- Jand and fea. 
358 
make it fafe for chemfelves to be entrufted 
with that magnificent, but dangerous and 
generally fatal, privilege. If thefe happy 
confequences. enlue, America will have as 
much reafon to be grateful to Wathing- 
ton for the feafonabie refignation of his 
authority, as for its wife. and honeft 
exertion. 
Wien he refigned his prefidency, he 
publifhed a valedictery addrefs to his 
countrymen, as he had before done when’ 
he quitted the command of the army in 
1733. In thefe compofitions, the whole 
heart and foul of Wafhington are laid 
open. Other flate-papers have, perhaps, 
fhewn more fpirit and dignity, more elo- 
quence, ‘ercater force of genius, and a 
more enlarged comprehenfion of mind. But 
‘ 
none ever difplayed,more fimplicity and in- 
genuoufnefs, more moderation and {o- 
briety, mere good fenfe, more prudence, 
more honeity, more earneft <ffection for 
his country and tor mankind, more pro- 
found reverence for virtue and religion; 
more ardent wifhes for the happinefs of 
his fellow-creatures, and more juft and 
rational views of the means which alone 
ean effectually promote that happinefs. Tt 
is dificult for any human compolition to 
thew more clearly a well difciplined under- 
fianding and a pure heart. ‘ 
From his refignation till the month of 
July 2798, he lived in retirement at Mount 
Vernon. At this latter period, it became 
neceflary for the United States to arm. 
They had endured with a patience, of 
which there is no example in the hiftory 
of ftates, all the contumely and wrong 
which fucceflive adminiftrations in France 
had heaped uponthem. Their fhips were 
every where captured, their mmifters were 
detained in a fort of imprifonment at Paris; 
while incendiaries, cloathed in the facred 
chara&er of embafladors, {cattered over 
their peaceful provinces the fire-brands of 
fedition and civil war. An offer was made 
to terminate this long courfe of injuftice, 
for a bribe to the French minifiers.—This 
offer was made by perfons who appeared to 
be in the confidence of M.‘Toalleyrand, 
who profefed to act by his authority ; who 
have been fince, indeéd, difavowed by him; 
but who never will be Delieved not to have 
been his agents, till he convicts them of 
impoftute by Jegal evidence, and procures 
them to be punifhed for fo abominable a 
fraud. 
The United Stares refolved to arm by 
ihe command of the army 
was beftowed on General Wafhington ; 
which he accepted, becaufe he was con- 
j 49 p ror it xe ho! Fag es 
vinced, that * every thing. we hold dear 
Lemars of George Wafbington. 
[May 1; 
and jacred was ferioufly threatened * ;*° 
though he had flattered himfelf, «that he 
had quitted for ever the boundlefs field of 
public a€tion, inceffant ‘trouble and high 
refponfibility, in which he had long aéted’ 
fo con{picuous a part.’ In this office he 
continued during the fhort period of his 
life which fill remained.—On Thurfday 
the 12th December 1799, he was feized 
with an inflammation in his throat, which 
became confiderably worfe the next day ; 
and of which, notwithftanding the efforts 
of his phyficians, he died on Saturday the 
14th of December 1799, in the 68th year 
of his age, and in the 23d year of the 
independence of the United States, of which 
he may be confidered as the founder. The « 
fame calmnefs, -fimplicity and regularity, 
which had uniformly marked his demeanor, 
did not forfake him in his dying moments. 
He faw the approaches of death without 
fear:—he met them without parade.— 
Even the perfeétly well-ordered ftate of the - 
moft minute particulars of his private bu- 
finefs, bore the ftamp of that confant au- 
thority of prudence and praétical reafon 
over his aétions, which was a difttmeuith- 
ing feature of his chara&ter. He died 
with thofe fentiments of piety, which had 
given vigour and confiftency to his virtue, — 
and adorned every part of his blamelefS * 
and tiluftrious life. ~~ : 
His will, which has been publifhed fince 
his death,. is, like all his compofitions, 
charaéteriftic of his mind. It has been 
very well obferved by a writer of genius, — 
in a Daily Paper, that thofe difpofitions of 
the will which regard the future emanci- 
pation of the flaves are peculiarly deferv- 
ing of attention. A commentary on that — 
part of the will would, perhaps, be the | 
beft fyftem of rules for rational reform, E 
that has ever been given to the world. © 
emancipate the flaves, combined with the : 
—_ = 
A Ka a ea ee 


‘The: generous and juft determination to 
facred regard for law in its harfheft regu- 
lations, and property in its moft odieus 
form ; the tender and provident folicitude 
for the emancipated flaves themfelves, for 
the education of the young, and the fup- 
port of the infirm; every thing in fhort — 
indicates that union of benevolence and — 


prudence which conftitutes the true chase 
racter of a REFORMER, and which diG 
ti 
1 
« aah 
i 
tinguifhes him from thofe reftlefs and fierce 


* See his Letter of Acceptance. 

