tlemen, if, entertaining as he did, opinions of a character 10 very opposite to theirs, he should speak forth his sentiments freely, and without reserve. This was no time for ceremony. The question before the house was one of awful moment to this country." He proceeded thus: MR. PRESIDENT-It is natural for man to indulge 15 in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful trúth; and listen to the song of that syren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of 20 those, who, having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it. 25 I have but one lamp, by which my feet are guided; and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the pàst. And, judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry, for the last ten years, to 30 justify those hopes with which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves and the house? Is it that insidious smile, with which our petition has been lately received? Trust it not, sir; it will prove a snare to your feet. Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a 35 kiss. Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with those warlike preparations, which cover our waters and darken our land. Are fléets and ármies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled, 40 that force must be called in to win back our love? Let us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the implements of war and subjugation—the last arguments to which kings resort. I ask gentlemen, sir, what means this martial array, if its purpose be not to foree us to sub45 mission? Can gentlemen assign any other possible motive for it? Has Great Britain any énemy, in this quarter of the world, to call for all this accumulation of navies and armies? No, sir, she has nòne. They are meant for us: they can be meant for no other. They 50 are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains, which the British ministry have been so long forging. And what have we to oppose to them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. Have we anything new to offer upon the 55 subject? Nothing. We have held the subject up in every light of which it is capable; but it has been all in vain. Shall we resort to entréaty and humble supplicátion? What terms shall we find, which have not been already exhausted? Let us not, I beseech you, sir, de60 ceive ourselves longer. Sir, we have done every thing that could be done, to avert the storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have remónstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to 65 arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and parliament. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregàrded; (。) and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the 70 throne. In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be frée; if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges, for which we have been so long conténding; if we mean 75 not basely to abandon the noble struggle, in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon, until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained-(6) we must fight! I repeat it!-Sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms 80 and to the God of hosts, is all that is left us. They tell us, sir, that we are weak-unable to còpe with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and 85 when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our bácks, and hugging the delusive phantom of hópe, until our enemies shall have bound us 90 hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak, if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force 95 which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we 95 shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God, who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the àctive, the bràve. Besides, sir, we have no elèction. 100 If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat, but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged. Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! (6) The war is inevitable-and let it come!-I repeat it, sir, let 105 it come! It is vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. may cry, peace, peace-but there is no peace. is actually begun! Gentlemen The next gale, that sweeps from the north, will bring 110 to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle! What is it that gentlemen wish? what would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? (6) Forbid it, Almighty 115 God. I know not what course others may take, but, as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!" He took his seat. No murmur of applause was heard. The effect was too deep. After the trance of a moment, several members started from their seats. The cry, 120" to arms," seemed to quiver on every lip, and gleam from every eye! Richard H. Lee arose and supported Mr. Henry, with his usual spirit and elegance. But his melody was lost amidst the agitations of that ocean, which the master spirit of the storm had lifted up on 125 high. That supernatural voice still sounded in their ears and shivered ak ng their arteries. They heard, in every pause, the cry of liberty or death. They became impatient of speech-their souls were on fire for action. EXERCISE 121. The discontented Pendulum.-JANE TAYLOR. An old clock that had stood for fifty years in a farmer's kitchen, without giving its owner any cause of complaint, early one summer's morning, before the family was stirring, suddenly stopped. Upon this, the dial 5 plate (if we may credit the fable,) changed countenance with alarm; the hands made a vain effort to continue their course; the wheels remained motionless with surprise; the weights hung speechless; each member felt disposed to lay the blame on the others. At length the 10 dial instituted a formal inquiry as to the cause of the stagnation, when hands, wheels, weights, with one voice, protested their innocence. But now a faint tick was heard below from the pendulum, who thus spoke:-"I confess myself to be the 15 sole cause of the stoppage! and I am willing, for the general satisfaction, to assign my reasons. The truth is, that I am tired of ticking." Upon hearing this, the old clock became so enraged, that it was on the very point of striking. 20 "Lazy wire!" exclaimed the dial plate, holding up its hands. "Very good!" replied the pendulum," it is vastly easy for you, Mistress Dial, who have always, as every body knows, set yourself up above me,—it is vastly easy for you, I say, to accuse other people of 25 laziness! You, who have had nothing to do all the days of your life, but to stare people in the face, and to amuse yourself with watching all that goes on in the kitchen! Think, I beseech you, how you would like to be shut up for life in this dark closet, and to wag back30 wards and forwards, year after year, as I do." "As to that," said the dial, “is there not a window in your house, on purpose for you to look through?”—“ For all that," resumed the pendulum, "it is very dark here; and, although there is a window, I dare not stop, even 35 for an instant, to look out at it. Besides, I am really tired of my way of life; and if you wish, I'll tell you how I took this disgust at my employment. I happened this morning to be calculating how many times I should have to tick in the course of only the next twenty-four 40 hours; perhaps some of you, above there, can give me the exact sum. وو The minute hand, being quick at figures, presently replied, "Eighty-six thousand four hundred times. "Exactly so," replied the pendulum. "Well, I appeal to 45 you all, if the very thought of this was not enough to fatigue one; and when I began to multiply the strokes of one day, by those of months and years, really it is no wonder if I felt discouraged at the prospect; so, after a great deal of reasoning and hesitation, thinks I to myself, 50 I'll stop. The dial could scarcely keep its countenance during this harangue; but resuming its gravity, thus replied: "Dear Mr. Pendulum, I am really astonished that such a useful, industrious person as yourself, should have been 55 overcome by this sudden action. It is true, you have done a great deal of work in your time; so have we all, and are likely to do; which although it may fatigue us to think of, the question is, whether it will fatigue us to do. Would you now do me the favour to give about half a 60 dozen strokes to illustrate my argument?" 66 The pendulum complied, and ticked six times in its usual pace. Now," resumed the dial, 'may I be allowed to inquire, if that exertion was at all fatiguing or disagreeable to you?" "Not in the least," replied the 65 pendulum, "it is not of six strokes that I complain, nor of sixty, but of millions." "Very good," replied the dial; but recollect that though you may think of a million strokes in an instant, you are required to execute but one; and that, however often you may hereafter have 70 to swing, a moment will always be given you to swing in." "That consideration staggers me, I confess," said the pendulum. "Then I hope," resumed the dial-plate, we shall all immediately return to our duty; for the maids will lie in bed if we stand idling thus." 75 Upon this the weights, who had never been accused of light conduct, used all their influence in urging him to proceed; when, as with one consent, the wheels began to turn, the hands began to move, the pendulum began to swing, and to its credit, ticked as loud as ever; while 80 a red beam of the rising sun that streamed through a hole in the kitchen, shining full upon the dial plate, it brightened up, as if nothing had been the matter. When the farmer came down to breakfast that morning, upon looking at the clock, he declared that his 85 watch had gained half an hour in the night. MORAL. A celebrated modern writer says, "Take care of the minutes, and the hours will take care of themselves." |