INVITED to this place by your choice, and recollecting your well known indulgence, I feel myself already possessed of your candor, while I "impress upon your minds, the ruinous tendency of standing armies being placed in free and populous cities in a time of peace."

A FIELD here presents annually traversed by those, who by their sagacity have discovered, and by their voices declared, in strains of manly eloquence, the source from whence these fatal streams originate, which, like the destroying pestilence, have depopulated kingdoms and laid waste the fairest empires.

[Page 6] IN prosecution of the subject, I presume I shall not offend a respectable part of my audience, I mean the gentlemen of the American patriot army. ^§—An army whose glory and virtue have been long since recorded in the temple of fame—her trumpet has sounded their praises to distant nations—her wing shall bear them to latest ages.

WHEN the daring spirit of ambition, or the boundless lust of domination, has prompted men to invade the ^* natural peaceful state of society, it is among the first emotions of the heart, to re­pel the bold invader. Men assembled from such motives, having expelled the enemy from their borders, re-assuming the pruning­hook and the spade, for the sword and the spear, have in all ages been called the saviours of their country.

A MILITIA is the most natural defence of a free state, from inva­sion and tyranny: they who compose the militia, are the proprie­tors [Page 7]of the soil; and who are so likely to defend it, as they who have received it from their ancestors—acquired it by their labor—or obtained it by their valour? every free man has within his breast the great essentials of a soldier, and having made the use of arms familiar, is ever ready for the field. And where is the tyrant who has not reason to dread an army of freemen?

IN the battle of Naseby ^† in the days of Cromwell, the num­ber of forces was equal on both sides; and all circumstances equal. In the parliament's army only nine officers had ever seen actual service, and most of the soldiers were London apprentices, drawn out of the city two months before. In the king's army there were about a thousand officers who had served abroad, yet the veterans were routed by the apprentices.

ROME advanced to the zenith of glory and greatness, and con­quered all nations in the times of the republic, while her army was an unpaid militia.

THE Grecians carried on their wars against Persia by means of their militia; and at last beat the numerous mercenary armies, and subdued the vast empire of Persia.

THE deeds of valour performed by my own countrymen, and in our day, are numerous and recent, and point out as with a sun­beam, that the militia is to a free country a lasting security.

[Page 8] YOU will now permit me to consider the condition and conse­quences of a standing army.

MEN who inlist themselves for life soon loose the feelings of citizens. To command and be commanded, excites an idea of servitude and dependance, which degrades the mind, and in a social view destroys the character of a free agent ^‡

THEY who follow the profession of arms conceive themselves exempted from the useful occupations of life, and thence con­tract a habit of dissipation; soldiers inured to exercise and labour in their duty, at leasure to roam, will not be wholly inactive in a city, where the means of gratification abound; persuing the objects of pleasure, with the same zeal they engaged in the toils and enterprizes of the field. Whole armies have, too late, found them­selves destroyed by the dissolving power of luxury.

WE have a remarkable instance of this, my fellow-citizens, in the army of Hanibal, which, having withstood the greatest hard­ships, and which the most dreadful dangers had never been able [Page 9]to discourage, in winter quarters at Capua, was entirely conquered by plenty and pleasures. ^§

THE effects of luxury tho' productive of the greatest misfor­tunes to an army stationed in a city, are by no means confined to that class of men. The great body of the people, smote by the charms and blandishments of a life of case and pleasures, fall easy victims to their fascinations. The city reared by the forming hand of industry, soon feels the symptoms of dissolution—The busy merchant now no more extends his commerce! The me­chanic throws aside his chissel; the voice of riot succeeds to the sound of the hammer, and the midnight revel to the vigils of labour.

WHEN a large respectable standing army has been stationed in a city, commanded by officers of known patriotism, who have taught those under their orders, to enterchange the kind and friendly offices of life; citizens conceiving themselves secured from domestic broils and the danger of invasion from abroad, imperceptibly relax in their attention to military exercises, and may thus be exposed as a tempting bait to an aspiring despot; besides, a people who have made themselves respectable by their personal attention to their own defence, neglecting their militia, may be insulted by those neigh­bours who had formerly been accustomed to revere their power.

[Page 10] WHEN communities have so far mistaken their interest, as to commit the defence of every thing valuable in life to a standing army; the love of case will scarcely permit them to reassume the unpleasing task of defending themselves.

AT the conclusion of a long and bloody war, the liberties of a people are in real danger from the admission of troops into a free city. When an army has suffered every hardship to which the life of a Soldier is peculiarly incident, and has returned crowned with the well earned laurels of the field, they justly expect to be re­ceived into the open arms, and with the applauses of those for whom they have fought, and in whose cause they have bled; in a situa­tion like this, whole communities in transport of gratitude, have weakly sacrificed at the shrine of a deliverer, every thing for which their armies have fought or their heroes have bled.

NATIONS the most renowned among the antients for their wisdom and their policy, have viewed the army with an eye of attentive jealousy; the Romans characterized for personal brave­ry, ^† trembled for their country, at the sight of one hundred and fifty lictors or peace officers, as a guard of the decemviri— [Page 11]Such an army was dangerous, they said, to liberty. These poli­tic people knew the prevailing propensity in all mankind to power. The history of later times has abundantly justified the wisdom of their jealousies All parts of Europe which have been enslaved, have been enslaved by armies. No nation can be said to enjoy internal liberty which admits them in a time of peace. When a government has a body of standing troops at command, it is easy to form pretensions for the distribution of them, so as to effect their own purposes; when a favourite point is to be car­ried, a thousand soldiers may convey irresistable argument, and compel men to act against their feelings, interest and country.

SUCH were the arguments employed by Philip the second of Spain, to persuade the inhabitants of the Netherlands to relin­quish their liberties, their property and their religion; the progress of these dreadful measures produced scenes of Massacre and Devastation, the recital of which must excite exquisite hor­ror in the most savage breast.

ONE of the commanders of the army under the duke of Alva, demanding a pass through the city of Rotterdam, ^* was at first refused, but assuring the magistrates that be meant only to lead his troops through the town and not to lodge them in it; they consented to suffer the companies to pass through one by one: [Page 12]No sooner had the first company entered the city, than the officer, without regard to his engagements, ordered them to keep the gates open 'till the other companies should arrive; one of the citizens endeavouring to shut the gate, was killed by his own hand; his troops eager to follow his example, drew their swords, and giving a loose to their fury, spread themselves over the town, and butchered more than three hundred of the inhabi­tants.

THIS was among the first events of that war which rendered the Netherlands a scene of horror and devastation for more than thirty years; but which, whilst it proved the source on many occasions of extreme distress to the people, called forth an exer­tion of virtue, spirit and intrepidity, which seldom occurs in the annals of history. Never was there a more unequal contest than between the inhabitants of the Low-Countries, and the Spanish Monarch; and never was the issue of any dispute more contrary to what the parties had reason to expect.

UNDER similar circumstances, my fellow-citizens, a standing army was introduced and stationed in this city; which produced the scene we now commemorate; and which I know you cannot all remember; but let the stranger hear and let the listening youth be told; that on the evening of the fifth of March, seven­teen hundred and seventy, under the orders of a mercenary officer, murder with her polluted weapons, stood trampling in [Page 13]the blood of our slaughtered countrymen; imagination cannot well conceive what mingling passions then convulsed the soul and agonized the heart!—Those pangs were sharp indeed which ushered into life, a nation!—like Hercules ^† she rose brawney from the cradle, the snakes of Britain yet hung hissing round her horrible, and fell!—At her infant voice they hasted—At the dread of her rising arm they fled away.

AMERICA separated from the nations of Europe by the migh­ty ocean, and from Britain by the mightier hand of Heaven, is acknowledged an independant nation; she has now to maintain her dignity and importance among the kingdoms of the earth. May she never be seduced from her true interest, by subtle in­trigue, mistaken policy, or misguided ambition! but considering her own condition may she follow the maxims of wisdom, which are better than the weapons of war!

IT has become fashionable in Europe, to keep a large standing army in times of peace. The people of Great-Britain have pro­fessed their aversion to the establishment, yet have suffered it to gain ground upon the idea of preserving the balance of power. [Page 14]This custom is so deeply rooted and so firmly established, that nothing short of annihilation of the governments where they have been so long tolerated can abolish the institution.

FROM the situation and vicinity of the nations of Europe with respect to each other, the different extent of territory rendering it more difficult to repel an invasion from some countries than others, for the celerity of defence and the more compleat secu­rity of extensive countries; from these and similar considera­tions, even wise politicians have defended the propriety of the establishment; but let their motives be ever so pure, the ambiti­ous and the aspiring have views more extensive and ruinous; they have felt the charms and experienced the utility of this engine, and are not wanting in their exertions to support its existence.

OUR fortunate Alliances in Europe have secured us from any danger of invasion from thence; this security is derived from considerations of the best policy and true interest of the allied powers.

THE new and glorious treaty, concluded since the last anniver­sary with the States of Holland, whose manners, laws, religion, and bloody contest for freedom so nearly resemble our own, ^‡ [Page 15]affords a happy presage of lasting security. We may add, the situation of our own country, with respect to other dominions, is so secured by nature, that no one can feign pretensions suffici­ently plausible to convince the people of America, of the propri­ety of supporting a standing army in a time of peace; whilst me­mory retains the exploits of our brave citizens in the field, who have joined the standard of freedom, and successfully defended her injured altars and her devoted rites. The community will be assured, that upon the basis of a well regulated militia, an army may be raised upon all future occasions sufficient to oppose the most formidable invaders.

[Page 16] HERE, were it pertinent, I would express a confidence; that when the army shall be disbanded, justice, with impartial scale, will distribute due rewards to those who have jeoparded their lives in the high places of the field.

EVERY American, is conscious of the great effects produced by the knowledge of the people in the use of arms, and from that experience need not be exhorted to an attention to their militia.

[Page 17] WHEN we consider our own prosperous condition, and view the state of that nation, of which we were once a part, we even weep over our enemy, when we reflect that she was once great; that her navies rode formidable upon the ocean; that her commerce was extended to every harbour of the globe; that her name was revered wherever it was known; that the wealth of nations was deposited in her island; and that America was her friend, but by means of her standing armies, an immense continent is seperated from her kingdom, ^‡ and that once mighty empire, ready to fall an untimely victim, to her own mad policy.

NEAR eight full years have now rolled away, since America has been cast off from the bosom and embraces of her pretend­ed parent; and has set up her own name among the empires. The assertions of so young a country, were at first beheld, with dubious expectation; and the world were ready to stamp the name of rashness or enterprize according to the event.

BUT a manly and fortunate beginning, soon insured the most generous assistance. The renowned and the ancient Gauls came early to the combat—wise in council—mighty in battle! Then with new fury raged the storm of war! The seas were [Page 18]crimsoned with the richest blood of nations! America's chosen legions waded to freedom through rivers died with the mingled blood of her enemies and her citizens; through fields of carnage; and the gates of death!

AT length, Independence is ours—the halcyon day appears, lo from the east I see the harbinger, and from the train 'tis peace herself; and as attendants all the gentle arts of life; commerce displays her snow white navies, fraught with the wealth of king­doms; plenty from her copious horn, pours forth her richest gifts. Heaven commands! The east and the west give up, and the north keeps not back! all nations meet! And beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning-hooks, and resolve to learn war no more.—Henceforth shall the American wilder­ness blossom as the rose, and every man shall sit under his vine and under his fig-tree, and none shall make him afraid.