will assist us to carry on the work of human liberty and human happiness.  Auspicious omens cheer us.  Great examples are before us.  Our own firmament now shines brightly upon our path.  WASHINGTON is in the clear, upper sky.  These other stars have now joined the American constellation; they circle round their centre, and the heavens beam with new light.  Beneath this illumination let us walk the course of life, and at its close devoutly commend our beloved country, the common parent of us all, to the Divine Benignity.

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NOTE.

Page 170.

The question has often been asked, whether the anonymous speech against the Declaration of Independence, and the speech in support of it ascribed to John Adams in the preceding Discourse, are a portion of the debates which actually took place in 1776 in the Continental Congress.  Not only has this inquiry been propounded in the public papers, but several letters on the subject have been addressed to Mr. Webster and his friends.  For this reason, it may be proper to state, that those speeches were composed by Mr. Webster, after the manner of the ancient historians, as embodying in an impressive form the arguments relied upon by the friends and opponents of the measure, respectively.  They of course represent the speeches that were actually made on both sides, but no report of the debates of this period has been preserved, and the orator on the present occasion had no aid in framing these addresses, but what was furnished by general tradition and the known line of argument pursued by the speakers and writers of that day for and against the measure of Independence.  The first sentence of the speech ascribed to Mr. Adams was of course suggested by the parting scene with Jonathan Sewall, as described by Mr. Adams himself, in the Preface to the Letters of Novanglus and Massachusettensis.

So much interest has been taken in this subject, that it has been thought proper, by way of settling the question in the most authentic manner, to give publicity to the following answer, written by Mr. Webster to one of the letters of inquiry above alluded to.

“Washington, 22 January, 1846.

“Dear Sir:—­

“I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 18th instant.  Its contents hardly surprise me, as I have received very many similar communications.

“Your inquiry is easily answered.  The Congress of the Revolution sat with closed doors.  Its proceedings were made known to the public from time to time, by printing its journal; but the debates were not published.  So far as I know, there is not existing, in print or manuscript, the speech, or any part or fragment of the speech, delivered by Mr. Adams on the question of the Declaration of Independence.  We only know, from the testimony of his auditors, that he spoke with remarkable ability and characteristic earnestness.