The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-12-30


work his passage TO Virginia serve till the
term of his iRdentures expired; become his
o4un MAJ; grow rich; of Course, grow
proud; leave his pempered offspring
princeiy fortunes; &c die in his own opinion
very great man: But the topmost ronrd, in
the ladder Of family ambition, was no, even
then reached; the son of this. prudcnt-sre
nust be- a cosacilior--a kings councillor -
ne is dubbed such and he and his family
have reached che acme of colonial distincti-
OH.
&c The decayed gentry of England, and the
upstart aiissocrats of Virginia, thus formed
u sort of Heterogeneous class, into which
were admitted, from time to time, the o.
pulent and we'll bred sons of fortunate trades-
men and mechanics.
:. But this aristocracy, so obscure ia its
origin, and so impcrtat III ity effects, would
have had no subjects upon which TO exer-
else their tyranny, and CRAFTY their lust OF
power, had it not been FOR the introduction
OF slaves from Africa.
:" These occupied the place Of race 'of
men ,unkuown in Virginia. but well known
ia all the civilized countries of the oil go,lA.
In France, they are called CahaiNc, in Eng
land, O. he swinish multitude" These arg
the men who In other countries, are 81 dan
gerous IN riots, MODS, and insu,I ections,
and this perhaps is a second benefit arising
from tho possession Of slaves: Virginia has
Iever di.sraced herself bv these tu,nul,s,
even during the worst times of the rssoiurl-
on, nor since, within the authors distinct
| recolicstion, vixen party spirit rose aits,os,
to phrenzy. in '98 aid '99.
:" The first class, already mentioned,
consisted OF Lie upstars aris, ocr.cy of the
colony, the caSeti gi:Etry, a,d sometimes
the younger sons OF the nobility or Britain
and Ireland: They initiated the manners of
the higher orders of Earope. They had re-
ceived good eaUCatiors themselves AL they
gave them To their SONS at Oxford o,. Cam
bridge, OF at William and Mary College.
Ihey Affected a superiority to the honest,
blunt, plain, S;rginian: in many particu
lars an Imaginary, in many, Il real superi.
Gritty existed; the latter was the case in
learning, and a taste for the fine arts
courtesy and polish OF ma,iners bat above
all. IN that watch is III unerrins ties. OF CT
Vhization and liberal attainmemts--a &c
rcmunous, ,iaoituai and statli,uS regard,
to the feelings, the wants, the wishes, the
whins, Of the other SEX
But the population of the colony did -lnt
consist alone I'll upstart aristocrats and their
mis2rably CENTRALIZED slaves. There was an
other, and t,ie only remaining class, which
L have jusc distinguished as the honcsy,
blunt, plain Virsini&n. The human charac
dom And folly. For these aspired 20 surpass
| their supcriors In nothing but a love of fiber.
ty, and Jealousy Of their free dom to equal
! them IN nothing 6u, nride and Independence
OF spirit to rial them in nothing but cru
city to their slaves Bat their vices were
the vices OF the times, and their virtues were
all their own aud their Character and con.
dition, upon the whole, was Il nIost respec.
table and eligible one. Possessed uf plain
English education; by which we under.
stand hrs having been taught 10 read and
write sis mother tongue, and the first Drac-
| hcai elements Of arithmetic mis- literary
enjoynents wcie generally bounded lay the
sacred Writings, and the almanac. All he
ate and drank, with the exception of tea,
cotfee, and sugar, were tie produce of his
own farm; his wheat bread, and his corn
bread, his beef and his bacon; his apple
brandy and his peach brandy, were ali rails
ed for him, ARD served up to him, by the
sweat OF the poor 5iac ka noor's brow.
But there is one remarkable lra.t ~ the
character OF the Vngnians IF tlis dcsciip
ton, dltfeieht, il is believed, from anv tt be
found IN the Character of the same class ia
any other Country Among this class in So
cIsty, as bt fore observed, particular trades
and occupations are. generally speaking.
hereditary, III different families and the
destiny of a farmers or mechanics son. is
decided foi hiir, and his lot is cast, by the
, time he can lisp the srst eienents o. his;
mother tongue.
say generally speaking. for III almost
every Country there are a thousand acci-
dents which may raise the child OF the
Weanest Parehtaec to- the most exalted sta.
ton we're IT otherwise, the effect would be
the same that it is in the Last Indies, where
1t mas been The custom, from time immemo
rial. for the children to follow the occupa-
tions of their fathers.
Thsre is less Of this IN Virginia than
any where else: In conformity with that as
plrinS temper, that adventurous disposition,
that spirit OF enterprise, approaching al
most 10 romantic and chivalrous o;;trava-
Sancc, which marked the original settle
lneiit 1t the coioHy, and OF which the Cele-
Draied Captain Smith may be considered
the very pcrsonihcation there is almost al
| ways among them Il iaudaOlc pride - hich
prompts them 10 give their children, where
mere IS any promise of Eenins, and in :.
-!iou5.lhd in.tances where thers is nonr, such
an educ ttion as will qualify him, bv eup
ging IN some ct the learned professionals, TO
rise to opHeucc, and ;lus secure his Qnly
passport, into the higher circles of society ::
Tor though. as has been said, these men az
| iecttd - Gcsp'se the pomp and spendor in
which tac opilrnt, well bred circles moved.
yet mes Hcver lost an Opportunity, where
one offered, Of entering into its circnnftr
ence - ne POSSESSION of slaves, even by the
ve,y lowest orders Of wii,e rnen in virginia,
dm1ng tde AulJiplied enormi,ies 10 wnicn il
; has siyen birth, has been productive OF this
beneficial temper Of mind; it excmpts
u s-g. =. T.