Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-05-08


re below Newly on Monday afternoon. The
sws by her will reach here to-day. ~
Tho following is a further translation from thu
French Of NJ. Comtc whose reputation as n writer O.
first rate power, Is established by the work of which
this is an extract:
TRASsLAfrD ron THE CoSsriru1IoNAL WING.
No. III.
Having shewn what are, in general, the objects nj
human intelligence, and what are tho causes which
operate tho most powerfully on national manners i,
viii De easy To comprehend how il u.s. that in
positions people have always remained stationary
and barbarous, while in Others they have nrnic the
most rapld s'rcsin civilization and refinement To
explain tins phenomenon, we have but TO enquire
what are the portions of the globe upon which n
people have been able To vary their means of subss-
tcnce with the least labor What are the portions
which possess the facilities of communication in the
reatest degrcc Whit are they which afford 10 the
inhsbitants the power of pEof;ing by their own dis
covcries, of exchanging TIE products of their own
soil and industry, for those of other nations Of en-
riching themselves by the riches OF others And
IN short, what they upon which vcgeta iion er-
perienccs but little interruption, and the seasons
the least Interfere with the occupations of man.
There Is no want of proofs to shew that those
parts OF tue cath upon which human industry has
effected increase of The means of subsistence in
proportion to the increase of population, have nj
ways been the most favorable to the development Of
the intellect and To the multiplication of the species
and that those places, on the contrary, where men
have been deprived Of these natural advantages
they never have either improved or multiplied
We are ignorant i'll what precise order vegetables
and animals have spread themselves over the sur
face OF The earth, but we affirm without fear
at being coniradiccd that between two things nm,
OF which con exist without the other aud the other
cannot exist without the first that which is selfcxis
tnnt Is always prior in the order of gcpcrntion-
lirere must thou OF necessity have existed the pro-
Vrr matter for the nourishment of yerota,ion he.
hnv e.cH H.
getables must have preceded animals which
could not live bot ny their And thus t,on oh
we are ignorant IN many RESPECTS OF the prourrss Of
civilization-tough in the terms OF which bis,orv
mas preserved Tor us the remembrance, there NAV
have existed men in places where they do NOT
now exist, yet we affirm that every cnun.
Try must have produced unimuls and vel etabcs
Priorto the period at which it commenced to people
itself. But II we may Judge OF these productions
by those which found in places where human in
d1siry has reached .hey have too little variety
and augmentation to satsfy tine immediate wants If
n1au.
and these productions have no, the sa,no uniform
strength, even IN places winch are favourable TO
their development. Those plunts which contain
great quantity az nutritvc matter, flourish no where
but under Il gentle climate, and arc commonly
very slow in growth. from whence it follows that in
places which DO not enjoy months of summer
vegetation perBhes before lis DEVELOPMENT can b.,
complete, and consequently never be propauatcd
out ny tHc usc oI tEtInsnt means. Ani DlnutS
which grow on the same soil, Possessed Of fic-
rent degrees OF strength those of the quickest grov
VIII smother the more feeble, and thus render them
Totally unprudnciive. From this il results that
when land is left IN It's natural fertility, the produc-
ftons change with the clinlatc and yet in each eli
mute there found but small nnabcr which so to
speak, dispute a4oug themselves the soil, and render
each other mutually unprodiictive. Il now renians
for Us to show how these different circumstances have
had an influence upon the development Of every
people.
In casting n rnpid glance over the Garth one per-
ccives IN an instant that the parts which are the
mot peopled and the most ancicn,y civilized,
arc those which possess the mot equal and rem
tie tcmperature-and the most ccsv and frcGT emf
communications with others. And in countries
tar advanced in civilization it is at the csa and en-
frances, and on the banks of rivers that we find the
densest population. Mankind in their inrraions arc
subjected 10 laws invarable as those which Govern
The physical universe. Places aforliug the greatest
means Of subsistence those which first nha-
bitcd In searching for the order followed in tbesc
migrations IL is found that hev themselves
by families In the in which the waters are di
vided. In every country where there considera-
hle streams, shall find generally, that upon one or
tho other bank Of river, The people belong IN the
same family, speak tue language or dialects of
tho same, md have similar mqnncrs and customs.
Tins phenomenon which apparently exists in all
countries, may more particularly be observed the
European Continent. Many rivers take their rise
in the mountains of the Alps, Ht n short distance
direction. Ono directs is towards the Ocean
---Rpoihcr towards the Mediterranean. and many
towards the Adria,ic Sea. If one asccnds from
the mouths Of these streams. he will find upon their
borders people of the same II tho Rhine be-
assembled on either bank there are found people Of
German desccnt. II we trace the windngs of the
Rhono inoet with those who speak the nnguogr
of the French, and not find single family of
German extract. Others in tho same way poo
pied by Italians. In the mountains from which these
rivers flow, there is found confederation Of diiic-
rent people, and this confederation is composed of
T:rnch, italians aud Germans.
Those divisions exist ndepcndcn, Of all po,iticnl
combinations and of the governments TO which the
different people subjected. Thus the population
which dwols on the banks Of the Bhonc opd its trib-
ntatics, -p1ak MI one language though they par
takers in five different governments that OF France.
ofPicdnoni. of Vaals, and Of the Cantons Vaud Is
Gc1c'c THO people which nhab the lands water
cd by The Rhi4c and its branches. all ofthc same
race thu divided amoug tic governments Of France
Switzernnd PrIs ia, Holland, g. some others And in
like manner those who nhabt The borders ofhc rivers
which flow into thc Adrintic Sea all Of Italian en-
q L.