The Mirrour — Concord, N.H., 1794-04-28 00:00:00, page 1

IN one of my late numbers, I made
some remark! on the following
sentiment, viz. If a man has a right
to be proud of any thing, it is of a good
action done as it ought to be, without
an, bje interest lurking at the bottom
of it.
My readera, it improbable, are be
forehand of me in making the obfer-
Vation, That I have not done justice
to my subject ; that there it still
room to expatiate ; to add more, and
better remarks, inference!, and mon
itory hints, tor the gratification of the
mind, and the improvement of the
morals. It is indeed a fruitful theme:
And, as a text of scripture in the
hands of some Divines, is a fufficient
foundation, upon which to raise a
number of dodrines and discourses ;
so this fenteoce, under the manage
ment of a fertile imagination, might
serve as the seminal principle, of sev
eral diftrid essays.
But though it is not within the
stock of my information, nor within
tire compass of my abilities, to give
that copiousness, elevation, and those
recommendations, to the fubjeft,
which it richly deserves, yet I have
assumed resolution to make another
attempt.
It is more natural for imperfea and
depraved beings to descry difficulties
—thia excellencies. It is easier for in
tompetent criticks to point Out blem
ishes than beauties. And, consider
ing the corrupt state of the world, "it
is more on a level with my abilities
to produce a crowd of those adions,
which are not good, or not done as the,
ought to fc,than reach the elevation of
those virtues, w hich have no base inter
est larking at the bottom of them, or
to find piany charafters, which, like
crowns of gold studded with dia
monds, are composed of such vir
tues
If we examine, with impartiality,
the great names of antiquity, we shall
find them finking from their zenith
when measured by this standard, and
very few of their boasted actions done
as the, ought to be, and uncontami
nated by some base interest. What
have been the celebrated atcheive
ments of much the greatest number
of the princes and emperors, of the
heroes and conquerors of the world ?
Who ever deferred to be stigmatized
and execrated, for the baseness of
their views and motives, more than
they ? Where, indeed, are those ac
tions, which may be called geod, and
which were performed with an upright
and benevolent intention ? Some of
the philosophers, it is true, claim a
veneration for their noble sentiments
and excellent virtues. But in both
the one and the other we can discov
er such defeat, as shew that the au
thors must be ranked among human
beings, and that their existence was in
an age both dark and corrupt.
In searching the records of antiqui
ty for good aaions done as the, ought
to be, without an, base inter fl lurking
at the bottom,)^ we are constrained
to set slide the exploits of heroes and
conquerors, as adding rather to the
misery than the happiness of mankind,
and disgracing instead if dignifying
From Thomas's Mtfacbufrm SPr,
[Vol. ll.— Num. 79.]
GONcoRb.
the NEIGHBOUR.
Miscellany.
©Be ®ffottt:
the human character, we pay refpeft
to those friends of truth and of man,
who, by their faith, their fortitude and
benevolence, wrought righreoufnefs,
diffufed happiness, obtained a good
report, and of whom the world was
not worthy. If we bring down our
inquiries to modern times, we shall
not be able to find many instances of
disinterested benevolence, or heroick
virtue. Those which reward our
search, are principally among the in
defatigable asserters of the liberties
and rights of man: For I 'eave at
present, the ufcful labours and ex
emplary lives of that necessary order
of men, the clergy, to be celebrated
by other pens. But what ffiall we
fay of the claims of monarchs ? Os
the combinations of crowned heads,
to crush republicanism, to support
despotism, and to fubjugare the ma
ny to the will of the few? What
shall we fay of the equipment of
fleets; of the marching of armies ;
of waisting millions of property ; of
shedding rivers of blood ; of multi
plying daily the numbers of the fath
erlefs and widows ; and of continu
ally adding frefh miseries to the
wretched ; and all, for establishing
their own fplendour and power, at
the expeofe, deprrffioo, and misery
of all the rest of the world, „ho are
by nature as good, as wife, as noble,
and as deferring as themselves ? Are
these idiom good? Are they done as
they ought to be ? Is there no base in
terest lurking at the bottom of them ?
With refped co the reformation of
government ; the renovation of so
ciety ; the restoration of men to their
indefenfible rights ; the emancipation
of rational creatures from finery ;
the elevation of the human mind and
character of their proper dignity ;
and the attuning of the feelings to
benevolence and happiness ; these
are confeffedly good actions. But
have the means adopted, and the
measures pursued by a conspicuous
nation, been such as they ought to be?
Has not some baje interest, or passion,
lurked at the bottom of the sanguinary
proceedings, the mafficrefs, the hor
rible executions,which in a short time,
have swept off such numbers of their
highest, not to fay their best charac
ters ? _
But let us turn our eyes from the
fit kening profpeft, and relieve our
minds with a view of domeftick and
facial virtue, of domeftick and social
happiness.
" When vice prevails, and impious men bear
sway,
The post of honour is a private station."
And the foil for the largest increase
of the richest virtues and the sweetest
enjoyments, according to the present
state of mankind, is the breast of the
private citizen,& the circle of families
and neighbourhoods. , Here, Spe
cially, may we hope to find those ac
tions which are good, ufeful and com
mendable ; done as they ought to be;
in a manner inviting, beautiful sod
exemplary ; without any base interest
lurking at the bottom ; but all with
a view to do good and promote hap
piness.
Froratke REPUBLICAN JOURNAL.
Mr. Douglas,
IT has long been fu'ppofed, that the
devil is in hogs.-— Living in a
neighbourhood with some who kept
MONDAY, April 28, 1794.
BY Ei RUSSELL.
plenty of those animals, and having a
little home-stead myfelf, I believe I
can furuifh a few instances to confirm
that old opinion.
No. I. I always keep a tight fence,
procuring good posts with thick holes,
and wide, straight rails. And every
da, or two, when my crops require it,
I fpead an hour in going round to sur
vey my fences and mend any fufpi
cimn p'aces. And this cost and pains
I am ax merely to guard against my
neighbour*' hogs; for I keep my
own either in my lot or pen, always
persuaded chat a hog tuns away as
much or more than he can get inthe
street.—Yet notwithstanding all mv
precautions, I frequently find my
neigbours' hogs in my lot-—Last
spring they rooted up a part of my
corn twice over. ' And this fall I have
loft a good deal of corn, and apples
enough for 10 or 12 barrels of cider ;
and by the way I have but a little
orchard.—Since I have lived on my
present place, I prelume my neigh
bours have taken 20 dollars for pork
which has been made of my property,
though they suppose it was all ob
tained in the ftreeti.— But considering
my excellent fence, I must confefs it
looks as if the Old Nick gave the hogs
a pair of wings, or rife changed them
into a mid or into crickets to help
them in. You will observe, howev
er, that they were generally Jhotes and
pigs, and I never saw any yokes on
them. If the devil is not an acctffa
ry, I am persuaded their getting in
must be imputed to their size ard hap
py shape tor flipping through fences,
and to their peculiar hanker after good
picking.,
No. 11. At the fame time, that my
neighbours' hogs were found io my
lot, as above related,- my own were
never found in the streets..——How
strange that one and the fame fence
should keep in and not keep out!
A rule, with which the devil has no
concern, i. e. a good rule will work
boti ways. . The devil, then must cer
tainly have a hand in causing my fence
to be so bad a rule in the case of hogs.
And the deviltry of this will the more
strikingly appear when we confider how
good picking the streets afford to hogs
as universally represented by their
wife & experienced owners.=-If hogs
will do even as well in the ftteets as
in the lot, certainly it should be ex
peded, that they would remain equal
ly easy on both sides of the fence.—
And if they will do better it is abfo<
lutely unaccountable short of deviltry,
why they should not rather get out of
the lot into the street, than out of the
street into the lot. To counteract
their own good so egregiously, proves
beyond all doubt, that they are hurri
ed by the evil one.
No. 111. I have observed my
neighbours highly pleased when Their
hogs come home with full bellies.
Glad of being rid of the trouble and
cost of feeding them and unwilling
to think they have'been in mifchief,
they imbibe a high opinion of the
streets and doubly fortify themselves
against the next town meeting to cp
pofe the confining of hogs. Now a
man with hat an eye may certainly
know, that the streets cannot make
hogs look half so well. But as we
poor folks are accustomed to submit
to out rich neighbopri' opinions, we
must ever, suppose, that their hogs
fill their bellies in their ftreett b And
if so, then the devil must certainly
have 3 hand in it.— Corn or fome~
thing ^lfe must be conveyed to them
in a hidden, mysterious way.
I had some other inftaace to offer,
but thete three arrive principal ; and
if people will not relieve these to be
fufficient to prove that the devil is in
hogs I must confefs, I shall delpair
of convincing them. I know there
are ways to obviate these fads and
account for them ffiort of familiar
spirits. . But every man who w shes
not to displease his neighbours must
be careful how he phitofophies upon
these things Better believe ten thou
sand such things than attempt difcov+
cries which will tend to make your
rich hog keeping neighbours mad.
From the Columbian Centlnel.
MESSMATES,
TACK BOWLING, who is a good
J fellow, and ever on the watch, told
us this morning, there was the devil
to pay on board the State Ship. He
gave three stamps, and ordered every
man on deck, as he law a gale coming
on, Each man threw on hit, ftoimy
weather jacket and jumped for waVH in
a jiffy, He gave hit directions with
coolness, but bid us mind the pumps,
a, we were in danger of the breakers :
After sprinkling a few tears on the
death of the old Captain, he told us
they meant to put another Captain
over the head of the Lieutenant. He
laid it was hard and cruel that so good
a seaman, who had weathered the
Borm io the worst of times, should
now be disgraced, to make room for
another, who had, (to fay the least)
orrty been a freth water sailor. He
said he had failed with Lieut. Adamfy
and always found him a failor'# firm
friend, and that he was well acquaint
ed with all the shoals and rocks on the
most boisterous coasts. That he had
often fought the ship against twice hit
force, and hulled the Royal George in
an engagement in Congress Bay.—
That for his part, he would rather go
to sea with this veteran experienced
seaman, than with any man in the ser
vice, as he ever carried a broom at
mast head to clear the coast of ene &
mies.— That John Bull was more a,
fraid of S. A. than any officer in the
navy, as he was coofidered by him at
the Fa# Trump of Ampica. In an en
gagement, he was always foremofton
deck, and did not sneak io the cabin
like some Chip's cousins, who are now
b;uftering to unfhip him. His ene
mies, however, are no more force, he
said, to stop his promotion, than so
many pinquta on the banks of New
foundland to stop the fhip's way.—•
He concluded by reminding us to be
early on Monday morning on board
the ship Foneuil, to give this worthy
seaman a lift to the Captaincy.
We gave him three cheers, and tolil
him we would obey his orders.
JACK MIZEN,
AND HIS OLD ASSOCIATES,
TO BE SOLD,
By the Subscriber, in Concord;
about one hundred
Salted dry Hides,
if application be made immediately to
NATHANIEL LADD.
Concord, Feb. 37th, 1794, 7
Price 7s. per ann.)
A MECHANIC.
NEWHAM.