Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1815-02-23

sO0ner than 60 10 law Wsla az
lhey did not appear TO hass = i'R.
;nr t. these laws and felt better, 4
su 4 Is say bat little about them sl
\ &C. beson.iag acquainted with tue
.neanIe. j discovered an almost fetal
disregard to these precepts ~ inelr
lives anu conduct; while atthe same lp;
time I lev considered themselves ve-
81 laval aud obeLient to the laws Of
the King. and were ia confident ex-
mediation IL being admitted 70 en-J
isy The happy land, before made
mention 81. i found moreover that
thougI. they appeared full Of good
teppers and OF 4 very sweet dis
position, while at the temple, yet
On getting home they often used
very harsh and quick words. seem M
cd angry at some they said did not
use thea well, and looked wicked.
What i considered wsrst OF all vas,
they did not appear sorry at aliwhen
they had given way to their wrong
te,npers, but thought themselves IN
accent; and when | spoke to them
about it, some coyereait all over, by
saving 10 me, we are all poor sinful
creatures. there is no man that liseth
and sinncth not, and | hepe you do
not expect ns to be perfect: while
others who professcd to live pretty
much without sin, thought they ne,
yer sinned at all unless they did
something very criminal. In short,
the longer iremained will, them the
more fulyI was convinced that they
we're either very ignorant concern
ing the laws aud will Of the King,
or else very aserso to comply With
them, and | feared that the greater
part Of them would never be receis
ed into the promised land, notMith-
standing their confident expectations
In one respect the people at all these
several temples seemed very much
alike, and that Was in this. they all
were very DESTROYS to get to the good
and pleasant land they had heard OF,
and complied with tho laws OF the
king. l believe only ia ossier to be
received there. Hence it was plain
to be seen they had no true love to
the king whatever, Though he was
| worthy Of their highest love, and had
| doae much for them) and ! had ve-
nv serious doabts whether the King
| had any pleasure at all in them. 80
| selfish indeed, were tue greater part
Of these nreIendsrs to goodnesseit iA4hd
whatever they did, was tkcir own
interest and advantage, and same al
them did not soru.isse tell ire they
ueuid not observe the leWs Of the
king at all, were they not to be paid
for it. 10 display their blinsness at
| the same tine, they contended iha,
se|fishness was very proper prinei-
pie to serve the Kieg from, aud that
it would answer as Wellas any.
But what astonisAed me most OF
all, during the time / remained with
these people, was to see some OF
them protesting ohaye great deal
Of love in their hearts to their Eel
low creatures, and furnishing them
selves with weapons, and learning
how to kill them. / could net fer
bear saying to them on seeing this:
how can you possibly love your feI-
low creatures. aad kill them. At
first they hardly knew what to say,
but shortly after began to think it
sail quite consistent. If, said /, you
can love people and kill them, you
may also steal and be honest men
one ! think is just about as consis
tent as the other. But they were
not to be brought off from the cpl
Mon they had taken up, as absurd,
as it was. and as uaableas they we're
to adduee any thing in the support
of it, and still appeared to think it
all right and consistent. Thea | be-
gan to think these persons must have
fallen into The hands Of certain pre-
leadelemissaries, who have an art
10 eAtraetthe eosasnon sense OF peo
pie from them, / have been told this
has been done so eilectuall, in some
places. that the people have believed
a little water and a reddish SORT of