the pride of her great names. I claim them fo countrymen, one and all—the Laurens, the Rutledges, the Pinckneys, the Sumpters, the Mari be hemmed in by state lines, than their talents and patriotism, were capable of being circumscribed, within the same narrow limits. 616. EULOGIUM ON THE SOUTH. If there be one state in the union, Mr. President, (and I say it not in a boastful spirit) that may challenge comparison with any other, for a uniform, zeal-ons-Americans all-whose fame is no more to ous, ardent, and uncalculating devotion to the union, that state-is South Carolina. Sir, from the very commencement of the revolution, up to this hour, there is no sacrifice, however great, In their day, and generation, they served, and she has not cheerfully made; no service, she honored the country, and the whole country, and has ever hesitated to perform. She has adhered their renown is of the treasures of the whole to you in your prosperity; but, in your adversi- country. Him, whose honored name the gentlety, she has clung to you, with more than filial man himself bears-does he suppose me less caaffection. No matter what was the condition of pable of gratitude for his patriotisin, or sympaher domestic affairs, though deprived of her re- thy for his sufferings, than if his eyes had first sources, divided by parties, or surrounded by opened upon the light in Massachusetts, instead difficulties, the call of the country, has been to of South Carolina? Sir, does he suppose it in her, as the voice of God. Domestic discord his power, to exhibit a Carolina name so bright, ceased at the sound, every man became at once as to produce envy in my bosom No, sir, inreconciled to his brethren, and the sons of Caro-creased gratification, and delight, rather. Sir, 1 lina were all seen, crowding together to the tem-thank God, that, if I am gifted with little of the ple, bringing their gifts to the altar of their com-spirit, which is said to be able to raise mortals to mon country. the skies, I have yet none, as I trust, of that other spirit, which would drag angels down. But sir, let me recur to pleasing recollections What, sir, was the conduct of the south during the revolution? Sir, I honor New England for her conduct in that glorious struggle. But, great-let me indulge in refreshing remembrances of as is the praise, which belongs to her, I think at deast, equal honor is due to the south. They espoused the quarrel of their brethren, with a generous zeal which did not suffer them to stop to calculate their interest in the dispute. Favorites of the mother country, possessed of neither ships, nor seamen, to create commercial rivalship, they might have found, in their situation, a guarantee, that their trade would be forever fostered, and protected by Great Britain. But, trampling on all considerations, either of interest, or safety, they rushed into the conflict, and, fighting for principle, perilled all in the sacred cause of freedom. the past-let me remind you, that in early times, no states cherished greater harmony, both of principle, and of feeling, than Massachusetts and South Carolina. Would to God, that harmony might again return. Shoulder to shoulder they went through the revolution—hand in hand, they stood round the administration of Washington, and felt his own great arm lean on them for sup→ port. Unkind feeling, if it exist, alienation and distrust, are the growth, unnatural to such soils, of false principles since sown. They are weeds, the seeds of which that same great arm neve scattered. Mr. President, I shall enter on no encomium upon Massachusetts-she needs none. There she is-behold her, and judge for yourselves. There is Boston, and Concord, and Lexington, and Bunker Hill; and there they will remain, forever. The bones of her sons, fal'en in the great struggle for independence, now lie mingled with the soil of every state, from New England to Georgia; and there they will lie-forever. Never-were there exhibited, in the history of the world, higher examples of noble daring, dreadful suffering, and heroic endurance, than by the whigs of Carolina, during the revolution. The whole state, from the mountains to the sea, was overrun by an overwhelming force of the enemy. The fruits of industry-perished on the spot where they were produced, or were consumed by the foe. "The plains of Carolina" drank up the most precious blood of her citizens! Black, and smoking ruins-marked the places which had been the habitations of her children Driven from their homes, into the gloomy, and almost impenetrable swamps, even there-the spirit of liberty survived; and South Carolina, ustained by the example of her Sumpters, and Marions, proved, by her conduct, that though her soil might be overrun, the spirit of her peo-its existence is made sure. it will stand, in the ple was invincible.--Hayne. 617. EULOGIUM ON THE NORTH. The eulogium pronounced on the character of the state of South Carolina, by the honorable gentleman, for her revolutionary, and other merits, meets my hearty concurrence. I shall not acknowladge, that the honorable member is before me. in regard for whatever of distinguished talent, or distinguished character, South Carolina has produced. I claim part of the honor: I partake in And, sir, where American liberty raised its first voice, and where its youth was nurtured and sustained, there it still lives, in the strength of its manhood, and full of its original spirit. If discord, and disunion shall wound it-if party strife, and blind ambition shall hawk at, and tear it; if folly and madness, if uneasiness under salutary and necessary restraint, shall succeed to separate it from that union by which alone, end, by the side of that cradle in which its in- The sweetest cordial-we receive at last, 618. LIBERTY AND UNION. I profess, sir, in my career hitherto, to have kept steadily in view, the prosperity, and honor of the whole country, and the preservation of our federal union. It is to that union, we owe our safety at home, and our consideration and dignity abroad. It is to that union, that we are chiefly indebted, for whatever makes us most proud of our country. That union we reached, only by the discipline of our virtues, in the severe school of adversity. It had its origin, in the necessities of disordered finance, prostrate commerce, and ruined credit. Under its benign influences, these great interests immediately awoke, as from the dead, and sprang forth with newness of life. Every year of its duration-has teemed with fresh proofs of its utility, and its blessings; and although our territory has stretched out, wider and wider, and our population spread farther and farther, they have not outrun its protection, or its benefits. It has been to us all, a copious fountain of national, social, and personal happiness. I have not allowed myself, sir, to look beyond the union, to see what might lie hidden in the dark recess behind. I have not coolly weighed the chances of preserving liberty, when the bonds, that unite us together, shall be broken asunder. I have not accustomed myself to hang over the precipice of disunion, to see whether, with my short sight, I can fathom-the depth-of the abyss-below; nor could I regard him, as a safe counsellor in the affairs of this government, whose thoughts should be mainly bent on considering, not how the union should be preserved, but, how tolerable might be the condition of the people, when it shall be broken up, and destroyed. While the union lasts, we have high, exciting, gratifying prospects spread out before us, for us, and our children. Beyond that, I seek not to penetrate the vail. God grant, that, in my day, at least, that curtain may not rise. God grant, that on my vision, never may be opened what lies behind. When my eyes shall be turned to behold, for the last tune, the sun in heaven, may I not see him shining on the broken, and dishonored fragments of a once glorious union; on states dissevered, discordant, belligerent; on a land, rent with civil feuds, or drenched, it may be, in fraternal blood! Let their last feeble and lingering glance, rather, behold the gorgeous ensign of the republic, now known, and honored, throughout the earth, still full high advanced, its arms and trophies-streaming in their original lustre, not a stripe erased, or polluted, nor a single star obscured-bearing for its motto, no such miserable interrogatory as-What is all this worth? Nor those other words of delusion and folly-Liberty-first, and union-afterwards but everywhere, spread all over in characters of living light, blazing on all its ample folds, as they float over the sea, and over the land, and in every wind under the whole heavens, that other sentiment, dear to every-true-American heart-Liberty and union, now, and forever, une-and inseparable!-Webster. Seems like a canopy, which Love hath spread. Ah! whence yon glare [smoke, The gray morn Dawns on the mournful scene; the sulphurous Before the icy wind, slow rolls away, And the bright beams of frosty morning dance Along the spangling snow. There, tracks of bloo Even to the forest's depth, and scattered arms, 619. MOONLIGHT, AND A BATTLE-FIELD. And lifeless warriors, whose hard lineaments How beautiful this night! the balmiest sigh, Death's self could change not, mark the dreadful [path Which vernal zephyrs breathe, in Evening's ear, Of the out-sallying victors: far behind, Were discord, to the speaking quietude, [vault, Black ashes note, where their proud city stood. That wraps this moveless scene. Heaven's ebon Within yon forest, is a glooomy glen— Studded with stars unutterably bright, Each tree, which guards its darkness from the day, Thro' which the moon's unclouded grandeur rolls, Waves o'er a warrior's tomb.-Shelly. READINGS AND RECITATIONS. 620. GOODNESS OF Gon. nature, the works of creation, the general The light of consent of nations, in harmony with divine revelation, attest the being, the perfections, and the providence of God. Whatever cause we have, to lament the frequent inconsistency of human conduct, with this belief, yet an avowed atheist is a monster, that rarely makes his appearance. God's government of the affairs of the universe, an acknowledgment of his active, superintending providence, over that portion of it, which constitutes the globe we inhabit, is rejected, at least theoretically, by very few. That a superior, invisible power, is continvally employed in managing and controlling by secret, imperceptible, irresistible means, all the transactions of the world, is so often manifested in the disappointment, as well as in the success of our plans, that blind and depraved inust our minds be, to deny, what every day's transactions so fully prove. The excellence of the divine character, especially in the exercise of that goodness towards his creatures, which is seen in the dispensation of their daily benefits, and in overruling occurring events, to the increase of their happiness, is equally obvious. THE OLD OAKEN BUCKET. For often at noon, when returned from the field, Do we desire evidence of these things? And sighs for the bucket, which hangs in the well; Who is without them, in the experience of The old oaken bucket, the iron-bound bucket, his own life? Who has not reason, to thank The moes-covered bucket, which hangs in the well. God for the success, which has attended his exertions in the world? Who has not reason portant, as I deem it, to discuss, on all prop 621. RIGHT OF FREE DISCUSSION. Imto thank him, for defeating plans, the accomplishment of which, it has been afterwards present pursued, it is still more important er occasions, the policy of the measures, at seen, would have resulted in injury, or ruin? to maintain the right of such discussion, in Who has not cause, to present him the unaf- its full, and just extent. Sentiments, lately fected homage of a grateful heart, for the con- sprung up, and now growing fashionable, sequences of events, apparently the most un- make it necessary to be explicit on this point. propitious, and for his unquestionable kind-The more I perceive a disposition-to check ness, in the daily supply of needful mercies? PROGRESS OF LIBERTY. Why muse From the tomb of old Affections,-Hope, the freedom of inquiry, by extravagant, and unconstitutional pretences, the firmer shall be the tone, in which I shall assert, and the freer the manner, in which I shall exercise it. It is the ancient and undoubted prerogative of this people-to canvass public measures, and the merits of public men. It is a home bred right," a fireside privilege. It hath ever been enjoyed in every house, cottage, and cabin, in the nation. It is not to be drawn into controversy. It is as undoubted, as the right of breathing the air, or walking on the earth. Belonging to private life, as a it is the last duty which those, whose repreright, it belongs to public life, as a duty; and sentative I am, shall find me to abandon. Aiming, at all times, to be courteous, and it to its extent. I shall place myself on the temperate in its use, except, when the right itself shall be questioned, I shall then carry extreme boundary of my right, and bid defiance to any arm, that would move me from my ground. This high, constitutional privilege, I shall defend, and exercise, within this house, and without this house, and in all places; in time of peace, and in all times. Living, I shall assert it; and, should I leave no other inheritance to my children, by the blessing of God, of heaven were prisoned in its soundless depths, I will leave them the inheritance of free prinAnd struggling to be free. As some tall cliff, that lifts its awful form, What is fame? A fancy'd life in others' breath. ciples, and the example of a manly, inde- 622. PEACE AND WAR CONTRASTED. The morality of peaceful times-is directly opposite to the maxims of war. The fundamental rule of the first is-to do good; of the latter, to inflict injuries. The former-commands us to succor the oppressed; the latter to overwhelm the defenceless. The former teaches men to love their enemies; the latter, to make themselves terrible to strangers. The rules of morality-will not suffer us to promote the dearest interest, by falsehood; the maxims of war applaud it, when employed in the destruction of others. That a familiarity with such maxims, must tend to harden the heart, as well as to pervert the moral sentiments, is too obvious to need illustration. The natural consequence of their prevaence is an unfeeling, and unprincipled ambition, with an idolatry of talents, and a contempt of virtue; whence the esteem of mankind is turned from the humble, the beneficent, and the good, to men who are qualified, by a genius, fertile in expedients, a courage, that is never appalled, and a heart, that never pities, to become the destroyers of the earth. Away, away, without a wing, Forgetting-what it was to die.-Byron. GENUINE TASTE. To the eye of taste, each season of the year has its peculiar beauties; nor does the venerable oak, when fringed with the hoary ornaments of winter, afford a pros pect, less various, or delightful, than, when decked in the most luxuriant foliage. Is, then, the winter of life-connected with no associa tions, but those of horror? This can never be the case, until ideas of contempt-are associated with ideas of wisdom, and experience; associations, which the cultivation of true taste-would effectually prevent. Suppose the person, who wishes to improve on na ture's plan, should apply to the artificial florist to deck the bare boughs of his spreading oak with ever-blooming roses; would it not be soon discovered, that, in deserting nature, he had deserted taste? It should be remembered, that the coloring of nature, whether in the animate, or inanimate creation, never fails to harmonize with the object; that her most beauti While the philanthropist is devising means to mitigate the evils, and augment the happi-ful hues are often transient, and excite a more ness of the world, a fellow-worker together lively emotion from that very circumstance. with God, in exploring, and giving effect to 624. GAMBLER'S WIFE. the benevolent tendencies of nature; the warrior-is revolving, in the gloomy recesses of his capacious mind, plans of future devastation and ruin. Prisons, crowded with captives; cities, emptied of their inhabitants; fields, desolate and waste, are among his proudest trophies. The fabric of is fame is cemented with tears and blood; and if his name is wafted to the ends of the earth, it is in the shrill cry of suffering 'humanity; in the curses and imprecations of those whom his sword has reduced to despair. 623. IMMORTAL MIND. When coldness-wraps this suffering clay, Ah, whither-strays the immortal mind? It cannot die, it cannot stay, But leaves its darkened dust behind. Then, unembodied, doth it trace, By steps, each planet's heavenly way? A thought unseen, but seeing all, Before creation peopled earth, Its eye shall roll-through chaos back; Above all love, hope, hate, or fear, Dark is the night! How dark! No light! No fire! Oh, God! protect my child!" The clock strikes three. Dread silence reign'd around :—the clock struck four!--Coutea Goodness-is only greatness in itself, It rests not on externals, nor its worth Derives from gorgeous pomp, or glittering pe Or chance of arms, or accident of birth; It lays its foundations in the soul, And piles a tower of virtue to the skies, } round whose pinnacle-majestic-roll 625. DARKNESS. i had a dream, which was not all a dream. And, terrified, did flutter on the ground, Even of their mutual hideousness they died, The moon, their mistress, had expired before; 626. TRUE PLEASURE DEFINED. We are affected with delightful sensations, when we see the inanimate parts of the creation, the meadows, flowers, and trees, in a flourishing state. There must be some rooted melancholy at the heart, when all nature appears smiling about us, to hinder us from corresponding with the rest of the creation, and joining in the universal chorus of joy. But if meadows and trees, in their cheerful verdure, if flowers, in their bloom, and all the vegetable parts of the creation, in their most advantageous dress, can inspire gladness into the heart, and drive away all sadness but despair; to see the rational creation happy, and flourishing, ought to give us a pleasure as much superior, as the latter is to the former. in the scale of being. But the pleasure is still heightened, if we ourselves have been instrumental, in contributing to the happiness of our fellow-creatures, if we have helped to raise a heart, drooping beneath the weight of grief, and revived that barren and dry land, where no water was, with refreshing showers of love and kindness. THE WILDERNESS OF MIND. Than groves of fir-on Huron's shore; Of India's tiger-haunted wood; But constant, he were perfect; that one errorFills him with faults; makes him run through all sins; Inconstancy-falls off-ere it begins. Vice is a monster of such hateful mien, |