Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-04-18


ence COR the furtherance Of them. NO one can
form conception Of the Intoxicating enect
which the victories of Austerli;z and Friediand
produced among the whole French people
And it is not wonderful, where the nation iden'
tify themselves with the government, and are
willing TO live or die by the false glory winch
i, has acquired, that they should be Distinguish
eG for the apparently opposite qua'i'ies o, .r':
volty and ferceness But with US, every 'hihs
contributes TO form character OF the greatest
personal energy. Ii is not merely mat men
interests concur to produce this effect. neir +
necessities absolutely ensure 1t. nc hao!t VI
reflection and active thought when thtir con-
dition creates, makes them more sehsio,e 10
pleasure and 10 pain: and if they aannot indulge
in the great game Of war, they must discover
some other cngrossng amusement anu oceupa-
ton. Benjamin Constant remarks, tha' IL is
mistake 10 suppose that the French conscrlp-
tion was considered as deplorable EVIL ny the
subjects Of il. The youth OF France became
gradually delighted and fascinated by the adsen.
turous and romantic life Ola soldier, ana "ouic
not voluntarily abandon it. Now II you cas-,
your eye over this country, where the "iat and
improbable pursuits ofpeace prevail, ana where
the grave and careful coun,enance oil the citlzen
is exchanged Tor the reckless 1rlSoiity oil the
soldier, you will perceive from one end TO the
other, continual Efforts TO get up some scheme
Of private or public improvement. Every one
engaged in these large and liberal schemes, is
not ac,ualed by the most generous motives
To some they afford amusement amidst the
cares and in The decline oil life. To others, they
afford consolation in the hour OF death; and so
that the great object is effected, ii is not OF
much consequence what are the motives which
give rise TO it, | believe then, that there is
principle at work in our own society which does
not seem 10 me TO have ever been sufficiently
noticed, which is calculated to exercise more
important influence over private improvement
and public pros perily than any other am aware
Of And il is not SO much to be wondered al,
that the literary men Of Europe, whose minds
have not vet broken Ground in this country,
should censure US as deficient in character, when
in truth, no people on earth but the British at
all approach us in strength Of national charac-
ter. II will be perceived that place my firm
hopes OF the people of this country on the vast
scope for individual eXertion, which will be Gre
ated among them. To hear some people talk
Of the blessings Of free government, one would
suppose that it was condition In which pros
periiy was cheap. and where great effort might
be intermitted. But this is mistake. Free
institutions render the labor OF tic citizen more
necessary and unremitling than ever. They
only endow him with greater power to move
and act in the larger sphere OF private relations
whic is opened before him. The government
has become nothing, and he has become every
thing; and he is obliged to sustain himself in
the high and enyiable, but arduous condition, IN
which he has voluntarily placed himself. He
can no longer divide with bis ruler the deceItiul
glory Of dragging m triumph a conquered ma
ton, and he can no longer console himself Tor
his own wan: OF character, by identifying him
self with the Fictitious splcndor which SUR
rounds a throne.-Personal cxertion must be
his occupation day and night and personal
reputation his reward.
am not 10 be understood 10 mean, that every
thing have said, is strictly applicable TO the
people Of this country at the present day: but
that abundant prov lsion is made 10 secure these
results ultimately; and tina; even now, we have |
a character which will vie with that oil any 9TH
er nation. 1t so happens, that the frame OF our
society is so very remat kab!y simple, and be-
comes so familiar 10 every one, that we give |
ourselves very little trouble in lnqulring into It's
advantages and structure. But the things
which are apparently very familiar. are oilen
the most difficult to be understood, and demand
the mos, acute and profound in'es lSalon.-
We sometimes suppose that every question IN
political philosophy which can be statec, has
long ago been settled, and thus refuse to inter
rogale the only witnesses who could disclose TO
US new truths. AS an instance oil this, sup
pose were to say, tina, the perfection TO which
domestic society is carried in Great Britain and
this counlry(a subject which is really involved
in The preceding inquiry) had singularly con,
tributed to the formation Of the character OF
the two nations, should be accused OF dilatlng
on very common topic well understood oy
every one. Nevertheless, believe 1t is not SO
well understood as is supposed. Undoubtedly
domestic society exists in almost every country;
but it is as different in different countries, as
he lair Of the wild beast is from the civilized
habia,ion Of the tame one, have SAID that
in proportion as you increase the occupations
and relations of private life, you increase The
sum and vigor Of individual! exerilon, ana De-
STOW upon the citizen a character OF greater
personal energy. But nothing contributes 10
this so much, as the existence OF domestic So
ciety in all IT'S purity. And this has never been
known in any but a country of free institutions
mean free in reality and not in name: ior as 10
the republics OF Greece and Rome, they were
not even the types Of free government. 10
nestle society," such as it exists IN this country
and Grea, Britain, contributes to the formation
OF character which is at once distinguished