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shy and ariflocrary, is in force meafurc 1 democratical; and Britain boasts a Chat ham, a Pitt, a Fox and a Sheridan. Kence we may infer that e’oqueuce has Always been, and ever will be, a conco mitant of lib'erty; rifcs as it rises and falls as it falls. * v rtssk ttsck on wWtfeds ofJfn-N cient and admiration ! but I am rapt in enthufi afui,when I look forward and consider that it wasreferved for cur country, my friends, for America to put the finiftiing hand to this sublime art —and tn produce to the aftonilhed and applauding world a band of • orators equal, if trot fapcrior, to any that ever enobled the human character ! “ O! 44 ye that love mankind ! ye that dare * oppose not only the tyranny, but the “ tyrant, fland forth ! every spot of the “ old world is over-run with opprefiion. 44 Freedom hath been hunted all round u the globe. Alia and Africa have long 44 since expelled her.—Europe regards 44 her like a stranger, and England has 44 given her warning to depart*.’* It has been thy happy lot, O my country, to receive the lovely fugitive ! and her haud maid, eloquence, will soon follow! In this happy land no tyrant, to prevent his own adions being held up to the abhor rence, indignation and just vengeance of his injured fubjeds, embarraffbs the press, flops the channels of literature, or Teals the lips of the orator. Genius has free Tcope; and liberty fills the foul with sublime con ceptions, impresses it with an idea of its own importance, gives a noble turn to its thoughts, impels it to brave and gene rous actions as the true paths to honor aud glory, and soon exalts it above every thing mean, to the real splendor aud dig nity of its nature. Oratory has made a fdnfible progress in America as the has advanced in the en joyment of liberty. Have we not seen, even while we were under British govern ment, a Henry, an Adams and a Johnlon rife fupenor in the councils of their coun try ? And do we not now lee, in a King, a Madison and a Piuckney the dawning of Athenian and Roman eloquence ? Various are the objeds and purpose? of rhetoric : but the principal are confined to the pulpit, the bar, the stage and the senate. The eloquent freacber and the elo quent lawyer have undoubtedly many and great advantages over the uncouth and alliterate ; notwithstanding eloquence, at the bar t is so entangled in the trammels of modern law and statute as to lose the greatest part of its ancient force ; and the ablurdityof modern custom, in thstruc ture of pulpits and in reading instead of Jpeaking sermons, has introduced a tire some monotony instead of a proper spirit and just cadence in the voice, and exclud ed the poffibihty of graceful gestures; so as to dairip, nay, almost exftinouifli, the power of eloquence there ; and these de feds have given to that admirable satire, 44 The Tale of a Tub? an obvious ap plication to the pulpit . The stage affords I a much freer scope to elocution than the pulpit or the bar ; yet here , though our paflions are set in motion and we are cou ilrained to feel as the poet intended, wc cannot help recolleding that the whole is ftdlicn . 14fc>me now to the operations of elo quence in the jenate: Here are its noblest flights ; here is its amplest field ; here are its richest flowers displayed; here it is 0- ♦ Common Scnfe. I . * I 1 neither cooped up ,n tl.e narrow limits of the pulpit , nor entangled in the net of lunxj, nor its ardor cooled by the fiction of the Jiuge\ here it' affumcs its in oft'powerful and animating form, its scenes are real and its warmth genuine; “ where the v “ affairs of state are canvassed, and the ' /V liberty, happiness and honor of the re l publican e the object of debate. Dis “ putes of this nature elevate the genius “ above all others, and give the fulleft ** scope to eloquence*.”” To fit ourselves, Gentlemen, for act ing a conspicuous part in this sphere is the principal object of our pursuit, this is the purpose of our inftutitiou, this is the prize lor which we contend ; a prize more glo rious than the tyrant’s triumph or the mo narch’s crown ! Though the pursuit is arduous be not difeouraged ; the power of industry is almost omnipotent, and the prize is worth our utmost pains. To such as are inclin ed to despond, let me just mention some particulars of thofetwo luminaries ofan tiquitv, Demofthencs and Cicero. The former, whole glory has not been equal led, bad, I am convinced, more natural diladvantages to contend with than any one present. He Hammered to such a degree that he could not even pronounce all the letters of the alphabet \ his voice was weak and difagrceable; the smallest exertion put him out of breath ; he la boured under the moll aukward- balhful nefs ; and he had contracted a ridiculous habit of ilinigging up his Ihoulders. Ad ded to these things; while he was a mi nor, his guardians defrauded him of his fortune and uegleded his education. Few, if any, of us, my friends, ate under even half thel'c impediments; how en couraging then, is the comparison ! how transporting too !—what may we not pro mise ourselves with a little perseverance ? Though I have enumerated many and great difficulties, conquered by Demost henes, which we are happily free from ; yet these are not all. We have infinite ’ ■ advantage over both him and Cicero, in many other refpeds. IVe have their la bors, experience and precepts to profit by—nay more—we have volumes upon volumes written on the fubjed since ; they, the former especially, had little else to assist them than a mind determined to persevere—superior to difeouragements— and an imagination fired with the Juftreof the fubjed f These, I hope, we also have at least we all may have them if we will. As it is granted that government has an - influence on eloquence according as it is more or less popular—and the citizens more or less independent; if, therefore, we compare our government with their s, we ftiall find this comparison likewise much in our favor. Let us take a view of the institutions of thole two celebrated lawgivers, Lycurgus and Solon ; and ob serve in what manner they received the fandion of laws—not by the voluntary decision of the people , but like the man dates of haughty didators. Americana are governed by no laws but such as have undergone the freedifeuffion and received the deliberate fandion of the people by means of representatives of their own free choice. The people of Rome, though proud of the mere title of citizens, and of being admitted to vo.e on affairs of go vernment, were, by reason of their ex treme indigence, tendered easy dupes to the bribery and intrigues of a few rich | * Hume. and faaimis c'emrgcgues. o nr cuinl free from the influence of any here?*!* nobility, inhabiting a foil vvhofe j u ance excludes poverty,— pofl'efo a j c -jI’’ 1 ’’ of independence, and confegnemSy vat ion of mind superior to any nati o V 1 which we have yet had the iea(t L J ll ledge. “ J » O may they never part with this i a luable blessing—may they never be | L ,ijW into a fatal security may the dra-'J public jeaioufy, never lkep!—niavViB 1 virtuous and patriotic orator—may my friends, —watch over the of our country —and, in times of r, t J* and prosperity, endeavor 44 To wake the foul, by. tender “ of art \ AC^ i 44 To raise the genius; and ta :nea i 44 the heart But fliould dangers suddenly at :.;. K should a powerful external enemy approatafc when we are unprepared—should an ternal C«eiar form the deep and plauGbiel scheme of ambition—be it our’s then ta » found the alarm!—to cal! forth the Ipiriel of the people !—to touch the springs d fl indignation !—to awaken and blow i nto ■ a flame the deeping embegs of heroic vir-B tue ! 44 A few fuccefsful attempts of this na- 1 44 tore might route the genius of the na. I 44 tion, excite the emulation of youth B 44 and accuflom our ears to a more fub.B 44 lime and pathetic elocution, than what B 44 we have been hitherto entertained I 44 witht.^ I ihall now conclude, with mentioning I a few difficulties which I have not yet I touched upon—and which are to be cx- I petied in the prolccution of our deJign. I In an undertaking of ftich magnitude; 1 and in pnrfuit of an objed of such acknow- I ledged fpieador as the charader of accm- I plijbed orator , we must expe&the ridicule I of ignorance and the sarcasms of envy. I But let us despise such attacks, and treat I them with a silent contempt; for rtiould I we at lafl fail in our present design, even I the attempt will be applauded by all whose approbation we ought to value. To be pelted by the ignorant and envious will be the mod: acceptable praise such can af ford—even Hunter was not without a 7 • i Zonal. * Pope. f Hume. * PHILADELPHIA, July it Copy of a letter from Alexander M‘Gil livray to Colonels Anthony Bledfoe and James Robertson, at Nathville, Cum berland, dated Little Talleflee, Upper Creek Nation, April 14, 1788. Gentlemen , MR. Hecket arrived here a few days ago, and delivered me your letters, together with Col. Hawkins’s. Agreeable to your requert I will be ex plicit and candid in myanfwer to youj’s, and will not deny that my nation has wag ed war agarnfl vour country for fcveral years pad, and that we had no motive of revenge for it; nor did it proceed from any sense of injury foflained from your people—but being warmly attached to the Britith, and being under their influence, operations were directed by them against you, in common with other Americaus. After the general peace had taken plaqC you lent us a talk by Samuel Martin, which I then accepted, and promised t<J