Illinois—Its Conquest by Virginia, No. II [pp. 450-459]

CONQUEST OF ILLINOIS.
with nature for a companion to counsel you from her thousand varied forms:
For who the melodies of morn can tell,
The wild brook bubbling down the mountain's side,
The lowing herd, the sheep-fold's simple bell'"
Or, lest I should be reminded of a topographical blunder ill co1mmending you to the charms of bubbling water-falls, mountains, and
sheep-folds, even in this clime of the sun and floral luxuriance, now
that your harvests are ended. and you have reaped from your toils
sufficient at least for gratitude to an all-bountiful Providence, I will
dismiss you with the admonition and counsel of honest and inimitable
old Thomas Tusser:*
"In harvest time, harvest folk, servants, and all,
Should make altogether good cheer in the hall,
And fill out the black bowl with blithe to their song,
And let them be merry all harvest time long.
Once ended the harvest, let none be beguiled,
Please such as did help thee, man, woman, and child;
Thus doing with alway such help as they can,
Thou winnest the praise of the laboring man.
Now look up to Godward-let tongue never cease
In thanking of him for his mighty increase;
Accept my good-will-for a proof go and try The better thou thrivest the gladder am I."
Art. II.-THIE CONQUEST OF ILLINOIS
BY VIRGINIA, UNDER THE ARMIS OF COL. GEORGE ROGERS CLARKE.
ThOUGH complete success had attended him thus far, yet how
critical was the situation of Clarke! With a small army, far in the
cnemy's country, the most perilous objects for which he aimed still
before him, the least faltering,' the least disaffection, might have
roblbed him of his victory, and perhaps have overwhelmed him with
ruin! But his sagacity and address never forsook him, and seldom,
if ever, has there been a display of greater.
* In the address as delivered there was a conclusion of several pages in relation to the
Mechanic Arts; but our paper is so long we will not insert it here, nor is it necessary.
We however, referred to the mechanic classes, in something like this: "Of American Mechanics, it would be easy to extend the list, and speak of Fitch, the clock
maker, who first conceived the idea of a steamboat, and experimented in our waters;
of Oliver Evans, the wagon wright, who found out how to adapt steam to land locomotives, and predicted as early as 1802, "The time will come when people will travel
in stages moved by steam engines from one city to another. almost as fast as birds fly,
fifteen or twenty miles an hour. A carriage will set out from Washington in the
morning, the passengers will breakfast at Baltimore, dine at Philadelphia, and sup in
New York, the same day;" of Samuel Slater, the apprentice of Arkwright, and the
father of American cotton manufactures; of David Bushnel, who terrified the British
on the Delaware shore by his "infernal" torpedo; of Whittemore, the contriver of the
oard machine; Perkins the nail machinist; Blanchard and Eckford; or, referring to
those across the water, a mere mention is sufficient, of Sweaton. Ferguson, Cromnpton,
Edwards, Arkwright, Watt, Brindley, Ranmsden, Stanhope, Hohlfield, Boullton, to
Telford, Cartwright, Whitehurst, Bramnah, and a host of others, consecrated to art. It
was asked but a short time ago, by some of our journals, and answered-Who are the
mayors of London, Glasgow, Edinburg, and Perthl-m&hanics; so also were the
mayors of New York, Washington, Savannah, Charleston and Boston.
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