TOPICS - click to expand or collapse

THE ARMY OF THE REVOLUTION - WAR A PROVIDENTIAL AGENCY FOR GOOD - VIEWS OF THE PURITANS - EXTRACT FROM A SPEECH IN THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS - RELIGION SANCTIONS A JUST WAR - ITS RELATIONS TO AN ARMY - WASHINGTON'S VIEWS - CHRISTIAN LEGISLATION OF THE COLONIAL CONGRESS ON THE WAR - CHRISTIAN RULES FOR THE ARMY - WASHINGTON A CHRISTIAN COMMANDER - HIS CHRISTIAN ORDERS - HABITS OF PRAYER - SCENE AT VALLEY FORGE - PRAYER RECORDED - HIS RECOGNITION AND DEPENDENCE ON GOD DURING THE WAR - VIEWS OF DR. STILES OF THE PRESENCE AND GUIDANCE OF GOD IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR - DR. LADD'S ADDRESS BEFORE THE GOVERNOR OF SOUTH CAROLINA IN 1785 - DR. RAMSEY'S VIEWS - FORM OF AN OATH OF LOYALTY.

"WAR," says Dr. Bacon, "has a place among the agencies through which God's providence is working from age to age in the interest of that Divine kingdom which is righteousness and peace. In the sacred books of the Old Testament we have not only the record of the wars in which the chosen people fulfilled their destiny, but the prayers in which holy men commended their country to the God of Hosts in time of peril, and the songs in which they acknowledged that his right hand had given them the victory.

"Under the providence of God, then, and in the methods by which he governs the world, war, with its dreadful train of evils, is sometimes an inevitable incident in the world's progress. Conflicts attendant on the birth or the attempted subjugation and extinction of nationalities, conflicts arising out of the growth and collision of irreconcilable systems of civilization, or the collision of civilization with barbarism,-conflicts between right and wrong, between liberty and despotic power, or between progressive and repressive forces,-sometimes involve the necessity of war.

"It was well for the interests of civilization and of humanity that the men who had undertaken to enlarge the kingdom of Christ by planting themselves here in this wilderness were not embarrassed at such a crisis by any doubts about the lawfulness of bearing arms in a righteous cause. The sentimentalism which would surrender the whole earth to the dominion of law-less violence, rather than resist force by force, had not yet been born, and was not likely to be engendered in minds like theirs. Hence one of the moral maxims of the New England Puritans was that 'they may lawfully, under the New Testament, wage war upon just and necessary occasions.' For this end, they kept up, for generations, the most rigid military discipline, and were ready at all times to repel invaders. In the first age of Puritan history, their rigid Christian polity and progress had a military as well as a moral force to make it effective and certain. Freedom and expansion over the wild domains of the savage were secured by the successful wars which the Puritans waged to secure a foothold and a progress to Christianity. This union of the military and Christian spirit was transmitted to their descendants, and was ready for earnest action, when the great war of the Revolution broke out.

"Our fathers, when that question arose, did not initiate a rebellion against an established Constitution; they stood simply for their hereditary English rights, their legal and chartered rights; and when those rights were assailed with armed invasion, they stood in arms for the defence of their inheritance and their political existence. They did not begin the war, rushing to take up arms before any demonstration in arms had been made against them: they waited in the hope that justice would prevail in the councils of the king; they offered no resistance, but by remonstrance and petition, till their king made war on them. They did not commence with an act of secession from the British Empire, nor with renunciation of their allegiance to the British crown. Their declaration of independence was not made till after the king and Parliament had begun the attempt to establish, by military power, new methods of government over them.

"Then war had become to them an inevitable necessity; for they could not tamely surrender their own birthright and the lawful inheritance of their children. Then, in the spirit of the generations which had preceded them, they girded themselves for the struggle to which they were summoned."

The following fragment of a speech made in the General Congress of America, by a member whose name is unknown, in 1775, presents a just view of the results of war as an agency of good to freedom and the final glory of a nation. The war of the Revolution, about to open when the speech was made, grandly illustrated its views.

"The great God, sir, who is the searcher of all things, will witness for me that I have spoken to you from the bottom and purity of my heart. The God to whom we appeal must judge us.

"There are some people who tremble at the approach of war. They feel that it must put an inevitable stop to the further progress of these colonies, and ruin irretrievably those benefits which the industry of centuries has called forth from this once savage land. I may commend the anxiety of these, without praising their judgment.

"War, like other evils, is often wholesome. The waters that stagnate corrupt; the storm that works the ocean into rage renders it salutary; heaven has given us nothing unmixed; the rose is not without its thorn. War calls forth the great virtues and efforts which would sleep in the gentle bosom of Peace. 'Paullum sepultæ distat inertiæ celata virtus.' It opens re- sources which would be concealed under the inactivity of tranquil times; it produces a people of animation, energy, adventure, and greatness. Let us consult history. Did not the Grecian republics prosper amid continual warfare? Their prosperity, their power, their splendor, grew from the all-animating spirit of war. Did not the cottages of shepherds rise into imperial Rome, the mistress of the world, the nurse of heroes, the delight of gods, through the invigorating operation of unceasing wars? 'Per damna, per cædes, ab ipso ducit opes animumque ferro.'

"How often has Flanders been the theatre of contending powers, conflicting hosts, and blood! Yet what country is more fertile and flourishing? Trace back the history of our parent state. Whether you view her arraying Angles against Danes, Danes against Saxons, Saxons against Normans, the barons against usurping princes, or in the civil wars of the Red and White Roses, or that between the people and the tyrant Stuart, you see her in a state of almost continual warfare. In almost every reign to the commencement of that of Henry VII. her peaceful bosom (in her poet's phrase) was gored with war. It was in the peaceful reigns of Henry VII., Henry VIII., and Charles II. that she suffered the severest extremities of tyranny and oppression. But, amid her civil contentions, she flourished and grew strong: trained in them, she sent her hardy legions forth, which planted the standard of England upon the battlements of Paris, extending her commerce and her dominion.

"The beautiful fabric of her constitutional liberty was reared and cemented in blood. From this fulness of her strength those scions issued which, taking deep root in this delightful land, have reared their heads and spread abroad their branches like the cedars of Lebanon.

"Why fear we, then, to pursue, through apparent evil, real good? The war upon which we are about to enter is just and necessary. 'Justum est bellum, ubi necessarium; et pia arma, quibus nulla, nisis in armis, relinquiter spes.' It is to protect these regions, brought to such beauty through the infinite toil and hazard of our fathers and ourselves, from becoming a prey of that more desolating and more cruel spoiler than war, pestilence, or famine, - absolute rule and endless extortion.

"Our sufferings have been great, our endurance long. Every effort of patience, complaint, and supplication has been exhausted. They seem only to have hardened the hearts of ministers who oppress us and double our distresses. Let us therefore consult only how we shall defend our liberties with dignity and success. Our parent state will then think us worthy of her, when she sees that with her liberty we inherit her rigid resolution of maintaining it against all invaders. Let us give her reason to pride herself in the relationship.

" 'And thou, great Liberty! inspire our souls:

Make our lives happy in thy pure embrace,

Or our deaths glorious in thy just defence.' "

"Religion supports valor by inspiring faith in the providence of God. Every Christian believes that the purposes and plans of God include, either directly or permissively, all the events of time, and that such are the resources of Divine power, wisdom, and goodness, that all things will be overruled to the final triumph of right. This is one of the reasons why those Christians whose theology lays great stress on the Divine purposes appear in history as such sturdy soldiers; in Switzerland, France, Scotland, England, and America. The Huguenots, the Covenanters, the Puritans, - who have dared or sacrificed more than these? They felt that they were in God's hands, with the place of their lives and the hour and mode of their death marked out, and they had no other concern than to go forward under the guidance and protection of Divine Providence. The saint is bold in war because he has faith in God as pledged to sustain the right. He strikes hard, he takes aim coolly and accurately, because his strength has been summoned forth and his nerves steadied by fervent prayer and a conviction that God is with him. He kneels before he fires; he deals no blow without faith that God will make it effectual; he carries a rifle in his hand and a Bible in his pocket; and, like Cromwell's army, he 'trusts in God and keeps his powder dry.' Fighting in a good cause being part of his religion, he scruples not, but is zealous, rather, to do it well, that it may not need to be done again.

"This trust in God as the defender of right is conspicuous in the conduct and words of the warriors mentioned in the Bible. The general of the forces of Israel, in the battle with the Ammonites, made this address to the troops: - 'Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people and for the cities of our God; and the Lord do that which seemeth him right.' "

The appointment of Washington as commander-in-chief of the American armies was, as John Adams beautifully said, "a providential inspiration;" and his Christian character and principles, in harmony with the righteousness of the cause at stake, gave the happiest auspices of final victory.

He had no taste for war or desire for military glory. "My first wish," said he, "is to see the whole world in peace, and the inhabitants of it as one band of brothers, striving who should contribute most to the happiness of mankind. For the sake of humanity, it is devoutly to be wished that the manly employments of agriculture and the humanizing benefits of commerce should suspend the wastes of war and the rage of conquest, and that the sword may be turned into the ploughshare."

But peace, the desire of all good men and the gift of Christianity, comes through conflict and war. Freedom and truth, in a world where wrong and tyranny reign, must win their way by the sword and conquer peace from the enemies of liberty and right. In these great conflicts the armies of freedom and righteousness receive an invincible spirit through the practical adoption of Christianity. Christian soldiers in a good cause are the most reliable and the most ardent. They go into battle with deep convictions that God is with them and will lead them to final victory. Hence the duty of a Christian nation to infuse and educate its armies into the spirit of Christianity. They should be girded with its power, clothed with its armor, and so be the warriors of God and liberty. This was the desire and effort of Washington and Congress during the Revolutionary War, as the following official facts will show.

The Colonial Congress incorporated Christianity in the organization of the Revolutionary army, where from the beginning of the Government till now it has been maintained. In the Act "for establishing rules and articles for the government of the armies of the United States," we have these articles: -

ART. 2. - It is earnestly recommended to all officers and soldiers diligently to attend divine service; and all officers who shall behave indecently at any place of divine worship shall, if commissioned officers, be brought before a general court-martial, there to be publicly and severely reprimanded by the president; if non-commissioned officers or soldiers, every person so offending shall, for the first offence, forfeit one-sixth of a dollar, to be deducted out of his next pay; for the second offence, he shall not only forfeit a like sum, but be confined twenty-four hours, and for every like offence shall suffer and pay in like manner.

ART. 3. - Any non-commissioned officer or soldier who shall use any profane oath or execration shall incur the penalties expressed in the foregoing article; and a commissioned officer shall forfeit and pay, for each and every such offence, one dollar. In both cases the money to go to the sick soldiers of the company or troop to which the offender maybelong.

ART. 4. - Every chaplain commissioned in the army or armies of the United States who shall absent himself from the duties assigned (except in cases of sickness or leave of absence) shall, on conviction thereof before a court-martial, be fined not exceeding one month's pay, besides the loss of his pay during his absence, or be discharged, as the said court shall adjudge proper.

The Act "for the better government of the navy of the United States" is of similar tone: -

ART. 1. - The commanders of all ships and vessels of war belonging to the navy are strictly enjoined and required to show in themselves a good example of virtue, honor, patriotism, and subordination; and to be vigilant in inspecting the conduct of all such as are placed under their command, and to guard against and suppress all dissolute and immoral practices, and to correct all such as are guilty of them according to the usages of the sea-service.

ART. 2. - The commanders of all ships and vessels in the navy, having chaplains on board, shall take care that divine service be performed in a solemn and reverent manner twice a day, and a sermon preached on Sunday, unless bad weather or other extraordinary accidents prevent it; and that they come all, or as many of the ship's company as can be spared from duty, to attend every performance of the worship of Almighty God.

ART. 3. - Any officer or other persons in the navy who shall be guilty of oppression, cruelty, fraud, profane swearing, or any other scandalous conduct tending to the destruction of good morals, shall, if an officer, be cashiered, or suffer such other punishment as a court-martial shall adjudge; if a private, shall be put in irons or flogged, at the discretion of the captain, not exceeding twelve lashes; but if the offence require severer punishment, he shall be tried by a court-martial and suffer such punishment as said court-martial shall inflict.

The proper discipline for those who are to be intrusted with the safety and honor of the country, the greatest of all trusts, is thus adjudged to be a discipline not only of good morals, but of regular, pious observance and instruction, of daily worship, of reverence for God's name and institutions, of Sabbath-keeping, hearing the gospel preached, learning and practising the whole lesson of the cross.

Washington, in his first campaign as a military officer during the war of Great Britain against France, in our colonial history, - developed his character as a Christian commander. The following is one of his earliest orders: -

Colonel Washington has observed that the men of his regiment are very profane and reprobate. He takes this opportunity to inform them of his great displeasure at such practices, and assures them that, if they do not leave them off, they shall be severely punished.

A most affecting instance of Washington's early Christian feelings, as a military man, was displayed at the death and burial of Braddock, in 1756. After that unfortunate battle, Washington bore the body of the fallen hero, after night, to his final place of burial. In a slow and solemn march the spot was reached, and, around the open grave, the young chieftain, by the light of blazing torches, read the beautiful burial-service of the Episcopal Church, and, having committed "ashes to ashes," returned to his camp. How prophetic this of his future career as a Christian commander of the American army!

When Washington proceeded to Cambridge after his appointment as commander-in-chief, the Provincial Congress of Massachusetts appointed a committee to meet the general and escort him to Boston. That committee was Rev. Dr. Benjamin Church and Moses Gill, who, at Waterton, presented to Washington a formal congratulatory address, in which they said, -

The Congress of the Massachusetts colony, impressed with every sentiment of gratitude and respect, beg leave to congratulate you on your safe arrival, and to wish you all imaginable happiness and success in the execution of the important duties of your elevated station.

While we applaud the attention to the public good manifested in your appointment, we equally admire that disinterested virtue and distinguished patriotism which alone could call you from those enjoyments of domestic life which a sublime and manly taste joined with a most affluent fortune can afford, to hazard your life and to endure the fatigues of war in the defence of the rights of mankind and the good of your country.

We most fervently implore Almighty God that the blessings of Divine Providence may rest on you; that your head may be covered in the day of battle; that every necessary assistance may be afforded, and that you may be long continued in life and health, a blessing to mankind.

A graphic description of the American camp is given by Rev. William Emerson, a chaplain in the army, written a few days after the arrival of the commander-in-chief. He says, -

"There is great overturning in the camp, as to order and regularity. New lords, new laws. The generals, Washington and Lee, are up and down the lines every day. New orders from his Excellency are read to the respective regiments every morning after prayers. The strictest government is taking place. Every one is made to know his place and keep in it."

The following extract from the journal of a chaplain in the American army presents an interesting and instructive view of Washington's appearance and religious character at the opening of the Revolutionary War, when, in obedience to Congress, he took command of the armies: -

"July 4th, 1775. - I have seen the new general appointed by Congress to command the armies of the colonies. On seeing him I am not surprised at the choice. I expected to see an ardent, heroic-looking man; but such a mingled, sweetness, dignity, firmness, and self-possession I never before saw in any man. The expression 'born to command' is peculiarly applicable to him. Day before yesterday, when under the great elm in Cambridge he drew his sword and formally took command of the army of seventeen thousand men, his look and bearing impressed every one, and I could not but feel that he was reserved for some great destiny.

"I have heard much of his religious character, and hence looked with a great deal of anxiety for his first order to see if there was any thing more than a mere formal recognition of the Supreme Being. To-day he issued it; and it was with a heart overflowing with gratitude to God that I read the following passage in it: -

""The general most earnestly requires and expects the due observance of those articles of war established for the government of the army which forbid cursing, swearing, and drunkenness, and in like manner he requires and expects of all officers and soldiers, not engaged on actual duties, a punctual attendance on divine service to implore the blessing of Heaven upon the means used for safety and defence.'

"Truly God is with us, and, though the way be dark and dreary, I will believe he will carry us through safely at last."

In a general order, July, 1776, Washington says, -

The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and conduct of the army. Our cruel and unrelenting enemy leaves us only the choice of brave resistance or the most abject submission. Let us, then, rely on the goodness of our cause and the aid of the Supreme Being in whose hands victory is, to animate and encourage us to noble action.

An army order, July 9, 1776, from Washington, says, -

The Honorable Continental Congress having been pleased to allow a chaplain to each regiment, the colonels or commanding officers of each regiment are directed to procure chaplains, persons of good character and exemplary lives, and to see that all inferior officers and soldiers pay them suitable respect. The blessing and protection of Heaven are at all times necessary, but especially so in time of public distress and danger. The general hopes and trusts that every officer and man will endeavor to live and act as a CHRISTIAN SOLDIER defending the dearest rights and liberties of his country.

The following order is eminently Christian: -

HEAD-QUARTERS, NEW YORK, May 15, 1776.

The Continental Congress having ordered Friday, the 17th instant, to be observed as a day of "Fasting, Humiliation, and Prayer, humbly to supplicate the mercy of Almighty God, that it would please him to pardon all our manifold sins and transgressions, and to prosper the arms of the United Colonies, and finally establish the peace and freedom of America upon a solid and lasting foundation," the general commands all officers and soldiers to pay strict attention to the orders of the Continental Congress, and, by the unfeigned and pious observance of their religious duties, incline the Lord and Giver of victory to prosper our arms.

The following is a letter to the ministers, elders, and deacons of the Dutch Reformed Church at Raritan: -

CAMP MIDDLEBROOK, 2 June, 1779.

In quartering an army, and in supplying its wants, distress and inconvenience will often occur to the citizens. These have been strictly limited by necessity, and regard to the rights of my fellow-citizens. I thank you for the sense you entertain of the conduct of the army. I trust the goodness of the cause and the exertions of the people, under Divine protection, will give us that honorable peace for which we are contending. Suffer me to wish the Reformed Dutch Church at Raritan all the blessings which flow from piety and religion.

Congress appointed the 18th of December, 1777, as a day of public thanksgiving and praise. Washington, with his army, were on the march from Whitemarsh to Valley Forge, where they were to go into winter quarters. They paused that day to wait upon God in prayer and praise, as the following order of December 17, 1777, shows: -

To-morrow being the day set apart by the Honorable Congress for public thanksgiving and praise, and duty calling us all devoutly to express our grateful acknowledgments to God for his manifold blessings he has granted to us, the general directs that the army remain in its present quarters, and that the chaplains perform divine service with their several regiments and brigades, and earnestly exhorts all officers and soldiers, whose absence is not indispensably necessary, to attend with reverence the solemnities of the day.

How sublime and suggestive this Christian scene! A patriot army, led by a Christian commander, stopping amid the snows and cold of winter, to worship God before going into winter quarters! These services were wisely preparatory to the hardships of that long and dreary winter at Valley Forge.

Profaneness is a common vice of an army. Congress and Washington labored hard to correct this shameful habit. Congress passed the following resolutions on the subject.

Thursday, February 25, 1777.

It being represented to Congress that profaneness in general, and particularly cursing and swearing, shamefully prevail in the army of the United States:

Resolved, That General Washington be informed of this; and that he be requested to take the most proper measures, in concert with his general officers, for reforming this abuse.

Washington issued the following order in 1776: -

That the troops may have an opportunity of attending public worship, as well as to take some rest after the great fatigue they have gone through, the general, in future, excuses them from fatigue duty on Sundays, except at the shipyards or on special occasions, until further orders. The general is sorry to be informed that the foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing, a vice hitherto little known in an American army, is growing into fashion. He hopes the officers will, by example as well as influence, endeavor to check it, and that both they and the men will reflect that we can have little hope of the blessing of Heaven on our arms if we insult it by our impiety and folly. Added to this, it is a vice so mean and low, without any temptation, that every man of sense and character detests and despises it.

In May, 1777, Washington sent to the brigadier-generals of the army the following instructions:-

Let vice and immorality of every kind be discouraged as much as possible in your brigade; and, as a chaplain is allowed to each regiment, see that the men regularly attend during worship. Gaming of every kind is expressly forbidden, as being the foundation of evil, and the cause of many a brave and gallant officer's and soldier's ruin.

The following order presents the character of a Christian superior to that of a patriot or soldier: -

HEAD-QUARTERS, VALLEY FORGE, May 2, 1778.

The commander-in-chief directs that divine service be performed every Sunday at ten o'clock in each brigade with a chaplain. Those brigades which have none will attend the places of worship nearest them. It is expected that officers of all ranks will, by their attendance, set an example to their men. While we are duly performing the duty of good soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of a patriot it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of a Christian.

The signal instances of providential goodness which we have experienced, and which have almost crowned our arms with complete success, demand from us, in a peculiar manner, the warmest returns of gratitude and piety to the Supreme Author of all good.

Congress, on the 17th of March, appointed the 22d of April, 1778, as a day of religious solemnities. Washington, in pursuance thereof, issued to his army the following order: -

HEAD-QUARTERS, VALLEY FORGE, April 12, 1778.

The Honorable the Congress having thought proper to recommend to the United States of America to set apart Wednesday, the 22d instant, to be observed as a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer, that at one time, and with one voice, the righteous dispensations of Providence may be acknowledged, and his goodness and mercy towards our arms be supplicated and implored,

The general directs that the day shall be most religiously observed in the army; that no work shall be done thereon; and that the several chaplains do prepare discourses suitable to the occasion.

In 1778, the independence of the United States was acknowledged by France, and a treaty of friendship formed at Paris. Washington and his army were at Valley Forge when the news reached him. On the 7th of May, shortly after the news reached him, he issued the following order: -

It having pleased the Almighty Ruler of the universe to defend the cause of the United American States, and finally to raise up a powerful friend among the princes of the earth, to establish our liberty and independence upon a lasting foundation, it becomes us to set apart a day for gratefully acknowledging the Divine goodness and celebrating the important event which we owe to his Divine interposition. The several brigades are to be assembled for this purpose at nine o'clock to-morrow morning, when their chaplains will communicate the intelligence, and offer up thanksgiving, and deliver a discourse suitable to the occasion.

The surrender of Cornwallis, at Yorktown, on the 21st of October, 1781, closed the war of liberty and revolution. General Washington immediately ordered religious ceremonies commemorative of the joyful event: -

Divine service is to be performed to-morrow in the several brigades and divisions. The commander-in-chief earnestly recommends that the troops not on duty should universally attend, with that seriousness of deportment and gratitude of heart which the recognition of such reiterated and astonishing interpositions of Providence demands of us.

The following general order was issued by General Washington on the restoration of peace: -

HEAD-QUARTERS, CHATHAM, April 18, 1783.

The commander-in-chief orders the cessation of hostilities between the United States of America and the King of Great Britain to be publicly proclaimed to-morrow at twelve o'clock at the new buildings; and that the proclamation which will be communicated herewith be read to-morrow evening at the head of every regiment and corps of the army; after which, the chaplains, with the brigades, will render thanks to Almighty God for all his mercies, particularly for his overruling the wrath of man to his own glory, and causing the rage of war to cease among the nations.

Signed, April 18, 1783.

At twelve o'clock, the large log temple which had been erected on the camp-ground for the meeting of the officers was thronged, and the joyful intelligence communicated amid deafening plaudits. At evening, the chaplains, in accordance with the orders of the commander-in-chief, offered up thanksgiving and prayer at the head of the several brigades.

As a military commander, Washington constantly and devoutly acknowledged the special interposition of a Divine Providence throughout the entire war, and habitually ascribed the victories and the final results to God's intervention and goodness. This fundamental doctrine of the Christian religion is the key of all historic events, giving confidence in auspicious, final results, and had a firm and deep hold on the faith and life of Washington. In the midst of disasters, defeats, and the darkness which sometimes clouded the prospects of the struggling colonies, his soul, in serene and sublime trust, rested on this great doctrine with hope and assurance, and it animated his courage and efforts in the great cause to which he was devoted. His thankful and reverential acknowledgments of the providence and presence of God are full of instruction, and present the brightest evidences of his Christian faith and piety. The following allusions to this great doctrine, in connection with himself and the events of the war, are here recorded.

When but twenty-three years of age, in a letter to Governor Dinwiddie, June 10, 1754, he acknowledges a striking interposition of a special Providence in reference to a supply of provisions for his troops. "If Providence," says he, "had not sent a trader from the Ohio to our relief, we should have been four days without provisions."

After the defeat of Braddock he wrote, "By the all-powerful dispensations of Providence, I have been protected beyond all human probability or expectation." His perfect preservation, during the eight years of the Revolutionary War, though often exposed and in danger, confirms his own declarations in reference to his providential protection.

Writing to Governor Trumbull, from Cambridge, 18th of July, 1775, he says, -

"As the cause of our common country calls us both to an active and dangerous duty, I trust that Divine Providence will enable us to discharge it with fidelity and success."

He wrote to General Gage, of the British army, in the same year, and said,-

"May that God to whom you appeal judge between America and you. Under his providence, those who influence the councils of America, and all the other united colonies, at the hazard of their lives, are determined to hand down to posterity those just and invaluable privileges which they received from their ancestors."

In a circular to his officers, September 8, 1775, in reference to an attack on the British at Boston, he said, -

"The success of such an enterprise depends, I well know, upon the all-wise Disposer of events."

After the evacuation of Boston by the British troops, March 17, 1776, Washington, in answer to an address of the General Assembly of Massachusetts, wrote as follows: -

"It must be ascribed to the interposition of that Providence which has manifestly appeared in our behalf through the whole of this important struggle."

In May, 1776, referring to expected battles in New York, and the feeble preparations for them, he said,-

"However, it is to be hoped that if our cause is just, as I do most religiously believe it to be, the same Providence which has in many instances appeared for us will still go on to afford us aid."

On the 2d of July of the same year, in an order to his army, on the eve of an expected attack, he said, "The fate of unborn millions will now depend, under God, on the courage and conduct of this army. Let us rely upon the goodness of our cause and the aid of that Supreme Being in whose hands victory is, to animate and encourage us to great and noble actions."

To the officers and soldiers of the Pennsylvania Association he writes, the 8th of August, 1776, "We must now determine to be enslaved or free. If we make freedom our choice, we must obtain it by the blessing of Heaven on our united and vigorous exertions. I beg leave to remind you that liberty, honor, and safety are all at stake; and I trust Providence will smile upon our efforts, and establish us once more the inhabitants of a free and happy country."

In writing to General Armstrong, from Morristown, New Jersey, 4th July, 1777, he says,-

"The evacuation of Jersey by the British troops, at this time, is a peculiar mark of the favor of Providence, as the inhabitants have an opportunity of securing their harvests of hay and grain."

When Washington received from Governor Clinton a despatch announcing the surrender of Burgoyne's army at Saratoga, in 1777, his first words were, "I most devoutly congratulate my country and every well-wisher to the cause on this signal stroke of Providence. Should Providence be pleased to crown our arms in the course of the campaign with one more fortunate stroke, I think we shall have no great cause for anxiety respecting the future designs of Great Britain. I trust all will be well in his good time."

Alluding to the prisoners taken by the Northern armies, "including tories in arms against us," Washington wrote, -

"This signal instance of Providence, and of our good fortune under it, exhibits a striking proof of the advantages which result from unanimity and a spirited conduct in the militia."

In reference to the disaffection of a portion of the people of New York to the cause, and the embarrassments thereby caused to his campaign in that State, Washington said, "I do not mean to complain. I flatter myself that a superintending Providence is ordering every thing for the best, and that, in due time, all will end well."

From Valley Forge, May 30, 1778, he wrote as follows:-

"Providence has a just claim to my humble and grateful thanks for its protection and direction of me through the many difficult and intricate scenes which this contest has produced, and for its constant interposition in our behalf when the clouds were heaviest and seemed ready to burst upon us."

Referring to the distresses of the army at Valley Forge, and its sufferings during the previous eventful winter, he said, "Since our prospects have miraculously brightened, shall I attempt the description of the condition of the army, or even bear it in remembrance, further than as a memento of what is due to the great Author of all, the care and good that have been extended in relieving us in difficulties and distresses?"

The battle of Monmouth, 28th of June, 1778, which threatened to prove disastrous from the mismanagement of General Lee, affords the occasion to Washington to say, "Had not that bountiful Providence which has never failed us in the hour of distress enabled me to form a regiment or two (of those who were retreating) in the face of the enemy, and under their fire, by which means a stand was made long enough to form the troops that were advancing upon an advantageous piece of ground in the rear, where our affairs took a favorable turn."

From Newport, Rhode Island, in March, 1781, Washington wrote to William Gordon, and said, "We have, as you very justly observe, abundant reasons to thank Providence for its many favorable interpositions in our behalf. It has at times been my only dependence, for all other resources seemed to have failed us."

To General Armstrong, in 1781, Washington expressed his faith in Providence as follows:-

"Our affairs are brought to a perilous crisis, that the hand of Providence, I trust, may be more conspicuous in our deliverance. The many remarkable interpositions of the Divine government, in the hours of our deepest distress and darkness, have been too luminous to suffer us to doubt the issue of the present contest."

To the President of Congress, in November, 1781, referring to "the success of the combined armies against our enemies at Yorktown and Gloucester," and the "proclamation for a day of public prayer and thanksgiving," Washington wrote, -

"I take a particular pleasure in acknowledging that the interposing hand of Heaven, in the various instances of our extensive preparations for this operation, have been most conspicuous and remarkable."

"The great Director of events," he addressed in 1781 the citizens of Alexandria, "has carried us through a variety of scenes, during this long and bloody contest in which we have been for seven campaigns most nobly struggling."

In a circular to the States, dated Philadelphia, January 31, 1782, Washington said, -

"Although we cannot, by the best-concerted plans, absolutely command success; although the race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong; yet, without presumptuously waiting for miracles to be wrought in our favor, it is our indispensable duty, with the deepest gratitude to Heaven for the past, and humble confidence in its smiles on our future operations, to make use of all the means in our power for our defence and security."

At the close of the war he said, "I must be permitted to consider the wisdom and unanimity of our national councils, the firmness of our citizens, and the patience and bravery of our troops, which have produced so happy a termination of the war, as the most conspicuous effects of the Divine interposition and the surest presage of our future happiness. To the great Ruler of events-not to any exertions of mine-is to be ascribed the favorable termination of our late contest for liberty. I never considered the fortunate issue of any event in another light than the ordering of a kind Providence."

In his farewell address to the armies of the United States, he says, -

"The singular interpositions of Providence, in our feeble condition, were such as could scarcely escape the attention of the most unobserving; while the unparalleled perseverance of the armies of the United States, through almost every possible suffering and discouragement, for the space of eight long years, was little short of a standing miracle. And being now about to bid a final adieu to the armies he has so long had the honor to command, he can only again offer, in their behalf, his recommendations to their grateful country, and his prayers to the God of armies. May ample justice be done them here, and may the choicest of Heaven's favors, both here and hereafter, attend those who, under the Divine auspices, have secured innumerable blessings for others. With these wishes, and this benediction, the commander-in-chief is about to retire from the service."

To General Nelson, of Virginia, in August,1778, Washington wrote, -

"It is not a little pleasing, nor less wonderful, to contemplate, that after two years' manœuvring and undergoing the strangest vicissitudes that ever attended any one contest since the creation, both armies are brought back to the very point they set out from, and that the offending party at the beginning is now reduced to the use of the spade and pickaxe for defence. The hand of Providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and more than wicked that has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations. I shall add no more on the doctrine of Providence."

In December, 1778, Washington was in Philadelphia, at the request of Congress, for a personal conference respecting the next campaign. From that city he wrote to Benjamin Harrison, of Virginia, and, after giving a gloomy picture of the times and the financial condition of the country, and the "idleness, dissipation, extravagance, speculation, peculation, and insatiable thirst for riches, and the party disputes and personal quarrels, which seem to have got the better of every other consideration," Washington closed as follows: -

"I feel more real distress on account of the present appearance of things than I have done at any one time since the commencement of the dispute. Providence has heretofore taken us up when all other means and hopes seemed to be departing from us. In this will I confide."

To Joseph Reed, President of Congress, referring to the condition of the currency and the smallness of the army, Washington, in July, 1779, wrote, "And yet, Providence having so often taken us up when bereft of every other hope, I trust we shall not fail even in this."

Washington, in his instructions to Colonel Arnold, in September, 1775, when that officer was about to march against Quebec, shows the spirit of a Christian commander, and the scrupulous regard he had to the rights of conscience. His instructions were as follows: -

"As the contempt of the religion of a country by ridiculing any of its ceremonies, or affronting its ministers or votaries, has ever been deeply resented, you are to be particularly careful to restrain every officer and soldier from such imprudence and folly, and to punish every instance of it. On the other hand, you are to protect and support the free exercise of the religion of the country, and the unobstructed enjoyment of rights in religious matters, with your utmost influence and authority."

In a private communication to the same officer and of the same date, Washington says,—

"I also give it in charge to you to avoid all disrespect of the religion of the country and its ceremonies. Prudence, policy, and a true Christian spirit will lead us to look with compassion on their errors, without insulting them. While we are contending for our own liberty, we should be very cautious not to violate the rights of conscience in others, ever considering that God alone is the judge of the hearts of men, and to him only in this case they are answerable. "

General Washington, having triumphantly led the armies of the Revolution to victory, and closed the war with glory and honor to his country and himself, repaired, on the 23d of December, 1783, to Annapolis, Maryland, where Congress was in session, and surrendered his military command in the following address:-

The great event on which my resignation depended having at length taken place, I now have the opportunity of offering my sincere congratulations to Congress, and of presenting myself before them to surrender into their hands the trust committed to me, and to claim the indulgence of retiring from the service of my country. Happy in the confirmation of our independence and sovereignty, and pleased with the opportunity afforded the United States of becoming a respectable nation, I resign with satisfaction the appointment I accepted with diffidence, a diffidence in my abilities to accomplish so arduous a task, which, however, was superseded by a confidence in the rectitude of our cause, the support of the supreme power of the Union, and the patronage of Heaven.

The successful termination of the war has verified the most sanguine expectations. My gratitude for the interpositions of Providence and the assistance I have received from my countrymen increases with every review of the momentous crisis. While I repeat my obligations to the army, I should do injustice to my own feelings not to acknowledge in this place the peculiar services and the distinguished merits - of the gentlemen who have been attached to my person during the war. It was impossible that the choice of confidential officers to compose my family should have been more fortunate. Permit me, sir, to recommend in particular those who have continued in the service to the present moment as worthy of the favorable notice and patronage of Congress.

I consider it an indispensable duty to close this last act of my official life by commending the interests of our dearest country to the protection and care of Almighty God. Having now finished the work assigned me, I retire from the great theatre of action, and, bidding an affectionate farewell to this august body, under whose orders I have so long acted, I here offer my commission and take my leave of all the employments of public life.

President Mifflin replied as follows: -

SIR: The United States, in Congress assembled, receive with emotions too affecting for utterance the solemn resignation of the authorities under which you have led their troops with success through a perilous and a doubtful war. Called upon by your country to defend its invaded rights, you accepted the sacred charge before it had formed alliances, and while it was without friends or a government to support you. You have conducted the great military contest with wisdom and fortitude, invariably regarding the rights of the civil power through all disasters and changes. You have, by the love and confidence of your fellow-citizens, enabled them to display their military genius and transmit their fame to posterity. You have persevered until the United States, aided by a magnanimous king and nation, have been enabled, under a just Providence, to close the war in freedom, safety, and independence, in which happy event we sincerely join you in congratulations. Having defended the standard of liberty in this new world,- having taught a lesson useful to those afflicted and to those who felt oppression, you retire from the great theatre of action with the blessings of your fellow-citizens. But the glory of your virtue will not terminate with your military command: it will continue to animate remotest ages. We feel with you our obligations to the army in general, and will particularly charge ourselves with the interests of those confidential officers who have attended your person to this affecting moment.

We join you in commending the interests of our dearest country to the protection of Almighty God, beseeching him to dispose the hearts and minds of its citizens to improve the opportunity afforded them of becoming a happy and a respectable nation; and for you, we address to him our earnest prayers that a life so beloved may be fostered with all his care, that your days may be as happy as they have been illustrious, and that he will give you that reward which the world cannot give.

One of the most hopeful and inspiring scenes of the Revolution was to see this great hero, with the interests of a nation on his soul, retire for prayer unto the God in whom he trusted.

The winter at Valley Forge witnessed the retirement of Washington daily to some secluded glen in the surrounding forest for prayer. Though gloom covered his desponding country and army, yet "a cloud of doubt seldom darkened the serene atmosphere of his hopes. He knew that the cause was just and holy, and his faith and confidence in God, as a defender and helper of right, steady in their ministrations of divine vigor to his soul."

While the American army was at Valley Forge, Isaac Potts strolled up a creek that ran through his farm, and, walking quietly through the woods, he heard the tones of a solemn voice, and, looking round, saw Washington's horse tied to a sapling. In a thicket near by was Washington, on his knees, in earnest prayer. Like Moses, Mr. Potts felt he was on holy ground, and retired unobserved. He returned home, and, on entering the room of his wife, burst into tears, and informed her what he had seen and heard, and exclaimed, "If there is any one on earth whom the Lord will hearken to, it is George Washington; and I feel a presentiment that under such a commander there can be no doubt of our eventually establishing our independence, and that God in his providence has willed it so."

"Oh, who shall know the might

Of the words he utter'd there?

The fate of nations there was turn'd

By the fervor of his prayer.

"But wouldst thou know his name

Who wander'd there alone?

Go read enroll'd in Heaven's archives

The prayer of Washington."

CHESTER.

The following note from an octogenarian who had seen Washington when a boy is an incident illustrating Washington's habit of prayer:-

"NEW HAVEN, February 18, 1860.

"To the Editors of the Evening Post.

"MR. PRINTER: - In 1796, I heard the farmer referred to narrate the following incident. Said he, 'When the British troops held possession of New York, and the American army lay in the neighborhood of West Point, one morning at sunrise Iwent forth to bring home the cows. On passing a clump of brushwood, I heard a moaning sound, like a person in distress. On nearing the spot, I heard the words of a man at prayer. I stood behind a tree. The man came forth: it was George Washington, the captain of the Lord's host in North America.'

"This farmer belonged to the Society of Friends, who, being opposed to war on any pretext, were lukewarm, and, in some cases, opposed to the cause of the country. However, having seen the general enter the camp, he returned to his own house. 'Martha,' said he to his wife, 'we must not oppose this war any longer. This morning I heard the man George Washington send up a prayer to Heaven for his country, and I know it will be heard.'

"This farmer dwelt between the lines, and sent Washington many items concerning the movements of the enemy, which did good service to the good cause.

"From this incident we may infer that Washington rose with the sun to pray for his country, he fought for her at meridian, and watched for her in the silent hours of night.

"Every editor of a newspaper, magazine, or journal between Montauk Point and Oregon, if he has three drops of American blood in his veins, should publish this anecdote on the 22d of February (Washington's birthday) while woods grow and waters run. This day I enter on my eighty-eighth year.

"GRANT THORBURN, SR."

In the summer of 1779, Washington, exploring alone one day the position of the British forces on the banks of the Hudson, ventured too far from his own camp, and was compelled by a sudden storm and the fatigue of his horse to seek shelter for the night in the cottage of a pious American farmer, who, greatly struck with the manners and language of his guest, after he retired to rest, listened at the door of Washington's chamber, and overheard the following prayer from the father of his country: -

Almighty Father, if it is thy holy will that we should obtain a place and a name among the nations of the earth, grant that we may be enabled to show our gratitude for thy goodness by our endeavors to fear and obey thee. Bless us with wisdom in our councils and success in battle, and let all our victories be tempered with humility. Endow also our enemies with enlightened minds, that they may become sensible of their injustice and willing to restore our liberties and peace. Grant the petition of thy servant for the sake of Him whom thou hast called thy beloved Son. Nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done. Amen."

An officer who served under General Washington through the eight years of the Revolution says that on every practicable occasion he sought God's blessing upon the contest; and, when no chaplain was present, he often called his staff-officers around him and reverently lifted his heart and voice in prayer. He described the scenes as of unusual solemnity, and he carried the vivid impressions of them to the grave. Just before the battle of Monmouth, Washington was seen by one of his officers alone beneath a tree, supplicating the throne of grace. He knew that God was his "refuge and strength."

The God of the Bible and his providential presence and power during the whole Revolutionary War are gratefully recognized by Washington on various occasions.

No one could express more fully his sense of the Providence of God and the dependence of man. His faith in Providence was the anchor of his soul at all times.

"Ours is a kind of struggle," said he, "designed by Providence, I dare say, to try the patience, fortitude, and virtue of men. None, therefore, who is engaged in it will suffer himself, I trust, to sink under difficulties or be discouraged by hardships."

"Providence having so often taken us up when bereft of every other hope, I trust we shall not fail even in this."

"To that good Providence which has so remarkably aided us in all our difficulties, the rest is committed."

"We have abundant reasons to thank Providence for its many favorable interpositions in our behalf. It has at times been my only dependence, for all other resources seemed to have failed Our affairs are brought to a perilous crisis that the us. hand of Providence, I trust, may be more conspicuous in our deliverance. The remarkable interpositions of the Divine government in the hours of our deepest distress and darkness have been too luminous to suffer me to doubt the happy issue of the present contest."

The same sentiments were expressed on many occasions after the war. In a letter to General Armstrong, March 11, 1792, he wrote, -

"I am sure there never was a people who had more reason to acknowledge a Divine interposition in their affairs, than those of the United States; and I should be pained to believe that they had forgotten that agency which was so often manifested during our Revolution, or that they failed to consider the omnipotence of that God who is alone able to protect them."

The following extracts are from his circular letter to the Governors of the several States on the disbanding of the army, June 8, 1783. They are full of the sentiment and spirit of Christianity which he had developed during the war.

"I now make my earnest prayer that God would have you and the States over which you preside in his holy protection; that he would incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate the spirit of subordination and obedience to government, to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another, for their fellow-citizens of the United States at large, and particularly for their brethren who have served in the field; and, finally, that he would be most graciously pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the divine Author of our blessed religion, and without an humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation.

"We have all been encouraged to feel the guardianship and guidance of that Almighty Being whose power regulates the destiny of nations, whose blessings have been so conspicuously displayed to this rising republic, and to whom we are bound to address our devout gratitude for the past, as well as our fervent supplications and best hopes for the future."

A very suggestive instance of the prevailing Christian spirit and habits of the American people and the American army was the universal and explicit recognition of God's providence in every event and battle of the Revolution. The following passage will illustrate this point.

"A variety of success and defeat," said Dr. Stiles, in 1783, "hath attended our warfare both by sea and land. In our lowest and most dangerous estate, in 1776 and 1777, we sustained ourselves against the British army of sixty thousand troops, commanded by Howe, Burgoyne, and Clinton, and other of the ablest generals Britain could procure throughout Europe, with a naval force of twenty-two thousand seamen in above eighty British men-of-war. These generals we sent home, one after another, conquered, defeated, and convinced of the impossibility of conquering America. While oppressed by the heavy weight of this combined force, Heaven inspired us with resolution to cut the Gordian knot when the die was cast irrevocably in the glorious Act of Independence. This was sealed and confirmed by God Almighty in the victory of General Washington at Trenton, and in the surprising movement and battle of Princeton, by which astonishing efforts of generalship, General Howe, and the whole British army, in elated confidence and in open-mouthed march for Philadelphia, were instantly stopped, remanded back, and cooped up for a shivering winter in the little borough of Brunswick. Thus God 'turned the battle to the gate,' and this gave a finishing to the foundation of the American republic.

"This, with the Burgoynade at Saratoga by General Gates, and the glorious victory over the Earl of Cornwallis in Virginia, together with the memorable victory at Eutaw Springs and the triumphant recovery of the Southern States byGeneral Greene, are among the most heroic acts and brilliant achievements which have decided the fate of America. And who does not see the indubitable interposition and energetic influence of Divine Providence in these great and illustrious events? Who but a Washington, inspired by Heaven, could have struck out the great movement and manœuvre at Princeton? To whom but to the Ruler of the winds shall we ascribe it that the British reinforcement in the summer of 1777 was delayed on the ocean three months by contrary winds, until it was too late for the conflagrating General Clinton to raise the siege at Saratoga?

"What but a providential miracle detected the conspiracy of Arnold, even in the critical moment of that infernal plot, in which the body of the American army then at West Point, with his Excellency General Washington himself, were tohave been rendered into the hands of the enemy? Doubtless inspired by the Supreme Illuminator of great minds were the joint councils of a Washington and a Rochambeau in that grand effort of generalship with which they deceived and astonished a Clinton and eluded his vigilance, in their transit by New York and rapid marches for Virginia. Was it not of God that both the navy and army should enter the Chesapeake at the same time? Who but God could have ordained the critical arrival of the Gallic fleet, so as to prevent and defeat the British, and assist and co-operate with the combined armies in the siege and reduction of Yorktown?

"Should we not ever admire and ascribe to a Supreme energy the wise and firm generalship displayed by General Greene, when, leaving the active and roving Cornwallis to pursue his helter-skelter, ill-fated march into Virginia, he coolly and steadily went onwards, and deliberately, judiciously, and heroically recovered the Carolinas and the Southern States?

"How rare have been the defections and apostasies of our capital characters, though tempted with all the charms of gold, titles, and nobility! Whence is it that so few men of our armies have deserted to the enemy? Whence that our brave sailors have chosen the horrors of prison-ships and death, rather than to fight against their country? Whence that men of every rank have so generally felt and spoken alike, as if the cords of life struck unison through the continent? What but a miracle has preserved the union of the States, the purity of Congress, and the unshaken patriotism of every General Assembly? It is God who has raised up for us a great and powerful ally, - an ally which sent us a chosen army and a naval force. It is God who so ordered the balancing interests of nations as to produce an irresistible motive in the European maritime Powers to take our part.

"So wonderfully does Providence order the time and coincidence of the public national motives co-operating in effecting great public events and revolutions. But time would fail me to recount the wonder-working providences of God in the events of this war. Let these serve as specimens, and lead us to hope that God will not forsake this people, for whom he has done such marvellous things, whereof we are glad and rejoice this day, having at length brought us to the dawn of peace.

"O Peace, thou welcome guest, all hail! Thou heavenly visitant, calm the tumult of nations, and wave thy balmy wing perpetually over this region of liberty. Let there be a tranquil period for the unmolested accomplishment of the magnalia Dei, - the great events in God's moral government designed from eternal ages to be displayed in these ends of the earth.

"May this great event excite and elevate our first and highest acknowledgments to the Sovereign Monarch of universal nature, to the Supreme Disposer and Controller of all events! Let this our pious, sincere, and devout gratitude ascend in one general effusion of heartfelt praise and hallelujah, in one united cloud of incense, even the incense of universal joy and thanksgiving, to God, from the collective body of the United States."

"The special interposition of Providence," said Dr. Ramsey, of South Carolina, July, 1777, in an oration on the advantages of American independence, "in our behalf makes it impious to disbelieve the final establishment of our Heaven-protected independence. Can any one seriously review the beginning, progress, and present state of the war, and not see indisputable evidence of an overruling influence on the minds of men, preparing the way for the accomplishment of this great event?

"As all the tops of corn in a waving field are inclined in one direction by a gust of wind, in like manner the Governor of the world has given one and the same universal bent of inclination to the whole body of our people. Is it the work of man that thirteen States, frequently quarrelling about boundaries, clashing in interests, differing in politics, manners, customs, forms of government, and religion, scattered over an extensive continent, under the influence of a variety of local prejudices, jealousies, and aversions, should all harmoniously. agree as if one mighty mind inspired the whole?

"Our enemies seemed confident of the impossibility of our union; our friends doubted it; and all indifferent persons, who judged of things present by what has heretofore happened, considered the expectation thereof as romantic. But He who sitteth at the helm of the universe, and who boweth the hearts of a whole nation as the heart of one man, for the accomplishment of his own purpose, has effected that which to human wisdom and foresight seemed impossible."

"When I trace," said Henry Lee, of Virginia, "the heroes of Seventy-Six through all their countless difficulties and hardships, when I behold all the dangers and plots which encompassed them, their 'hair-breadth escapes,' and final glorious triumphs, I am as strongly impressed with the belief that our cause was guided by Heaven as that Moses and the Israelites were directed by the finger of God through the wilderness."

The following extract, from an address by Dr. Ladd, of Charleston, South Carolina, delivered before the Governor of the State, and a large number of other gentlemen, on the 4th of July, 1785, being the anniversary of American independence, will present the views of the patriots of that day in reference to the special presence of Almighty God through the scenes and triumphs of the Revolution, and their desire to enthrone God as the Governor of the nation. The motto of his oration was, - 

" 'Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell

Their children, and their children another generation.'

"A prophet divinely inspired, and deeply impressed with the importance of the event which had just taken place, breaks into this exclamation, an exclamation happily adapted to the present occasion, tending to perpetuate the remembrance of an event written upon the heart of every true American, of every friend tohis country.

"The eventful history of our great Revolution is pregnant with many a source of sublime astonishment. Succeeding ages shall turn to the historic page and catch inspiration from the era of 1776: they shall bow to the rising glory of America; and Rome, once mistress of the world, shall fade on their remembrance.

"The commencement of our struggles, their progress and their periods, will furnish a useful lesson to posterity: they will teach them that men desperate for freedom, united in virtue, and assisted by the God of armies, can never be subdued. The youthful warrior, the rising politician, will tremble at the retrospect and turn pale at the amazing story. America, - the infant America,- all defenceless as she is, is invaded by a most powerful nation, her plains covered by disciplined armies, her harbors crowded with hostile fleets. Destitute of arms, destitute of ammunition, with no discipline but their virtue, and no general but their GOD, - threatened with the loss of their liberties (liberties which were coeval with their existence and dearer than their lives), they arose in resistance and were nerved in desperation. What was the consequence? The invaders were repulsed, their armies captured, their strong works demolished, and their fleets driven back. Behold, the terrible flag of the glory of Great Britain, dropping all tarnished from the mast, bewails its sullied honors.

"This, my countrymen, by assistance superhuman have we at length accomplished, - I say superhuman assistance, for one of us has 'chased a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight. The Lord of Hosts was on our side, the God of the armies of Israel;' and at every blow we were ready to exclaim, with glorious exultation, 'The sword of the Lord and of Washington!'

"Yet how did even America despair when the protecting hand of our GREAT LEADER (GOD) was for one moment withheld! Witness our veteran army retreating through the Jerseys; an almost total withering to our hopes, while America trembled with expectation,- trembled! though shielded and protected by the KING OF KINGS and her beloved WASHINGTON.

"And now, having in some measure paid our debt of acknowledgment to the visible authors of our independence, let us lay our hands hands on our hearts in humble adoration of that MONARCH who (in place of George the Third) was this day chosen to reign over us; let us venerate the great generalissimo of our armies, from whom all triumph flows; and be it our glory, not that George the Third, but JEHOVAH, the first and the last, is KING of America, - he who dwelleth in the clouds, and whose palace is the heaven of heavens; for, independent as we are with respect to the political systems of this world, we are still a province of the GREAT KINGDOM, and fellow-subjects with the inhabitants of HEAVEN."

The following form of an oath, exacted by General Lee of the people of Rhode Island in December, 1775, illustrates the Christian tone of the military orders and requirements of the Revolutionary era: -

I, -, here, in the presence of Almighty God, as I hope for ease, honor, and comfort in this world and happiness in the world to come, most earnestly and devoutly and religiously swear that I will neither directly nor indirectly assist the wicked instruments of ministerial tyranny and villany, commonly called the king's troops and navy, by furnishing them provisions and refreshments of any kind, unless authorized by the Continental Congress, or Legislature at present established in this particular colony of Rhode Island: I do also swear, by the Tremendous and Almighty God, that I will not directly or indirectly convey any intelligence, nor give any advice, to the aforesaid enemies described, and that I pledge myself, if I should by any accident get knowledge of such treasons, to inform immediately the Committee of Safety; and, as it is justly allowed that when the rights and sacred liberties of a nation or community are invaded, neutrality is not less criminal than open and avowed hostility, I do further swear and pledge myself, as I hope for eternal salvation, that I will, whenever called upon by the voice of the Continental Congress, or by that of this particular colony under their authority, to take arms and subject myself to military discipline in defence of the common rights and liberties ofAmerica. So help me God.