the quick bolts fly winged with death, and pierce his garments; but, obedient to the fovereign will, they dare not fhed his blood. Braddock falls at his feet; and the youthful hero covers with his brave Virginians, the retreat of Britons, not lefs brave, but furprifed by unufual war.

Thefe bands of brothers were foon to ftand in hoftile oppofition. Such was the decree of HIM to whom are prefent all the revolutions of time and empire. When no hope remained but in the field of blood, WASHINGTON was called on by his country to lead her armies. In modeft doubt of his own ability, he fubmitted with reluctance to the neceffity of becoming her chief; and took on him the weight, the care and the anguish of a civil war. Ambition would have tasted here the sweets of power, and drunk deep. of intoxicating draughts, but to the patriot, these sweets are bitterness.

Industrious, patient, perfevering, he remained at the head of citizens fcarcely armed; and, fparing of blood, by fkill, rather than by force, compelled his foe to seek a more favourable theatre of war. And now all hope of union loft, America (by her declaration of inde pendence) cut the laft flender thread of connexion.

She had hitherto been fuccefsful; but was foon fhaken by adverfe ftorms. The counfel of her Chief had been neglected. His army had been raised by annual enliftment. The poor remnant of accumulated defeat, retreating before an enemy flushed with fuccefs, and confident in all fuperiority, looked with impatience to the approaching term of fervice. The profpect was on all fides gloomy; and funfhine friends (turning their halcyon beaks to fairer fkies) fought fhelter from the ftorm. But though betrayed by fortune, his calm and steady mind remained true to itself. Winter had clofed the campaign. Solacing in the enjoyment of what their arms had acquired, the victors tafted pleafure unalloyed by the dread of danger. They were fheltered behind one of the broad barriers of nature,

and, fafely houfed, beheld upon its farther fhore, a feeble adverfary, expofed beneath the canopy of heaven to the rigours of an unpitying season. It was hoped that, their term of enliftment expired, the American troops would difperfe; and the Chief, in despair, throw up his command. Such was the reafoning, and fuch reafoning would, in ordinary cafes, have been conclufive. But that Chief was WASHINGTON! He fhews to his gallant comrades the danger of their country, and asks the aid of patriotic fervice. At his voice their hearts beat high. In vain the raging Delaware, vext with the wintry blaft, forbids their march. In vain he rolls along his rocky bed, a frozen torrent, whose ponderous mafs threatens to fweep the foldier from his uncertain footstep, and bear him down the flood! In vain the beating fnow adds to the dangerous ford a darkened horror! Difficulties and dangers animate the brave. His little band is arrived; WASHINGTON is within the walls-the enemy is fubdued!

Fortune now fmiles; but who can trust to that fallacious fmile? Preparations are already made to punish the American Leader for his adventurous hardihood. And now he fees, ftretched out before him in wide array, a force fo great that in the battle there is no hope. Behind him the impaffable stream cuts off retreat. Already from his brazen throat the cannon gives loud fummons to the field. But the fetting fun leaves yet a dreary night to brood over approaching ruin. The earth is fhrouded in the veil of darkness; and now the illustrious Chief takes up his filent march, and in wide circuit leads his little band around the unwary foe. At the dawn, his military thunders tell them their reserve posted far in the rear, is in the pounces of the American Eagle. They haften back to revenge; but he has already fecured his advantage, and (by a well chosen pofition) confines them to inglorious repofe. The armies now rest from their toil. But for him there is no reft. His followers claim the double right of returning to their homes, and he ftands almost alone. He

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dares not ask for aid, left the enemy, emboldened by the acknowledgment of weakness, thould diffipate his fhadow of an army. Nothing remains but to intimi date by the appearance of a force, which does not exist; and hide from his own troops their great inferiority. Both are effected by skill rarely equalled-never excelled.

Scarce hath the advancing feafon brought forward a few recruits, when he begins offenfive operations. His enemy, foiled in each attempt to advance, is compelled to afk from the ocean fome fafer road to conqueft. The propitious deep receives on his broad bofom the invading hoft, and bids his obedient billows bear them to fome fhore, where they may join the advantage of surprise with thofe of number, discipline, and appointments. The hope is vain! WASHINGTON had penetrated their views, and ftands before them! He is unfortunate. Defeated, not fubdued, he leads on again to new attack. The half-gained victory, fnatched from his grafp, at the head of an inferior, twice-beaten army, he paffes the long winter in an open field, within one day's march of his foe.

Here he was doomed to new difficulties, and dangers unknown before. Faction had reared (in the American councils) her accurfed head, and laboured to remove him from the command. That measure would at once have difbanded his affectionate troops-the country around them was exhausted. He had no means to clothe or feed his army-none to change their pofition. Many perifhed; each day the numbers were alarmingly diminished, and reinforcement was dangerous, because it might increase the famine. Under these circumstances, a new fyftem of organization and discipline was to be formed, introduced, and enforced, while the foldier could feldom obtain even his poor pittance of depreciated paper.

"Who then hath feen

The gallant leader of that ruined band,
Let him cry praise and glory on his head.”

It was in the folitary walk of night-it was in the bofom of friendship that he could alone unburthen himself, of the vast wo which weighed upon his heart-Here 'was indeed no common nor vulgar care. Honour-Liberty-his Country, ftood on the dangerous margin of uncertain fate, and no human eye could pierce the dark cloud which hung upon futurity.

From this black night of gloomy apprehenfion, broke forth the fun of golden, glorious Hope! A mighty monarch had connected his fortunes with those of America. In her defence the flag of France was unfurled, and gratitude hailed the fixteenth Louis, protector of the rights of mankind. His powerful interference took off from what remained of the war, all reasonable doubt as to the final event. After a varied scene of adverse and profperous circumstances, that event arrived, and a folemn treaty acknowledged your independence.

Great was the joy and high the general expectation, for the political state of America was not duly confidered. Her band of federal union had been woven by the hand of diftruft. The different States had been held together, in no fmall degree, by the external preffure of war. That preffure removed, they might fall afunder. There exifted various caufes of difcontent, which the intrigues of European policy might ripen into difguft. Those who shared in the public counfels were filled, therefore, with deep apprehenfion. The army, taught by years of painful experience, became a prey to finifter forebodings. Connected by the endearing ties of foldierly brotherhood, these gallant fons of freedom anticipated with horror the moment when they might be called on to unfheathe their swords against each other; and pour, in impious libation, the pureft of their blood upon the altars of civil war. Some of the more ardent fpirits, fmarting from the past, and fearing for the future, had formed a wifh, that the army might be kept together, and, by its appearance, accelerate the adoption of an efficient government. The fen

timent was patriotic-the plan of doubtful complexion-the fuccefs uncertain; but the profpect was fair if the CHIEF could be engaged.

He knew their wrongs! He knew their worth! He felt their apprehenfions! They had strong claims upon him, and thofe claims were ftrongly urged. Supreme power,with meretricious charms, courted his embrace; and was clothed, to feduce him, in the robes of juftice. If, therefore, ambition had poffeffed a fingle corner of his heart, he might have deliberated. But he was ever loyal. He bid a laft adieu to the companions of his glory, and laid all his laurels at the feet of his country! His fame was now complete, and it was permitted him to hope for eafe in dignified retirement. Vain hope! The defects of the federal compact are foon too deeply felt not to be generally acknowledged. America directs a revifion by perfons of her choice. He is their Prefident. It is a question, previous to the first meeting, what course fhall be purfued. Men of decided temper, who, devoted to the public, overlooked prudential confiderations, thought a form of government fhould be framed entirely new. But cautious men, with whom popularity was an object, deemed it fit to confult and comply with the wishes of the people. AMERICANS! let the opinion then delivered by the greatest and best of men, be ever prefent to your remembrance. He was collected within himself. His countenance had more than ufual folemnity; his eye was fixed, and feemed to look into futurity. It is (faid he) too probable that no plan we propofe will be adopted. Perhaps another dreadful conflict is to be fuftained. If to please the people, we offer what we ourselves disapprove, how can we afterwards defend our work? Let us raise a standard to which the wife and the honest can repair. The event is in the hand of God." This was the patriot voice of WASHINGTON; and this the conftant tenor of his conduct. With this deep sense of duty, he gave to our Conftitution his cordial affent; and has added the fame of a legiflator to that of a hero.