An Dration

ON THE SUBLIME VIRTUES OF

GENERAL. GEORGE WASHINGTON,

Pronounced in BOSTON, before his Honor the LIEUTENANTGOVERNOR, the COUNCIL, and the Two BRANCHES of the LEGISLATURE of MASSACHUSETTS, at their Request, on the 8th of February, 1800.

BY FISHER AMES.

IT is natural that the gratitude of mankind fhould be drawn to their benefactors. A number of these have fucceffively arisen, who were no less distinguished for the elevation of their virtues, than the luftre of their talents. Of thofe, however, who were born, and who acted through life as if they were born, not for themselves, but for their country and the whole human race, how few, alas! are recorded in the long annals of ages, and how wide the intervals of time and fpace that divide them! In all this dreary length of way, they appear like five or fix light-houses on as many thousand miles of coaft: they gleam upon the furrounding darkness with an inextinguishable fplendour, like stars feen through a mift; but they are seen like stars, to cheer, to guide, and to fave. WASHING

TON is now added to that fmall number. Already he attracts curiofity, like a newly difcovered ftar, whofe benignant light will travel on to the world's and time's fartheft bounds. Already his name is hung up by hiftory, as confpicuoufly as if it fparkled in one of the conftellations of the sky.

By commemorating his death, we are called this day to yield the homage that is due to virtue; to confefs the common debt of mankind, as well as our own; and to pronounce for pofterity, now dumb, that eulo

gium which they will delight to echo ten ages hence, when we are dumb.

I confider myself not merely in the midst of the citizens of this town, or even of the State. In idea, I gather round me the nation. In the vast and venerable congregation of the patriots of all countries, and of all enlightened men, I would, if I could, raise my voice, and speak to mankind in a strain worthy of my audience, and as elevated as my fubject. But how fhall I exprefs emotions that are condemned to be mute, because they are unutterable? I felt, and I was witnefs, on the day when the news of his death reached us, to the throes of that grief that faddened every countenance, and wrung drops of agony from the heart. Sorrow laboured for utterance, but found none. Every man looked round for the confolation of other men's tears. Gracious Heaven! what confolation! Each face was convulfed with forrow for the past; every heart fhivered with defpair for the future. The man who, and who alone, united all hearts, was deaddead, at the moment when his power to do good was the greatest, and when the afpect of the imminent public dangers feemed more than ever to render his aid indispensable, and his lofs irreparable: irreparable; for two WASHINGTONS Come not in one age.

A grief fo thoughtful, so profound, so mingled with tenderness and admiration, so interwoven with our national felf-love, so often revived by being diffused, is not to be expreffed. You have affigned me a task that is impoffible.

O, if I could perform it; if I could illuftrate his principles in my difcourfe as he difplayed them in his life; if I could paint his virtues as he practifed them; if I could convert the fervid enthusiasm of my heart into the talent to tranfmit his fame, as it ought to pass, to pofterity; I should be the fuccefsful organ of your will, the minister of his virtues, and, may I dare to say, the humble partaker of his immortal glory. These are ambitious, deceiving hopes, and I reject them.

For it is perhaps almost as difficult, at once with judgment and feeling, to praise great actions, as to perform them. A lavish and undistinguishing eulogium is not praise; and to discriminate fuch excellent qualities as were characteristic and peculiar to him, would be to raise a name, as he raised it, above envy, above parallel-perhaps, for that very reason, above emulation.

Such a portraying of character, however, muft be addreffed to the understanding, and therefore, even if it were well executed, would feem to be rather an analyfis of moral principles, than the recital of a he ro's exploits. It would rather conciliate confidence and esteem, than kindle enthusiasm and admiration. It would be a picture of WASHINGTON, and, like a picture, flat as the canvas; like a ftatue, cold as the marble on which he is represented; cold, alas! as his corpfe in the ground. Ah! how unlike the man late warm with living virtues, animated by the foul once glowing with patriotic fires! He is gone! The tomb hides all that the world could fcarce contain, and that once was WASHINGTON, except his glory; that is the rich inheritance of his country; and his example; that let us endeavour, by delineating, to impart to mankind. Virtue will place it in her temple, Wisdom in her treasury.

Peace then to your forrows. I have done with them. Deep as your grief is, I aim not to be pathetic. I defire lefs to give utterance to the feelings of this age, than to the judgment of the next. Let us faithfully represent the illuftrious dead, as history will paint, as pofterity will behold him.

With whatever fidelity I might execute this task, I know that fome would prefer a picture drawn to the imagination. They would have our WASHINGTON represented of a giant's fize, and in the character of a hero of romance. They who love to wonder better than to reason, would not be fatisfied with the contemplation of a great example, unless, in the exhibition, it fhould be fo diftorted into prodigy, as to be both in

credible and useless. Others, I hope but few, who think meanly of human nature, will deem it incredible, that even WASHINGTON fhould think with as much dignity and elevation, as he acted; and they will grovel in vain in the fearch for mean and felfifh motives, that could incite and fuftain him to devote his life to his country.

Do not these fuggeftions found in your ears like a profanation of virtue ? and, while I pronounce them, do you not feel a thrill of indignation at your hearts? Forbear. Time never fails to bring every exalted reputation to a strict fcrutiny. The world, in paffing the judgment that is never to be reverfed, will deny all partiality, even to the name of WASHINGTON. Let it be denied for its juftice will confer glory.

Such a life as WASHINGTON's cannot derive honour from the circumftances of birth and education, though it throws back a luftre upon both. With an inquifitive mind, that always profited by the lights of others, and was unclouded by paffions of its own, he acquired a maturity of judgment, rare in age, unparalleled in youth. Perhaps no young man had fo early laid up a life's stock of materials for folid reflection, or fettled fo foon the principles and habits of his conduct. Grey experience liftened to his counfels with refpect; and at a time when youth is almoft privileged to be rash, Virginia committed the safety of her frontier, and ultimately the safety of America, not merely to his valour, for that would be fcarcely praife; but to his prudence.

It is not in Indian wars that heroes are celebrated; but it is there they are formed. No enemy can be more formidable, by the craft of his ambushes, the fuddenness of his onfet, or the ferocity of his vengeance. The foul of WASHINGTON was thus exercised to danger; and on the first trial, as on every other, it appeared firm in adverfity, cool in action, undaunted, felf-poffeffed. His fpirit, and ftill more his prudence, on the occafion of Braddock's defeat, diffused his name :

throughout America, and across the Atlantic. Even then his country viewed him with complacency, as her moft hopeful fon.

At the peace of 1763, Great-Britain, in confequence of her victories, ftood in a pofition to prescribe her own terms. She chofe, perhaps, better for us than for herself for, by expelling the French from Canada, we no longer feared hoftile neighbours; and we foon found just cause to be afraid of our protectors. We difcerned even then a truth, which the conduct of France has fince fo ftrongly confirmed, that there is nothing which the gratitude of weak States can give, that will fatisfy ftrong allies for their aid, but author ity. Nations that want protectors, will have mafters. Our fettlements, no longer checked by enemies on the frontier, rapidly increased; and it was discovered, that America was growing to a fize that could defend itself.

In this, perhaps unforeseen, but at length obvious ftate of things, the British government conceived a jealoufy of the Colonies, of which, and of their intended measures of precaution, they made no secret.

Thus it happened, that their forefight of the evil aggravated its fymptoms and accelerated its progrefs. The colonists perceived that they could not be gov erned, as before, by affection, and refolved that they would not be governed by force. Nobly refolved! for had we submitted to the British claims of right, we should have had, if any, less than our ancient liberty, and held what might have been left by a worse tenure.

Our nation, like its great leader, had only to take counfel from its courage. When WASHINGTON heard the voice of his country in diftrefs, his obedience was prompt; and though his facrifices were great, they coft him no effort. Neither the object nor the limits of my plan permit me to dilate on the military events of the revolutionary war. Our history is but a tranfcript of his claims on our gratitude. Our hearts bear testimony, that they are claims not to be fatisfied.