Jenks' Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1803-1805, 1803-12-31
70 rnK fDIroa OF rar rokrLAeO- oAzErrr.


wrote and faid by Jefferlon's intldel COM
panion, in favor of the prefent time being
emphaticaIly the age q realm, in which
idea mot II the rebabLicauJ st7 icem to, con-
cur; aud that the people are led more by
deductions from naturai9obje6s, than Faith
in divine teitimony-yet, from ionne i'm
preflive circumstances, Ecan hardly help
concluding that we are rather entering, up
ON an age of cbildifR ereduAy, and that our
great pbilsjopJical Prsfdent is governed
more BY that weakness which the abience
Of knowledge makes virtue in childrens
titan by fenfe or reafon. It has been re.
marked by fome pretty cofreet obfervers
on the characters of thcle who labor more
to get the reputation Of philosophers, chan,
to underltand nature and natures God
| Gas he is revealed TO US in the bible) that in
proportions as they ihake eff their faith in
revelation, they plunge themlelves into
obfcurities, and are more eaGly impoled
upon by the tales Of wanderers for cOon-
dsrs," than any other people in the world.
t--L ord Herbert, the father Of the infidet
tribe in England, and Volney, of France,
with many others that might be named,
are examples to prove the obfervation J;
for thele are more credulous than children.
tho they boat Of their .reafon, and glory
in their inhdelity. Whether Jeferfon is
not alto an example ofthe fame clafs, will
hardly be doubted, when his childilh pro-
Ijeas, and ltrong faith, yielded to the tale
of every guondsr naonse," are attended to.
Upon what other hypothesis can his late
communication TO cengrels be accounted
for According TO the common received
opinions and feelings Of mankind, in lonle
proportion as events and Placements dis
verge 'front.' the ufuaf courfe of the objects,
our experience and knowledge of 70 much
the more evidence is required to gain Gre
dis with prudent men. But hear the great
philosopher from the chair Of. fate.
There exits about 900 miles up the Milf
6 fouri, rafalt mountain The exiftence of
: fuch mountain might we'll be quetion-
{ ed, were it not for the teftimony Of few
eral respectable and enterpriiing traders,
who have vifted it, and who have ez-
hbited feveral bu(hels of the falt to the
{ curiolity of the people of St. Louis, where
: fome of it fill remains This mountain
+ is laid to be $50 miles long, and IS in
+ width, competed Of fold rock lalt, with
out any trees, or even ihrubs on It.
This wonderful ob;va, the exiltence Of
(which the philosopher acknowledges to be
Flo mutual, compared to the ordinary
knowledge of the people, that it may well
be quellloned, is defcribed infinitely and
with great precifon; not in the cautious
tmode made uie of by fome OF his fubtle
heads of.departments, when to conceal
their want Of Judgment imam Ultimate, they
i Eayit may be-, mare or lsG. Here this
uncommon lump of falt is exactly $50
miles long, and As broad; it is perfectly
bald, not a tree or even a fhrub grows on
liz. II being lamp Of foIid rock fat, it is
nothing arange that trees or tlrubs do
. not grow on it. This ieems to be~a con-
i cluiion 70 natural, that it was not necece(-
+, fairy to have been added to the account ;
g for if trees had grown in this )oEd lump q
y rock jalt it would have been more ifrange
E fill ); for tho we have heard, from the
!. fame iource, that the foil OF Kentucky is
Of fuch quality and 70 rich, that pigs
:. tail being fuck into the ground, It will
: take root and foon yield pigs in abund-
ance, and from the multitude CT hogs in
E that country, webegin to credit the fact
: yet we have never heard, even from any
. traveller who has zyandered into that or a.
: ny other country after aOondsrs, that tree.
4 or Gpubs ever grew out of lolid rock /alt.o
= Our great philosopher intimates, to the
:, collection of fophinores,to whom he fen,