The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1822-06-14


add also that there many who have resided
for many years, and never attended the
market on The sabbath day, and yet have
suffered no Inconvenience.
We are told indeed that it is highly
useful if not necessary for the accommo.
dalton of laboring people who are not in
the habit OF receiving their wages until
Saturday night. But every inconveni.
ence to such or others would be ailevia-
ted by establishing market on Saturday
evening, as is customary in most other
cities.
1t is said, also, and often with much con.
fdence, to be necessary for the accommo-
dation of slaves in the vicinity, who are
allowed only the sabbath TO dispose of
their few articles of produce and to pur-
chase for themselves some little necessa.
ries. Admitting the objection 10 be wei!
founded, yet the inference is one which
no religious person could embrace with
out at once arraigning the decisions of
his Maker: for did not he contemplate
the Inconvenience Of state of slavery
when he enacted and put forth his laws?
And yet he has not seen fit to make such
Gil SANSpbOHs uC WHO
pleads for it. and is willing to violate the
law oil Jehovah to procure it, must charge
his law,sin this respec,,with imperfection;
must call in question his wisdom and his
goodness: andwho that processes to receive
the revealed will of the Supreme Being
10 be as the rule of his conduct would
choose guilty of such an inconsistency.
But the objection, am persuaded, is
uDfounded; the difficulties are all ina.
ginary; masters in the neighborhood Of
other cities where the market on sab
bath day have been abolished and one on
Saturday nigh, substituted, have willingly
allowed their servants Saturday afternoon
to devote to,this object, and after a short
experience have acknowledged the utili.
ty OF this alteration that their property
is not fable to such depredations as for
merly on Saturday nights, and that their
servants are not exposed to the same, or
as great, temptations as formerly. If the
market on sabbath day were abolished
here, and one on Saturday night ipstitu-
ted, masters in our neighborhood would
adopt a similar course with respect 10
their servants for who will say that they
are more hard-hearted and cruel, or less
careful for the coYnfort and morals of
those entrusted to their care than others.
Let the present custom be once abolish
ed and better instituted, and it would be
found, that they would not be its opposers
IL may be asked why, if the practice
be wrong, have not those in public author
ity, whose prerogative it is long since abo-
lished it. The reason probably is, an un-
Willingness to invade custom of such
long standing. Probably they might think
themselves hardly authorised until the in
| habltants express some sentiments upon
the subject. Let decided opinion be
| once expressed BY the great body Of the
people, and the unrishteous practice
would soon be done away.
The April number of the London New
Monthly Magazine, edited by Thomas
Campbell, esq. has this notice of the wri
hngs ofthe late Charles Brockden Brown.
ellis romance Of Wieland, was the first
of his writings that fixed itself on the
public mind; and it was speedily follow
ed by his Ormond, Arthur Mervyn, and
Edgar luntley : the last three of which
were entitled to as high a rank among
the literary productions of America, in
point of powerful description, truth of
sentiment, and striking situations, as that
which has been 50 willingly assigned in
our own country to the numerous vo-
| Tunes which, under the fame of the eau
thor of the Tales of my Landlord" have
imposed kind of obligation on the pub
TIC to read them, whether they como forth
in the sterling worth of original genius,
or the more questionable shape of old
chronicles modernized, and forgotten sto.
ries revived. To Brown the praise offull
originate! is amply due: he pbages no
records but those Of his own observation
he seeks no aid from affected quaint
ness OF phraseology, or curious adapting
OF ancient manners tn modern compre.
hensioD. He is uniformly grand, yet sim.
pie moral and affecting. Besides his no.
vels, which were six or seven in number,
ne engaged in great number of perio.
deal pnblications,t TO all Of which he con-
trlbuted with the ardour and industry of
mind loving literature for its own sake,
and amiabIy hoping through its means to
benefit and refine his native Country. His |
fame will probably chiefly rest on his
Wieland, his Arthur Meryyn, and his Ed |
gar Huntley all productions of extraor
binary genius, NOT so much rewarded in
hetr native country, and not so uniUer. |
sally kno7vn in This, as Mey deserve 10 be. |