Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-09-26

breSS. IN limited measure, according
to his knowledge of religion, he brought
eternal motive8 into action, and thus in.
fused into his institutes vigor beyond
his laws. The obedience he exac;ed
was prompt and peaceable, diffusing the
smiles of serenity over the face of ma
ton for forty years. The consequences
ended not at that period, for Numa head
ed the march Of mind to after ages, while
he frightened an iron character by the
superior polish of his own--a polish
which lasted till the Roman material
wore out i'll the progression of centuries.
The early Romans were lawless ban
dltu; Numa not only possessed the SUI
perior civilization Of the Sabines, but
added to that superiority by the virtues
of bis own great mind. His legislative
practice, exemplified the power Of COM
bination, by uniting the energy Of the
Roman character with the arts of peace
and agriculture. His object was not a
warlike design, or love of conquest
No forty years peace infused his own
mild principles into two nations, whose
amalgamation was to him, more glorious
than a diadem. The praises of Numa
were once recited by the little children
in Rome, as those OF another great man
are uttered in America. Children learn
to lisp the name of their father and their
country i'll the same breath. Thus it
was with Numa; and so, with nober
materials and more important conse-
quences, it is as to WAsHINGToN.
States or empires, that have arisen to
power or eminenCe, are known to have
taken their moulding and finish of cha
racter as much from the forming minds
of their Legislators, or great men,* as
from any other favorable or peculiar cir
cumstance in their day. Man is by ma
ture creature of example, and when
the principle of virtuous simplicity pre-
walls in the mass of the people, then the
early fathers of nation reflect their
lustre of pure motives and digniGed
mind, to future ages.
1t is said that history is philosophy
teaching by example," and history indi
Gates that there is peculiar period--a
precise point OF time, at which rising ma
tons take decided cast of character: an
era when early virtues and patriotism be-
come national--are interviewer with the
uniform and constitutional feeling of a
COMMUNICATIVE permanent strength,
or sink into the imbecility and decrepi-
tude of a premature old age. If there
be a period which occurs in history,
more replete than any other, with in
terest and instruction to statesmen, PHI
losophers and friends of humanity, it is
the one at which the formation of charac-
ter first takes definite direction. A
question of some importance, may be
asked, whether this power, as applied by
the legislators of antiquity, may not be
acted on by the united energy of peo-
pie who are their own lawgivers? In
fact, whether the people, and those they
elect, by wise and judicious means, may
not be able, under the Divine blessing,
to mould and form the character of the
rising generation, and future ages, to
wisdom and integrity, to the develope-
ment of talent, the expansion of mind,
the maturity of virtue - am no advo-
cate for the zvid doctrine of the heyec
H6ilHy of human nature by any inherent
power of ITS OWN; but as far as human
institutions are susceptible of excellence
in point of time, their effect on the mind
of nations seems to have commenced at
the instant of growth and decided forma-
ton of character. Thus we perceive
the medium by which eternal zvisdom
has destined the combined mass of uni
form feeling in society, to take those
impressions and features, which at once
brighten, distinguish and ennoble the
aspect of a nation.
On one occasion in England, politi-
cal empyric, whose name is too con-
temptible to be repeated in any letter to
thee, predicted, from long drought, with
exultation, that, in six months, bread
would be at price in London, the
amount of which and famine were sy-
nonymous terms. Never was a fortune
teller more out in his prognostics--rain
was long delayed, but still came in sea-
son /: for had it not fallen as it did, the
harvest must have been ruined. When
the clouds poured out their fructifyng
showers, the grain was just forming and
beginning to fill. Almost every ear of
wheat became double in weight, and near
Extract of an inscription on monument
in the Guildhall of the city of London, to the
memory of PITT, EARL OF CHATHAM, the pow
erful advocate of American rights in the Bri-
fish . ..osscc Of peers