fruits of his toils in the field, of his wisdom in the cabinet.

Nature does not always obferve a due proportion between the endowments of the mind and body; but in this he was peculiarly her favourite. With a mind coextenfive with every object, fhe gave him a comely, majestic person, well proportioned, tall and active; with regular manly features, a very interesting countenance and penetrating eye; his deportment was eafy and graceful, with an air of benevolence and dignity; his conftitution, naturally good, was by temperance and exercise preserved found to an advanced age. With pure and upright intentions, he poffeffed a correct, found judgment; with great calmnefs and deliberation in forming determinations, an invincible firmness and perfeverance in the execution of them. His abilities and courage were equal to objects of the first magnitude; uninfluenced by prejudice, and with integrity incorruptible, did he guide the helm of ftate, did he direct the ftorm of war. His orders, letters and speeches, and above all, his two farewell addreffes, (to repeat which is the pride of every orator) will be lafting teftimonies of the goodness of his heart, and of the eloquence of his pen.*-But, alas! our benefactor is now gone the way of all flesh, and we can but deplore our lofs the time is unfortunate; but thy will be done, O! thou Father of spirits.

And now, my fellow-citizens, fhall I claim your attention a moment, in taking a comparative view of our flourishing state at this period, with our wretched condition when our WASHINGTON took the command of our armies? Sole lords and proprietors of a vast tract of continent, comprehending all the various foils and climates of the world, abounding in all the neceffaries and conveniencies of life, we are poffeffed of abfolute freedom and independence. The actors on a most confpicuous theatre, which feems peculiarly defigned by

"Fit words attended on his weighty sense,
And mild perfuafion flow'd in eloquence."

Providence for the display of human greatnefs and felicity, furrounded with every thing that can contribute to the completion of domestic enjoyment; Heaven has crowned all its other bleffings, by affording a fairer opportunity for political happiness, than any other nation has ever enjoyed. Here the rights of mankind are more clearly defined, and better understood, than in any other quarter of the globe; our laws are made equitably, expounded impartially, and executed faithfully. Here no gloomy feperstition reigns, no fubordi. nation of one fect or denomination to any other: every one, who acknowledges the being of a God, is entitled to every civil right, at liberty to enjoy his own religious, profeffions, and to worship God in the manner and feafon most agreeable to the dictates of his confcience : Here the researches of the human mind after focial happiness, are carried to a great extent. The treafures of knowledge, acquired by philofophers, fages and legislators, through a long fucceffion of ages, are here laid open for ufe, and their collected wisdom happily applied in our forms of government. The cultivation of letters, the, unbounded extenfion of commerce, and above all, the pure and benign light of revelation, have thed their meliorating influence over us, increased the bleffings of fociety, refined our manners, and liberalized our fentiments.

This, my fellow-citizens, is a sketch of that happy ftate in which the labours of your WASHINGTON have had a principal inftrumentality in placing you: does it not become us to deplore the lofs of the citizen, who had this high agency, under Providence, in producing our now happy state-who spent so many anxious days and watchful nights in obtaining our freedom-who confumed the prime of his long and valuable life in the fervice of his country? A due adherence to his precepts will insure our political falvation, and be no bar to our eternal felicity.

Let the young man who afpires to merit the love of his country, contemplate the youth of WASHINGTON,

and let him go and do likewife; the road to greatness lies open to all, the opportunities of many are fuperior to his. Let the farmer imitate him, and he will become profperous and opulent; let the relative imitate him, and he will live comfortable and happy; the military man need not be informed, that WASHINGTON's character is the great model of military merit; the enlightened statesman will do well to imitate his example, and to follow his precepts. They are the precepts of wisdom, uttered in the undisguised language of freedom and fincerity; and dictated by the rectitude of a heart, which difdained unworthy motives: that heart is now mingled with the duft !

This indeed is a day of mourning. South-Carolina has a twofold caufe of grief! The fame omnipotent hand, which has removed the father of our country, has fince deprived us of the not lefs virtuous, though more limited services of our beloved RUTLEDGE. To our affliction this gives double poignancy-we feel as men, as friends, and as citizens; but let us not defpair. That beneficent Power, who, with a guardian hand, conducted us through the gloomy horrors of revolutionary conflict, and has placed us on the folid bafis of independence and happiness; who, to answer the great purposes of his moral government, has taken from us a WASHINGTON, a MIFFLIN, a HENRY, and a RUTLEDGE, will never leave us deftitute of heroes in the field of fages in the cabinet.

An Dration

ON THE SUBLIME VIRTUES OF

GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON.

Pronounced at PORTLAND, February 22, 1800, by Appointment of the Selectmen, agreeable to the Vote of the Town.

BY ISAAC PARKER.

SOME weeks, my refpected fellow-cit

izens, have elapfed, fince you were afflicted with the melancholy affurance, that the man whofe virtues and whofe talents you have fo long been accustomed to revere, had paid the last fad debt of nature.

To the impulfe of that moment I appeal for teftimony, that no public misfortune could have occurred equally interesting to your feelings. Your immediate fufpenfion of the ordinary occupations of life, witnessed the fincerity of your grief; and your general refort to the temple of the MOST HIGH, teftified that under the fenfe of a great national calamity, you there fought a confolation which the world could not afford.

Numberlefs have been the effufions of grief and respect which have fpontaneously iffued from every divifion of our country on this diftreffing event; not a city or village in this extended empire but has devoted its day to the contemplation of the fublime virtues of their departed benefactor: and yet, fo deeply are we interested to view and review the life and character of the illuftrious and beloved WASHINGTON, fo intimately were his virtues connected with the general and individual happiness of the people of America, that this day alfo, confecrated to his memory by the fupreme council of the nation, will be observed with unfeigned folemnity and respect.

What a fad picture of human life, its profpects, its honours, and its fplendour, does this day prefent to our view!-Hitherto it has ranked high in the bright. register of American festivals; fecond only to the glorious epoch of our independence, and celebrated as the natal day of him by whose instrumentality that independence was fecured. But, alas! it is now devoted to the folemn and affecting purpose of lamenting the death of him, who has fo long been the object of its hilarity

and mirth.

Could a nation's tears have arrested the fatal malady which extinguished a life fo invaluable; could fuch tranfcendent virtues have given claim to an exemption from the common doom of man; the hours we now devote to humble reverence of an afflicting Providence, would have appeared in their usual gaiety; and your hearts, now faddened with grief, would have felt those sensations of gratitude and joy, which this anniversary has hitherto been calculated to inspire.

If, as has been beautifully intimated by an eloquent heathen, fuperior intelligencies can find gratification in the view of human magnanimity ftruggling with diftress, the august spectacle of a nation paying its undi vided tribute of respect to departed virtue, will be contemplated with no lefs complacency and delight. The folemn mockery of wo, which the people of other nations have affumed on the death of their tyrant or his favourite, with faces that ill conceal their joy at the event they affect to mourn; contrafted with the deep, fincere and universal demonstrations of regret, which our national bereavement has produced, exhibits as strong a diffimilarity, as exifts between the character of those who have heretofore excited the admiration of mankind, and of him whofe lofs we fo unaffectedly deplore.

Conquefts, for no end but the aggrandizement of their achiever; victories, in which no public good juftified the facrifice of blood; triumphs, which were a dif play of the most ferocious inhumanity, have raised, in

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