of usurption, and not without the interposition of Heaven, who also made us friends of that very nation
which he was just about to liberate, and sent them, as it were, to light their torch at our flame.
But the American gold became dim, as though it was cankered by the rust of the British court: we could
look calmly on, and see our sister republic, as we pretended to call them, struggling through seas of
blood, oppressed on every hand; and we sported with their calamity; we joined affinity with their
bloody enemies; we banished them from our coast; at the nod of a British sycophant, we cursed them:
Our nation piled all the calumnies upon them; yea, vied with Britain, which should stamp the most
indelible stain upon them. And for what was all this done? What old tory can hold up his head, and
not blush to answer to this charge of ingratitude on America - this cowardly deed, for which Mr. Adams
plead, when he said, "the fate of France was suspended upon a thread!" Methinks that thread almighty
cannot be broken.
The truth is, our government saw not the nature of the contest - that these times came under the theme of
prophecy: but that was notall; we had too many old tories in office; and we became corrupted,
till Heaven made war upon the seats of this pollution. Indeed, I am so sanguine in the belief of this,
that I hesitated not to tell some gentlemen, at Catskill, in the spring of the year 1801, that I doubted
not that the revolution taking place in our government, would stop this pestilential war that Heaven was
making upon us: so far it appears to be verified; and I am so confident that this was a judicial scourge,
that I will venture, in this public manner, to give it as my opinion, that this scourge will be
stayed, in proportion as we given the friendly hand t the two witnesses.
But, it may be objected, we have been less guilty than others, who have drawn the sword,
and made war upon them, and seem to escape with inpunity. To which I answer: The murderers of
Stephen, or of his Divine Master, appear to have escaped with impunity;
while Annanias and his wife, for a seemingly less crime, were struck dead. Let me observe,
the great drama, which ultimately will revolutionize all nations, was first opened in America, and was
accompanied with several phenomena in the heavens, which distinguished it from all wars
since the destruction of the Jewish nation. The first step in the kingdom of Providence, was
taken in America, to introduce the reign of peace consistently with enlightened minds, and to
pave the way for the reign of his grace; an earnest of which, and a specimen, was given on the day of pentecost.
This being the peculiar situation of America, or our part of it at least, and Heaven being determined to
accomplish the work first, where it was first begun, the line is drawn upon us, and we must submit to the
straightness of it, or suffer the consequences of
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