Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-07-03

ton from better state OF human society
To a savage state, how would the learned
historian have accounted for the introduce
ton OF The savage state al all.
The bent of human nature may be ira
ced on the chart OF our own country, The
manufacturer readily exchanges The loom
for the plough, III opposition often 10 his
own interest, as we'll as TO that OF his coun-
try. The culti,ator, III situations pre-
sen,ng an option, prefers 10 the labors of
The field, tie more easy employ ment OF
rearing Il herd. And Is the game Of toe
forest Is approached, the hunting lie dis
plays Tire force of lis attractions. Where
do we behold march IN The opposite di-
rection The hunter, becoming the herds
man the latter follower of The plough;
and tie last repairing 10 the manuiaclory
or tue workshop.
Such, indeed, is Tie fascination Of that
personal Independence wkich belongs 10
lie nncivlllzed state, and such the dis
relish and contempt oi the monotonous
labor Of iilagc, compared with ihe ex-
citing occupations OF the chase, or with
the Incidence enjoyed by those who sub
sisi chiefly OH the mere bonnties OF ua-
ture, or on their migratory focks, that
voluntary REIMBURSEMENT of these latter
modes OF life, Is little 10 he expected. We
certainty perceive nothing IN the charac-
ter OF our savage neigkbOrs, from which,
1t could be inferred that even the germs
OF agriculture, observed in their spots of
maizr, and few other cultivated planis.
would ever be developed into The extent
implied by an agricultural life. To that
little resource com. med will, the game
furnished by the forest and By The lake or
the stream, their population aud habits
are adjusted. There may be said, i'm fact.
10 be Il plcnum of the former because ii
Is commensurate with their food, and This
canEoi be increased without change of
habits, which being founded in natural
piopensiiies, do not change olthemseives.
he tlrst introduction of agriculture a.
mon, savage people, appears, accor-
0ingiy, never to have taken place WITH
out some extraordinary interpretation
Where ii has not been. obiruded hv CO.
lonIeS iranSPlanled from agricultural. couu-
tries, as from phGnicia aad Egypt into
Greece, and from Greece herself among
her savage neighbours, the revolution
has proceeded from seme Individual,
whose singular cudowmeniS, and super
! natural preienslOns, had given him an as
cendancy Tor the purpose. Allthese great
IeiorineTs, IN ancient times, were regarded
as more than men, and ultimately wor-
shipped as gods. A very remarkable ex-
| ample, of modern date, is found In The
resolution from The savage TO The ag,icul.
| iural state, said TO have been brought a
bout by Nance Capac, among Tie Peru
vlans. To whom he represented himself as
| The offspring of the sun
Agriculture once etlectuallv cemmenc-
| ed, may proceed Of itself, under impulses
OF lis own creation. The mouths ted by
ii increasing, and the supplies of nature
| decreasing, necessity becomes spur to
| industry; which finds another spur, I'm
| the advantages incidentto the acquisition
| OfprOpcrty, III The civilized STATE And thus
progressive agriculture, and progress
| slve population ensue.
| But although no deierminate limit pre-
SCENTS itself To the Increase of food, and
| 20 a population commensurate with il.
other than the limited produc .iveuess oi
| The earth itself, we can scarcely be war
ranted in supposiug that all the produc-
| tive powers of lis surface can be made
subservieni 10 the use OF man. in exclu.
sion OF all the plants and animals not EN-
teliug inio his stock Of subsistence: that
all the elements and combinations Of ele.
mcntS III the EARTH, the atmosphere, and
tie wafer, which now support such vari-
Gus and such numerous descriptions OF
| created beings, animate and inanimate
| could he Withdrawn from that general
| destination, and appropriated TO the en-
| elusive support and increase oithe human
| part of the creation ; So that the whole
| iabi,able earth should be as full of peo.
| pie, Us the spots most crowded now are OF
| might he made, and as destitute as those
! spots, Of the plants and animals not used
| by man.
The supposiiion cannot well be recon
clltd with that symmetry in the face OF
| nature, which derives new beauty from
every insight that eau be gained into il.
II is forbidden also by the principles and
! laws which operate in various depart
mems OF her economy, falling within The
| scope OF common observations, as well as
within That of phiiosophic researches.
| The earth csulojuS not less than thirty
or forty thousand kinds OF plants; moi
| less than six or seven hundred of birds =:
nor less than three on fonr hundred OF
| quadrupeds; 10 say nothing Of lie thou
sand species of fishes. OF reptiles and
| insects, there are more Than can he num-
bered. To all these mus, be sddrd. HE
! searps and varieties OF animacules and
| mlnnte vegetables not YisjbIeto The naiu-
| raj eye, but whose existence is probably
! connected with that OF visible animals and
| plants.
| On comparing this vast prolmsion and
| multiplicity of beings with the icw grains
| and grasses, the icW hCrbsand roots, and
| iheiew fowls and quadrupcdS, which make
! up the short list adapted TO The wants OF
man ; il is difficult 10 believe that il lies
with him, so remodeliiIe work of nature
as It woud be rcmodeiled, by destruc.
ton not only Of individuals, but OF entire
| spcclra and not only OF few species,
bm Of every species, with the very few ex.
ccpilons which he might spare iorlIIs own
| accommodation