Having a retrospective view of the pacific difpofition (I will not call it policy, because the term fe ms to belg exclufively to the cabinets of the Eastern Continent) of the American Government, and in whofe power remains the fulfilling of this axiomatic prophecy, it appears to me, that the period muft indeed be very diftant, when the transfer into other hands fhall take place, if the writer means by other bands the American Government. -He certainly does inunuate as much, or his meaning is not to be comprehended. Is it then to be accomplished by an illicit commerce, carried on by the fettlers of Louiliana? which, he says, any attempt on the part of Spain to fupprets, will be fucceeded by open violence; and that even the American Government will be unable to prevent the fettlers from buriting into Mexico. In process of time, there is no doubt of this illicit commerce being carried on to a very confiderable degree. Spain will find, Ifhould imagine, no more difficulty in tolerating a trade of this nature, than he does in the people of different European nations, and particularly the English, who derive from this very fpecies of trade, carried on between fome of the Leeward Iflands and the Spanish Main, an immenfe profit. To the Americans this advantage will be great, becaufe they will ferve the Spaniards with the fame kinds of goods which they get from the Leeward Islands, and they will thus fhare with them the profit of fuch a trade. In this point of view the Americans will not, however, obtain the ftewardfhip of the South-American treafures, which muft fuppofe all her precious metals to pass through their hands: but they will receive a great deal of hard cash; and as they are principally the lighter kinds of goods which are fent to the Sparifh main, they will be purchased in the British market. The fecond point which I fhall notice is, what your Correfpondent fays refpecting the American Government obtaining more territory than they had occafion for, added to what was before already too bulky, and having laid an immenfe charge on their ufeful poffeffions, in order to add to thefe which will not only be abfolutely ufelefs, but bur henfome. It has been a commonly received opinion, that a government may have too extenfive a territory, merely because it is extentive, which is abfurd; cr, becaufe of fome adventìtious circumstances, as difference of climate and productions, difficulty of land which, if net abfard, is inconfiftent; be caule, taking the United States for an example, fome of these particulars are different from one another in all the Eastern States, and very different even in many parts of almost any one State. Yet this very argument, if it can be called one, would go to fittering the Federal Union to atoms. Juft intancing the immenfe empires of China and Ruffia, the former in its prefent high state of civilization, and the latter rapidly advancing in the fame career, I would afk, why territory is too bulky for a government? And I would venture to anfwer, o ly in cafes where the ignorance of a government is too bulky for territory; or, in other wrds, when it is not fufficiently enlightened to frame laws which thail embrace the general interefts of the people, but fhell favour fome parts in preference to others, or one branch of national profperity in preference to another. That fuch impolicy was the cause of the two inturrections within the pace of fix years, there can fcarcely be a doubt. The infurrections took their rife in the back country of Pennfylvaria, behind the Alleghany Mountain; and to ftate the cale as fairly as poffible, I will observe, that the fettlers of that country having no market for their extra-grain, diftilled it into whiskey, fome of which they confumed themfelves, fome they vended to the new comers, who, upon fettling among them, had occation for a stock, and a great deal was fold to the numerous emigrants embarking at Pittsburg, upon the Ohio, for Kentucky, &c.; and as what remained far exceeded the quantity confumed by themselves, and fold to others, it became dead ftock on hand. A very heavy duty was originally laid upon ftills, which, when the inhabitants of thefe parts began to work, either did not strike them as oppreffive, or having for fometime been difgufted and difpirited in not meeting, with a vent for their produce down the Ohio and Miffiffippi, they were fuddenly enlivened with the profpect of a beneficial manufactory of their grain into whifkey. It might easily, however, be foreseen that, in the courfe of a few years, the dead frock of whiskey, peach, and apple brandy, would fo accumulate, that all the profit of the former years, arising from the fale of thefe articles, would be locked up in it. This was precifely the cafe, if I am not very much mistaken; and nothing was more natural to expect, than· that the people would call out loudly for the free navigation of the Miffiffippi, as the the only means to prevent fuch another dilemma. They did fo; but the government instead of endeavouring to alleviate their fituation by remitting the duty on filis, or, which, perhaps, would have been the best plan, by reimburfing them in proportion to the dead flock on hand, fatisfied itfelf with alluring them, that every attention was paying to their interefts in its negocia ons with Spain, refpecting the free navigation of the Mif filippi. Things continued in this ftate for fometime, till defpair urged the people to take up arms to refift more effectually the paying of the duty upon fills. But, though they certainly acted unconftitutionally, yet I never heard that they had any other view in their infurrections, than to ftimulate the Federal Govern ment to obtain for them a market, or a remiffion of the duty upon fils. The former object could only be accomplished by the free navigation of the Miffiffippi; and the latter, though it might have been a juft and conciliatory meafure, yet it would only have afforded a partial and trifling relief. It would have argued too, in the minds of fome people, fear and weakness on the part of the government, which might have emboldened other parts of the States to make fimilar demands, and ultimately caufed complete anarchy. Nothing, however, appeared in the proclamations of the infurgents, nor did any hint or difcuffion take place amongst them in their private or public capacity, which could authorife your Correfpondent to infinuate, that they wished for a feparation from the Federal Union, and to fet up a government of their own. I never heard this project laid to the charge of any of their chiefs, of whom lawyer Brenkenridge, of Pittsburg, was one. Suppofing one motive for this purchafe of Louifiana was, as your Correfpondent fays, "to prevent a fchifin in the United States, which, by the very means taken to avoid it, is rendered abfolutely certain at a future period," it certainly was wife and politic in the government not to run the risk of an abfolute fchifm at the prefent day; and if it hould hereafter take place, no blame can attach to government on that account. Why your Correfpondent fhould, from his mode of reafoning, prefer a fchifm at present, to one in future, I am at a lofs to conceive, unlefs I were to conjecture, that it might be gratifying to him to see the "weak and impolitic government" hampered, in the fame manner as Wathington's was, with infurrection; when, no doubt, it would be a favourable occafion to lay the fchifm at its doors, for not forefeeing and preventing it by the very meature which it has fortunately adopted. This certainly would have afforded a chance of fetung America against the present adminiftration, and might have digufted the latter into a refignation of thofe offices which would be filled by the favourites of fome gentlemen. Perhaps your Correipondent means, that the attempts at a fchifm will be more formidable in future, than they could have been at prefent. If a feparation fhould generally appear defirable at a future period, in the name of common sense, humanity, policy, and mutual intereft, let the Federal Government itself, if it fhould be conftitutional, decree that feparation: but at all events, let it acknowledge the independence of the Weftern Country, in cafe it be claimed. But, at prefent, it is not able to protect itself; and fuppofe a fchifm had been attempted, had not Louitiana been purchafed, it would have been the imperious duty of the Federal Government to have endeavoured to prevent it by expoftulation and remonftrance; and, if thofe means had failed, to have used force, because the Western Country would have become a prey to fome other power, and might have been a thorn in the back of the Eastern States. Your Correfpondent muft certainly be miftaken in afferting, "That the expence of the purchafe, viz. fixteen millions of dollars, mult ultimately fall upon the northern and fouthern divifions, and therefore it is no wonder that they have ftrenuously oppofed it." If my memory be correct, the fecretary of the treasury, Albert Gallatin, ftated, that there would be no occafion for new taxes to pay the intereft of this fixteen millions; and as the principal was not to be difcharged till after the expiration of a certain term of years, there was every reason to believe, from fair and found calculation, that the increasing revenue, arifing from an increafing population and trade, and from the progreffive fale of Congre's lands, would, before the expiration of that term, afford more than an amply fufficient forplus to discharge the principal.—But fuppofing that not to be the cafe, and that new taxes must be laid to difcharge both intereft and principal, fill the North Western territory, Kentucky, the South Western territory, and Louisiana, will contribute, in proportion to their population, towards paying those taxes, with the other ftates of the Union. 3Y 2 If If I might hazard a conje&ture from what motive the oppofition of the Nor thern and Southern divifions to this purchafe arifes, I would only afk, whether they do not apprehend a lofs of the cuítom of the Western merchants, who, instead of coming twice a year to their fea-ports to purchafe goods, will get them from New Orleans in exchange for produce; and the difference of distance, and length of time require to fail up the Miffiffippi and the Ohio will be no obftacle, provided the traffic is mutually advantageous. Your Correfpondent mentions the " vaft extent of the United States being detrimental to them before this purchase, because it drew off and feattered the population, and militated against their improve. ment and fecurity, which are only to be obtained by a feady fettlement." This is certainly one of the most important topics connected with the difcuffion of the question and though his opinion might apply to European ftates, in confequence of the predominance of war, yet I think it perfectly inapplicable to America, and I infer the directly oppofite confequences from that drawing off and fcattering of the population, which he does. The climate, the agricultural, the domestic manufacturing interefts of America, demand a widely fcattered population. In all countries where the climate is warm, a crowded, or even a mo. derate quantum of population, has been attended with the greatest inconvenience and moft deplorable calamity. The banks of the Ganges in India, the city of Conftantinople, Smyrna, Cairo, Alexandria, Algiers, Tunis, Lifbon, and London, have been visited by that most dreadful of all fcourges, the plague; and though I am far from faying that the crowded population has been the caufe of it, yet there is no doubt of its aggravating it, and that it was a great fufferer by it. The population adds to the heat of the climate in a most extraordinary and incalculable degree by its breath, its various eftablish ments which require fire, and caufe fmoke and team. The fea-ports of America, though under the belt-regulated police, and Philadelphia in particular, have fmarted feverely for feveral years by the vifitation of the yellow fever; and though it might be conjectured that nothing of the kind would have taken place in Phila. delphia, and perhaps the other ports, had not the quays and wharfs, and con tiguous treets, been injudiciously built upon and crowded together, for mercan tile convenience as a plea, but, in reality for fhort-fighted cupidity, yet, it will not be denied that there were the confequences of an increafing trade and an extenfive population. Had Philadelphia remained stationary at one half of its prefent fize, it is problematical whether the fever would have made its appearance; and if it had, the calamity would not have been fo grievous, and the chance of extirpation and preven tion in future would have been greater. A chie and concentrated population cannot be favourable to agriculture, becaufe the commercial eftablishments, which are always fubfitting in fuch a state, create artificial wants; and the almoft fure, but moderate, profits of the farmer, will not afford him the means of living like the merchant; therefore, all the people in towns must either be in trade, or depend in fome fhape or other upon it. While America has fuch immenfe tracts. of land to cultivate, it is her duty, as well as her real and folid intereft, to dire&t the attention of her citizens to agricultural purfuits, which muft, of course, caufe a very fcattered population. Upon extenfive plantations, where the negroes cannot be fully employed all the year, the domeftic manufactory of cotton, hemp, and flax, into goods for the wear of the houfehold, cherishes a fpirit of industry highly favourable to the health, the profperity, the morality, and happiness of the people. The fpirit, nay, I may call it, the very effence, of independence and res publicanifm refides in this fcattered population, which conftitutes the bulwark of the Federal Union; and which, removed farther in circumftances and fituation from European luxuries than the cities, knows not the want of them, and, having refources within itself, proved to America what it could do in the day of battle against regular and veteran armies, It has thus given an earnest of what may be expected from it, whenever the govern ment fhall have occafion for its patriotiẩm and courage. No one can doubt that there is more reverence paid to the patriarchal authority of families, and a purer and more fincere homage rendered to the Father of the Univerfe, in the fcattered population of America, than in the towns and cities. If there be not real virtue, the is a negative kind, by the absence of giaring vices, which, perhaps, is as much as can be expected in this imperfect state of being. Your Correfpondent calls the people who are going to fettle in Louisiana, “a restless, reftlefs, enterprifing, and ungovernable horde; no better than a horde of Tartars;" and this character he gives generally to the inhabitants of the Western territory. "If a family leave a hut to go about their daily labour, at their return, they find it perhaps taken possession of by new comers, who will difpute with them the poffeffion-no tenure being acknowledged among them, but that of occupancy; no right, but that of fuperior torce." This, indeed, is a molt tremendous blow aimed at the character of Western America; but it is fo very eafy to affert without proving, that any perfon may write an account of people at a diftance, which halt grofly misreprefent and flander them. I am forry this feems to be the unfortunate predicament of this writer; and it behoves every friend to truth and mankind to let him right, if he be miftaken, and to xpofe him, if he be guilty of wilful mitreprefentation. The fettling of America from eaft to weft, has generally been preceded by what is called the Back Woods people, who, being fond of hunting and a wild life, affimilate themfelves as much as poffible to the Indians in their drefs, manners, and habits. There is a confiderable number of them in the back woods of the Western country, but it bears a very trifling proportion, not one to twenty of the whole population of regular fettlers. All the unappropriated land in the North Western territory, Kentucky, and the South Weftern territory, belongs to Congrefs; and in every county of thefe ftates there is, what is called a Location-office, for land purchafed of Congrefs by individuals. When a perfon has fixed upon a lot of land, he has it measured conjointly by his own furveyor and one appointed by authority; after which, he takes pofleffion by putting a few logs of wood together, as if going to build a hut. He then receives a map of it from the locationoffice, which defcribes the figure, contents, fituation, &c. of it; and, likewile, a certificate of the purchase, the time it was made, name or names of the furveyors, &c. which is to him a bona fide deed of fale. It is by this legal mode, and not folely by occupancy, that the lands are generally taken poffeffion of and held by the Western people. It is well known in curing the abolition of odious and unconftitutional laws, by recurring to the genuine and found principles of their con ftitution, by a rigidly economical management of their finances, and by a truly enlightened love of liberty and their country. If this purchase of Louisiana, and these deeds of patriotifm and difpofitions of heart, entitle them to be thought "weak and impolitic" by the writer, the Americans differ from him in opinion. America can no more be involved in the vortex of European politics by this purchate, than he was when groaning under the fpoliations committed upon her trade by the belligerent powers during the last war. Let her conduct be fuch as it was then, in cafe any untoward circumstances should call forth her energies to affert her rights and procure redress for her wrongs. Let her ufe the mild language of reprefentation, remonftrance, and negociation; and if dire neceffity fhould force her to the dernier refort, let her courage be as great in war, as her moderation is in peace, and the need not fear the refult. But America, though right perhaps, in forming commercial alliances, fhould, by all means, avoid political ones, as having a fure tendency to lead her into that state, which your Correfpondent affects to deprecate. In his firft declamation against tyranny, he would imprefs the Americans with a prospect of the deplorable dilemma in which they will be placed, in case Britain is proftrated at the feet of France. America hates all fpecies of tyranny, and her fate would be truly pitiable, were the to attend to the fuggeftions of selfinterefted and impaffioned European policy, by forming alliances with powers, who are inflated by ambition, and whofe fole objects are riches, dom nion, and selfaggrandizement. Let her be true to herfelf, and one word marks her characterone word fhews the nature of her alliances, and the extent of them—it is, Peace with all the world! Prefcot, April 26, 1804. N. H. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, America, that the prefent adminiftration AS your valuable Magazine feems to had no occafion, as a temporary fhift, to gain popularity, which this writer boldly afferts, to purchafe Louifiana. They had already fecured the applaufe of a very great majority of the Americans, by pro be particularly addreffed to the literary world, I fhali beg leave to direct the attention of your readers to a work of confiderable merit, in the hope that it may find among them a tranflator. The work I al. I allude to, is entitled Difputationes Camal dulenjes. The following account of this performance is given by the Rev. Mr. Grefwell: "Lorenzo de' Medici, the true Mæ:enas of his age, (ays he) with a view to pats the fultry featon more agreeably, having affembled fome of the most eminent literary perfons in the grove of Camaldoli, amongst whom were Marfilio Ficino, Donato Acciajuoli, Alamanno Rinuccini, Chriftofero Landino, and Leon Battifta Alberti; and the converfation turning on fuch topics as might be expected, the latter in feveral learned difcourfes fatistactorily proved, that under many of the fictions of the Æneid the fublimeft myfteries of philofopny were concealed; and that Virgil was in reality a philofopher in the difguife of a poet. The tubftance of his discourfes on this occafion, was record ed by Landing, and published in his work entitled Difputationes Camaldulenfes." To the various merits of this work Mr. Roscoe bears teftimony, while, at the fame time, he opens a moft pleafing and interefting view of it. Is it not to be wondered at that a work fo recommended fhould still remain un-tranflated, while the English prefs groans with tranflations of the flimfy and immoral modern productions of France and Germany! I shall also beg leave, Sir, to direct the notice of your readers to another work of confiderable merit, which will too, I trust, find a tranflator among them, I mean the Dialogue on the Viciffitudes of Fortune, by Poggio Bracciolini.-This Dialogue, fays Mr. Shepherd, inculcates maxims of fublime philofophy, enforced by a detail of fplendid and ftriking events. The account which it contains of the changes which took place in Italy at the end of the fourteenth, and at the commencement of the fifteenth centuries, prefents a fuccinct and clear view of the politics of that period; and the Journey of the Venetian traveller merits the attentive peruial of the curious inquirer into the history of mankind." To this powerful recommendation of the work in queftion by the able biographer of Poggio, I fhall only add, that I hope the Dialogue on the Viciffitudes of Fortune will foon appear in an English garb. Permit me to enquire whether or not the Dramaturgia of Leffing, or L'Estratto dell arte Poetica d' Ariftatile, e confiderazione fu la medefima, by Metastafio, have been yet tranflated into English? With the merits of the former, Mr. Pye has made us acquainted; and of the latter, a flight analytis is given by Dr. Burney. Before I difpatch these loose hints for tranflators, I fhal beg leave to recommend a new verfion of Ovid's Elegies, with notes illuftrative of the curious and intereffing history of his exile; a subject which has been treated poetically by Politiano, and hiftorically by the laborious Tirabofchi. It is hardly neceffary to add, that when any one determines to undertake a tranflation of any well-known work, he fhould publicly announce his intention. This precaution, for obvious reasons, is not necellary in the cafe of an original work. I am, &c. A. B. Feb. 4, 1804. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, zine for May, Dr. Stenhoufe's cure OBSERVE in your intelligent magafor the gout, which truck me fo forcibly for its fimplicity, &c. that I haftened to communicate it to a friend of mine, whofe extremities are frequently afflicted with that painful diforder; but an elderly lady to whom I mentioned the mode of cure by team, feemed fo agitated by the fuggef tion, from a recollection of the ill effects this prefcribed mode had upon her great-uncle, a gentleman in London, that I fufpend the intended communication till I have the following questions fully anfwered, or the ill-effects of this mode refuted; for the purp fe of which I fubmit to Dr. Stenhoule the following recital, which, for the good of the public, I hope he will not refule to elucidate. The gentleman above alluded to was fo violently afflicted with the gout, from his knees to his lower extremities, that he was induced to try the effects of fteam: he food over a tub of boiling water, which occafioned a powerful team to flow upwards all over his body. A Friend of his coming in at the fame time, feemed surprifed at this novel experiment, and exclaimed, What are you doing? Oh! any thing for eafe-any thing for eafe! which feemed the momentary effect. But alas! the real effect was, in a fhort time, to throw up the gout in his ftomach, and occafion his immediate death. Such a recital neceffarily alarmed me, leaft any one should hastily adopt this prefcribed mode of cure, before Dr. Stenhoufe, or his friend, had made a more full and varied trial of it. I am fully of the opinion it may be fafe to practice it, when the inflammation is con |