[No. LVI.] THE TABLE T.—No. LVL tt The more untaught and inconftderate men are, thi wore entirely they are fivayedby the (tajjion that is uf< fervioft- THOSE who aflert, that human nature is. the fame in all ages and situations, do not speak with precision. The observation is, partly true ; hut it is not wholly 10. Men ad:, equally in all It ages of society, under the impulse of such motives as have the ftrongell influence.— Civilisation does not destroy the passions, nor pre vent the mind from being warped by prejudices. In different situations, however, different passions take the lead ; and men of education and reflec tionlearn to make one palfion fabfer'vient to ano ther infucil a degree, that that, which from pre sent circuihftances might befuppofed uppermost, is not the predominating one. This is the effect of aAing by system, and controuling the mental operations by habits of order and felf-denial.— Some men, though they are constantly exposed to opposition, and meet with a thousand rubs and difficulties, seldom exhibit any marks of rcleiit ment or disquietude. The paflion of anger re sides in such a breast, as much as it does in one, that appears more turbulent and untraceable.— But a sensible man knows that uidefs he governs his fpltit,he will defeat his own views; and this niakes him conquer his anger, by Subjecting it to the stronger fwdy of avarice or ambition. Thus itappeais that human nature may befo managed, that it cannot, judging from appearances and ef fects, becalled'precifely the fame in all situations. Perfons,who have lived long under the reflraint of food laws, and have been blelfedwith the re fined regulation's of civilized life, are changed in toadifferent kind of beings, from tliofevrho have been educated under rude or careless jnmtutions. The force of the passions is not only restrained, but their bent and direction becomes very differ ent. A well-bred man will not quarrel with his family or neighbors. He overlooks those little mistakes and incidents which throw a clown into petulance and anger. The objects which employ the mind of an ambitious citizen are calculated to (often and humanize the temper, and silence the impetuosity of palfion, which rages with such violence in low fcertes of life. No'conjecture can be formed how humane and amiable men may be rendered by more perfeift inltitmions'and laws. Were a person only ac quainted with the conduct of people in obfeure villages, he would not conceive it possible, how great a difference of deportment prevailed in cultivated fjciety. May we not extend the idea, and anticipate improvements in the art of happy living as far fu j»eri or to any that have yet been ex perienced, as the belt lpecimens now known are to the word? To live quietly and happily is a science which can be learned by fludy and atten tion. The bell natural disposition, and the grea test sincerity of heart, which man ever poflefled, will not feeure his friends againll hisunfocial pas sions, unless by art and education he has been taught to curbthem. I will close this speculation by an extract from an author who underltood well the contexture of the human mind. His remarks are sprightly and sensible. " Persons that are well-educated have learned to study their ease and the comforts of life ; to tye themselves up to certain rules and decorums for their own advantage, and often f übmit to small inconveniencies to avoid greater. Among the lowest vulgar, and tliefe of the meanest educa tion at all, you seldom fee a lasting harmony ; you shall fee a man and his wife, that have a real affection for one another, be full of love one hour and disagree the next about a trifle ; and the lives of many are made miferablo, from 110 other fault in themselves than the want of manners and dil cretion. Without design, they will loften talk imprudently, till they raise one another's anger, which neither of them being able to ftifle—fhe scolds at him—he beats her—(he bursts into tears —this moves him—he is lorry—both repent, and are friends again—and with all the sincerity imaginable resolve never to quarrel for the fu ture, as long as they live : All this will pals be tween them in less than half a day, and will per haps be repeated once a month or oftener, as provocations offer, or either of them is more or less prone to anger. Affection never remained long uninterrupted between two persons without art ; and the befl friends, if they are always to gether, will fall out, unless great discretion be used on both fides." A N E C £> 0 1' E. IT was a faying ofthe late King of Prussia, that " Life was iuPa dream, and that the heft dream, 0 man could have, mo:/ld" be, that he was King of Krance were he, however, alive now, lie would hold a different language. (Da~cttc S A T. U R D A Y, October 24, 1739. I E T T R. S Written in Holland, in the Tear M,DCC,LXXX By His Excellency THE VICE-PRESIDENT of the Un it ed States.. LETTERIV.. Amsterdam, Oct. 6,1780. SIR, \ OUR fourth question is," Whether America, " in and oj ttfclj, by means ofpurchajing or exchang " ' ,n S p r »duttions offeveral Provinces, would be " able to continue the war for fix, eight, or ten years, " even if they were deprived of the trade with Europe ; " or their allies, exhaujled by the war, and forced to " make afcparate peace, were to leave them ?" Tliis is an extreme cafe—And where is the ne cessity of putting fucha f'uppofition ? Is there the least appearance of France or Spain being ex liaufted by the war ? Are not their resources much greater than those of England, separated as Die is from America ? Why should a suspicion be en tertained that France or Spain will make a sepa rate peace ? Are not these powers fufficiently in terested in feparatiug America from s England ? All the world knows, that their maritime power, and the poflelHon of their colonies, depend upon separating them. Such chimeras as these are art fully propagated by the English, to terrify stock jobbers ; but thinking men, and well informed men, know that France and Spain have the moil prelfing motives to persevere in the war. Besides, infractions so infamous, of solemn treaties made and avowed to all mankind, are not committed by any nation. In short, no man, who knows any thing of the real wealth and power of England 011 one hand,and of the power and resources ofF ranee, Spain and America, 011 the other, can believe it poflible, in the ordinary course of human events, and without the interposition of miracles, that France and Spain should be so exliaufted by the war, as to be forced to make a separate peace. Theother fuppofitionhere made is equally ex treme. It is in the nature of things impolfible that America should ever be deprived entirely of the trade of Europe. In oppofuion to one extreme I have a right to advance another And I fay, that ifall the maritime powers of Europe were to unite their navies, to block up the American ports, and prevent the trade of Europe, they could not whol ly prevent it. All the men of war in Europe would not be fufficienttoblockup afea-colt of two thou (and miles in extent, varied, as that of America is, by such an innumerable multitude of ports, bays, harbors, rivers, creeks, inlets, andiflands ; with a coast so tempestuous, that there are many occasions, in the course of the year, when merchant vellels can push out and in, although men of war cannot cruise. It should be remembered, that this war was maintained by America for three years, before France took any part in it: during all that time the English had fifty men of war upon that coast, which is a greater number than they ever will have again : yet all their vigilance was not fufficient to prevent American trade with Europe. At the worst time we everfaw, onevef fel in three went and came fafe. At present there is not one in four taken. It should also be re membered, that the French navy have never, until tliis year, been many days together upon the A nierican coast. So that we have in a sense main tained the trade of the continent five years, against all that the English navy could do, and it has been growing every year. Why then should we put cases, that we know can never happen ? However, I can inform you, that the cafe was often put before this war broke out —and I have heard the common farmers in A merica reasoning upon these cases seven years I have heard them fay, If Great Britain could build a wall of brass, a thousand feet high, all along the sea-coast, at low-water mark, we could live and be happy. America is most un doubtedly capable of being the most independent country upon earth. It produces every thing for the necessity, comfort, and conveniency of life— and many of the luxuries too. So that if there were an eternal separation bet\yeen Europe and America, the inhabitants of America would not only live but multiply, and, for what I know, be wil'er, better, and happier, than they will be, as it is. That it would be unpleasant and burthenfoine to America to continue the war for eight or ten years, is certain : But -will it not be unpleasant and burthenfoine to Great Britain too ?—There are three and four millions of people in America. The kingdom of Sweden, that of Den mark, and even the republic of the United Pro vinces, have not each of them many more than that number—yet these States can maintain large standing armies even in time of peace, and main tain the expences of courts and governments, much more coltly than the governments of Ame- [Publijhed on IV cdnefday and Saturday .J rica. What then lliould liinder America from maintaining an army fufficient to defend her al ters, and her fire-lides ? The Americans are as a