Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1810-09-18

1AA"S'P.So va hrSity anu moral CO I'LL.
ty.
But it will be asked, is this govern
ment the best for every people ? Gil
mate and luxury are consids red invin-
chile barriers 20 the Introduction of DO.
litical liberty into country; but if
truth when properly displayed, be ON.
niPotent, and man be universally the
same, neither climate nor luxury are
obstacles, for allho' he
may be groaning under tbs scourge of
tyranny, he still possesses the same i'm
prescriptible rights with his fellow man,
and is susceptible of all the blessings
of civil liberty.
Can the influence of climate prevent
man from embracing the obvious means
to his happiness Does it deranse the
optical nerve, SO that he can no longer
see IN what that happiness is placed !?
Or does 1t darken every avenue TO the
understanding ? Can it prevent him
from knowing the advantages and bles-
sings OF liberty over despotism? The
voice OF truth will forever answer il.
the negative.
If climate were this powerful agent
in forming the characters of nations,
we might expect TO find cold and heat
producing as extraordinary effects up
on man as upon the inferior animals,
and even, the vegetable creation.
tits supposed, that the neighborhood
of the sun renders men gay, fantastic,
and ingenious but while the Greek
and the Persians have been remarked
for their acuteness and gaiety, the Spa
niards, Chinese, and the Turks, are not
less distinguished by the seriousness
OF their deportm ent--;hough they liv.
ed nearly under the same climate.
1t was the opinion oil the Greeks and
Romans, that the more norlhen nations
were incapable of civilization and i'm
lprovement but the moderns have
found chat the English are not inferior
in literary eminence, to any nation in
the world science is also cultivated
still nearer the poles. Sweden has had
her L II Gus, Denmark her Tycobrake
and even Russia has afforded scentilla-
ticns of spreading science.
Climate I grant in its greatest ex
tremes may have undoubted influence
upon the character of notion. Wit
ness The inhabitants of Africa upon
the one side, and those of Lapland up :
on the other but we are not obliged
to argue from extremes.
1t has been supposed by some specu.
lative politicians, that nations who sub
sist principally upon animal food are
more courageous than those who use
vegetable diet. In confirmation of this
ioPinion they tell us that China was
conquered by the Tartars that the fer
tile plains of Lombardy and the shores
of the Egean sea, were frequently de-
solated by hoydes of wandering Soy
theans, and other northern Barbarians,
who viewed with contempt the cul,iya-
ton of the soil; that The nations of the
German forest exterminated the legi-
ons of Augustus and that at more
late period Attila and his Hun, could
Iby menace, awe the naughty mistress
of the world.
To this it may be answered, that so
long as Rome maintained that spirit,
and energy, to which she owed her
greatness and glory, all the nations Of
the Rhine and Danube trembled at her
power and bowed before her imperial
sway.
Nothing can be more absurd than to
deduce national character from the ad :
ventitious circumstances OF food and
climate. Spain and Portugal were, not
two centuries since, celebrated for their
valor and spirit of adventure. The
discovery of Columbus, the conquest
of Cortez, and Pizarro in the west, and
Hose efVasco Digama, and AIbuquer-
| que IN the east, are sufficient proofs of
ny opinion. What are they now D.
France too, whose mode of diet has so
absurdly excited the sarcasm of nor
thern neighbor, has in our time sub
jected all the surrounding nations with
a rapidly that would justify the con-
else and sublime language of a Caesar,
Veni, Vidi, Vici.
The Dutch proved themselves wor-
thy of descent from the bravest of the
GAu!s, by war of seventy years a.
gainst all the powers of Spain.