Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 7.djvu/287

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their calamities, and infpired them with fortitude almoft divine. Having a glorious ifllie to their labors now in profpect, they cheerfully endured the rigors of the climate, purlued the favage beaft to his remoteft haunt, and ftood, undifmayed, in the difmal hour of Indian battle !

Scarcely were the infant fettlements freed from thofe dangers, which at firft evironed them, ere the clafhing interefls of France and Britain involved them anew in war. The colonifts were now deftined to combat with well appointed, well difciplined troops from Europe ; and the horrors of the tomahawk and the fcalping knife were again renewed. But thefe frowns of fortune, difh-effing as they were, had been met without a figh, and endured without a groan, had not im- perious Britain prefumptuoufly arrogated to her- felf the glory of victories, achieved by the bravery of American militia. Louifburgh muft be taken, Canada attacked, and a frontier of more than one thoufand miles defended by untutored yeomanry ; while the honor of every conquell mufl be af- cribed to an Englifh army.

But while Great-Britain was thus iofnomini- oufly ftripping her colonies of their well earned laurel, and triumphantly weaving it into the ftu- pendous wreath of her own martial glories, fhe was unwittingly teaching them to value them- felves, and effe6lually to refifl, in a future day, her unjufl encroachments.

The pitiful tale of taxation now commences — the unhappy quarrel, which iffued in the difmem- berment of the British empire, has here its origin.

England, now triumphant over the united powers of France and Spain, is determined to reduce, to the condition of flaves, her American fubje6is. We

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