The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-12-22
FOR THE ENQUIRER.
Che X ainhntu. Series I'd.
NUMBER VI.
o N l. U X U K Y.

tteadiet principles IN the human breait. The
favage is driven TO action only by hunger fear,
by revenge or love. The pleafure of repofe, or
rather an aver6on to lahour, is dead weight,
4 tort of gravitating power, which impels him
to the earth, from which he is routed foley by
the fpring of his wants ard his pafiions: when
theie are fatished, he finks back to s torpor and
dozes away an half-animated exiftence till new
paiiions and new wants route him again to ac-
ton.
1t fortunately happens that this propeniity
i counteraSted by one that is fcarcey lcfs pow
erful and univerfal. Man is trongIy impelled
to H9;o1 rs well as to re9. He finds by expe-
rience, that exercife, both of body and mind, is
neceGary for the well-being of both and that
fla life of labour is life of pain, life of unin-
terrupted repofe begets in the mind, weariaefs
and diiguf and, in the body, weakness and
difeafe. Theft oppoGte principles of labosr and
ref, bear fome refembance to the centripetal &
centrifugal force in the phyhcal world and as
man pays them an alternate and due obediencs,
is he kept in the true path of moral happinefs
for the pleaiure ofreft muft be gained by previ-
Gus fatigue, and a certain degree of leifure is
nccefiary to enjoyment.
1t is the province OF luxury ut one and the
fare time to keep alive this activity, and to gra-
tify this love of cafe. The natural averGon to
labonr begcts prosreiIive courle ofinventiou,
by the aid of which, a few hours of induftry are
iuffcicnt TO gratifyth animal wants Of the four
and twenty. The interval that remains NUT
be filled up with employment, without which
man would fpend his leifure in the dead and
painful torpor of idlenefs. This employment is
turniihed by luxury. II is luxury, or the love
OF enjoyment, which puts in motion every
wheel of civilized fociety. BY its benignant
power the fa-n;cr is ffimulated - better fyftems
of hIibandry /; the merchant exchanges for
profit; the lawyer and phyfcian ftrive to OBJ
tain fees; and, in fhort, every individual of the
community is goaded into life and activity.
Without its ialutary influence, it is clear that
nlpch OF the time which is now ipent in dill
eence ard exertion, in pain, fatigue and felf-
denial, would be doZed away in ina6ton, no lefs
favorable 10 dfeaie, than to wearinefs & diisun.
But whi'e inlit upon the advantage Of luxu-
ry in producing activity, do not mean to fay
that it is infeparahle from evil. Like every
thing humsn, the bad is blended with the good.
1t is certain that an UNMARRIED courfe of cafe and
enjSy'nent but poorly prepare us for thofc tri
ais. with which the paths of life are unhappiy
TOO mucf thronged. No human vigilance can
present the location of our mourning the death
offome dear and valued friend or repininc at
"a; faiiuIe of our foudelt fchcmes, or writing
on the. bed OF icknefS. 1t is then that the vir-
tue of pi,tiesce and fortitude become necehary
TO cur we fare /; but we are the more incapable
)I(CSplS, CDpO-
etc vice dffcdu6ton, TO which we have li.tencd.
rye hould then. if we would guard againft the
WORT that can befsl us or rather againit the bef
THAT man can ever expect to experience, mare
pnrielves by habit, to temperance and felf-deni-
al TO pain, libour and fatigue. When indu!-
Ecnce is remittcd By intervals of labour, then
te neceiiary virtues of patience and forbearancc
may be cultivated without diminihing enjoy
sent md we s=ay be better prepared TO meet
either the frowts or the frniles of fortune. In
the one cafe, aCiverfity would be better borne by
the effect Of habit, and in the other, PROPERTY
would be enjoyed with keener relilh. from the
previous accumulation OF defre. Thus it ap-
pears, that luxury, when regulated by prudence,
is by no means unfavorable to individual happi-
nefs.
When, by the defpotifm of law or cunom,
one man can wreit from another the fruits of
hisingenuty or indufry, then indeed is luxury
IniIuica norm In naIinnai 2ni To individual h2;,
pineis. The temper is hardened the focal
fympathies, 70 productive of Happiness to the
pohe1or and others, are impaired and deftroy-
ed and the whole heart becomes felfih, cow
ardly and yindictivc. Bat in 4 country like
this, which is truly free, this evil can never ex-
Mt. If an individual, whole fortunes or exerti-
ons have been fucceisful, Choofc TO employ his
wealth foley in fenfual qualifications, and be
consequently enervated by their debilitatng in
huence, he cannot perpetuate to his pofterity
the fame means of enjoyment. If his opulcnce
outhve his extravaganza, fooner or later his de-
pendants muft either recur to the aid which in
duttry alone affords, or feel the mott powerful
OF all impulies, the want of daily bread. Thus
the centuries that have been heaped on luxury
forthoufands Years by every empty declairn-
er on morals and politics, apply only TO the fen
inal few who form but FINAL part of the COM
Inunity. Thefe have faid that communities are
enervated by habits of luxury that the moi
natural and the fpreft bates OF free governments,
virtue and fimplicity, would be tapped by free
indulgence in fenfual qualifications that by
thefc, nation wonld be both infenible to the
blelhngs of liberty, and incapable of defending
it-and thus would fall an eafy prey to a DOOR
er and more hardy neighbour If this were the
cafe, mott willingly would prefer the bleak S,
barren poverty of favage life, TO the fpl-ndid
fetters OF ia9ery and refinement. But fiirely no
fair Inference can be drawn from the examples
of Antioch or Capua, unlefs we knew from
what fource they derived their revenues. be-
lieye it is 4 well eaablifhed maxim in political
economy, that nation which fl1biifs on the
productions Of it's foil and indufry, can maintain
but fmali portion Of its inhabitants in idienefs
aud luxury, and the defendants of thefe few
InBt poiiefs either the bardhood that indufry
gives, if they continue rich, or that which DO
verify gives, Il they become poor. Certainly
theft deprecated effects cannot flow from irdui-
genct, ~1en that indulgence is purchafed foley