arrived at, although I believe there are twice 765 citizens who enjoy
the titular honour.

One fact, however, is beyond doubt; they have a large militia,
accustomed to, and fond of, using fire-arms; and those who feel disposed
to approach their shores with hostile intentions, will find the old
Scotch motto applicable to them in its fullest sense,--

"Nemo me impune lacessit."

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote CI: The Marquis de Jouffroy is said to have worked a boat by
steam on the Seine in 1781; but the Revolution breaking out, he appears
to have been unable to complete his invention.]

[Footnote CJ: The foregoing details are essentially extracted from a
work by Mr. Woodcroft, professor of machinery at University College,
London; who, after proving that the previous inventions of his
countrymen were combined together, for the first time, in the boat
engined by Symington, thus clearly and summarily disposes of the
pretensions put forward in favour of Fulton:--"In fact, if these
inventions separately, or as a combination, were removed out of Fulton's
boat, nothing would be left but the hull; and if the hull could then be
divested of that peculiarity of form, admitted to have been derived from
Colonel Beaufoy's experiments, _all that would remain would be the hull
of a boat of ordinary construction."_]

CHAPTER XXX.

_Adverse Influences._

I now come to the consideration of the annual celebration of the 4th
July, an event which presents itself to my mind under two opposite
aspects, the one beneficial, the other injurious. If contemplated as a
nation's grateful acknowledgment to Providence for the successful
termination of an arduous struggle for independence, it assumes an
aspect at once dignified and Christian; but if into its celebration
other elements enter which are calculated to nourish hostile feelings
towards those who have long ceased to reciprocate such unworthy
sentiments, in that case I think its aspect may be fairly termed both
injurious and unchristian.

Let me then call your attention to the method of celebration. It
consists of three parts:--First, the reading of the Declaration of
Independence; secondly, an oration on the subject; lastly, procession
and jollification.

Now what is the Declaration of Independence? It is a document which
details their views of the oppression and injustice which justified
their rebellion against the mother country. The clauses are too numerous
to quote in full,