Latest / The American Revolution A Historical Overview Vol. 3 / 035 - Chapter 29 - Conclusion

Transcript

035 - Chapter 29 - Conclusion · The American Revolution A Historical Overview Vol. 3

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Section thirty five of History the Rise, Progress and Termination
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: of the American Revolution, Volume three by Mercy Otis Warren.
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: visit libervox dot org. History of the Risprogress and Termination
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: of the American Revolution, Volume three by Mercy Otis Warrant,
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty nine conclusion. Friendship and brotherly kindness, patriotism and
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: charity were held up as the basis of the Institution.
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: And however, the pride of man might be flattered by
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: the ideas of a purpulous honorary title attached to his
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: family forever. Doubtless, the urbanity of mister Knox, as well
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: as many other gentlemen members of the Society, was gratified
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: more by their expectation that much utility would redound to
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: a very large class of the community who might be
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: benefited by the donations of the Society, though they reaped
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: none of the honors of the Institution. But it was
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: not long before the people were generally aroused from their
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: sublindness by the alarming aspect of these pretentions of the
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: officers of the army, instead of an affectionate respect to them,
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: which had been generally felt to any new veneration. Awakened
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: towards the new military nobles, a universal disgust was intermingled
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: with the apprehensions of danger. This innovation was considered as
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: striking at once at the equality, liberty, simplicity, and interest
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: of the nation at large. The legislatures of several seats
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: announced the disapprobation of the institution in strong and pointed language.
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: They declared it an unjustifiable, dangerous and bold presumption, and
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: threatened it. Persisted in to manifest stronger tokens of their
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: displeasure against the US officers of the army, by separating
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: themselves from their fellow citizens and electing a pedestal of
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: which they might be elevated to distinguished drank and grades
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: of honor inhibited by the Confederacy of the States and
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: the principles of the Revolution. The State of Rhode Island
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: carried their resentments to farther. They cut them off from
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: the usual privileges which had been enjoyed by the subjects
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: of the state, and annulled their claims to the comic
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: rights of citizenship. By declaring that any who were members
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: of the Cincinnati should be considered as incapable of folding
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: any office under the government. In short, Sir General, was
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: the dissatisfaction expressed at the appearance of a deep laid
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: foundation for building up a strong aristocracy, if not a monarchy,
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: on the ruins of the American Republic, that at the
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: meeting of the Order of Cincinnati in May one thousand,
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: seven hundred and eighty four, they withdrew, or rather drew
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: a bail over some of their former pretensions. They apparently
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: renounced the idea of hereditary distinctions and several other obnoxious claims,
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: but in reality they relinquished nothing. They afterwards continued the
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: General and State meetings, the former once in three years,
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: and the latter annually retained their badges of honor, invited
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: the elder sons of deceased office to accept the diploma
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: and to wear the ego of their fathers, to associate
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: with them on all public occasions, and to keep up
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: the ancestral claim. In spite of the disapprobation of most
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: of their countrymen, their funds increased rapidly. According to their articles,
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: the early interest only was to be annually appropriated to
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: charitable purposes. This was much more than was expended. Thus
• 3:54
  Speaker 1: wealth of the society was continually enhancing, and by their
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: riches and their numbers, they indeed of formidable body, capable
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: of becoming a preponderating weight in the political scale of
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: their country in whatever exigencies it might here after be involved.
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: There was undoubtedly much merit in the conduct of the
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: American officers and soldiers through the war. It was also
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: much to apprehend from them by the existing circumstances. At
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: the close of hostilities, various combinations and circumstances rendered it
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: improbable at such a core of ambitious spirits hardened in
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: the field, the valor and enterprise should at once return
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: to their former occupations and set down as quiet citizens,
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: without intriguing or intermedtling too much, and claiming a kind
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: of prescriptive right to dictate in the civil administration of government.
• 4:49
  Speaker 1: The distressed state of American finances was alarming. Congress was
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: without revenue, resource of fiscal arrangements that promised to be
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: sufficiently productive, without power or energy to enforce any effectual
• 5:03
  Speaker 1: measure until the consent of each individual state was obtained.
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: There had been a violent opposition to a proposal for
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: raising a revenue by an impost of five percent on
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: all goods imported from foreign countries. As this was an experiment,
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: it was limited to twenty five years. Had the expedient
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: been adopted, it might have prevented many subsequent difficulties and
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: embarrassments that took place previous too, as well as after
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: the adoption of a permanent constitution for the United States
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: of America. It was said, however, by some very wise
• 5:41
  Speaker 1: and judicious statesmen, that this imperceptible mode of drawing money
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: from the pockets of the people was better suited to
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: more despoted forms of government than to the free and
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: independent spirit that had produced the Confederacy of the American States.
• 5:57
  Speaker 1: That more often measures and even direct taxes were more
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: consistent with republican opinions and manners than the secret drains
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: of impos and excises which might bankrupt a nation amidst
• 6:11
  Speaker 1: the Doulissori dreams of Walden independence. Though this opinion was
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: not universal, yet, it had its influence so far as
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: to retard the measure. Rhoda rejected it entirely. Massachusetts. In
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: some of the states through impediments in the way, and finally,
• 6:29
  Speaker 1: no effectual step which had taken to restore public credit
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: or to quiet the murmurs of the army, just on
• 6:36
  Speaker 1: the point of dissolution. The state, thus incapable of satisfying
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: their just demands, had everything to fear from that peremptory
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: and untemporizing spirit which was usually the fruit of a
• 6:49
  Speaker 1: series of military service. America now beheld an existing clamorous
• 6:54
  Speaker 1: army on the point of dissolution or about to assume
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: military domination. They now appeared a large body of proud,
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: ambitious officers, unsatisfied with the honor of victory, and impatient
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: under the promise of pecuniary compensation as soon as the
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: exigencies of public affairs would admit. Many of them were
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: needing from the delay of payment for meboratorious military services
• 7:20
  Speaker 1: and sufferings. They were, now, as observed, signing for distention,
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: aiming to establish a hereditary rank among themselves, and eager
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: for wealth sufficient to support the taste and style of nobility,
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: a taste newly adopted by an intercourse with foreigners of
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: high rank and habits of expense. An dissipation. Under monarchic governments,
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: it was obvious to everyone. The dignified ranks, ostentatious titles,
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: splendid governments, and supernumerary expensive officers to be supported by
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: the labor of the poor. The taxation of all the
• 7:58
  Speaker 1: conveniences of the more wealthy for the aggrandizement of a
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: few were not the objects of the patriot and the cabinet.
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: Nor was this the contemplation of the soldier in the field.
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: When the veins of the children of America first opened,
• 8:13
  Speaker 1: and the streams of life poured out, both on the
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: borders and the interior of the United States against the
• 8:21
  Speaker 1: combinations as civilized and savage warriors, the views of the
• 8:25
  Speaker 1: virtuous and every class of those exertions were for the
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: purchase of freedom, independence, and competence to themselves and their posterity.
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: At the same time, the Congress of the United States
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: was without sufficient powers by the old Confederation, either to
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: restrain the most dangerous irregularities or to command the public justice.
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: They were also deprived by absence, ineligibility, or death are
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: the abilities of many of the members who first composed
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: their honorable body Footnote three. Of the most distinguished and
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: upright members of Congress or early fell under the hand
• 9:04
  Speaker 1: their dread conqueror of all men were Peyton Randolph, Esquire
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: of Virginia, A Stilench of South Carolina, and Governor Ward
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: of Rhode Island. And the footnote. Some men had been
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: introduced in their stead whose ideas of public liberty were
• 9:22
  Speaker 1: very different, who had neither the capacity, the comprehension, or
• 9:26
  Speaker 1: even the wishes to establish the freedom of their country
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: on the basis of equal liberty and the renunciation of
• 9:33
  Speaker 1: anacchic principles. Some of them had always been men of
• 9:37
  Speaker 1: doubtful character. Others had decidedly favored the claims of the
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: British King in Parliament. The several governments evolved in a
• 9:45
  Speaker 1: way to public debt. The people embarrassed in their private
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: resources from the expense of exigencies of an eight year's war,
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: and every difficulty enhanced by being long without a medium
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: of stability, without confidence of the faith of bodies or
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: securities that could be relied on in private contracts. The
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: public mind was now agitated like a forest shaken in
• 10:08
  Speaker 1: a tempest, and stood trembling at the magnitude of opening
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: prospects and the retrospective past events. We have seen. The
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: seeds of animosity and dissension were sown among themselves before
• 10:21
  Speaker 1: the American Army was disbanded. Dangerous symptoms indeed, in the
• 10:26
  Speaker 1: young Republic just settling out for itself with the command
• 10:30
  Speaker 1: and entire jurisdiction of an immense territory, while yet no
• 10:34
  Speaker 1: digested system was formed or seriously contemplated by few, but
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: governing a newborn nation still in its pupilage. With regard
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: to the ends, the origin, and the most perfect motive
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: civil government, America was a country remarkable for its rapid population,
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: not yet so much from the impress of foreigners, as
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: in consequence of the operations of nature. Where people are
• 11:00
  Speaker 1: not corrupted by habits of effeminacy were substinence, where a
• 11:05
  Speaker 1: family was easily acquired and with few factitious wants, had
• 11:09
  Speaker 1: yet gangered the minds of the great mass of the
• 11:12
  Speaker 1: people and dislodged the complacency which results from competence and contempt. Many, indeed,
• 11:18
  Speaker 1: at the present period, seemed to have lost sight of
• 11:22
  Speaker 1: their primeval ideas and obligations. Yet they were not eradicated
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: from the intelligent, the virtuous, and well informed mind. The
• 11:31
  Speaker 1: genial flame of freedom and independence blazed in its original
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: luster in the press of many long after the termination
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: of the Revolutionary War. After this period, the American continent
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: was viewed by all nations as the theater just directed,
• 11:48
  Speaker 1: where the drama was but begun. While the actors of
• 11:51
  Speaker 1: the old world, having run through every species of pride, luxury, venality,
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: and vice, their characters have become less interesting than these
• 12:00
  Speaker 1: of the new. America may stand as a monument of
• 12:03
  Speaker 1: observation and an asylum of freedom. The eyes of all
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: Europe or upon her. She was placed in a rank
• 12:11
  Speaker 1: that subjected her to the inspection of mankind abroad, to
• 12:15
  Speaker 1: the jealousy of monarchs, and the envy of nations, all
• 12:19
  Speaker 1: watching for her, halting to avail themselves of her mistakes,
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: and to reap advantages from her difficulties, her embarrassments, her inexperience,
• 12:29
  Speaker 1: or her follies. Perhaps at no period of her existence
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: was America viewed with an eyeifier veneration that I am
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: the present, both by statesmen and princess. At the same time,
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: the philosopher, in his retirement contemplates, and the lovers of
• 12:46
  Speaker 1: the main kind of every description behold the shackles of
• 12:50
  Speaker 1: ancestral pride annihilated in a respectable portion of the globe.
• 12:55
  Speaker 1: Yet it may be observed that it will require all
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: the wisdom and firmness of the most gagacious heads, united
• 13:02
  Speaker 1: with the most upright hearts, to establish a form of
• 13:05
  Speaker 1: government for an extensive nation whose independence has been recently
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: acknowledged by Great Britain. This must be done on a
• 13:13
  Speaker 1: just medium that may control the licentiousness of liberty and
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: the daring encroachments of arbitrary power. A median that may
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: check the two extremes of democracy and the overbearing influence
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: of a young aristocracy that may start up from a
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: sudden acquisition of wealth, would have never before been tasted.
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: But after all, the speculative opinions with regard to government
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: that have occupied the minds and the pens of men
• 13:41
  Speaker 1: before many years roll over some aspiring genius without establishing
• 13:46
  Speaker 1: the criterion, awaiting the rewards of real Merit may avail
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: himself of the weakness, the divisions, perhaps the distresses of America,
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: to make himself the designator in the fountain of honor.
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: Expectation such as sovereign without a crown or the title
• 14:04
  Speaker 1: of king, with his favorites and his instigators about him,
• 14:08
  Speaker 1: may not be a less dangerous animal than the monarch
• 14:12
  Speaker 1: whose brow is decorated by the splendor of a diadem.
• 14:16
  Speaker 1: These are, however, ideas that may be vanish with time,
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: or if realized, it must be to the grief of
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: the genuine patriot, and the misery of thousands who now
• 14:27
  Speaker 1: dream only of freedom, wealth and happiness beneath the protection
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: of just, equal and lenient governments of their own, without
• 14:35
  Speaker 1: any commixture of foreign influence of domination. End of Section
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: thirty five