Convention he prefides over councils, as in war he had led the battle. The Conftitution, like the rainbow after the flood, appears to us, now juft emerging from an overwhelming commotion; and we know the truth of the pledge from the fanction of his name.

The production was worthy of its authors, and of the magnanimous people whom it was intended to eftablish. You adopt it, you cherish it, and you refolve to tranfmit it, with the name of WASHINGTON, to the latest generation, who fhall prove their just claim to fuch an illuftrious defcent.

Who was fo worthy as our great Legislator, to direct the operations of a government which his counfels and his sword had laboured to erect? By a unanimous fuffrage he was invited to the exalted station of Prefident of the United States. The call was too facred to admit of doubt: it fuperfeded the happiness of retirement, the demands of private intereft, the sweet attractions of domestic fociety, and the hazard (forgive it, WASHINGTON! for thou waft mortal) the hazard of public reputation. Behold the man on this occafion, fo 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, "who rules over the univerfe, who prefides in the councils of nations, and whose providential aids, can fupply every human defect."

One of the earlieft acts of his adminiftration was that circular visit to transfuse his love, and receive the grateful benedictions of his loving countrymen, in which you, my fellow-townfmen, partook fo liberal a fhare. What fenfations rufhed upon your minds, when you compared the dreadful aspect of your besieged city with its now fmiling condition! The well cultivated fields were screening from view the late terrific ramparts of the enemy, and the groans of the diftreffed had yielded to the bufy noise of commerce and pleafure. How grateful now is the recollection, that with

tears of joy you crowded to meet him in your streets, difplaying the very infignia which you this day bear in mournful proceffion; 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 administration, as our Supreme Exec utive Magiftrate! His talents and his virtues increased with his cares. His foul feemed not to bear the limits of office a moment after the obligations of duty and patriotifm withdrew their restraints from his univerfal love. When the mifguided favages of the wilderness, after feeling his chastisement, had fued for peace, he feemed to labour for their happiness as the common representative of mankind. Infurrection was fo ftruck at his countenance, that it fled from the fhock of his arm. Intrigue attempted to entangle him in her poifonous web; but he burst it with gigantic ftrength, and crushed her labours. Anarchy looked out from her cavern, and was dafhed into oblivion, as we truft, forever. The nations of Europe faw the wisdom of our laws, the vigour of our meafures, the juftice of our policy, the firmnefs of our government, and acquiefced in the neutrality of our station.

The dangers of the Commonwealth having fubfided at the close of his fecond administration, he felt himfelf justified, after dedicating forty-five years of his valuable life to her fervice, in withdrawing to receive with refignation the great change of nature, which his age and his toils demonftrated to be near. When he declined your future fuffrages, he left you a legacy. 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 purposes. He left you the records of wisdom for your government; a mirror for the faithful reprefentation to your own view, of yourselves, your weakneffes, 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 strengthen the whole of your wonderful and almoft boundless communities. Read, preferve the facred depofit; and left pofterity fhould forget the truth of its maxims, engrave them on his tomb, that they may read 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 modern 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 honour of our republic warms his heart; and he again accepts the fword for its defence from the hand of another, placed by the voice of the people in that fupreme 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 discharge the minuteft duties of a private citizen, was too great to allow the influence of etiquette to endanger the safety of the people. His condefcenfion raises him above himself; his fpirit fires all ranks of men; he is overwhelmed with the gratitude and applaufe of an enraptured nation.

Whilft we confide in his arm, and are marfhalling our warriors to march under his banners, the GoD of armies, whofe counfels are beyond the fcrutiny of man, prepares for us the teft of our fubmiflion to his chaf tifing 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 difeafe which is felected as the inftrument of his diffolution, instantaneously seizes him. His humanity delays the immediate aid to which alone it may yield. Inconfolable domeftics! what ftorms would you not have braved, what hazards would you not have encountered, to fave that life which was facrificed to your comfort and fafety! At length Science flies to fave him.

D

Alas! what avails its fkill against the mandate of Heaven? It comes too late!It is finished.

Wonderful event! Greatnefs departs in glory, and envy is filent! All acknowledge him to be the first of citizens, and none feel hurt by his fuperiority. So impartial was he, that none impeach his juftice; fo moderate, none complain of his power; fo magnanimous, his conquered enemies applaud his humanity; fo philanthropic, that neither colour, nor climate, nor religion, nor politics, could exclude the unfortunate from his fuccour. He had the habit of combining fentiment with action in fuch method and force, that he shed his benevolence on communities of men with the fame ease as the fudden impulfe of momentary sensibility beftows it upon individuals. Unexampled virtue! alloted to its merited reward. Many founders of nations have been left to obtain from pofterity that reputation which prejudice or bigotry has denied at their deaths. The tomb has been neceffary to bury anger, petty interefts and emulation, which barred an equitable judgment. But in regard to this fage, the gratitude of his country has been co-existent 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 fhould be deprived of the good he had done us, to entertain a juft fenfe of its importance. Medals and ftatues have been decreed him when living, and your tears announce his greater triumph in your hearts, when dead. Difinterefted love! What motives have you, freemen, for thus offering up your applaufe? He has now no fhield to defend you from the invasions of your enemies; his head lies cold in the grave, and no counsel can arife from his lips. His eyes were closed by his own unfhaken hand; and no fmile can now beam from his countenance to animate your troops. Grateful Republicans! indeed you weep not from felfishness. Afflicted with the thought of the bleffings which he has fhowered upon yourselves and your chil

dren, you would call him, could your voice be heard, from the closed manfions of the dead, again to receive the tribute of your affection. You weep for her, whose tender participation in the anxieties of a husband relieved his cares, and protracted the invaluable life which love itself could no longer detain. Difconfolate woman! mourn not; for the faithful is gone to receive the reward of his uprightnefs. The whole defire of his heart, the whole purfuit of his labours, has been the good of his fellow-men. Contraft him with thofe who have been raised by the empty, the criminal admiration of mankind, to the highest ranks in the pantheon of fame. See one, instead of liberating and protecting, employed in conquering and enflaving a world, and weeping that his guilty talk could be continued no longer. Another retiring from the purple, not with the united bleffings of all religious fects, but the bigoted perfecutor of the only rational and divine religion. See the mafter of fo many crowns, after yielding them up for a convent, instead of interesting himself in the welfare of mankind to the hour of his departure, relapfing into the abfurdities of monkish fuperftition and another, whofe afhes are scarcely cold, flaughtering the armies of half the nations of Europe, to extend the limits of an electorate, with as much zeal as our departed hero laboured to extend the limits of freedom, civilization and morals. When fo much worth steps off from the stage of life, the weaknefs of our nature is the only apology for our tears. Such an exit is not death; it is the triumph of the just.

Sons of Freedom! as you regard the memory of your afcended Chief, attend to the injunctions of his will.

Remember that it was not for you alone he laboured; it was for your pofterity alfo; it was for the human race. For you and for them he was first in building the nobleft political fyftem that adorns the world. It is an experiment to ascertain the nature of man; whether he be capable of freedom, or whether he must be led by the reins of tyranny; whether he