r, he
put forth a proclamation, at the request of the Assembly, for a Public
Thanksgiving on the 7th of October. After enumerating various causes for
thankfulness that existed, all of which relate to victories won in
different parts of the world, His Excellency proceeds to say,--"But
above all, with hearts full of gratitude and amazement, we must
contemplate the glorious and important conquest of the Havana; which,
considering the strength of the place, the resolution of the defendants,
and the unhealthiness of the climate, seems to have the visible hand of
God in it, and to be designed by His Providence to punish the pride and
injustice of that Prince who has so unnecessarily made himself a party
in this war."

Thus did our fathers rejoice over a great military success which gave
additional glory to a country to which they were proud to belong. Nor
were they insensible to the solid gains of that success, which, indeed,
they overrated, not only because they supposed the conquered territory
would be retained by the conquerors, but because they believed the
immediate fruits of victory were far greater than they proved to be. In
the Boston "Gazette" of September 20th it is stated that one of the
captured Spanish ships had five million dollars on board, that almost
forty million dollars in specie had already been counted, and that the
share of Lord Albemarle would give him an income of twelve thousand
pounds per annum, and Admiral Pocock was to have an equal amount.

In our time, politicians have the advantage of all other men in the
matter of spoils. Such was not the state of things one hundred years
ago. The politicians were as well off in those times as they are in
these,--perhaps they were bettor off, for things could then be openly
done by civilians, in the way of plundering, that the men of to-day have
to do as secretly as good Christians say their prayers. There were also
many lucrative offices then in existence which have since disappeared
under the labors of those economical reformers of whom Edmund Burke was
the first in every respect. But in 1762 military men had "rights" which
this modern world has ceased to regard as utterly as if all soldiers
were Negroes. One hundred years ago it was not an uncommon thing for a
successful general to win as much gold on a victorious field as glory.
It was the sunsetting time of the age of plunder; and the sun set very
brilliantly. The solid gains of heroes were then so great