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PARIS.
funeral Oration on Washing
ton, delivered in the temple of
Mars, h Louis Fontancs, the
zsth Pluvoife. Feb B—Tranf-
Jatcd for the Epitome.
France, unbiased by thofe
narrow prejudices which exift
between nations, and admiring
virtue wherever it be found, de
crees tfcis tribute of refpeft to
the manes of Wafhington. At
this moment (he contributes to
the difcharge of a debt due by
two nations. Ko government,
whatever form it bears, or what
ever opinions it holds, can re
fute its refpeft to this great fa
ther of liberty. The people
who fo lately ftigmatized Wafh
ington as a rebel, regard even
the enfranchisement of America,
as one of thofe events confecrat
cd to hiflory and by paft ages.
Such is the veneration excited
by great characters. The Ame
rican revolution, the cotcmpo
raty of our own, is fixed for
ever, Wafhington began it
with energy, and finifhed it with
moderation. He knew how to
maintain it, puriding always the
profpetity of his country ; and
this aim alone can juflify at the
tribunal of the Mod High, en
terprizes to extraordinary
t o (peak the eulogy of the
he r oe of America, requires the
lublimeft eloquence of the frrft
r - orators. 1 reflcft, with fen
timents. of admiration, that this
temple, ornamented with the
trophies of valor, was raifed up
an age of genius, an age
which produced as many great
writers as illuftrious comman
ders. Then, the memory of
heroes was entrufted to orators
ivhofe genius gave immorality,
j military glory fiiines with
Ure [eclat] ; and in every
country the glory of the fine
■ms are fhrouded in darknefs;
* * ''oice is too feeble to be heard
on atl °ccafioa fo folemn and
jnornentous, and fo new to me.
K ur as f hat voice is pure ;as it
' J nevar flattered any fpccies of
granny ; it has never been ren
y red unworthy of celebrating
' iCr oilm and virtue.
, funeral and
° UOr * fpeak to all hearts ;
!ief ds not the aid of fpeech,
I * r k| te ftrong and undifcnbable
I “ The mourning which
•, le conful orders for
Kington, declares to France
n Walhington's example is
oft. i t j s J e f s f or t y, e
)Us general, than for the bene
■' and the friend of a great
I P‘e that the crape of mourn
-3 noiv covers our banners* and
TUESDAY, |uni 3 , 1800.
LIBERTY IS OUR MOTTO AND TRUTH OUR GUIDE
the uniform of our warriors.
Neither do we prepare that un
meaning pomp fo contrary to
policy and humanity, in which
infults is offered to humanity,
contempt to venerable ruins, n<l
calumny to the tomb. Every
exalted idea, every uteful truth,
is Teen in this aftembly. t
fpeak before warriors, the hono
rable praifes of a wauior firm in
adverfity, modeft in viftory, and
humane in every of for
tune. Before the minilicrs of
the French republic. 1 fpeat the
praifes of a man whom ambition
never fwayed, and whofc every
care tended to the welfare of
his country; a man who, unlike
othcis have changed empires,
lived in peace in his native land ;
that land which he had freed,
and in which he had held the
higheft rank; and died as a
fimfple individual.
. An affecting piece afterdates
the (hade of Franklin with the
eulogy of Wafhington, and de
calls to mind the amiable vir
tues of that fage, ft) celebrated
in France, whom pofterity will
regard as the brother of the hero
of America.
In that piece, the orator finds
tints of a finer hue, to paint the
virtues of the hero.
** Wafhingten, fays*he, offers
examples not lefts worthy of imi
tation. Amidft all the diforder
of camps, amidft all the cxcclfes
infeparable from a civil war, hu
manity took refuge in his tent,
and was never rcpulfed. In
triumph and in defeat, he was
always as tranquil as wifdom as
fimple as virtue. The finer
feelings of the heart never aban
doned him, even in ihofe mo
ments when his own intcrcft
would Teem to juftify a recur
rence to the laws of vengeance.
This I call thee to atteft, O
youthful Afgill f thou whofe
misfortunes have inte»efted
England, France and America !
With what affiduous care did
Wafhington endeavour to delay
a fentence which the laws of war
would have precipitated f Me
expelled that a voice, then all
powerful, would have been
heard acrofs the expanfive ocean,
and demanded a per Ton which
could not be refuted That
voice, fo conformable to the
feelings of his heart, was heard
and felt; and the day which
faved an innocent viftim ought
to be inferibed among the nioft
glorious of viftorious and inde
pendent America.”
Here the author teems to ele
vate himfelf, or rather to tear
with the great men, whefe ne
csltery courte and inevitable
defliny he fo admirably de
feribes.
. “ It is thefe extraordinary
men who appear at intervals on
this Vaft feene, with characters
commanding and illuftrious.
An unknown and fupetior caufe
tends them when it is fit, to lay
the foundations of new, or to
build up the iuins of old em
pires, It is in vain that thefe
men ftcpalidc, or mingte in the
crowd : deftiny le?ds them on ;
they are carried from obftac.le
to obflacle, from triumph to
triumph, until they arrive at the
fubmit of powet Something
fupevnatural animates all their
thoughts; an irreliftable move
ment is given to ah their enter
prizes. The multitude ftill leek
them among tbemtelves, and
find them not; they raife their
eyes, and fee in a fphere, daz
zling with light and glory, thofe
whom their ignorance and envy
would call ralh. Wafhington
had not thofe high and com
manding traits wineh flnkc eve
ry mind : he uifplayed more or
der and juftire, than fore and
elevation in his ideas. He pof
telfed above all, m a fuperior
degree, that quality which f >me
call vulgar, but which very few
poffefs; that .quality not lefts
ufefal to the government of
ftates than to the conduft of
life, and which gives more tran
quility than emotion to the foul,
and more happinefs than glory
to thofe who poflefs it:—it is of
good tenfe that I fpeak.”
“ Audacity dellroys. Genius
elevates,, good tenfe preferves
and perfe&s. Genius is charg
ed with the glory of empires;
but good tenle alone allure* tbr.i
fafety and repofe."
So manv interefls arc here
United with the pleafurc of once
more finding French eloquence,
that we are fure of the attention
of our audience, by multiplying
quotations, u Ills end
pounrayed ail the domeftic
virtue^—as his life had been an
illuftrious example in war and
politics America regarded with
refpeft the manfion which con
tained her defender ; from that
retreat, where fo much glory
dwelt, fage Counfcls illued,
which had not lefs weight than
in the days of his power ; but
death has (wept all away ; he
died in the midll of thofe occu
pations which fwreten domeftic
life, and fupport us in the infir
mities of age.
" From every part of that
Ameiica which he had deliver
ed, the cry of grief is heard. It
belongs to France to echo back
the mournful found; it ought
to viberate on every generous
heart. Ihe (hade of Wafhing
ton on entering 1 beneath tliis
lofty dome, will find * Turenne,
a (hidnat, a T or,do, all of whom
have tixed their habitation here.
II ihelc illuitrious warriors hive
not ferved in the fame caufc
during life, yet the fame of all,
will unite them in death Opi
nions fubjeft to the capiices of
the world and to time ; opinions
weak and changeable, the inhe
ritance of humanity, vanilh in
the tomb ; but glory and virtue
hvefor ever. When departed
fiom this llage. the great men
of every age and of every place,
become in fume meafure. com
patriots and cotemporaries.
1 hey form but one family in
the memory of the living; and
their examples ar' renewed in
every fuccefiive age. t ] bus,
within rhefe walls, the va'uc of
Wafhington attracts the tcg.tid
of r onde ; his modefty is ap
plauded by I uronn ; his phi
lolophy draws him to the bofom
of ( atinat. A people who ad
mit the ancient dogma of ft
tianfmigration of lould, will of
ten con fds that the foul of Ca
tinat dwells in the bofom of
WafiringtoD,
Ihe voice of rcpublicamTrn
which refounds (torn every
part of thefe walls, ought to
pleafe above all, the defenders
of America. Can they ngt love
thole foldie:s who, after their
example, repelled the enemies
of their country ? We approach
with pleafurc thole voteran.%
whole trophies add luflre to
thefe walls, and lome of whom
have gained laurels with Wafh
ington, in the wilds of Carolina
and Virginia.'—“ Hut therein
fomethmg more due to the me
rnoiy ol Wodungton ; It is the
union of Fiance and America,
ic is the bappinels of each ; it is
peace between both nations.
It now feems to me that Wafli
ington calls Co all France from
the very fubrnit of his dome—
“ magnanimous people !” you u ho
know fo well how to honor
glory, I have conquered for in
dependence; the bappinels of
my country was the reward of
that victory. Imitate not the
hr 11 hah of my life; it is the
lecond that recommends me to
pofteritv.
Yes, thy counfcls (hall be
heaid, O Walhingfon ! O War
rior ! u I egillature ! (Hituen
without repio ch! He who
while yd young. , luipallcs thee in
battles, fhail, like thee with his
triumphant hands, heal the
wounds of his country. Even
now we have his hilpofition, his
charadcr for the pledge; and
this warlike genius, union u-
[No. 70.