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TATE LIBR.\RY
to be alive to all the virtuous feelings and enobling cntiments of the heart, that I now appeal to them so carne tly to discard those antiquated and exploded notion which have so long given immunity to O'Uilt and thrown unmerited protection around the giO'antic villains of the world. In the name of that freedom which despotism has so often crushed, and in behalf of that humanity which hath been so ruthles ly violated, J call upon my a soeiate adjudicators of a tyrant's fate, to shut our ears to his seductive overtures; to turn from his proffered blessings and to banish from our minds every consideration except the simple ends of ju tice. Scorning the uggestions of elf- ishness, or fear, let us look alone at the -crime , and not at the crim- inal; at the wrongs received, and not at the favors tendered; and gazing with a steady eye upon that high and exalted morality that knows nor high nor low, nor rich nor poor in the adminstration of law, let us march boldly onward in the simple line of right, and teach at lea t one salutary le on to the demon of mankind, that in this Government, young and feeble as she is, there is no ecurity for crime; and that the sword of justice entrusted in our hands, to defend her rights and avenge her wrong , can pierce the purple robes of Royalty as easily as the plain raiments of the humble man. Let us do this and receive the approbation of all posterity. Do you hesitate 1 ·I entreat you to consider the character o.f those who e death we are called upon to avenge. They were no mercenary soldiery-no hired menials. 'l'he:r were ornament· to the land they left-the flowers of honor and the pride of chivalry. The history of war cannot furni h a nobler band of patriotic heroes than those who rallied around the standard of Fannin. I knew many, very mnny of them per~onally, and can testify to their generons pirit. A braver people ne,;er hung the sabre on the thigh. In that dark and portcn• tons period of our affairs, when the tempest of desolation was thicken- ing over the land. they nobly threw themselves between the opores or and the opprei;:. ed, and made their bosoms the shield of onr liberty, our homes, and our firesides. At the very fir t ignal of alarm, tliefr banners were thrown to the breeze, and their bayonets brightened in the sunbeam. Those banners are torn and the bayonets are broken. and where is the g-allant BAT'l'ALLIO. ? Go a k tht' trynnt where. He who calmly sit· in the shade of yonder piazza a if his bosom bore . all peace within, can tell you if he will, tliat it wa by tl1c nnthorit~, of hi order, that that Spartan band, under the hope of liberty and home, wa marched from the holy sanctuary of Goel to the awful slaughterfield; l1e can tell yon that whil. t his brave General Urrea and his whole army wept at the stern decree, him. elf alone rejoiced in the roar of the mu ketry that stained the plnin of La bahin, nnd sprC'ad the horricl banquet to the bird of carnage. 1\"e,·er ilid the brond ere of day look upon II fouler murder; never were a better nnd a lmn·cr peoplt' sarrifi<'ed to a tyrant 'R fcro ity. The mo. t of them were youth- ful heroes. I doubt not that each received on leaving- hmnt', the 'pnrtan i11junction to bring- hnrk hi. father's shield or he hroug-ht hack upon it. Gallant youths! they cli<l their duty well; nnd their fame will yet be the hnrthen of ·ome "hi~h toned Hoel·. hnrp nnd soft Lewellins' lay." Forgive me that I no not pour "the meed of
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