IT may perhaps be impossible on the present occasion to suggest an idea, which has not often been the subject of contemplation to eve­ry member of this Assembly. But as the im­pression of events, even the most interest­ing and important, becomes easily effaced from the mind, it may not be an unpleasing, or unprofitable employment, to recur for a few minutes to the consequences of that illustri­ous event, which the present anniversary is de­signed to perpetuate. And if this remark is just as it respects the audience in general, it ap­plies with peculiar force to the society, at whose request the speaker has undertaken the task. As actors, and sharers, in the toils, the dangers, and the glory of the late American Re­volution, the stated period of recollection, must be, to them, the stated period of rational joy. Under the influence of this truth, he claims the attention of the Assembly, and particularly the [Page 6] society of Cincinnati, to those events, which have succeeded as consequences of the Indepen­dence of the United States. Nor will the view be confined to the nation of which we are citi­zens; but will be extended to Europe; and perhaps may stretch into imagination, and pro­phecy. And should the speaker, in his pro­gress, discover the extravagance of a zealot, the only apology he has to offer, is a truth which no American will deny—that the love of free­dom is nearly allied to enthusiasm—and his flight, if not directed by the tame guidance of reason, will be winged with the warmest affec­tion for human happiness.

WHEN the citizens of the United States, as­sembled in Congress, affixed their hands and seals, to the declaration of Independence, the world beheld with astonishment a few infant Colonies, engaged in a cause of infinite difficul­ty and hazard, in opposition to the force and vengeance, of the wealthiest and most haughty nation on earth. Accustomed to habits of sub­mission to sovereignty, nothing less was expect­ed than absolute slavery, or total destruction; and every friend to the freedom, and happiness of mankind, waited with the highest solicitude, the event of a contest, on which was suspended the existence of Liberty, and the rights of hu­man nature. The inhabitants of this country, instead of being spectators, were the actors on this stupendous scene. Alarmed at the voice of hovering danger, without a moment for re­flection, or preparation, they were impelled to union and exertion. The standard of Indepen­dence [Page 7] was erected, citizens of every description rushed into the field, the useful implements of agriculture were beaten into weapons of war, and the onset was distinguished by veteran for­titude and bravery. The progress of freedom thro' the war was sometimes wild and irregu­lar; her sacred purity was often stained with murder and depredation; but her struggles were crowned with glory and success. The military, and naval forces of tyranny, retreat­ted with infamy from the field of action; while acclamations of thanksgiving, ascended from the lips of millions, to the GOD of heaven, for the restoration of peace, and the establishment of freedom and happiness.

ANIMATED by the same virtue and patriot­ism, which planned, and accomplished their Independence, the citizens of the United States, in the enjoyment of profound tranquillity, have framed, adopted, and put into operation, a system of national government, which, if pos­sible, reflects higher honour on their wisdom, union, and love of liberty, than even the events of the war. Under the influence of this govern­ment, the nation has assumed a new, and more dignified character; her councils are admired, her wisdom and firmness revered. To her, the nations of the earth look for lessons on ra­tional happiness, and her progress is traced by the eye of prophecy, to the summit of national dignity and felicity.

ON these events, every being in the United States, and especially those of my fellow citi­zens [Page 8] who fought, suffered, and bled for their accomplishment, must reflect with the liveliest satisfaction. By the blessing of JEHOVAH on their resolute, and generous exertions, this country has been led to high national dignity and enjoyment. Every valuable property was risqued; and inestimable wealth has been gained. Yourselves, your children, and your friends, are secured against the encroachments of despotism—freedom, independence, and happiness, constitute the inheritance, which must descend to the last generation of your pos­terity, unless forfeited by folly, or alienated by madness.

IN this animating view of the subject, let me remind you of those patriot citizens and sol­diers, by whose counsels, and exertions, the re­volution was atchieved. From the President of the first Continental Congress, and the illustri­ous commander in Chief—the head of the so­ciety of Cincinnati—to the lowest active citi­zen, and soldier, they are entitled to your af­fectionate regard. But the public voice has anticipated me; their merits have been the stea­dy theme of eloquence and poetry; and a sin­gle character among them has exhausted the language of praise; and Admiration remains silent under the accumulating weight of grati­tude and affection.

BUT amidst the festivity of the era we have met to celebrate, let us not fail to recollect those dignified and illustrious characters, who lost their lives in the cause of freedom: or [Page 9] those who have yielded to the arm of death, since the establishment of Independence. Eve­ry blessing we share, every moment we live, ought to remind us of their merits; and on this day let us shed the tear of affectionate la­mentation for their glorious, but untimely fate.

AND here with peculiar propriety, my sub­ject leads me to address the society of Cincinna­ti, on the death of a worthy member of their in­stitution. The objects of this society were highly endearing, and respectable. A train of severe, painful and glorious services, had form­ed a bond of union between the officers of the army, at the separation of which the heart re­coiled. For the purposes of perpetual friend­ship, and extensive benevolence, your society was formed, and an annual meeting appointed, among other important objects, to pay the tribute of a tear to the memory of your deceased friends. Since the last meeting of the society, you have been called to bemoan the fate of Major JON­ATHAN HART. In your minds, the mention of his name will awaken every tender, and af­fectionate idea. An attachment founded on the sympathy of generous dispositions, re­ceives redoubled strength, and ardour, from the mutual services, and sufferings of war. This brave man was your companion, du­ring the revolution which gave birth to your society. Perfectly acquainted with his amia­bleness, generosity, and heroism, "no tongue can teach your sorrows when to flow." The termination of the war with Great Britain, was [Page 10] not the termination of his military life. The service of his country called him to a dif­ferent field of action where his career was fin­ished with the distinguishing characteristics of an officer, and a hero.

BUT while the recollection of his fate claims the sincere sorrow of his acquaintance; it gives me pleasure to reflect, that his worth lives in the hearts of his companions, and his coun­trymen—and that as often as the anniversary of American Independence, shall collect the members of this society, the tears of regret and affection, shall be shed at the remembrance of their friends who are no more; while the bless­ings of their treasure shall extend relief to the widow, and cause the heart of the orphan "to sing for joy." In the language of a poet of our country, who lamented the fate of a soldier^* and a friend, in a similar situation, I shall end this tribute to the memory of your brother.

HAVING traced the course of freedom over this country, where the limits of a Continent were too circumscribed, the mind with pleas­ure pursues her progress over Europe, and the globe. Having learned the invaluable lesson of liberty in the American war, the citizens of the French nation returned to their country, intent on glorious practice. There, in co-op­eration with the patriots of the kingdom, the French members of the society of Cincinnati, conceived, and accomplished a revolution, which has renewedly excited the astonishment, and the admiration of the universe. By the still, but persuasive voice of reason and liberty, with scarcely a momentary aid from terror, or from arms, more than twenty millions of peo­ple have been rescued from the sufferings, and the ignominy of slavery, and elevated to the dignity and happiness of freedom, and [Page 12] Independence. Awed at the approach of the standard of liberty, the Bastile, that right arm of oppression, drew back, and withered. The votaries of absolute sway, and the subordinate representatives of despotic power, fled, and sought an asylum under the protection of the neighboring tyrants —while the monarch of a powerful, and extensive empire, found himself stripped of the diadem and sceptre, which had too long been prostituted to the purposes of ty­ranny, and obliged to abandon the throne or to resume it to promote the happiness of his subjects. Charmed with the conduct of free, but affectionate citizens, the king of the French re-ascended his throne. At the head of a nation in the eager pursuit of every great, and majes­tic object, he finds abundant compensation for the loss of useless, and dangerous prerogative, in the testimony of the respectful, and manly at­tachment of a great, wise, and independent people.

FIRM, and unshaken, in the midst of ama­zing difficulties and dangers, the citizens of France have pursued their object with unre­mitted diligence and fidelity. Their efforts have been gloriously successful; and the nation warmed with the love of freedom, is rapidly progressing to be the arbiter of Europe. The other kingdoms must adopt her plans of strength and greatness, or they must submit to her sway —for twenty millions of freemen, can give law to an universe of slaves.

ROUSED at the spreading evil, which threat­ened [Page 13] to reach the throne of every tyrant in Eu­rope, the surrounding sovereigns espoused the cause of the princes of France, and agreed to combine their forces, to produce a counter-revolution in favour of despotism. This con­federation, which had united the emperor of Germany, the king of Sweden, and the empress of Russia, wore an alarming aspect. But the nation supported by conscious rectitude, and the strength of Independence, remained unmoved. Wisdom, firmness, and caution, marked the measures of the national council, while the ci­tizens prepared for a vigorous, and manly de­fence of those liberties they had so recently ob­tained. With the same alacrity and ardour, which distinguished the inhabitants of this country—their predecessors in danger, and in glory—they trained for the field by a steady attention to military discipline; and a few months exhibited an army of freemen, suffi­cient, in the cause of liberty, to have checked the progress of united Europe. But the eye of Jehovah watched the progress of this iniquit­ous combination. At the moment, when the imperial Leopold was to have made a spirited effort for declining tyranny, a fatal distemper deprived him of existence. This important event, was succeeded by another, not less im­portant. Gustavus the third, king of Sweden, the intended commander of this powerful, con­federated army, was assassinated in the face of the nation, by one of his subjects. Benevo­lence will sigh at the recollection of human de­pravity, when told of such fatal effects of it; while the superintendence of Providence, shines [Page 14] with all the effulgence of the Godhead, in this divine interposition for the salvation of freedom.

THE long reign of the Empress of Russia, bears evidence of superior talents for govern­ment, in the sovereign. But absolute domin­ion is her object, instead of "that righteousness which exalteth a nation." Every friend to the rights of man, will therefore listen with satis­faction to the probability, that her own enslav­ed, and hardy vassals, are beginning to feel their frozen bosoms melt with the fire of liberty. May a whirlwind of the Lord go forth in fury among them, even a grievous whirlwind—and may it fall griev­ously upon the head of the wicked—that the anger of the Lord may not return until he hath executed, and until he hath performed the thoughts of his heart—that in the latter days they may consider it perfectly ²."

WITH exquisite pleasure we view the female character, in a land of equal liberty and happi­ness. With minds enlarged by science, and ornamented with every refined, dignified, and delicate sentiment, the women of America establish their sovereignty, by the united influ­ence of beauty, modesty, and virtue. Removed from the splendour, and vices of courts, their hearts cultivate the accomplishments of peaceful, elegant, and domestic life. The names of wife, parent, and friend, are infinitely more captiva­ting to them, than all the titles of royalty; while benevolence, and religion, designate them as the objects of the peculiar regard of heaven.

[Page 15]FROM this view of the state of liberty in France, the mind will necessarily extend to the rest of Europe. Scarcely a nation in that quar­ter of the globe, but has been alarmed at the approaches, or at the commencement of a re­volution. The subject engrosses universal at­tention, and supersedes every other object of re­gard. The dignity of human nature has awak­ed from a long night of stupid submission to in­jury, and is calling loudly at the doors of ty­rants for relief, and for compensation. The sceptre of domination trembles in the hands of every monarch in Europe. The glory, and the pomp of royalty, "like the morning cloud, and the early dew, is passing away." Every idea which superstition, or slavishness had fram­ed, respecting sovereigns, has vanished; and kings are viewed by reason and common sense, as tyrants, "or as ministers of GOD, for good." Even the imperial pontiff of Rome, instead of holding the keys of death, and of hell, finds himself reduced to the mortifying insignifi­cance of being slighted and despised, by those, who have heretofore been blind devotees to his arrogance, and his blasphemies. The anima­ted apostrophe of the prophet, describes his sit­uation with all the clearness and certainty of divine prediction—

‘HELL from beneath is moved for thee, to meet thee at thy coming: it stireth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. All they shall speak, and say unto thee—art thou also be­come [Page 16] weak as we? art thou become like un­to us? Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols; the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. How art thou fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down, who did'st weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven: I will exalt myself above the stars of GOD: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds: I will be like the Most High. Yet thou shall be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms?^*’

NOR is freedom deemed the exclusive birth­right of civilized nations. The negroes of Africa, whose injuries exceed computation, conception, or credulity, behold the day-star of liberty, rising on the gloomy, and desperate re­gion of slavery. The sound of Independence, first raised in the United States, "has gone out, and filled the earth." Forced into a conviction of the iniquity of tyranny, by the successful strug­gles of America against oppression, the friends of man through out the globe, are promoting the cause of equal liberty and happiness. So­cieties, associations, and plans, are forming for the purpose of destroying this scion of infernal policy. Even the miserable victims of slave­ry have themselves aroused from the abyss of [Page 17] injury, and in some parts of the world made a noble, vigorous, and manly attack on their op­pressors. Humanity will lament the indis­criminate sufferings of the innocent, and guilty inhabitants of the revolted countries; while justice must behold with a smile of approba­tion, the rapid progress of the slaves to triumph, and independence.

To the citizens of the United States, and es­pecially to the actors in the American revolu­tion, these events must be the subject of the most animating reflection. To your exertions is owing the measure of liberty now enjoyed in the world; and the glorious prospect of its spreading over the habitable globe. The fire of freedom caught from this continent, flames with godlike ardour in the other parts of the earth. The forces of tyranny are consumed by its power, and the sinews of despotism shrink from before it. The feeblest hands, and the palest faces in Europe, [...] upon thrones. Equal, and universal [...] burst the chains of confinement; and [...] of liberty has "risen, and shook his [...]," Europe is on the eve of a general convulsion. The love of freedom is implanted in the soul of man, by the GOD of nature; and the spirit it inspires is irresistible. ‘The Lord shall cause his glori­ous voice to be heard, and shall shew the light­ening down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devour­ing fire, with scattering, and tempest and hail-stones. For through the voice of the [Page 18] Lord, shall the Assyrian be beaten down, who smote with a rod.’ ^* The prediction in scripture of a season of universal freedom, and tranquillity, is rapidly fulfilling; a spirit of tol­eration pervades all nations; and the religion of EMANUAL is extending its influence over the the regions of bigotry, persecution, and idola­try.

LET us then, in the midst of the joy and fes­tivity of this illustrious day, adore that God, who raised us to the enjoyment of peace, hap­piness and liberty—