The Wheeling repository — Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.], 1807-12-10 00:00:00, page 2

and inconsistencies daily run into, and
entertained In* in on. from want of know
ing how to think aright.
Innumerable are the prejudices of
men, particularly of ibose who mix in
the world. A few wholesome rules di
rect the humble cottager, while a thou
sand ill-judged opinions mislead and
distract the man of business and of
pleasure.
11k chief prejudice incident to our si
tuation in the busy world, ‘•prints from
the false appearance of things ; i oni
which we draw hasty and rash conclu
sions, without waiting to cstimat their
true character and worth : tin n< v e
connect ideas that have no real resem
blance to each other; as, pewit', and
ignorance, wealth and happiness.
Another very strong prejudice of the
mind is derived i. an what is called a
first impression, v. liich carries us away,
as it were by force, < tit of the reach of
•judgment: hence we frequently give to
a knave of winning address, what we
wot.hi deny to an h nest man of coarser
manner : hence too, bt cause we admire
tlv works of an eminent painter, we arc
no wi'eng to all-ov that he has any de
tect'. 'I nns w ■ judge, not from the
things themselves, hut l.y reference to
tl
of th- characti r, manners or talents cl
the author. This sp-ei sof prejudice
is the most unfair of any, as it never
permits us to dhrimuiish, or to apjn eci
pr< rlv, th virtues, vice merits
or imp rfee*ions of our tu ighhours, but
cither c .ves to > little oi too much. i
Aii t tpi 11 v stro g pr , .die,:, ami of a
Via v. :‘.h tlu: two lornuT, is that v. hi h
proc tis from a ra uni association <•'.
id. as, conn<Tii 1 so stro:: .) b\ \h inru
gifiiai >n, ili.tt reason has Irvqr. nt1v no
pov/ti to s' p.irrit ■ th tn. H • \* \ ■> in
people, who lr vc l. -t n t< tit. ! 1 v tit
idea of ;•• •> u itions at nig’i t, air m v ••
h .
a) pari lions : th . r/ r also pi ocv. e-h- th'
vu’gur m ivui'c ■ ol avoiding a portku
I i nam ten infant, 1
ra * oit <> < .Ur (| laid 1 1 • n parti' n
lail fort . Thes id
. d ■ re mere
fol’ic* i ’ out
jud merit b ,ou: . n ct.
' t pi ju lice is, th..
'lie'll l’ .111/ 1 1
os i. v,: :•
>11! 1.
and »r. i ■ c ecu
much p-.and’ .s
covqr the real form and complexion of
things, bv viewing them on all sides, this
spe i-.-s of prejudice is certainly most
excusable.
Among the most extraordinary so
phists of the former class s, w as mv
friend Peter Bias. Mr. Bias had re
ceived the advantages ol a tolerably
; »od education ; had served an appren
ticeship to trade, and was become a
master silverplate engraver, and a livery
man of tin Goldsmiths’ company ; he
smoked his pipe constantly in the even
ing at the Horse and Dolphin, and was
reckoned a verv sensible man in the
<. i')-room. Ii was, however, remarked
m tin- character ot ini' mend mas, that
.. ver in. t , it was
as much engraven on his miml as an ar
morial hearing on the side ol ;t caudle
cup, i:\< cited by hi. own graver. To
the impression which my friend re
ceived from a flogging at school for
stealing codlins, was attrilmted his last
ing until athy to apple-pie ; a..cl t > a long
fit of illness at eighteen, was ascribed
his inflexible distaste to water-gruel,—
Having once been cheated by a Jew, he
denounced vengeance against the whole
twelve tribes, and would, like Ilerod,
have exterminated the whole ra e of
Is a< litish bah -s ; nor could any thing
persuade him to ride again in Th >
ma ’s Kcntishtown stage, because he had
one- be n overturned in ir. Yet Peter
Bias was a benevolent man; that is
when pr judic ■ s< t him at work , and
when once established in his favour, it
\v's no easy nv ‘ r lor one to he turn
( 1 r, it. Hy fri nd Peter had .1 lit
td dir*v b og an apprcntice, whom he
1 d Bobby. ai'd oi whose talents and
hon sti 1 • had form; d his own opinion.
It ri. it is, that 13obl>\ was verv clever
• ho in ihots , and as certain that he
Ci.it 1.louche a mown pi ce to his mas
t r, which lie h id found car slv i-ft
by him on the shop-board. Ihese cir
i m; t.mci v -t . lish d Bobby’s r pnat
ion.
rov a rtr- at manv years mv poor f; lend
J! t r v, is liara .it <i an 1 torm t • ■<! i>\
■ tricks th.it I>.) h,\ play -l hun : ids
S;M . XV . ’C P t'.-i' , ills cl-'hcs ’vorn
out ! iri th \ were l ft oh', mi his
■ h j . i i cl j vet i< • •; tl
•nuli 4K- don 1 y it" \ : !' >’idy v. .. ;
s.'.li a ,'•*•»<! la i: a • Hi i p ;»• < i sho. s.
rind a r .< .1 o! mc- cr >.v pit *• ■, set
-\ ; ii<;r tu ri v‘ii-. !t va> m vain
<• ni iir vc-niuf; (i '<> prr> uruT I aV*v
i »nyn h«- still kvplhib place ; till one
fatal day that ftty friend Peter, being in
his sound morning’s nap, dreamt that
he J’i It some person withdrawing certain
articles of dress, in which it is usual to
keep loose cash, from under his pillow;
win n, being awakened bv the reality of
tiie vision, he turned round, and to his
utter astonishment, graspi l the rough
black head of hair of his favourite liob
b\, who was imtm ii itely discharged ;
and my fricii 1 P* > r, <o preserve nis
characn r lor consisti ury, would nev r
aft> 1 wards do a service to any on • who
was unlucky enough to be named Ro
bert.
N imcrous are the little anecdotes that
I co lid relate of m\ friend : among he
re-t. It oh' that nothing cou: 1 persuade
him t ) s *ek a legal remedy, because his
cousin the Counsellor had told him ne
\ er to go to law ; under the operation of
will. ■ r .Ivion he permitted himself
to b oust 1 out of a very handsome
estate :—bow that one dav, being intro
du d to a verv wealthy man, who had
m bef >r< 'in his.recollection}
been bankrupt, and paid twenty sliil
lin. . .nth- pound, he asked him very
eari stlv, Whether he had got his certifi
cate '—and how, another day, happen
ing t > be in company with a gentleman
whom he had once remembered ill of a
cold, and his hearing a little affected,
nothing could restrain him from bawling
out every now and then, 7vhut a pity it
ii he's so deaf! In short, my friend
P. i r’s prejudices remained with him
t tm last moment of his life ; for, tho*
P> > j- v was i binned, and become tire*
rr.'i: 1; bly sober, industrious voting maiij
nothing otdd jiei; mule him to leave
him a sixpence • and he gave positive ui
i .. that no •, rson of the name of
lies rt should assist at his burial.
U K P (3 i\ l'
, . asiiry oj the
i S' , communicated to Congress^
Nov. (>, 1807.
In o’.• cli :iiv to t!>' fir ctions of tlic
a. t itu ntarv to the act intituled
u A i a t t » i iMish the Treasury I)-*
riiiicnt,” tli S cr taw ol the I rcasur
tr' v s i .nits the lullowing
J. . tin ...1.1 1 tinritc .
/’’ nut: .. ■./ A*-cri/itv.
i i” i -t? . "’c ii"- int; irom duties
on , i ■. u ;■ and tonnage which
. n.t'i d u iu^ ihc year 1 • ).5,amfHin
ted lo Sld,l^j)d5d
And mat v. him u>. 1 Jur