260 Ohio Arch. and
Hist. Society Publications.
DISCOURSES OF REV. RHEES.
Through the courtesy of Mr. George A.
Katzenberger, president
of the Greenville (Ohio) Historical
Society, we have received duplicate
copies of two discourses by Rev. Morgan
John Rhys, delivered at Green-
ville on July 4 and 5 respectively in
the year 1795, before the officers
and army of Major General Anthony Wayne.
Rev. Morgan John Rhys, or, as it is also
printed, Rhees, was born
in Graddfa, Llanfabon, Glamorganshire,
South Wales, December 8th,
1760. When he delivered the addresses in
Greenville, he was less than
thirty-five years of age. The pamphlet
containing his address and calling
him "The Welsh-Baptist hero of
civil and religious liberty of the eight-
eenth century," was compiled by
John T. Griffith, a Baptist pastor, in
Pennsylvania. The pamphlet contains
excerpts from his diary, and the
part of particular interest to us is the
following:
"After having spent about two
months in Georgia and
South Carolina, he came to Kentucky and
then crossed the
Ohio River to East Greenville, where he
addressed the United
States Army and about six or seven
hundred Indians, on July
4th and 5th, 1795 (see Oration and Altar
of Peace). He left
East Greenville about July 10th on his
return tour and came
via Kentucky and Virginia back to the
northern states. He
gives a graphic description of his
journey on his mare Prim-
rose, as he called her, and preached at
many places along this
route."
AN ORATION.
Delivered at Greenville, Headquarters
of the Western Army, North-
west of the Ohio July 4th,
1795, by the Rev. Morgan J. Rhees.
Illustrious Americans! Noble Patriots!
You commemorate a glor-
ious day-the Birthday of Freedom in the
New World! Yes, Columbia,
thou art free. The twentieth year of thy
independence commences this
day. Thou hast taken the lead in
regenerating the world. Look back,
look forward; think of the past,
anticipate the future and behold with
astonishment the transaction of the
present time! The globe revolves on
the axis of Liberty; the new world has
put the old in motion; the light
of truth, running rapid like lightning,
flashes convictions in the heart of
every civilized nation. Yes the splendor
of American remonstrance has
fallen so heavy on the head of the
tyrant that other nations, encouraged
by her example, will extirpate all
despots from the earth.
0, France, although I do not justify thy
excesses, I venerate thy
magnanimity. If the sun of thy liberty
has been eclipsed by a blood-
thirsty, Marat and a saturnine
Robespierre, if their accomplices, the sons
of faction, will darken thy horizon, the
energy of the nation, the un-
Editorialana. 261
paralleled success of thy armies, like a
mighty rushing wind, will scatter
the clouds and drive them from thy
hemisphere. The sun of liberty
will return with healing in its wings!
Yes, its genial rays will restore
the swooping spirit of the distressed,
and give new energy to the cham-
pions of freedom. Invincible Frenchmen,
go on! Having laid your
hands to the plough, look not back until
the soil of Europe is made
a proper fallow to receive the seeds of
emancipation.
The popish beast has nearly numbered his
days; the vasal king,
emperors and princes who have deluged
the earth with blood, under their
malign influence, shall soon take their
exit with him to the same pit of
destruction. Nor shall those potentates
who have thrown off his yoke
to ape his authority escape the
punishment due for their crimes. They
have, under the mask of mammonism
riveted the chains of slavery two-
fold faster than Charlemagne had it in
their power. However, when the
sons of liberty will make a strong pull,
a long pull and a pull all to-
gether, the brass bars, the iron gates,
the gold and silver chains of des-
potism must be broken. Combined Sons of Freedom! go on until every
bastile on earth, with the infernal
dungeons of the ocean, are destroyed
like the Parisian prison.
Batavians and Belgians! rally to the
standard of your deliverers,
assist them to carry their conquests to
the citadel of Rome that the tree
of liberty may be planted once more on
the banks of the Tiber. If the
Court of Byzantium should be inimical to
your progress, tell the monster
Mahomet that the flag of freedom shall
soon fly on the ramparts of
Constantinople.
Neither the Ottoman Porte nor the
infamous Catharine can long
withstand the energy of freemen. Let
them meet the haughty tyrant of
the north in the fertile fields of
Poland, and the vassals of that unhappy
country shall be restored to liberty and
equality. The Greeks and the
Romans will then know that the fire of
freedom is not extinguished.
Whilst I behold it kindling in every
quarter of the globe, where
shall I turn my eyes first? 0, My
Country! My Country! My heart
bleeds, my eyes become a fountain of
waters when I think of thy fate.
Ichabod may be written upon all thy
borders, for the glory is departed!
How is thy bright gold become dim? How
are the sons of Liberty, the
pearls of the nation cast into prisons
and banished o'er the seas? 0,
my countrymen! my countrymen !* how long
will you be duped by a
dogmatic administration which seems
determined to destroy not only
their own nation, but to mark their
footsteps with devastation and blood
wherever they go.
Infatuated Britons! I feel for your
insanity, although four thou-
sand miles from your coasts. Twenty
years have elapsed since your
American brethren have given you a
practical example to resist despot-
+Welsh people.
262 Ohio
Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
ism. Have they not emphatically told you
that no government has a
right to taxation without a free and
equal representation?
Ancient Britons! + awake out of your
sleep! Open your eyes!
Why are your tyrants great? Because you
kneel down and cringe to
them. Rise up--you are their equals! If
you cannot rise, creep to the
ocean and the friendly waves will waft
you over the Atlantic to the
hospitable shores of America. If you
cannot attain liberty in your own
native country, "where liberty
dwells, call that your country." Embark
then for the Western World, which wants
nothing but millions of good
citizens, to make up the glory of all
the earth. Quit the little despotic
island which gave you birth, and leave
the tyrants and slaves of your
country to live and die together.
Citizens of the United States: Be not
frightened in beholding so
many emigrants flowing to your country.
If all the inhabitants of the
world were to pay you a visit, you can
compliment each of them with
half an acre of land. But, sirs, look
forward and behold with thoughts
of joy this vast continent from the Gulf
of St. Lawrence to the Gulf
of Mexico, from the Pacific to the
Atlantic, forming one grand Republic
of Brethren.
At present it is impossible to calculate
on the rapidity of revolu-
tions. What formerly took a century to
accomplish is brought to pass
in a day. If the snow ball as it rolls
multiplies its magnitude, the tor-
rent being checked for a season, runs
with greater rapidity. So the
cause of truth and liberty being opposed
by despots, will gain greater
energy, and will eventually, like a
mighty deluge, sweep every refuge of
his from the earth. The little stone
which Nebuchadnezzer saw, smote
the image on its feet, ground it to
powder, became a great mountain
and filled the whole earth. So be it
speedily. May the perfect law of
liberty sway its sceptre of love from
the rising to the setting sun, from
the centre of the globe to the
extremities of the poles.
Citizens of the United States: Whilst
you commemorate a glorious
resolution, call to your mind first
principles of action - never forget them
nor those who assisted you to put your
principles in practice. May the
curse of Meroz (Judges V) never fall
upon America for not joining
the heralds of freedom, whilst
combatting the tyrants of Europe. Citi-
zens of America: Guard with jealousy the
temple of liberty. Protect
her altars from being polluted with the
offerings of force, of fraud.
Citizens and Soldiers of America - Sons
of Liberty: It is you I
address. Banish from your land the
remains of slavery. Be consistent
with your congressional declaration of
rights and you will be happy.
Remember there never was nor will be a
period when justice should not
be done. Do what is just and leave the
event with God. Justice is the
pillar that upholds the whole fabric of
human society and mercy is the
genial ray which cheers and warms the
habitations of man. The per-
*Great Britain.
Editorialana. 263
fection of our social character consists
in properly tempering the two
with one another. In holding that middle
course which admits of our
being just without being rigid and
allows us to be generous without being
unjust. May all the citizens of America
be found in the performance of
such social virtues as will secure them
peace and happiness in this world
and in the world to come, life
everlasting, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
THE ALTAR OF PEACE-A SERMON.
Being the Substance of a Discourse
Delivered in the Council House,
at Greenville, July 5th, 1795, Before
the Officers of the American
Army and Major General Wayne,
Commander-in-Chief and Min-
ister Plenipotentiary from the United States to Treat with the
Indian Tribes North-West of the Ohio,
by Morgan John Rhys.
Philadelphia.
"Then Gideon built an altar
thereunto the Lord and called it Jeho-
vah Sallum; i. e., the Lord give
Peace." Judges VI, 24.
A
noble example for all generals and commanders of armies!
Gideon, when going out to war, erected
an altar to the God of Peace.
His object was not devastation and
plunder, but to defend the lives,
liberty and property of his brethren.
When these objects were obtained,
the sword was sheathed and he returned
to his occupation, crowned with
honor. Gideon, as a worshipper of God,
is worthy of imitation by all
men, if there be a first cause, a
disposer of events, a distributor of
rewards and punishments-he is certainly
an object of adoration. Some
have supposed man to be a religious
animal, that it is religion and not
reason which distinguishes him from the
beast; but without the exercise
of reason, I am at a loss to know how we
are to prove the existence
of the Almighty. It is true in most
countries, savage as well as civilized,
we meet with the temple and the priest,
the altar and the offering, the
mythology of the heathen, the mosques of
Mahomet, the superstitions of
popery, the circumscribed ceremonies of
the Jews--all have a tendency
to prove that there is such a thing as
real religion. Let us search for it,
not by rejecting wholly everything that
bears the appearance of religion,
but by acting the part of the bee, exact
the honey from every flower.
Although the western world be a
wilderness, we meet here with
abundance of flowers which would adorn
the most beautiful garden in
Europe. Shall we reject those valuable
productions of the earth be-
cause they grow in an uncultivated soil?
Surely not. Shall we then
reject the noble precepts of Christ, and
despise His institutions, because
they have been obscured by the weeds of
popery and Mahometanism
God forbid! Rather let us cut down the
groves of Baal and despise his
worship. Let us reject every hypothesis
that will not bear the test of
examination; let us believe nothing but
what is supported by evidence,
and may be proved by reason that
religion is certainly rational, which
264 Ohio Arch. and
Hist. Society Publications.
represents the Supreme Being in the most
amiable manner, rewards vir-
tue, punishes vice, publishes peace to
the penitent, unites man to man
and all good men to God. Such is the
Christian religion in its primitive
simplicity. Although its advocates are
engaged in the most important
war, a war with ignorance and vice, yet,
after the example of Gideon,
they continually pray for peace. The
Commander-in-Chief has ordered
them to publish peace in every house
they enter--peace to the Indians,
to Europe, Asia, Africa, and America.
Their commission is to preach
the Gospel to every creature, to
proclaim glory to God in the highest, on
earth peace, good will towards men.
However if we wish to enjoy a
permanent peace in the world, the
private circle of the conscience, the
Bible declares we must cease to do evil
and learn to do good. The rule
is short, and the commandments are easy.
All the precepts of Jehovah
center in one syllable - Love. The laws
and the prophets, like the rays
of the sun collected to a focus, here
shine and burn. The man who loves
God as the supreme good, and his
neighbor as himself, surmounts every
obstruction with ease, because he is
borne above earth in the wings of
love; the philanthropist is every
person's neighbor, the White, the Black,
and the Red are alike to him; he
recognizes in each a brother, a child
of the same common parent, an heir of immortality,
and a fellow traveler
to eternity. He knows how to make
allowances for the prejudices of
nations and individuals; instead of
declaiming and tyrannizing, he en-
deavors to lead (with the cords of love
and the bands of men) all his
fellowmen to think, and judge for
themselves, what is right. Having
done this, the foundation is laid for a
glorious fabric! the man who
dares to think seriously for himself
brings a complete sacrifice to the
altar of peace; his ear receives
instructions, the memory receives informa-
tion, the judgment discerns between
truth and error, his eye or principle
is fixed on the glory of God and the
public good, and his feet or affec-
tions persevere in the path which leads
to immortal blessedness.
Brethren, we have fallen short in any
duty, especially that of grati-
tude, let us move on with a firm and
steady step in the great work of
reformation, and as we are surrounded by
temptations, let us combat the
powers of darkness and the enemy will
flee before us; with the weapons
of eternal truth let us fight the foe,
and our rallying point shall be the
Altar of Peace. Permit me to descend to
particulars, and apply the
subject to the pending treaty, the Lord
give Peace. But, sirs! in order
to establish a durable peace some
sacrifices must be made on both sides.
The love of conquest and enlargement of
territory should be sacrificed-
every nation or tribe having an
indefeasible right of soil, as well as a
right to govern themselves in what
manner they think proper, for which
reason the United States purchased the
right of soil from the Indians.
Self interest and avarice, being the
root of evil, ought to be sacrificed
as a burnt offering, for the good of mankind.
The desire of revenge
should be immediately offered on the
altar of forgiveness, although thy
Editorialana. 265
brother transgress against thee seventy
times seven in a day. Dissimula-
tion and intrigue, with every species of
deceptive speculation and fraudu-
lent practice, ought to be sacrificed on
the altars of strict honor and
inflexible justice. In short, as the
Altar of Peace is our text, the sermon
on our future conduct should be,
"Do Justice and Love Mercy." Tell
the Indians they must "go and do
likewise"; inform them that righteous-
ness is the parent of peace, foreign and
domestic; that without it there
can be no tranquility in the nation, the
neighborhood, or in the bosom
of the individual. Endeavor, therefore,
by all possible means to instill
a just knowledge of this principle into
their minds, for it must precede
universal peace. Why did the prophet
say, "They shall not hurt nor
destroy"? Because, first, "the
knowledge of God shall cover the earth as
the water covers the sea."
If we were to form any idea of the signs
of the times, the day of
universal knowledge, peace and happiness
cannot be at any great dis-
tance. It will advance upon us like the
rising sun, whose light irresistibly
spreads far and wide. But do not imagine
that we are to be idle specta-
tors. God carries on his work by means,
and employs rational instru-
ments, and as we are at present in an
Indian country, we should devise
and adopt the most likely measures to
civilize the savage tribes. We
have an opportunity of knowing something
of their disposition. If peace
can be amicably concluded, much may be
done, but we are not to forget
the natural grades from a savage state
to that of civilization. I am
clearly of the opinion that rational
preachers ought to be employed to
remove their ancient superstition, give
them just notions of the Great
Spirit, and teach them rules of moral
rectitude. I am aware that some-
thing more is wanted. Unless husbandry
and the mechanical arts be
introduced with those missionaries, they
will never be able to prevail on
them to quit their ancient customs and
manners. Government should
therefore interfere and assist. That
good may be done by individuals
none can deny--the Moravian Indians are
a convincing proof of it.
Still, their laudable efforts will be
ineffectual to bring over the great body
of the people without further aid, and a
general intercourse between
them and virtuous men.
'Tis to be lamented that the frontiers
of America have been peopled
in many places by men of bad morals. I
do not mean by this to throw
a disagreeable reflection upon all the
frontier inhabitants for I know
there are many virtuous characters among
them, but certain it is that
there is a great number of white, as
well as red savages. It will there-
fore be necessary to have such
communications with the different tribes
as to convince them of the good will of
the Americans in general. If
at the conclusion of this treaty some
interchange of persons could take
place between the United States and the
different tribes, so that some
Americans might have their residence in
the Indian towns, and the In-
dians in like manner, reside in some of
the principal towns on the fron-
266 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.
tiers, it might be the means of
terminating all future differences without
war; of cultivating harmony and
friendship among the tribes; of bring-
ing offenders on both sides to justice,
and causing treaties to be respected
throughout the different nations. If
such a system could be introduced
cultivation and instruction would
naturally follow and the Americans and
Indians would become one people, and
have but one interest at heart
-the good of the whole. That such a
thing should take place is cer-
tainly desirable. Let us, therefore, in
the first place, follow the example
of Gideon by erecting an altar, and
offer the necessary sacrifices to obtain
peace permanent; let every probable
means be made use of to enlighten
the poor heathens that they may quit
their childish and cruel customs,
and add to their love of liberty and
hospitality, piety, industry, mechanical
and literary acquirements; let us join them
in prayer that the "Great
Spirit" may enlighten their eyes
and purify their hearts, give them a clear
sky and smooth water, guard them against
the bad birds, and remove
the briars from their paths; protect
them from the dogs of war, which
are ever exciting them to acts of
barbarous cruelty, that they may never
attend to their barking, but continue to
keep the bloody hatchet in the
ground and smoke the calumet of peace
until its odors perfume the air.
Sweet Peace! source of joy, parent of plenty,
promoter of com-
merce and manufacturers, nurse of arts
and agriculture, angelic Peace!
Could I but set forth thy amiable
qualities, who would but love thee?
0, daughter of heaven, first offspring
of the God of Love, hasten to
make thy residence with us on earth!
MONUMENT TO ANTHONY WAYNE.
It is possible that a monument to
General Anthony Wayne may be
erected in Roche de Boeuf, the famous
rock in the Maumee river near
Grand Rapids. At a recent meeting of the
Maumee Valley Pioneer
Association held in Toledo, J. L. Pray
said that the association hoped
some time to secure Roche de Boeuf to
the state and erect on it a
statue of "Mad" Anthony Wayne.
On the afternoon before the battle
of Fallen Timber, after Wayne's army had
arrived at that point from
Fort Defiance, Wayne and his officers
are said to have waded the shallow
rapids to Roche de Boeuf and took their
dinner on the rock.
Wayne's greatest deeds were done in this
vicinity and, there being
no monument to his valor nearer than
Fort Wayne, it is proposed to
erect a statue of the great warrior on
the famous rock.
For many years the idea has been
entertained by people in Defiance
and vicinity to have a monument built to
General Wayne on the site of
Fort Defiance, and ex-Congressman
Campbell tried to get Congress to
make an appropriation for this, but
without effect. Although Roche de
Boeuf has many historical associations
in connection with Wayne, Fort.