Such is the structure, and the imbecility of the human mind, that praise is extremely prone to destroy its equilibrium. But the Ariftides, as well as the Fabius of the age, neither defpondent in adverfity, nor elated with fuccefs, preferved a philofophical equanimity, amid the most copious effufions of encomium and panegyric: and when a Cefar would have affumed the purple, or a Cromwell ufurped the protectorship, he refigned, with eagernefs, the proud infignia of command, and converted the splendid weapons of war, into the humble implements of the arts of peace.

To most men in public life, at the close of the revolutionary war, it was well known that General. WASHINGTON felt little confidence in the efficiency or durability of the exifting form of government. On this point, his circular letter to the feveral States indicated his diffidence. A fhort lapse of time verified his apprehenfions. In lefs than three years the confederation was annihilated. The moment was awful and perilous. But the evils of anarchy were repreffed by the joint force of fentiment and habit; and a government of energy was demanded, from New-Hampfhire to Georgia. A convention of patriots, and fages, in which General WASHINGTON prefided, was affembled; and that fyftem of government, which was administered by him for eight fucceffive years, with fo much dignity and effect, was the refult of their united labours. The manner in which he fulfilled the high duties of the presidency of the United States, is known to this affembly.

As chief of the army, during the late war, General WASHINGTON became perfonally known to a vast proportion of the people of these States; and his name is registered in the hearts of all. But as Chief Magistrate of the nation, being the organ of intercourse with foreign nations, his celebrity became univerfal; and the name of WASHINGTON is pronounced with pleasure, and with pride, by the people of every civ. ilized nation on earth.

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Such was the man, who triumphantly led your armies in war, and prefided in your councils in peace.

To fortune, every man, who, furmounting uncommon obftacles, fucceeds in enterprises of magnitude and hazard, is, ufually, more or lefs indebted. But the verity of this pofition we do not fuffer to detract from the merit of our departed fage. Of what ufe are all the mines of Mexico and Peru, while latent and unexplored? Or what avail the greatest human powers, unless they are prefented with objects fuitable to their exercife? Utility alone confummates and ftamps their value.

"Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,
And wafte its fweetnefs on the defert air."

But opportunity, that genial funbeam, which opens and expands the bud of every human faculty and vir tue, gave ample scope for the developement of his mighty energies, and for the expanfion and exercise of his manly virtues. And in comparing the actual fituation of our country, its dangers, its wants, and its ultimate deftination to independence, with the talents, the refources, and virtues of General WASHINGTON, we are ftruck with admiration and wonder at the precife and happy adaptation of one to the other.

To the sketches of his life, already fo imperfectly given, his late acceptance of the command of the army must be fuperadded. At a time, when nature was foliciting repofe, and retirement was, more than ever, an object of his ardent wifhes, he was unexpectedly prefented with his appointment. The moment was deemed critical and important: he felt its force; and again, facrificing every private confideration, yielded to the wifhes of an anxious public; rejecting on this, as on every fimilar occafion, from the com mencement of the revolution, every idea of pecuniary. emolument for his fervice.

The fequel of his life was in unifon with the past. In the laft folemn fcene, when the wealth and the honours of the world were receding from his view,

he still acted like himself-he ftill was WASHINGTON. When the speedy termination of his life was announced to him, by his friend and phyfician, with dignified compofure he awaited and welcomed the approach of death. Thus was our much loved friend, the FATHER OF HIS COUNTRY, great in war, great in peace, great in life, and great in the moment of his diffolution.

And are the eyes of WASHINGTON clofed in death? Has he, who fo lately was the pride of arms, who was himself a hoft, fallen a prey to the fell ravager of our race? The aching heart reluctates, while it is compelled to realize the tale of wo. But, mute be every murmur-checked be every tear. What though his once manly, graceful form be now mingling with its native duft, yet WASHINGTON ftill lives immortal. Yes: he lives in his matchlefs example; he lives in those leffons of wisdom which flowed from his pen; he lives in our hearts, and in the hearts of a grateful country; he lives, tranfporting thought! refplendent with glory, in the realms of ceafelefs day.

An Dration

ON THE DEATH OF

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON,

LATE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

Delivered at CHARLESTON, (S. C.) January 15, 1800, at the Requeft of the Inhabitants."

BY DAVID RAMSAY, M, D.

IF ever any country owed to one of its

citizens an incalculable debt of gratitude, that country is the United States, that citizen was the late GEORGE WASHINGTON. To do justice to his exalted merit, far exceeds my abilities. In making the attempt, I must furely fail, for none could fucceed. I not only crave, but claim your indulgence. The task on which I am entering is of your appointment, and it is of fuch a delicate and arduous nature, that to its proper execution, not only my feeble powers, but the first abilities in the world would be inadequate.

On the 11th of February, 1732, Virginia had the honour of giving birth to the illuftrious man, whose death we this day deplore. His ancestors migrated from England, and were among the first settlers of this. firft of the British provinces in America. I cannot fpeak from pofitive anecdote, what was his fituation and employment for the first twenty years of his life; but I have heard, that in his youth he was remarkably grave, filent, and thoughtful, active and methodical in bufinefs, highly dignified in his appearance and manners, and strictly honourable in all his deportment.

The first public notice of him, that I have seen, was in a note to a fermon, printed in London forty-five years ago, which had been preached a fhort time be

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fore, in Hanover-county, Virginia, on fome public occafion, by the late President Davies. In this, the preacher obferved, "I may point out to the public that heroic youth, Colonel WASHINGTON, whom I cannot but hope, Providence has hitherto preserved for fome important fervice to his country.' As no thought of American Independence was entertained at that early day, this obfervation could only have been founded in a knowledge of his talents and character. Indeed his appearance would have justified such a prefentiment, for majefty and dignity were remarkably confpicuous in his countenance, and the figure of his perfon.

Very foon after young WASHINGTON was twentyone years of age, he was employed by the government of Virginia, on an embaffy to negociate the removal of fome French fettlers from the Ohio, who had fortified themselves in the vicinity of that river, on lands claimed by the King of Great-Britain. In the execution of this trust, he travelled upwards of four hundred miles, and his route, for one half of that distance, led through pathlefs woods, inhabited only by favage beafts and more favage men. He was attended only by one companion, and proceeded on foot from Winchester: his negociations failing, Virginia raised three hundred men, and put them under his command, and inftructed him to proceed to the Ohio. An engagement took place, between the French and Virginians, in which the former were at first defeated; but being afterwards reinforced with nine hundred men, they reduced Colonel WASHINGTON, after making a brave defence, to the neceffity of fubmitting to honourable terms of capitulation.

The conteft, about these lands, becoming more ferious, General Braddock was fent with a regular force from Great-Britain, to support the claims of his Britannic Majesty. His impetuous valour pushed him forward into an ambufcade of French and Indians, in which he was killed, and his army routed. The remains of it were rallied, and brought off in fafety, un