Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1824-07-03

"A negroes; sann6oss, oescenoanes OF
s"o and Indians--are scattered o.
peg ~ country as laborers, or live IN
's' las 80 ar,izans, workmen or beggars:
lNs ara some Indians who have ac-
"alated property, and some few of
Gun, .s.,es nay De seen living in COM
to I'D responsibility in the cities and
~ y ,hs country; bot these instances are
y From the caeique or indian ma
lar .;.,ra,s of the village. to the most ab-
&C his fellow sufferers, they are in.
gs,sos and poor. The only difference
..eao them is, that the cscique does
~ work al all. Bye law passed since
ps revolution, they are declared, to
no, with all the estates, TO be pos
t..d Of he sane rights as the whites.
-, ,,;hn,e is abolished; but hey will
o.a matter of course, subject to the
~ r',hals. or tax on the internal COM
sea from which they were hereto
W. W. exempt. This declaration will
sI,ce no alteration in the character
rPf,bis eIass of the population. slea-
res must be taken 10 educate them,
'S,.nd. distributed among them. be-
a. a. they can be considered as forming
war, Of the people of a free govern
The titled nobility are white creoles
rbo satisfied with the enjoyment of
,,.ss estates, with the consideration
~k;ch their rank and wealth confer.
ID mn other distinction. They are
-, ,smark Die for their sttalnmen,s or
e., ,be .lrictness oftheir morals. The
Iwvers. who. in fact, exercise much
;oaaspcs over the people, rank next to
N. sobles. They are the younger
branches of noble houses, or the sons of
ro,opeaps and are remarkably shrewd
,ad intelligent. Next in importance
ore the merchants, and shopkeepers,
"a, The former are not sufficiently nu-
msrous TO form separate class. They
are wealthy and might possess info.
.ocs. bot have hitherto taken little part
in The politics of the country--most
0robably from the fear of losing their
property, which is in a tangible shape.
The laboring class in the cities and
,Owns melodies all castles and colors-
they ere Industrious and orderly and
,isw with interest what is passing a
rooud them. Most of them read: and,
in the large cities, papers and pamph
lets. are hswked about the streets, and
sold a, a cheap rate to the people. The
hboripg class in the country is com,
posed in the same msnner, of different
estes. They are sober, industrious.
dOciIe, ignoran, and superstitious; and
may be led by their priests, or masters,
to good or evil. Their apathy has in
some measure been overcome by the
long struggle for independence, in
which most of them bore part: but
they are still under the influence and
direction of the priests. They are
merely laborsrs without any property
in the soil, and cannot be expected to
feel much interest in the preservation
Of civil rights, which so little concern
them. The last class, unknown as such
ina we'll regulated society, consists of
beggsrs & idlers, drones that prey upon
The community, and who, having nos
thing 70 lose are always ready to swell
the cry of popular Glamour, or to lend
their aid in favor of imperial tyranny
The influence of this class, where 1t
is numerous. upon the fate of revolu-
lions, has always been destructive to
liberty. ln France they were Veryuu.
msrOus; and the atrocities which dis
graced that revolution, are, in great
measure, TO be ascribed TO this cause.
In Mexico these people have been kept
insubjection by the strong arm of the
vIee.regal government: but, 1t is to be
feared that they will hence forward be
found the ready tool of every faction.
The priests exercise uDbounded intlu>
enes over the higher and the lower or
dsfsin Mexico, and, with few honora-
Die exceptions, are adverse to civil Ii
berry. 1t may not, perhaps. be alto
selher correct, to consider the ,intiu.
eacs of the clergy as confined exelu-
"ely to the upper and lower order of
society, but certainly very large pro
portion of the middle class are exempt
ir0mis. Unfortunately too many who
we're educated in the forms of the Ca.
'aolie Church, have emancipated ,hem>
selves from its superstitions, only to
become sceptics and in6dels.