"Americans, who are from their youth familiar with these instruments of war"

   "Had the British troops confined themselves to Boston, as before the 18th of April, the assembling an American army, though only for the purpose of observation and defence, would have appeared in the nature of a challenge; and would have made many less willing to support the people of Massachusetts; but after the British had commenced hostilities, the same measure was adopted without subjecting the authors of it to censure, and without giving offence or hazarding the union. The Lexington battle not only furnished the Americans with a justifying apology for raising an army, but inspired them with ideas of their own prowess. Amidst the most animated declarations of sacrificing fortune, and risking life itself for the security of American rights, a secret sigh would frequently escape from the breasts of her most determined friends, for fear that they could not stand before the bravery and discipline of British troops. Hoary sages would shake their heads and say; "Your cause is good, and I wish you success; but I fear that your undisciplined valour must be overcome, in the unequal contest. After a few thousands of you have fallen, the provinces must ultimately bow to that power which has so repeatedly humbled France and Spain." So confident were the British of their superiority in arms, that they seemed desirous that the contest might be brought to a military decision...."

"...An unconquerable love of liberty could not brook the idea of submission; while reason, more temperate in her decisions, suggested to the people their insufficiency to make effectual opposition. They were fully apprized of the power of Britain; they knew that her fleets covered the ocean, and that her flag waved in triumph through the four quarters of the globe; but the animated language of the time was, "It is better to die freemen, than to live slaves." Though the justice of their cause and the inspiration of liberty gave, in the opinion of disinterested judges, a superiority to the writings of Americans, yet in the latter mode of conducting their opposition, the candid among themselves acknowledged an inferiority. Their form of government was in that decision, despatch and coercion, which are necessary to military operations.

   "Europeans, from their being generally unacquainted with fire arms, are less easily taught the use of them than Americans, who are from their youth familiar with these instruments of war; yet on other accounts they are more susceptible of military habits. The proportion of necessitious men in the new world is small compared with that in the old...." [Pg. 366]

"...Liberty is so evidently the undoubted right of mankind, that even they who never possessed it, feel the propriety of contending for it; and whenever a people take up arms, either to defend or to recover it, they are sure of meeting with encouragement or good wishes from the friends of humanity in every part of the world...." [Pg. 418]


[LIBRARY OF AMERICAN HISTORY: A REPRINT OF STANDARD WORKS: Connected BY Editorial Remarks, ABOUNDING WITH COPIOUS NOTES, BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, AND MISCELLANEOUS MATTER, INTENDED TO GIVE THE READER A FULL VIEW OF AMERICAN HISTORY, FROM THE EARLIEST DISCOVERY TO THE PRESENT TIME. Illustrated with numerous Engravings. EDITED BY SAMUEL L. KNAPP. VOL. I. NEW YORK: PUBLISHED BY C.H. JACKSON & Co., NO. 15 ANN STREET. 1836. STEREOTYPED BY JAMES TURNEY, JUN.]