Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1829-09-17
THE ~VIRGINIAN.
L~yNCHBURG. SEPT. II. 1929.

LYkCHBURG. SEPT. IL. z
Capt. B1zH HaK.-Ye concur in opinion
with the National Intelligence. that Capt. Hall
IL rather too hsrslly treated by the critics
Such portions II his book as we have read are
very compliments y-certainiy much more 50
than we bad any reason to anticipate from ma
Speech at Edinburgh during the summer,
which sas generally supposed. at the moment,
10 be- The prelude 10 an improved edition OF the
vulgar abuse and ridiculous faisehoods Of his
predecessors. Fearan. Welsh, De Roos. &c. &c.
himself Of high rank and no little experience
Capt. Hall appears To have devoted much at
ttniion to the examination Of our docks. navy
yards, ships. state Of discipline, requirements
of the officers. aud in fact of all the minut'aH
of the nautical seienee-not in the spirit OF a
fippsni csviller, but with a disposition 10 see
with an unjaundiced EYE. and to speak ~ofthings
as he saw them. No one. We presume, VIII
say thai he hss mol done u fIll justice, SO far
as oar navy. and ,he character and qualfea-
iions Of its officers are concerned. And as his
is a subject which il may be naturally presum-
ed he IS better qualified 10 discuss than snme
others upon winch he has y%en,ured to express
an opiaian. We should, IN charity. If not ~
fairness, attribute his error Of fact and opio-
ion to any other cause than an intention 10 mis-
represent OF a wish TO deceive. When, there.
fore, he regrets the dissolution of III = connec'
ton between Church aud Stale, aud The des-
iract.i ion Of the monied aristocracy by the repeal
Of the law of primogeni'ure, it should he put
down 10 the influence Of habit and education
and the prejudices which grow on, of them,
and which he very c%andidly admits he is " IN
crusfed" with. II is quite natural that a
man connected with the titled aristocracy OF
Great Britain, and who, from his infancy. has
been taught 10 regard il as the Corinthian pil-
lar Of the British monarchy, should prefer ii 10
that nearer approach to equality which the more
minute subdivisions Of property in this couotry
| create. Just so, tao, as 10 the association be
tween Church and State. Long accustomed
. see the former supported by the coercive
policy Of the latter, he perceives in the 9TH
dTawal Of that support the downfall of Religion
itself. / scannot bring himself 10 believe that
= pure and undeGled' Christianity can exist in
a country wherein all creeds are alike protected
in their intnuni irs-and he cannot credit the
fact that Churches can be built and Ministers
! supported hy the voluntary contributions OF the
people. For this, we do not think a foreigner
deserves censure-any more than an American
would, who should travel in Europe, and not
extol their civil and ecclesiastical systems ma
nv parts of which, yenerated by them. would
be odioUs TO him. Speculative opinions on
these subjects must necessarily be variant and
as they are more frequently the offspring of
education and custom than Of an impartial in
vesligaiion aud companion at mature age, and
above all, "a they can be productive Of no injn-
~, they ARE not legitimate objects OF yitupera.
ton. A traveller can only be justly censured
! when he pre- sumptuously undertakes 10 write a
book Cor rhich his ignorance utterly disquali-
fes him-nr when he misiepresents facts, des-
cribes thing he never saw, caricatures the man
ners and customs OF the people among whom he
mas been, ard conceals circumstances, which,
if related. would reflect credit on their charac.
ter. Capt. Hall has not done this. IL is true,
he has not always complimented US but That
is because we are like other people, not entirely
f%auliless. II IS aniadication Of much weakness
and vanity 10 suppose that, because we have
abolished, in our systems of government and
codes Of laws, features which we deem hostile
to individual tights aud TO the general interests
of the community, every man no matter where
born and educated, aud without regard To the
rank he may occupy, must necessarily, by a
| few months residence in this country, the
greater part of which is spent in a stage coach.
become enamored of our Institutions, and the
| wonderful revolutions which they have produ.
! I'D in all the relations of social life. II Capt,
Hall prefers a king, MOBILES, an established
church. rotten boroushs. standing armies, pen.
sion lists, an impdyobie national debt, and uoli-
! mited taxation, TO an elective President, equal
| favor TO oil religious creeds, equal representa-
| tons, no sinecure system, a debt in a train OF
| speedy eXtinguishment, aud taxes so light as
| hardly TO be fel,,-we should rather pity the
| de,usion under Which he laboufs than condemn
| him for yielding TO its influence.
Right of Suffrage a writer in the Richmond
Wing, in a long letter addre.s ed to Chief Justice
| Marshall. throws out an idea which is TO US
| equally novel aud Objectionable. 1t is this
LET the qualification for the right of suffrage
be the possession and ownership of arms re-
| ouire that each voter shall not only be the ow.
ner, but shall actually appear at the polls com
ple,ely equipt ia armor, for infantry, cavalry
or artillery service