University of Virginia Library

[I. THE ADDRESS]

An address from the Citizens of Fincastle & its vicinity to
Captains Meriwether Lewis & William Clarke—8th of January
1807

Gentlemen: Sentiments of esteem and gratitude induce us to offer
you our sincere congratulations, upon your safe return to the bosom
of your country. During your absence upon a perilous & laborious
service, we have reflected with the deepest solicitude, on the dangers
which you must necessarily encounter. Our anxiety for your safety,
and that of the party under your command, is now happily terminated.
Your prudence, courage and good conduct have afforded us an oppertunety
of yielding, without restraint to those emotions of Joy so natural
to the mind, after having experienced a painful suspence. To those,
who have acted so distinguished & honorable apart on the theatre of
human affairs, future life cannot but afford the most soothing recollections.
In whatever situation it may hereafter please the Supreme Being
to place you, it will be a source of unmixed gratification to remember
that in order to meet the just expectations, which your appointment by
Government had excited, you have navigated bold & unknown rivers,
traversed Mountains, which had never before been impressed with the
footsteps of civilized man, and surmounted every obstacle, which
climate, Nature, or ferocious savages could throw in your way. You
have the further satisfaction to reflect that, you have extended the
knowledge of the Geography of your country; in other respects enriched
Science; and opened to the United States a source of inexhaustable
wealth, no event, which occurred during the expedition, can, in
the smallest degree, impair the force of those solacing reflections. You

have uniformly respected the rights of humanity, actuated by principles
of genuine philanthropy, you have not sprinkled your path with the
blood of unoffending savages. Your fame will be as pure and unsullied,
as of that great man to whom Europe is indebted for a knowledge of
our continent; the extent and importance of which, it has been reserved
for you to disclose to the world.

We concieve it to be a signal proof of the wisdom and attention with
which you have conducted the expedition, that but one man has been
lost to your country. This fact will afford to future travellers the
most salutary instruction. It will teach them, that, discoveries (apparently
the most difficult) may be effected without the effusion of human
blood.

You will, Gentlemen, indulge us in declaring it as our opinion, that
the rewards, which a grateful country may think proper to bestow,
ought not to be apportioned to common merit or services; but that the
recompence to yourselves and to each individual under your command
should be such as, in some measure, to atone for past Perils, difficulties
and Privations.