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rts, and
common dangers; reverence religion, diffuse knowledge throughout your
land, patronize the arts and sciences; let Liberty and Order be
inseparable companions. Control party spirit, the bane of free
governments; observe good faith to, and cultivate peace with all
nations, shut up every avenue to foreign influence, contract rather
than extend national connection, rely on yourselves only; be Americans
in thought, word and deed;--thus will you give immortality to that
union which was the constant object of my terrestrial labors; thus
will you preserve undisturbed to the latest posterity the felicity of
a people to me most dear, and thus will you supply (if my happiness is
now aught to you) the only vacancy in the round of pure bliss high
Heaven bestows."

MASON LOCKE WEEMS.

~1760=1825.~

MASON LOCKE WEEMS was born at Dumfries, Virginia, and educated in
London as a clergyman. He was for some years rector of Pohick Church,
Mt. Vernon parish, of which Washington was an attendant. His health
demanding a change of occupation, he became agent for the publishing
house of Matthew Carey of Philadelphia, and was very successful, being
"equally ready for a stump, a fair, or a pulpit." He played the
violin, read, recited, and was humorous and interesting in
conversation.

His writings are attractive and often very eloquent and forcible; but
we know not how much of his narratives to believe. His "Life of
Washington" is the most popular and widely read of the many lives of
that great man; to it alone we are indebted for the Hatchet Story.

WORKS.

 Life of Washington.
 Life of Franklin.
 Life of Marion.
 Life of Penn.
 The Philanthropist, [a tract prefaced by an autograph letter from
 Washington.]

THE HATCHET STORY.

(_From Life of Washington._)

The following anecdote is a case in point; it is too valuable to be
lost, and too true to be doubted, for it was communicated to me by the
same excellent lady to whom I was indebted for the last, [a relative
of the Washington family.]

"When George," she said, "was about six years old, he was made the
wealthy master of a _hatchet_! of which, like most little boys, he was
immoderately fond, and was constantly going about chopping everything
that came in his way. One day, in the garden, where he often amused
himself hacking his mother's pea-sticks, he unluckily tried the edge
of his hatchet on the body of a beautiful young English cherry-tree,
which he barked so terribly that I don't believe the tree ever got the
better of it. The next morning the old gentleman finding out what had
befallen his tree, which, by the by, was a great favorite, came into
the house, and with much warmth asked for the mischievous author,
declaring at the same time that he would not have taken five guineas
for his tree. Nobody could tell him anything about it. Presently
George and his hatchet made their appearance. 'George,' said his
father, 'do you know who killed that beautiful little cherry-tree
yonder in the garden?' This was a _tough question_, and George
staggered under it for a moment; but quickly recovered himself; and
looking at his father, with the sweet face of youth brightened with
the inexpressible charm of all-conquering truth, he bravely cried out,
'I can't tell a lie, Pa; you know I can't tell a lie; I did cut it
with my hatchet.'--'Run to my arms, you dearest boy,' cried his father
in transports, 'run to my arms. Glad am I, George, that you ever
killed my tree, for you have paid me for it a thousand-fold. Such an
act of heroism in my son, is more worth than a thousand trees, though
blossomed with silver, and their fruits of purest gold.'"

JOHN DRAYTON.

~1766=1822.~

JOHN DRAYTON, son of William Henry Drayton, was born in South
Carolina, educated at Princeton and in England, and became a lawyer.
He was governor of South Carolina, 1800-2, and again 1808-10; and he
was District Judge of the United States at the time of his death.

WORKS.

 Letters written during a tour through the Northern and Eastern
 States.
 A View of South Carolina.
 Memoirs of the Revolution in South Carolina, [prepared mainly
 from his father's manuscripts].

Governor Drayton's writings are characterized by a desire to express
the simple and exact truth. His style carries with it a conviction of
his sincerity and of the reliability of his narrative.

A REVOLUTIONARY OBJECT LESSON IN THE CAUSE OF PATRIOTISM, APRIL 1775.

(_From Memoirs of the Revolution._)

With all these occurrences, men's minds had become agitated; and it
was deemed proper to bring forth something calculated to arrest the
public attention, to throw odium on the British Administration, to put
down the Crown officers in the Province, and to invigorate the ardor
of the people. And nothing was deemed more likely to effect the same
than some public exhibition which might speak to the sight and senses
of the multitude.

For this purpose effigies were brought forward, supposed to be by the
authority or connivance of the Secret Committee. . . . They
represented the Pope, Lord Grenville, Lord North, and the Devil. They
were placed on the top of a frame capable of containing one or two
persons within it; and the frame was covered over with thick canvas,
so that those within could not be distinguished. In the front of the
frame on the top, the Pope was seated in a chair of state, in his
pontifical dress; and at a distance immediately behind him the Devil
was placed in a standing position, holding a barbed dart in his right
hand; between the Pope and the Devil, on each side, Lords Grenville
and North were stationed. Thus finished the frame and effigies were
fixed on four wheels; and early in the morning, this uncommon
spectacle was stationed between the Market and St. Michael's Church in
Broad-street to the gaze of the citizens.

Many were the surmises respecting it; but at length by its evolutions,
it soon began to explain the purposes for which it was constructed.
For no sooner did any of the Crown officers, Placemen, Counsellors, or
persons known to be disaffected to the common cause, pass by than the
Pope immediately bowed with proportioned respect to them, and the
Devil at the same moment striking his dart at the head of the Pope
convulsed the populace with bursts of laughter. While on the other
hand, the immovable effigies of Lords Grenville and North, appearing
like attendants on the Pope or criminals, moved the people with
sentiments of disgust and contempt against them and the whole British
Administration, for the many oppressive acts which they had been
instrumental in procuring to be passed through both Houses of
Parliament.

In this manner the machine was exposed; after which it was paraded
through the town the whole day by the mob; and in the evening, they
carried it beyond the town where surrounding it with tar barrels the
whole was committed to the flames. Nor did the idea or influence of
the thing end here--for boys forsook their customary sports to make
models like it, with which having amused thems

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