Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-11-14

pair the public credit, aud TO cripple the public re
sources. than dull honesty, however rash, could hav
< effected in a century.
; The merits OF a broken speculation, or bank
rup,cy, or ol suee.ssiol scoondt. not x uge
by Its or his observance ef the golden rule, "Do
ycu would be done by" but ave eonsidettd wit
}. reference to their smsrtn-ss. l rteolect ON Tot
occasions or passing that III fited Cato on IN
mississippi. rematkng on The had effects such eros
deecis must have when they exploded, in genera
ting ~ant of confidence abro ID, and Discouraged
iofcsn investment; but I was given to unders,an
that TINS was very smart scheme by which dea
oil money hal been made, aud Tint tie smert:st Tea
'urc was, tina, they forgot these thiags abroad IN
very snort time. and speculo,ed again, as freely
dre 8 inies:
"ls IL not a very dissracelul circumstance tina
such man as So and 50 should be acquiring
large property by the most infamous and odiou
means, and Notwithstanding all the crimes oil which
he has been guilty, should be tolerated and nbeteC
by your etzens7 lie is pablo nuisance, is b,
not1"
ayes, sir"
/ "a convicted liat!"
ayes, SIR"
"tie has been kicked, and cuffed, and cAncdi"
"And he is utterly dshouourablc, debascd, and
prohisate1"
| "Yes, sir"
In the name Of wonder, then. what is his merit7r
We'll, SIR. he is q smart man."
| 10 like manner. all kinds of deficient and impo.
tc usages are referred The loyc OF trade;
though oddly enough it would be u wcishiy charge
esainst foreigner, that he regarded the Americans
Us trading people, The love OF trade is assigned
US reason Tor that oomortlcsa custom, so very
prevalent IN country towns ct married persons liv-
Ing IN hotels, having no hTeside OF their own, aud
seldom meeting from early morning until late at
night, Iu, at the has,y public meals.
Ihc love OF trade is q reason why the literature
o' America - to remain forever unprotected: "For
we arc trading people, and don't care for poetry
though we do by the way. profess to bc very proud
OF cur poets; While hcalthia amussmenis, cheerful
means OF recreation. and wholesome fancieS must
fade tciore tho stern uiilitarian Joys OF trade.
These three characteristics are strongly presented
at every turn, full in the strangers view. But the
ioui growth ~ America has n more tangled root
than his; aud strikes its Lbres, deep ia its cen-
| ious Press.
Schools may be erected, East. West, North and
South; pupils he taught, aud masters reared, by
scores upon scores uf thouSaads; colleges may
thrive, churches may be crammed, temperance may
1e d'tiused, and advancing know ledge IN all ether
iorms walk through the land with giant strides; but
Sh'le the newspaper press Of America is in or near
ITS present sbjsc, state, high moral Improvement in
| thAt country u hopeless. Year by year, Il must
and will go bsck, year by year, tho tone CT pub &c
isehas mast snk lower down; year Ivy yeer, the
Congress and the Senate must become of less ac-
count before all decent men; aud year by year. the
memory OF tie Great Fathers OF the Revolution
must be outraged m=fe and more, In the bad lite OF
their degeBera:eS child.
IL would be well, there c-n be no doubt, for tho
American people Gs a whole II they loved the Real
Csc, and the Ideal somewhat more. II would he
well, there were greater encours cement TO liz ht-
ness OF heart and sa;e;y, and a wider cultivation OF
what Is beautiful, without being emineniy and di.
| 'eGi'y usetGl BIT here, | think the general re
monsirance, I'VE are new county" Witch is SO
oitea advanced as excuse for defects which are
quite unlustlhabe, &C being, oil right, ony tie slow
growth OF On old ore, may be very reasonably urg
ed and yet hope TO hear Of their being some other
national amusement in the United States, besides
newspaper politics.
They certainly are no: humorous people, end
their temperament always impressed me as being
OF a dull and gloomy character. In shire vdness OF
remark, and certain cast iron quaintness the
Iankees, or people Of New England unouestiona.
by take the lead; as they do in most other evil
denees OF intelligence. Bat in travelling about, out
oil the large cities, as | have remarked la former
parts OF these volumes, | was quite oppressed by
the prevailing seriousness and melancholy air OF
blsness; which was SO general and unvarying, that
nj every new town | came TO, seemed 10 meet the
very same people whom had lest behind me- at the
last Such detects as are percepble in the ns,;on-
al manners, seem, TO me, 10 be Teierabe, in great
degree, TO this cause: which has generated a dull!
suen persistence in course usases and rejected the
gracss OF life as undeservins OF attention. There
il no doubt that Washington, who was always most
| scrupG!ous and exact on points Of ceremony, per-
eeived the tendency towards this mistake even in
4 l..
cannot hold with other writer's on these subjects
that the prevalence OF VARIOUS forms OF dissent in
America. Is IN any attrIb ulabc to the non ex
is,ence iherc, Of Gu es;ab! shed church; indeed,
th!nk The temper Of the people, II it admitted Of such
en- Institution being founded amongst them, would
lead them TO dsssrt H. a matter of course, merely
because i: was established, But supposing 10 ex
lSt doubt its probable Gf!iclcy IL Summonng the
wan defins sheep 10 one great lold, SImpy Ese4use
OF immense amount Of dissent which prevails at
har IL \ fa G.I -, A
form OF religion with which IN Europe or even
In Ensldnc, aie unaeg UaiE cd, Disseniers resort
ihither IN great numbers, other people do. simply
because II IS land Cf resort and great Settlements
OF them are founded, because ground can be pur
chased, and towns and villages reared, where there
were none Of the human creation before, But even
| the Shakers emigra,ed from England; our country
ls no. unknown to MIR John Smith, tie apostle Of
Mormonism. or TO his Lenighied disciples; have
beheld religious scenes myself in some Of our popu
lnus towns which can hardly be surpassed by on
Amer can camp meeting, and am not aware that
any instance of supefsiiiious mPos,ure On the one
hand, and supeTstiIious cre1Gli,y tho other, has
had its origin in the United States, which can
not moro than parallel by the pEetedenl5 Of MRS
Sou,hcote, Mary Tots. tho rabbi breeder, ur even
Mf Thorn, OF Canterbury; which latter Gaze arose,
sometime after The dark ages had passed away.
The Republican Institutions Of america undoubi.
edy lead the people 10 assert their self respect and
their equality; bu; traveller /. bound to bear those
1
tho near approach Of a class OF Strangers, who q.
home, would keep aoof. This characteristics when
It was tlnctured with foolish pride, and Stopped
short OF no honest service, never offended me; and
very seldom, If ever, experienced its rude or un
becoming display. Once twice il was c0micay
developed, as IN the following case; but this was n
amusing incident, and not the rue or near il.
| wanted pair OF boots ~ certain town, for |
had mono to travel in, but those with the memorable
cork so.es which were much too hot for the fiery
decks Of steam boat. ! therefore sent a message
10 an artist in boots, importing, with my compli
meniG, that | should be happy to see him, II no
would do me tho polite favor TO call lie very
kindly returned for nnSWtr that be would look
round" OF siH o'clock that evening.
WIS lying on tho SOLE, with book and a wine.
gass a. about that time, when tie door opentd
and gent enan ia a stiff cravli, within a year or
two either side Of thirty. entered, in his hat on
elovef; walked up TO the looking glass; arranged
his hair; took off his glove, slowly produced
measure from the uiIefmost depths VI Lis coat peck
Ell; and requested me, ~ a anguld lone TO "unfx"
my strap. compiled, but looked with some Gu
riosly ut his hat, which still upon his head. IL
might have been that, II might have been The hen,
but he took i. of. Their, he sat hm'ef down
on chair opposite 10 me, rested an ann on each
knctI and, isanIng iJfward very much, took from
the ground, by great 'ffJTt, the specimen Of mo
trOpolIian workmanship, which had Just pulled
OIL vhisllIng, pleasantly a. nc did 80 lie turned
u over aid over; surveyed il with a contempt no
language can express; aud inquired IL ! wished
him to Ok me a boot ike tina, / c ufteousy re.
Piled, the, provided the boots wero large enough
would leave the rest to him; that II convenient. nnd
| pruc'ieible, should not object 10 their bearing
SOME resemblance TO tho model then before him.