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Memoir 1, Page 67, The 4th of July

"A day whose light circulates joy through the hearts of all true Americans, and terror through the hearts of all tyrants."

This is a quote from a speech by Reverend Jonathan Maxcy (1768-1820) given in Providence, Rhode Island on July 4, 1795. Reverend Maxcy was a Baptist preacher who wrote Discourse Designed to Explain the Doctrine of Atonement, one of the foundational works of the Second Great Awakening. He also served as the president of a variety of universities, including Brown University. In this quote, Woods has replaced the original word “Republicans” with the word “Americans.” A complete version of this speech can be found in the book An Oration, delivered in the Baptist Meeting-House in Providence, July 4, 1795, at the Celebration of the Nineteenth Anniversary of American Independence.