The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1780-09-27 00:00:00, page 1

bability of it from their known character, and from
their own claims in other refpeds. 2. The witnesses
who give testimony in favour of it. 3. How the
matter hands in tad, from the molt remarkable and
most recent examples.
I. As to the probability of it, &C. I think it is ad
mi'ted by all others, and hardly denied by them
selves, that the Englilh are proud and fierce, and have
a hatred or contempt of other nations. Their pride
they call dignity, and fay that it arises from the riches
of their country, and the excellence of their consti
tution. With what fclf-com&cencv does the En
glishman speak of the avarice of the Dutchman, the
levity of the Frenchman, the gravity and solem
nity of the Spaniard, the cunning and deceit of the
Italian; and not to go so far from home, of the im
pudence of the Irishman, and the poverty and lousi
ness of the Scot. They will perhaps tell me that this
is no more than national prejudice, and that it is com
mon to all nations. Ido not very well know how it
is in this refpedt in other nations, but supposing it to
be pretty much the fame, all that my argument re
quires is, that the Englilh are not free from it, and
indeed I am firmly of opinion that they have it in as
high perfection as any people under the fun.
Again, when I fay the Englilh are fierce, they
themselves will admit three-fourths of the character,
tying that they are daring and brave. This is their
chref excellence and their perpetual boast. But will
not other nations add, that with refpedto the whole
people, it is more a favagenefe of nature than no
bleness of principle, for that their favourite diversions
of cockfighting, bullbaiting, horferacing, and even
cudgelplaying and prizefighting upon the stage, are
a clear proof of their general temper and disposition.
These savage amusements are now either wholly con
fined to England, or at lead more pradifed there thaib
in any other country in Europe. We need but read
the dissertations of men of reflection and virtue a
mong themselves, who have made many attempts to
banilh these practices, as a reproach to the nation,
and particularly inconsistent with humanity. What
opinion do moderns form of the humanity of the
Roman people, when they hear of their passion for
the (hews of gladiators ? Jpft the fame that I form of
an Englilh mob running with the utmost eagerness to
fee a bull torn in pieces by dogs, or forming a ring
with ineffable fatisfadion to fee two noted bruisers
knocking one anothers eyes out, and Ihouting the
praises of the vi&or, while the vanquished lies before
them vomiting blood. \
But I have also said that the Englilh have a hatred
and contempt of other nations. As to this I confefs
it may seem itrangc that a hatred or contempt of
To the Printer .of the New-Jersey Gazette.
SIR,
IN my letter to you a few weeks agp, I promised
a cool and critical examination of an assertion
frequently to be met with in the pieces pub
lished by Mr. Rivington, in New-York, that
humanity is the charafleriflic of the English na
tion. I imagine they intend this to render the
accounts published of their barbarity to the Ameri
cans incredible. If the Englilh in general are distin
guished for humanity, it is natural to suppose that
ads of cruelty said to be committed by them, are
either falfe or exaggerated, or perhaps rare and single
instances in which individuals have degenerated from
the national virtue. So far I cannot help approving the
wisdom and penetration of these gentlemen, for such
an argument is not only much more plausible in it
felf, but much more powerful in lessening the odium
of base actions, than either attempting to deny
the fads or endeavouring to juftify them by the guilt
or indiscretion of the fufferers. To this may be
added, that as it is for their countrymen at home
that this reasoning is cheifly intended, so upon them
it will certainly have an irresistible effect. How can
they avoid being willing to veil every Rory of this
kind in uncertainty, or bury it in oblivion, upon a
principle which mult be so grateful, because it brings
so much credit to themselves.
These circumstances fufficiently juftify me in at
tempting to bring this assertion to the trial. I have
said I would do it coolly and critically, because it can
not othervrife be done fairly ; and this may surely be
cxpeded from an emigrant from Great-Britain, as I
confefs myfelf to be, who, by impeaching in any par
ticular the national character of the Englilh, cannot
be fuppofcd to be doing great honour to himfelf. We
are told then that humanity is the characterise of the
Englijb nation. If this meansany thing, it carries in
it a tacit comparison, and implies that Englilh people
in general are more tender-hearted, and treat with
greater gentleness enemies who are in their power
than other nations. In this view of the fubjett, I
shall beg leave to examine very briefly, I. The pro-
NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
[Vol. lII.]
WEDNESDAY, September 27, 1780.
foreigners should be a national character of the Eng
lilh, since their ancestors were a heterogeneous mass,
made up of fugitives or freebooters from many other
European nations, Angles, Saxons, Danes and Nor
mans, who in their turns conquered and possessed the
country ; yet it is not more strange than true. There
has never been in any age, as far as history can look
back, a more certain way to raise a popular commo
tion in England, than to cry out against the admission
of foreigners. It was with the utmost difficulty that
the wisdom of some of their Kings could introduce
manufacturers of different kinds into the country.
When King Edward the third brought over some
clothiers from Flanders to England, his clear-headed
fubjeds complained of it as an intolerable oppression,
and said they came to eat the bread out of the
mouths of the natives, whgeas it was to put bread
into the mouths and money into the purses of them
and their posterity. As late as the year 1518, in
Anderson's history of commerce, there is an account
of what he calls a fhameful riot at London, occasioned
by Englifb prejudice against foreigners. I might men
tion more lately the popular cry against the Jew bill,
and other naturalization bills, but instead of giving
many examples of this, I refer the reader to a living
author of their own, Dean Tucker, of Bristol, who,
in his essay on trade, has asserted that a hatred of
foreigners is characteristic of the Englilh, and proved
it not only by an induction of historical fadts, but
of Englilh laws. This author indeed seems to think
that they imbibe it from the foil, and that those
whose fathers were foreigners have it as Itrong as those
whose progenitors have been there for many ages. Now
I only ask this plain question, Are all these things true,
and yet is humanity the characteristic of the Englilh
nation ? Is it reasonable to suppose that a proud and
fierce people, holding all others in contempt or de
testation, will treat them with gentleness and huma
nity, when they fall into their hands as conquered
enemies ?
The 2d fubjed of enquiry is, Who are the witnesses
in favour of this assertion ?Though it is not expressed,
I imagine the assertion itfelf should imply that the
truth of it is generally acquielced in. Humanity,
fay they, is the characteristic of the Englilh nation.
Is not this as much as to fay it is the mark by.which
it is known ? Though foreign nations may deny that
people the possession of other good qualities, their
humanity all must be obliged to confefs. But is this
really the case ? The Englilh have many characters
given of them by other nations, some good, some
bad, but never that of humanity, taking it in a com
parative sense. The Englilh, fay some, are a bold,
active, enterprising people, penetrating in science,
and industrious in arts. If they have the honour of
few original difeoveries, they have carried the dilco
veries of others, particularly in the arts, to as high
perfection in the execution, as any people in the
world.—Again, the Englilh, fay some, are proud,
assuming, fuller and whimfi al. They are conti
nually boasting of the happiniefs of their country,
and yet more people put themselves to death in that
country, from a dilguft at life, than in all the other
countries in Europe put together. It is an observa
tion of foreigners that the very animals of England,
such as cocks and dogs, have' a fiercenefs in their
nature greater than that of the fame species in other
climates. It is also said that there are more humour
ills and persons of an odd, singular and fantaftic
turn of mind in England, than in all the world be
sides. Sometimes you may meet with a man who
will not shave his beard nor pare his nails, nor do
anv thing as other people do. —Sometimes you will
hear of one that has shut himfelf up in a room, or
even confined himfelf to a bed for many years, tho'
in perfect health. It is not yet thirty years since a
gentleman in England left a legacy of £. 100 a year
to a setting dog, which dog, after the testator's
death, made the tour of a great part of the island,
in a cbaife, attended by a livery servant. I myfelf
knew two old maiden ladies in London who kept
four and twenty cats, and spent their whole time
and pains in ordering the affairs of that amicable
focietv.
All these things we hear observed frequently, but
who are the witnesses in favour of Englilh humanity ?
The Englilh themselves verily, and no others: On
which I only make this remark. —Though we Should
give them full credit in point of veracity, and believe
them sincere, it will be but cold comfort to an Ame
rican ; for from what they have been pleased to call
lenity and humanity in their pad conduct towards
us, we shall be apt to conclude that they do not
know the meaning of the terms. I have always
thought that sentiments were a stronger and better
proof of character than particular fads. For ex
ample— No feene of barbarity recorded in history,
THE
ever gave me such an apprehension of the brutality
and ferocity of ancient times, as that hiherians have
agreed in celebrating Sefoftris, King of Egypt, for
his clemency, because he did not put to death those
Princes whom he attacked and conquered, without
provocation. But on what terms did he fuffer them
to live ? He ordered them to bring him an annual
tribute, and on that occasion used to yoke them in
his chariot, and make them, in place of horses, draw
him to the temple. How much worse than death
would this appear at present to a captive Prince?
Agreeably to this reflection, I often lay to myfelf.
Does the Englilh Court and Parliament blame Gene
ral Howe for excessive lenity ? then miserable indeed
must be the case of those who (hall be so unfortunate
as to taste of their severity.
It remains only now, 3d, to confider how the mat
ter stands in fact, and particularly from the mod:
recent examples. On this part of the fubjeCt I Ihall
not lengthen out my discourse, by an enumeration of
acts of cruelty committed by particular persons, but
shall hint at one or two circumstances that seem molt
directly to point out the national character, and then
give a fuccinCt view of what has happened to us in
this unnatural war. The laws in England are more
sanguinary than those of other nations: Theft, tho'
the value ofthe things stolen be very inconsiderable, and
robbing or taking from the purse of the owner th#
lead possible sum, is there puniihed with death, and
indeed so many other crimes, that public executions
are amazingly frequent. Both the cause and effects
of this makes against the humanity of the people.
It can have no other cause but either the multitude
and boldness of criminals, or the bloodymincted
nefs of those who make the laws, or both ; and as
to the effect, it mult certainly make life seem con
temptible to those who fee it to lightly and frequently
taken away. To this let me add, what lam per
suaded will seem quite incredible to those who never
heard of it before, viz. That though Great-Britain
is a commercial date, if a veffil is cast away upon
that coast, and a fmali part of the crew perhaps have
got to the shore, they will run a greater rilk of having
theirgoods plundered and themselves knocked on the
head, than on the coast of any other country of Eu
rope. Nay, in Great-Britain itfelf it is unspeakably
fafer to be cast away in the Orkney Isl s, or the High
lands of Scotland, than in any part of England. In
the firft case, though there are pilferers enough, yet
if you can apply to the Minister or tbe Laird,the one by
reason and the other by authority, will protect you
entirely ; but in the other, neither Miniftcr or Magi
flrate will be able to preserve you from the gentle
hands of the Englilh mobility.
But what shall we ourselves fay, from our own ex
perience. Others may pay little regard to our fuffcr
ings, and still lets to our complaints, but it is pro
bable that our own judgments will be chiefly governed
by our own feelings. A man may boast of his cle
mency as much as he pleases, but if he burns my
house, murders my wife and children, and fends
myfelf to starve and rot in a dungeon, telling me I
am gently treated, because I am defined to the cord,
it will not be easy to induce me to believe him. We,
my countrymen, have fe.cn American pr foners ex
changed, coming from New-York, and Britilh priso
ners coming from Philadelphia. How meagre and
emaciated the one, how hale and hearty looking the
other ? Does it need any other evidence to tell how
they have been reciprocally treated?
It is certainly contrary to the laws of nature and
nations, and the dilates of humanity, to burn and
destroy where there is no fortrefs, and when it has
no tendency to weaken the refilling force or starve a
hostile army ; yet every part of this continent where
the Englilh army has been, is marked with desolation.
They burnt Falmouth, in Cafco-Bay, they burnt
Charleftown, in the neighbourhood of Boston, fair
field, in Connedicut, Kingston, in New-York, Hillf
borough, Springfield, and great part of Elizabeth
town, in this state, many churches and dwellings in
Pennsylvania, and Norfolk, the largest town in Vir
ginia. These, my dear friends and fellow-fuffertrs
in New-Jersey, are the fruits of Englilh clemency ;
and if your own distresses will fuffer you to look back
a little more than thirty years, you will find such a
feene in the Highlands of Scotland, after all resistance
was over, of burning houses and turning out women
and children naked to the mountains, as would melt
the hardest heart. For my own part, I am a native
of that country, which I left in the year 1747, and
since that time, as often as I have been prelent at
the church service, I have always added at the end ot
the litany, the following Secret ejaculation : And from
Englifb humanity to conquered rebels, good Lord de
liver us. l am, &c.
ARISTIDES.
[Numb. 144]