have experienced, to bring my mind to any conclufton 
 that would pledge me, at fo late a period of life, to 
 leave feenes I fmcereiy love, to enter upon the bound- 
 tefs field of public adion, incefTant trouble, and high 
 refponfibiiity. 
 
 It was not poffible for me to remain ignorant of, 
 or indifferent to, recent tranfaftions. The condufl 
 •f the Directory cf France towards our country—ihek 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 -39 
 
 infidious hoftility to its government—their various 
 pra&icei to withdraw the affections of the people from 
 it—the evident tendency of their afts and thofe of 
 their agents, to countenance and invigorate oppofition 
 •—their difregard of folemn treaties and the laws of 
 nations—their war upon oar defencciefs commerce—- 
 their treatment of our miniders cf peace, and their de= 
 maads, amounting to tribute, could not fail to excite 
 in me, correfponding fentiments with thofe my coun¬ 
 trymen have fo generally expreffed in their affectionate 
 addreffes to you* Believe me. Sir, no one can more 
 cordially approve of the wife and prudent meafures of 
 your adminiftration. They ought to infpire univer¬ 
 sal confidence, and will, no doubt, combined with the 
 Bate of things, call from Congrefs fuch laws and means 
 as will enable you to meet the full force and extent of 
 the crifis.^ 
 
 Satisfied, therefore, that you have fincerely wish¬ 
 ed and endeavored to avert war, and exhaufted,to the 
 laft drop, the cup of reconciliation, we can with pure 
 hearts appeal to Heaven for the juftice of our caufe ; 
 and may confidently truft the final refult to that kind 
 Providence who has heretofore, and fo often, fignally 
 favored the people of thefe United States. 
 
 Thinking in this manner, and feeling how in¬ 
 cumbent it is upon every perfon, of every defeription, 
 to contribute at all times to his country’s welfare, and 
 efpecially, in a moment like the prefent, when every 
 thing we hold dear and facred, is fo ferioufly threat¬ 
 ened ; I have finally determined to accept thecommif- 
 fion of Commander in Chief of the Armies uf the 
 United States; with the referve only, that I (hall not 
 be called into the field until the army is in a fituation 
 to require my prefence, or it becomes indifpenfable by 
 the urgency of circumstances. 
 
 In making this refervation, I heg it to be under- 
 flood, that I do not mean to withhold any ailifUnce to 
 arrange and organize the army, which you may think 
 I can afford, i take the liberty alfo to mention that 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 i& 4<3 
 
 7 muft decline having my acceptance confidered as 
 draw ing after it any immediate charge upon the public, 
 or that I can receive any emoluments annexed to the 
 appointment, before entering into a fituation to incur 
 expenfe. 
 
 The Secretary of War being anxious to return to 
 the Scat of Government, I have detained him no 
 longer than was neceffary to a full communication 
 upon the feveral points he had in charge. 
 
 With very great refpeft, I have the 
 honor to be, Sec, 
 
 Go. WASHINGTON. 
 
 John Adams, 
 
 Prefident of the United States. 
 
 --— 
 
 EXTRACTS FROM 
 
 General Washington s Will. 
 
 I, GEORGE WASHINGTON, of IVbunt- 
 Vernon, a Citizen of the United States, and lately 
 Prefident of the fame, Do make, ordain, and declare 
 this inftrument, which is written with my own hand,* 
 and every page thereof fubfciibed with my name, to 
 be my lad Will and Teftament, revoking ail others. 
 
 Imprimis, All my debts, of which there arc but 
 few, and none of magnitude, are to be pun&uaHy and 
 fpeedily paid : and the Legacies herein after bequeath¬ 
 ed, are to be difeha-rged as foon as circumdances will 
 permit, and in the manner directed. 
 
 Item . To my dearly beloved wife, Martha VVaJb- 
 ingtofi, I give and bequeath the ufe, profit, and benefit 
 of my whole Eftate, real and perf nal, for the term of 
 her natural life, except fuch parts thereof as are 
 
 * In the original mannfcripG GEORGE WASH* 
 tNQ ION was writicii at the bottom of every page* 
 
24I 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 fpecially difpofed of hereafter.—My improved Lot in 
 the town of Alexandria, fituated on Pitt and Cameion 
 ftreets, I give to her and her heirs for ever ; as I alfo 
 da my Houlhold and Kitchen Furniture of every fort 
 and kind, with the Liquors and Groceries which may 
 be on hand at the time of my deceafe, to be ufed and 
 difpofed of as (he may think proper. 
 
 Item, Upon the deceafe of my wife, it is my 
 will and defire,-that ail the Slaves which I hold in my 
 *von right ihall receive their freedom. To emancipate 
 them during her life, would, though earneftly wilhcd 
 by me, be attended with fuch infuperable difficulties 
 on account of their intermixture by marriages with 
 the dower Negroes, as to excite the moft painful fen- 
 fations, if not difagreeable confequences from the lat¬ 
 ter while both defcriptions are in the occupancy of 
 the fame proprietor; it not being in my power, un¬ 
 der the tenure by which the dower Negroes are held* 
 to manumit them. And 'whereas, among thofe who 
 will receive freedom according to this devife, there: 
 may be fome who from old age or bodily infirmities, 
 and others who, on account of their infancy, that will 
 be unable to fupport therafelves, it is my will and de¬ 
 li re that all who come under the full and fecond de» 
 feription, (hall be comfortably clothed and fed by my 
 heirs while they live ; and that fuch of the latter de- 
 fetiption as have no parents living, or if living, are 
 unable or unwilling to provide for them, fhall be bound 
 by the court until they {hall arrive at the age of twen¬ 
 ty* five years ; and in cafes where no record can be 
 produced, whereby their ages can be afeertained, the 
 judgment ot the court upon its own view of the fub- 
 ject, (hall be adequate and final. The Negroes thus 
 bound, are (by their makers or mi ft relies) to be taught 
 to read and write, and to be brought up to fome ufe- 
 ful occupation, agreeably to the laws of the common¬ 
 wealth of Virginia, providing for the fupport of 
 orphan and other poor children—And I do hereby ex- 
 prefily forbid the fale or transportation out of the (aid 
 
A P P END 11. 
 
 242 
 
 commonwealth of any Slave I may die pcffefled of un¬ 
 der any pre f ence whatfocver. And I do moreover, 
 moil pointedly and moft folemnly enjoin it upon my 
 Executors hereafter named or the furvivor of them, to 
 fee that this claufe refpe&ing Slaves and every part 
 thereof, be religiouHy fulfilled at the epoch at which 
 it is dire&ed to take place, without evafion, negieff, 
 or delay, after the crops which may then be cn the 
 ground are harvdlcd, particularly as it refpefts the 
 aged and infirm ; feeing that a regular and permanent 
 fund be eftablifhed for their fupport as long a3 there 
 are fubjefis requiring it j not trufting to the uncertain 
 provifion to be made by individuals:—And to my 
 mulatto man William , (calling himfelf William Lee) I 
 give immediate freedom, or if he fhculd prefer it (on 
 account of the accidents which have befallen him and 
 which have rendered him incapable of walking or of 
 any active employment) to remain in the fituation he 
 now is, it fhall be optional in him to do fo; in either 
 cafe however, I allow him an annuity of Thirty Dol¬ 
 lars during his natural life, which fhall be independent 
 cf the vi&uals and deaths he has been accuftomcd to 
 receive if he chufes the laft alternative ; but in full 
 with his freedom, if he prefers the firft : And this I 
 give him as a teftirnony of my fenfe of his attachment 
 to me, and for his faithful fervices during the Revolu¬ 
 tionary War. 
 
 Item* WHEREAS by a law of the Common¬ 
 wealth of Virginia, ena&ed in the year 1785, the 
 Legiflature thereof was pleafed (as an evidence of it* 
 approbation of the fervices 1 had rendered the public, 
 during the Revolution, and partly, I believe, in con- 
 lideration of my having fnggefted the vail advantages 
 which the community would derive from the extenfion 
 of its inland navigation under Lcgiflative patronage) 
 to prefent me with one hundred fhares, of one hundred 
 dollars each, in the incorporated company, eftablifhed 
 for the purpofeof extending the navigation of James 
 River,, from tide water to the mountains \—and alf* 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 243 
 
 with fifty fhares of one hundred pounds fterling each, 
 in the corporation of another company likewife eftab- 
 lifhed for the fimilar purpofe of opening the naviga¬ 
 tion of the river Potomac, from tide water to Fort 
 Cumberland; the acceptance of which, although the 
 offer was highly honorable and grateful to my feelings, 
 was refufoi as inconfiftent with a principle which I 
 had adopted, and had never departed from—Namely— 
 not to receive pecuniary compenfatioa for any Cervices 
 I could render my country in its arduous ftruggle with 
 Great Britain for its rights : and becaufe I had evaded 
 fimilar propositions from other States in the Union, 
 Adding to this refufal, however, an intimation that, 
 if it thould be the pleafure of the Legiflature to per¬ 
 mit me to appropriate the faid (hares to Puplic ufes, 
 I would receive them on thofe terms with due fenfi- 
 bility ; and this it having conferred to, in flattering 
 terms, as will appear by a fubfequent kw and fundry 
 refolutions, in the mo ft ample and honorable manner, 
 I proceed after this recital, for the more correct under- 
 Handing of the cafe, to declare—Tint as it has always 
 been a fource of ferious regret with me to fee the 
 Youth of thefe United States feat to Foreign Coun¬ 
 tries for the purpofe of Education, often before their 
 minds were formed, or they had imbibed any adequate 
 ideas of the happinefs of their own; contrafling too 
 frequently, not only habits of diftipation and extra¬ 
 vagance, but principles unfriendly to Republican 
 G overnment, and to the true and genuine liberties of 
 mankind ; which, thereafter arc rarely overcome.— 
 For thefe rsafons it has been my ardent vvifh to fee a 
 plan devifed on a liberal fcale which would inve a ten¬ 
 dency to fpread fyftematic ideas through all parts of 
 this rifiog empire, thereby to do away local attach¬ 
 ments and date prejudices, as far as the nature of things 
 would, or indeed ought to admit, from our National 
 Councils.—Looking anxioufly forward to the accom¬ 
 plishment of fo defirable an object as this is, (in my 
 eftiraatian) ray naiad has not been able to contemplate 
 
£44 
 
 APPENDIX, 
 
 any plan more likely to effl-ft the meafure than the 
 eftabliftiment of a UNIVERSITY in a central part of 
 the United States, to which the Youths of fortune and 
 talents from all parts thereof might be fent for the com¬ 
 pletion of their Education in ail the branches of polite 
 literature ; ia arts and fciences, in acquiring know¬ 
 ledge in the principles of politics and good government, 
 and (as a matter of infinite importance in my judgment) 
 by ailbeiating with each other and forming friendlhips 
 in J uvenile years, be enabled to free themfelves in a 
 proper degree from thofe local prejudices and habitual 
 jealoufiea which have juft been mentioned ; and which, 
 when carried toexcefs, are never failing fources of dif- 
 quietude to the public mind, and pregnant of mifchc- 
 vious confequences to this country ; under thefe im- 
 prefiions, fo fully dilated. 
 
 Item . I give and bequeath in perpetuity the 
 Fifty Shares which I hold in :he Patowmac Company 
 (under the aforefaid afb of the Leg'fUture of Virginia) 
 towards the endowment of a UNIVERSITY to be 
 eftablilhed within the limits of the Diftridl of Colum¬ 
 bia, under the aufpices of the general government, if 
 that government fhouid incline to extend a foftering 
 hand towards it; and until fuch feminarv is eftahlifhed, 
 and the funds arifing on thefe Chares fhall be required 
 for its fupport, my further will and desire is, that 
 the profit accruing therefrom (hall, whenever the divi¬ 
 dends are made, belaid out in purchafmg Stock in 
 the Bank of Columbia, or fome other Bank, at the 
 difcrction of my Executors, or by the Treafurer c.f the 
 United States for the time being, under the diredlion 
 of Cong refs—provided that honorable body fhotild 
 petronixe the meafure, and the dividends proceeding 
 from the purchafc of fnch Stock is to be veiled in mors 
 Stock, and fo on, until a fum, adequate to the accom- 
 plifhment of theobjedl, h obtained ; of which I have 
 not the fmalleft doubt, before many years psfs away, 
 even if no aid or encouragement ia given by Legifla- 
 litre authority, or from any other fourcc* 
 
APPENDIX. C45 
 
 Item, The hundred Shares which I hold in the 
 James River Company, 1 have given, and now con¬ 
 firm in perpetuity, to and for the nfe and benefit of 
 Liberty Hall Academy, in the County of Rockbridge, 
 in the Commonwealth of Virginia. 
 
 Item, To the Earl of Buchan I recommit 
 e( the Box made of the Oak that fhelrered the great 
 Sir William Wallace after the Brule of Falkirk"— 
 prefented to me by his Lordfhip, iu terms too flatter¬ 
 ing for me to repeat, with a rcqueft f( to pafs it, on 
 the event of my deceafe, to the man in my country, 
 who fhouid appear to merit it befl, upon the fame 
 conditions that have induced him to fend it to me." 
 Whether eafy or not, to fele<ft the Man who might 
 comport, with his Lordfnip’s opinion in this refpedl, 
 is not for me to fay ; but conceiving that no difpofi- 
 tion of this valuable curiofity can be more eligible 
 than the recommitment of it to his own cabinet, 
 agreeable to the original deflgn of the Goldfmiths' 
 Company of Edinburgh, who prefented it to him, 
 and, at his requeft, confented that it fhouid be tranf- 
 ferred to me—I do give and bequeath the fame to hh 
 Lord(hip ; and, in cafe of his deceafe, to his heir, 
 with my grateful thanks for the diftinguifhed honor 
 of prefcnting it to me, and more efpecially for the 
 favorable fentiments with which he accompanied ir. 
 
 Item. To my Brother, Charles Wajkingtou, I 
 give and bequeath the Gold headed Cane left me by 
 Dr. Franklin, in his Will* ( See lajl page in this boch.J 
 
 Item . To my Nephews. William Augufiine Wajh - 
 ington , George Lewis, George Step toe Wafhington, Bujhrod 
 Wajh ingt on , and Samuel Wa/hington, 1 give one of the 
 Swords or Cutteaux, of which I may die poflefled : 
 And they arc. to choofe in the order they are named.— 
 Thefe Swords are accompanied with an injunction not 
 tounfheath them for the purpofe of fhedriir.g blood, 
 except it he for felf-defence or in defence of thetx 
 country and its rights; and in the latter cafe, to keep 
 them unftieathed, and prefer falling with them in ihtirv 
 hands to the'Relinquifhment thereof, 
 
 Yz. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 24 6 
 
 The Family V .u!t a* Mount Vernon, requiring re¬ 
 pair*, being improperly fituated betides, I defirc 
 that a ,iew one -f brick, and upon a larger fcale, may 
 be bn It nr the fo >t of what is commonly called the 
 Vineyard Inc! fure, on rhe ground which is marked 
 out —In which my Remains, with thofe of my deceas¬ 
 ed relations* (now in the old Vault) and fuch others of 
 m, Fa oilv a.', may chafe to be entombed there, may be 
 acp filed. And it is my expmfs defire, that my Corps 
 may be interred in a private manner,, without parade 
 OI fa rural O uion. 
 
 Lastly, l conftitute and appoint my dearly be¬ 
 loved *Vif- Martha Wajhmgton, my Nephews William 
 Augufrne Wajhington , bujhrod Wajhington, George Step- 
 ioe IVajhingion, Samu■ l Washington , and Lawrence 
 Lewis s and my Ward George Washington Parke Cuftis 9 
 ( hen he (hall have arrived at the age of Twenty 
 Year ) Execrntiix and Executors of this WILL and 
 TESTAMENT-—In lhc conftrufrion of which, it will 
 readily be perceived that no profeffional charafler has 
 been eonful ed, or has had any agency in the draught, 
 and hit although it lias occupied many of my leifure 
 hours to digeft. and to throw it into its prefent form, it 
 may, notwrhftanding, appear crude and incorrefl—but 
 having endeavored to be plain and explicit in all the 
 devifes, even at the expence of prolixity, perhaps of 
 lautobgv, I hope and cruft that no difputes will arife 
 concerning them ; but if, contrary to expedition, the 
 cafe fhould be other wife from the want of legal expref- 
 fion, or the ufual technical terms, or becaufe too much 
 or too little has been faid on any of the devifes to bs 
 confonant with law, my will and direflion exprefsly is, 
 that all difputes (if unhappily any fhould arife) /hall be 
 decided by three impartial,and intelligent men, known 
 for their probity and good underftaading—two to be 
 chefen by the difputants, each having the choice of 
 one, and the third by thofe two—which three men 
 thuschofen fnall, unfettered by law or legal conduc¬ 
 tions, declare the fenfe of the Tcftator's intentions; 
 And fuch decifioa is, ro all intents and purpofes, to be 
 
 binding on the parties as if it had been given in the 
 Supreme Court of tit# United States* 
 
Subjcribers’ Names . 
 
 
 RHODEISLAND.Catr William Pitt Gorton Uriah 
 
 Atwood Sheffield 
 Almy Chrsftopher 
 Anthony Wm.jr. 
 Allen Thomas 
 Albro John 
 At well Amos M» 
 Allen William 
 Brown Arthur 
 Billings Abby 
 Billings Phebe 
 Barker Daniel W, 
 Baker Andrew 
 Blifs Jeremiah 
 Burrnl William 
 Brown Peleg 
 Brown Henry 
 Bofworth Jofeph 
 Bowen James 
 Burr Shubael 
 
 Coats Martin Gardiner John 
 Church William Gardiner Warren 
 Crary Frederic. Gardiner Amas 
 Clark Parker Hopkins Sam. Rev a 
 Cornell Stephen B. Hudfon Sam. G® 
 Carpenter J.O.W. Hart Relcom 
 Champiin H, G. Hazard John, jr* 
 Champlin William Hazard Robert 
 
 Clarke Thomas 
 Carr John 
 Coe Adam S. 
 Carter William 
 Crary P«ter 
 
 Hazard Nathan Go 
 Helme James, jr, 
 Hamlin William 
 Hazard Eafton 
 Hiller Timothy 
 Goodrich Edward Haley Samuel 
 Crowel Jofnua Heaton David loo 
 Davenport Charles Irifh Jefeph 
 Danten George Irifb John 
 Dunham Charles Ingraham Watfon 
 
 Downs Samuel 
 Defter Noah 
 
 Babcock Rowland 
 Brown Rowland 
 Brown Geo. Efq. 
 
 Brown William 
 Banifter John,jr. 
 
 Bourn Zuriel Farnfworth H 
 Coddtngton Ed*. Fow]er John 
 
 Fry Thomas 
 
 Edwards Clark 
 Earl John, jr. 
 Eddy Zechariah 
 Fairbanks Benj. 
 Feke Charles 
 
 Cutter Thomas 
 Clarke Phineas 
 Cory Abraham 
 Center Jame3 
 Cornell Walter 
 Carr Samuel E, 
 
 Fi(h Thomas jun. 
 Gardner Sam. F. 
 Gates A fa 
 Gaillard Peter 
 
 Jack Alexander,jr a 
 King David Dr, 
 Knowles Jofeph 
 Knowles John 
 Lyman Daciel,Efq. 
 Lyon jofeph 
 Littlefield George 
 Langley J ohn 
 Dr. Luther Nathaniel 
 Lillibridge Hamp* 
 Lawton Robert, jr® 
 Lawton Nich. E* 
 Lawton Samuel 
 Lawton jofeph 
 Luther Jofeph H, 
 
SUBSCRIBERS’ NAMES, 
 
 Mnmford Pau-l.Efq. Stanton Benjamin Cothone Thom. H# 
 Martitord B. B. 2 ShtfHc-id Benj. J. Campbell Arch. 
 Mumford Paul M. Sjciuthwick Rem. Cuinmack Wm. 
 
 Mumfoid Wm. P. Taylor James 
 Mum ford Jofeph Tripp William 
 Mtiruf ird J‘»hn 'Tilley Jame3 
 Mumfoid James Tayer Paul 
 Melvill Thomas 2 
 Mur fey J hn Taylor Peter 
 
 Marfhali Benjamin Tourtellot Afahel 
 Moore William, jr. Waldron Nath’i 
 Moore Henry Witcox Ifrael 
 
 Mathewlon Daniel Weaver James 
 
 Mathewfon Noel 
 Martin Nath'i A, 
 Nichols Peter 
 Potter Henry 
 Perry Robert 
 Pierce John 
 Paul Jofeph W. 
 Perry George 
 Place Samuel 
 
 Cavan Michael 
 Cor.per John 
 Chaining Henry 
 Deans Jufiah L, 
 Tillinghaft Tho’s Duirn John 
 
 Dana Pninehas 3 
 Filk Martin 
 Farmar Robert 
 Fitzgerald M. 
 Hague James 
 Woodward Robert Hiort Henry 
 Wanton James Harrifior. B. 
 Weight man Benj, Herron James 
 Wing John jun. Fleath James P. 
 
 Wing Elifha Hansford Cary ll>. 
 
 Wilder William R. Herron Walter 
 Yeomans John Hunter James 
 
 NORFOLK 
 
 Potter Samuel R, Archer Richard C. Holt Henry 
 
 Potter Jere. N. 
 
 Perry ). 
 
 Perry Sarah 
 Pollock Jere. W. 
 
 Reed Abraham 
 Read John 
 Robinfon John, jr. Brown John 
 Spooner Wing Burcher John 
 
 Archer Samael B. Hudfon Edward 
 Armiftead R. M. Harrifon S. S 
 Armiftead William Hamilton John 3 
 
 Algers Mofes 2 
 Archer William 
 Afhiey Warren 2 
 
 Stoddard S, jr. 
 Sayer Lewis 
 Sherman P 
 Shaw William 
 Stacy Jofhua 
 
 Bennett James 2 
 Beal George 
 B^kcr 
 
 Hutchings John 
 Ingram John 
 Jennings Thomas 
 Johnfton Edward 
 1 ohnfon Peter R. 
 Jordan A. C. 
 Loyall George 
 Lee Richard E. 
 
 Ha ace 
 
 Bowden Richard Margiil N. 
 Burke.& Pvoane Macgowand Joh» 
 
 Stanhope Edward Brown Thomas Meredith William 
 
 Sands Nath’l G. Blanchard T. 2 Mackinder Win.K 
 
 Sprague Vernon Burns Archibald M r Candlifh Wtij 
 
 Smith Nathaniel Bentley William H.Maurice James 
 Sauford Pelcg 2 Cocke Butler 
 
SUBSCRIBERS' NAMES, 
 
 Nimmo James 3 
 Newton Tho. jun, 
 Neal John T. 
 Nivifon John 
 O’Connor Taaffe 
 Pollard B.&Co. 12 
 Proudfit John 
 Permock William 
 Proby Paul 
 Roberts Edward 
 Randolph John 
 Rainbow Tho. 12 
 Pvead J. K. 
 Richardfon Tho, 
 Sinclair Arthur 
 Storey Thomas 
 Stratton John 
 Steadman John 
 Smith Samuel 
 Steadman Thomas 
 Tailor F. S. 
 Thomfon William 
 Taylor Robert B. 
 Taylor Richard 
 Thorburn James 
 Tompkins Chrifio, 
 Talley Elkanah 
 Vaughan James 
 Wheeler Luke 
 Wiilock Thomas 
 Willett Charles 
 Whithcad Jame3 
 Whittle Conway 
 Willfbn Georgs 
 Wiilfon John 
 Watlington J. W. 
 Young Charles 
 
 ALB ANY (N. T.J 
 
 Barney A.fa C« 
 
 Cumftock Aaron 
 Drake Francis 
 Davis Henry 
 Fitfgerald Edmund 
 Marbin John 
 Nurham Henry 
 Palmer Bcriah 
 Peck Abijah 
 Porter Elijah 
 Rofevelt Nicholas 
 Rogers A. Rev,. 
 Swart Dirch 
 Strong William 
 Snyder Rudolph 
 Schuyler Philip H. 
 Smith Jofeph 
 Shields Daniel 
 Smith Warren 
 Tiller William 
 Ten Broeck John 
 Van Antwerp D.L 
 Wiilard Elias 
 Williams John F. 
 
 CHARLESTON 
 fS. Carolina.) 
 
 A fib. Lib. Society 
 Anneliy George 
 Bacor Thomas W, 
 Butler Anthony 
 Bee John S. 
 
 Bailey Gabriel 
 Bounetheau G.M. 
 B>cot Henry H. 
 Butler William 
 Barker Jofeph S. 
 Clement Thomas 
 Oogdcll John S, 
 Crocker Dodridge 
 Cox Thomas C, 
 
 Cannon Daniel 
 Dickmfon Samuel 
 Duncan James 
 Daniel Edward % 
 Defaufiure H. W ft , 
 lord Timothy 
 Giles Othniel J a 
 Geddes John 
 Hall William 
 Hanell Thomas 
 Hazel! George B 3 
 Ingltlby John 
 Lawrence Rob. D 3 
 M‘Farlan Andrew 
 Muir head James 
 M‘Lean Evean 
 North John B. 
 North Richard B;. 
 Parker Samuel 
 Perry Luthan 
 .Peace Jofeph 
 Peace. I faac 
 Pelfch Julius 
 Richardfon Char e 
 Rees William 
 Reid George 
 Sh'ewfbury Step, 
 Sabb John 
 Simons James D s 
 Taney Francis L, 
 Tucker Nicholas 
 Taylor J. G. 
 Webb Daniel C, 
 Wrainch John 
 Yeadon William, 
 
 HUDSON (NS.) 
 Adams John 
 Cady Benjamm ' 
 Daken Paul 
 
SUBSCRIBERS* NAMES, 
 
 Dorlar Robert 
 Gelfton Cotten 
 Gardincar Barcent 
 Mogeboom Ke!. 
 James Seth 
 Miller Stephen 
 Nefs John D. Vn. 
 Parker Phillip S. 
 Stores Anureal 
 Ten Brock P. B. 
 Webb Samuel B. 
 
 NEWBURGH, 
 (N. York.) 
 
 Barber Jofeph W. 
 Brown John 
 Burns T. 
 
 Carter Jonathan 
 C ooper Gilbert 
 Carter Lewis 
 Coker J ames 
 Denikon & Abber 
 [Cromie 
 Dodge Levi 
 Downs John 
 HofFsman Jofeph 
 Hamilton J ames 
 Hamilton Ifaac 
 Harris John 
 Herd man John 
 Jones R.obert W, 
 Kerr Robert Rev. 
 Moncll George 
 Niven Daniel jun. 
 Omermun Derick 
 O'Gregory Sam. 
 Scot Alexander 
 Shaw John 
 
 Seijghs S, 
 
 Sacket W. N. 
 Thompfon Antho. 
 Van Home F.Rev. 
 Walfh Hugh 
 
 h\ HARTFORD 
 ( Conn.) 
 
 Brinfmade Tho.C. 
 Bid well Ifaac 
 Brown John 
 Cadwell Piiir.eas 
 Cowles Theodore 
 Clark Gamaliel 
 Drigs Martin 
 Darning Andrew 
 Goodwin W.n, 
 
 J ones Ihracl 
 Lewis Miles 
 Lovett Samuel 
 Merrell Aaron 
 Pnelps Noah A. 
 Setkin Timothy 
 Spencer George 
 Sadd Harvey 
 Sandiforth D. W. 
 Watfon Zachariah 
 Webb John 
 Welle 3 John 
 Welles James 
 
 HANOVER 
 (N. H.) 
 
 Baldwin Jedediah 
 Burbeck William 
 Bradley Samuel 
 Bifiell Ifaac 
 Cobb Nathan 
 Cabot Sabaftian C. 
 Cary J ohn F, 
 
 Clark Benjamin 
 Crane John H, 
 Davis Mofcs 
 Dewey Samuel 
 Eafhnan T ilton 
 Gilbert Benj. J. 
 Hutchinfon Aaroa 
 Hall William jun. 
 Hall Frederic 
 Hotchkifs Eliflia 
 Hatch Reuben 
 Kimball Increafe 
 Kingibary S. j*n, 
 Leavitt Eraftus 
 Mansfield John 
 M’Clure Samuel 
 Nye John 
 Olcott Mills 
 Ofgood Thadeuy 
 Parker Daniel 
 Pomroy Hemaa 
 Spooner Amafa 
 Sherman Thadeus 
 Stores David 
 Turner Robert 
 Woodward B. 
 Wood ward Win, 
 Wood ward Bezs.. 
 Woodward J. W* 
 Wilcox Jeduthan 
 
 NE WLONDO ;} 
 
 ( Virginia.) 
 
 Auk in Robert 
 Blair D. Rev. 
 Brahan John 
 Brown James 
 Brewer Jolm H. 
 Callaway Jeremiah 
 
SUBSCRIBERS* NAMES. 
 
 Clayton Wm, W. 
 Clemens Samuel 
 Clark M. 
 
 Clark James 
 Capron I. Dcd. 
 Hook Henry 
 Holt Thomas 
 Irvine William 
 King William 
 Leafs Thomas 
 Lee Beverly 
 Minor William 
 Penn James 
 Scruggs Grofs 
 Steptoc Jame3 
 Snoddy Robert 
 Slaughter Jofeph 
 Read Thomas 
 White Samuel 
 
 GEORGETOWN 
 
 (S, Carolina.) 
 
 xAUfton Benjamin 
 Brownfield Robert 
 Brown Charles 
 Blyth Jofeph 
 Crcfby Mofes G. 
 Dannally Patrick 
 Davis John 
 Gourd ire Theo. 
 Hercot Robert 
 Plercot George 
 Michau P*ul 
 Myers Abraham 
 Prior David 
 Pugh Ez;a 
 Rothmahler Eraf. 
 Trapier Psul 
 Trapier Win, W, 
 
 RUTLAND (Vcr. 
 
 Baker William jr. 
 Beech Samuel 
 Bates Chriftopher 
 Butl Elias jun, 
 Cogfwell Eli 
 Denifon Ifaac 
 Fay William 
 Gove Jdfe 
 Hart Lambord 
 Hill Frederick 
 Hale A fa 
 Hopkins Hiram 
 Molten Abel 
 Noble Obadiah jr. 
 Nott William 
 Newcomb Brad. 
 Porter Ezekiel 
 Storer William 
 Walker Samuel 
 Williams Solomon 
 Willmot Thomas 
 Woodruff Affier 
 
 NANTUCKET 
 ( MaJfa.J 
 Briggs Stephen 
 Coffin Simeon jr. 2 
 Cary Richard 
 Ccffin William 
 Coffin Ifaac 
 Coleman David 
 Folger William 
 Gardiner Jared 
 Gardiner Lathtm 
 Gelfton Roland 
 Joy Thaddeus 
 Norris Charles 
 Wale at Benjamin 
 
 » PLYMOUTH 
 
 '•■Bartlett Jofeph 
 Bofworth Ifaac 
 Gotten Jofiah 
 Crcmbie Calvin 
 Davis Samud 
 Davis William jr. 
 Goodwin William 
 Hammett William 
 Harlow Jcffe 
 Holmes Heman 
 Seymour Bet j. 
 Turner Lathrop 
 
 BURLINGTON 
 (Ne*w- J er J e J»J 
 
 Archer John 
 Bloomfield Maj.G» 
 Crumpton Wm. 
 Elton John Efq. 
 Mein Andrew 
 Neale William S» 
 Neale John jun. 
 Orleans Vif. de 
 Smith Jofeph 
 Smith Jonathan F* 
 Smith Samuel 
 Wat fen William 
 
 ELIZABETH¬ 
 TOWN fN. J.J 
 
 Chapman James 
 Chet wood Wm. 
 Douglafs Lucius 
 Dayton H. R. 
 Ogden George M. 
 Wilfon George M. 
 William, fun W. R* 
 
SUBSCRIBERS* NAMES. 
 
 GEORGETOWN WOODSTOCK Maltbie David 
 (Virginia,) (Vermont.) Mills Alexander 
 
 Bonre Waftiington Field Martin 
 
 Newman Maltbie 
 
 Farnfworth Ab'-jail J* er . r F 
 FarafWorth Biel ^' n ' a 1 rd D If ? ac 
 Harding Timothy ^ <,fi;1 1 d Ru ; us 
 Haughton Ifrael I. Waterbery James 
 
 Lachrop John Rev. iINFIELD 
 
 v Morgan Jofeph (Cmn) 
 
 Yoang Henry H. Mawer Henry Allen Benjamin 
 
 Norton Eltjah Rev. chan , ioa J E- ■ 
 
 Rtce William Go(d ‘ n Daniel 
 bimonds John 
 
 Green well Ger. 
 M‘Laughlin C. 
 Smith Clement 
 Wilkinfon Ben. 
 W harm Adam 
 Vinfon Charles 
 
 TAUNTON 
 ( Majfc.) 
 
 Bclkcom David 
 Canedy Noble 
 Cobb Benjamin 
 Hodges James 
 Siders Martin 
 
 Gibfon James 
 Hall George P, 
 Oury James 
 Power Lsvi 
 
 STAMFORD 
 ( Conn.) 
 
 Davenport Eben. Perkins George 
 Gray James Tredway Alfred 
 Rev. William Rogers, Philadelphia. 
 
 Meftf. Bailey Waller Sc Bailey, Charlefton (S. C.) 5©. 
 
 
 THE Editors can ofFer no other apology to 
 thofe Gentlemen who have fubferibed, and whofe names 
 are not contained in the foregoing lift, than to inform 
 them, that only about thirty fubfeription papers had been 
 returned, on the commitment of this (heet to the prds, 
 out of the number of one hundred and fifty , which had 
 been circulated in various parts of the Union. 
 
 (See page 245’, of this book.) 
 
 * My fne crab-tree walking flick, with a gold heetd 
 curicufy wrought in the form oj the cap of Liberty, 1 
 give to my ftiend, and the friend of mankind , General 
 Wa 3HINGTON. 1f it were a feeptre, he has merited 
 it , and would become it% (Dr. Franklin’s Will.) 
 

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RARE BOOK 
 COLLECTION 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY OF 
 NORTH CAROLINA 
 LIBRARY 
 
 E312.3 
 
 •M53 
 
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