The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware register. (Wilmington, Del.) 1824-1825, 1825-02-03
From the Kaskaskia Republican.


liant of the West? Here we can range the
prairies and the forests in all the glorious
freedom of their original proprietors them
selvcs-we can rouze the Fox i'll the morn
ing from his lair, and hunt the Coon in the
evening. We feel ourselves, as it were, up
on the outskirts of the world--free from
the irksome restraints Of society-free from
the mockery of canting hypocrites-and free
from the communicating influence of those
deleterious vices and propensities which en-
crvatc and make ruins Of men. Poor puny
inhabitants of the East--puling creatures OF
the villainous exhalatioas of streets, cellars,
stables, oes, Sec.-moidy of man, broken
and fabbergasted by the whole "congrega-
| ton of poisonous smells which rise up a
gainst the nose, in the midst of huge city;
what art thou, compared to the lord of the
West? IF man be lord OF this Creation, it
must be western man, because he only ex-
erciscs dominion over the fonr-legged inhab-
itants of the wilderness. The man of the
| East is but an inert bipcd-the sickly, jaun-
diced creature of effeminae habits-a mere
| baby in comparison. Yet strange as it may
seem, these beings, whosesenses are as OBJ
fuse as a pumpkin, whose dialctics are OF the
dandy obscure, and who have "no more tai
Tents than turnip" are ,elf-class'd as the
|
luson; the Laplanders entertain the same
opinion with regard to themselves! so do the
Indians of the Upper Missouri, with whom
it is common to remark of a hunter who
happens particularly to please them, that he
is like an Indian But what arc their pas
times. Glued to their houses, their shops,
&C. during the whole day they are in effect
slaves, and when they escape from these
prisons, their cnjoyments consist in tossing
off beer, and in putting hot smoke out ofther
faces. The only spirit OF adventure and
chivalry is found among the disciples OF the
pestle and lancet, who are the fast friends OF
Pluto, and who, frequently of moonlcss
night, venture into the old fellows garden,
and take back that part of the plumber which
he is supposed to care nothing about.-There
is peculiar class, inhabiting cities, distin-
guished by their costume, manners and phiz;
they are ycleped dandies. They pride them
selves on the number Of cravats they can
wear, (never without a score) and the maid
emily delicacy of their waists, which are so
compressed with Corsetts, that they cannot
stoop without danger of breaking--in
two This is Fundamentally wrong, mas
much asst keeps them perpctually thinking
of their latter end.
Their courtships are mockery of all that
species. The gentlemen are infinitely more
fawning than ever spaniel was; they are low
" as the vile dust in the presence Of their
mistress.
But the Hunter of the West is totally
different being in all the relations of life; his
occupations and his amusements are of the
manly kind-but these need not be treated
on at present. Suffice it so say, that the
most cornwall, free-and-easy scene, is q
. Gum5o Ball at St. Louis or at the ueighbor-
, ing town of Vide Poche, SO celebrated in
both states, for its wood merchants, where
; if possible, still greater degree of freedom
prevails. At these delightful Balls no hate
: full ceremony, no stiff formalty, is permitted
to mar the social scene. The gumbo girls
are beautiful, ION such occasions) both in per-
son and face, and move on the floor with
Partisan elegance. The appendages are
of unequalled relish; ah! what can equal the
| bou yon Sonh! it is a kind restorative from
the bad effects of over liquoring. The mer
ry dance is kept up till a late hour when al
so home happy, and some royal
: Here the respect that is manifested fol
lovely woman is without shadow of hypoc
ricy-it is pure and unmingled with feelings
of interest-matrimony it not with us a pc
; cuniary speculation. But whilst the ladie
\
sex we are not their slaves-nonc of then
{ set up tor coquettes here; that would not b.
their policy unless they would be candidate
for the forlorn sistcrhood. There is some
thing so Wild romantic, and attracting in tn
!, border life; it is so perfectly free, that tn
mind soon becomes untitled, even tor tina
:. pleasing enthralment which Beauty frequent
ly imposes To-be-surc there are some e
ven here, who are weak and silly enough t
: wear such chains. but they soon become OBJ
4 jects of ridicule-they soon forfeit the re
= spect of all who aspire to perfect indepen
dence.
When an inhabitant of the West pays
!, visit to his carstern brethren, however h
may flatter himself with more enlarged
= theatre of amusement, he soon finds that h
is disappointed, and he looks forward wit
: anxiety to the time when he shall have re
: turned to the woods and the prairies
i In the midst of dense population he VIII
is of the common mass, whatever may b.
his worth, is of no more account than a dron
in bcc-hivc-he is just as undistnguishe
as an ordinary stock of grass in the midst c
a large meadow; he falls indiscrminatel
with his fellows, and it is scarcely known tha
}, he ever existed. Here there is every thin
+ to keep away ennui--we are all politicians
O we are all candidates-and the policy of TIL
st nation is the peculiar study of every wight
:; whether of the plebian or patrician orde
S, No event, however momentuous, takes plac
n that was not foreseen Par eruahLe we a