Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1816-06-12
fancy, they have been bred to labor and
DerllOus ntirsuiten

- Pi"SNNs lac WOQiu II
'ather not do a thing at all. than not do Il |
oel. 10 this unconquerable spirit Of per-
severance, It IS that we owe that astonish- |
Ing perfection, to which we have arrived in
most OF the mechanic arts, and in whatever
aappeitains to agriculture, though as to the
last, we have, IN many respects, to contend
against nature ITSELF In everys thing
where horses are the instruments, land
horses are second only to .men] the En-
giish so lar surpass all the rest Of the
world, that there is no room for compari,
SON. The man who has a mind to Eno,o
something Of England, in this respect.
should walk from the Tower of London "a
Charing Cross, a little after day-lieht in
the morning, while the streets are clear of
people. lie would then see the teams of
immense horses, drawing up from the bank
OF the Thames, Goals, timber, stones, and
other heavy materials. One morning last
summer, counted, in various places, more
than hundred of these teams, worth each
81 hens harness, Wagon, lead and all,
little less than l,09Ol. The horses, upon
an average, weigh more than ton. But.
next after for-hant, the finest sight in
England 10 stage coach just ready to start.
A great sheep or cattle fair is a beautiful
sight but in the stage coach YOU see more
OF what man is capable of performing. The
vehicle itself, the harness, all 80 complete
and so neatly arranged; so strong and
clear and good. The beautiful horses i'm.
patient to be off. The inside full, and the
outside covered in every part with men,
women, children, boxes, bags, bundles
The cpachman taking his reins in one hand
and his whip in the other, gives a signal
with his foot, and away go, at the rate of ?
miles an hour, the population and the pro-
perry of Hamlet. One of these coaches
coming in, after long journey, is sight
not less interesting. The horses are now
all sweat and foam, the reek from their
bodies ascending like cloud. The whole
equipage Is covered, perhaps with dust or
dirt. But still, on it comes, as steady as
the hand OF clock. AS proof OF the per-
lection to which this mode of travelling has
been brought, there is one coach which
goes between Exeter and London, the pro-
prietors of which agree to forfeit eight
pence for every minute that the coach ia
behind its time at any of its stages and
this coach, believe, travels miles an
hour, and that, too, upon very billy, and,
At some seasons, very deep road.
There may be persons to say, " these
descriptions may be very amusing to your
readers i'm America, but what use can they
be of to us in England" Why, it is for
you that I principally intend them. r
wish you to see, in these instances of your
energy and your creative industry, speci-
mems OF the reat causes of that national
strength, which you foolshly attribute to
the cleverness of inancier to a sinking
fund; or to any Of the numerous humbugs,
with which you have been SO long anu.
sed.
The population Of a country is no stand.
ard OF its strength, or, at least, the popula-
ton itself is no such standard if it were.
it would be difficult to conceive how ii
happened, that handful of Englishmen
have become the masters of India. and
have been able to tax the people of that
country as completely as we are taxed
here, or very nearly 80. a man is a man,
to he sure but, as Sterne said to the monk,
I" there is some difference in men, my
f;iend." II is very clear, that IL there be
ono man who does, in the same line of bust.
, ess, as much as two other men, and if he
travels twice as far as either of them, he is
better than both Of them to his EMPLOYER,
because he eats no more than one of them,
and requires no more clothes, lodging. &c.
than one of them. And therefore, in est.
mating the strength of England, or any
other country, we must look more at the
character and performances of the. people
than at their numbers. In England, every
thing moves in a quick pace The stir.
ring disposition of the people shortens dis
lance. More is done in the same space of
time than in other countries. The trades.
men in London almost hold conversation
with the tradesmen at York or Exeter.
But the great thing of all is, the limo. |
cent labor which is continually creating
things, which give strength to country
/ do not know, that we excel some other
nations in ingenuity in the useful arts
Workmen are very adroit in America
They build as well, and more neatly than
we do. They work as nimby. But they
do not work so much. They take some lei
sure, which we never do. | must, how
ever, always insist that we derive infinite
advantage from our sports. To these we
owe, almost entirely our second selves, our
horses of speed, and even those we should
not have without our dogs. | is very well
in the way Of joke, to ridicule fox-h1nting
Squires and Parsons but, If the matter be
well considered, we shall find that these
gentlemen are as usefully employed in this
way as they would in any other, BY fol-
lowing this sport, they set an example of
adventurous riding to those beneath them
ands IT there had been no fox hunting in
England, | much question if we should
have seen 5000 yeOmanry cavalry instead
of the hundred thousand, who, at one time,
were actually mounted on their own hor-
ses, in their own uniforms. No matter