Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1824-04-10

the Sabbath day. Inc c'os5
lie offices. aad few ceremonies 10 the
morning, are the only ob'ersa"ees
which came within my observation oy
which TO distingush the Sabbath. Mos'
of the stores open The m~rSs's are
held as usual. Slaves are carrying
fruit SC. about the city for sale. BOIL
batting. and the card table. engage e.
oually the attention of both sexes, I'D
the afternoon, and the Theatre IN tho
evening. And universally, those VINO
were thrown out of business oy .ne
closing of public Offices, make the oao'
bath day of recreation.
Edu.ation is in a very low state 10
the city. and throughout the h'ngoom
The schools in this city, which are 10"
in number, are supported by suoscr,p-
ton. There are no free schools. Inc
Portuguese generally seem little In
clipsd to reading. Although the King
has opened his Library1whlch is an ex-
cellen, one of seventy Thousand Vo
| lume.) to the people, few OF the miou'e
| and lower class improve the pr''ileoge'
| Indeed much may be inferred as TO the
stale of education In the Kingdom, from
the fact. that although this Guy u the
capital. the largest oy far 10 the h'ns-
dom, the residence OF the h'nS ana o.
HIS Court, q place Of great trade, the
resort, we may suppose, of the greatest
abilities & most splendid requirements
m the Kins's domnious, and OF course
the centre OF information, a"d the seat
| Of science and the arts-there are, me-
| vsrt,ee s,. no Literary OF Scientihc
Societies. no Institutions for the encou-
rssement and promotion OF the Afts'
no public Schools, Academies. or Coi,
Iso.s--,n fact there are none IL the
Kiogdom. No Reading Rooms, ex.
ceut in The Kleg's Library, few Book
stores. and lnose Of little note, and there
is but ne printing press, and ou one
newspaper.
fad reason to believe tina, few Por-
fugusse have ever seen Bible. ~ u
were DISTRIBUTED, and perhaps 1t might
be by agents residing IN the place, ,t
would soon, no doubt, be In the HANDS
Of the Priests. The influence WHEN
the Priests maintain is ve'y eons'oera-
bIe but it must be attributed rather 10
fear. than to love or respect. SO ht'ie
confidence have the Portuguese in gen.
eral in their integrity and honesty, that
they are uneasy. and perhaps jealous, 1t
they visit their families in their absence'
Yet if they are not Ioved-if they are
not respscted-,hey are feared; and this
fear would lead the people to show
them whether book of religious ma
ture were gwen them, and thus, a book
SO hostile TO their already declining IN
tluepce az the Bible, would soon DC
where, lift were not destroyed, 1t would
receive little or 90 attention
!, stIl1 Il 10 the case, that even the mos,
, enlightened place weak dependence
upon the forms, ceremonies, and obser
vances of their religion, and behold in
them great virtue and efficacy.
The slaves are kept in ignorance of
every thing but their prayers, which
they are obliged to learn before they
can marry. Not few of then are ex-
ceediDgly vicious. On the whole, it
appears, that immortality sbounds; and
it is equally true that it is gaining
ground.
Bat notwithstanding all this, and that
this people are sitting in gross dark.
ness, and for many ages have been
shrouded in tho deep gloom of spiritual
death, | think can discern a glimmer-
ing of light on the horizon; the bar
binger of the rising sun, and presages
the brightness of noon. Changes are
evidently progressing for the better,
though few, they are impor.ant-tbough
slow, they proceed II would be grea.
thing should the Gospel, in all its pu-
r,ty, be introduced into this country
50 broad and 81 firm has the Goo Of this
world been permitted to lay The foun.
dation of his seat. And we find when
the great D,sposer of Events will bring
about one Of considerable magnitude,
he generally takes one for it, working
by secondary causes gradually, and ot-
ten almost ,mperceptbly till at length
the work is completed. we hard y know
by what means. have already allud-
ed to these changes. The people begin
to perceive the sloth, ignorance and vi.
ees Of their Priests. and the only per-
mapent pillars, which upheld their edi-
fee, reared in the ages of Gothic dark
ness, are now tottering, and must ere
long fall"
From the Quebec Gazette Of March %.
NAVIGATlONo OF THE ST.LAWRENCE.
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