C§>sze#o ofl
[No. ioy,—Vol. ll.j
THE TABLET
" Where 3 great Man is delicatc in his choice of favor t?s,every
" one courts with greater earoelluefs his countenance and ptoicc-
THOUGH a free and candid disposition is an
amiable quality, there are certain points in
which men should act with shyness and reserve.
The choice of intimate friends and favtorites is
one of the most difficult talks a person ever has to
perform. This difficulty encreafes in proportion
to the eminence of character any one fuflains.
When a man moves in an elevated fpliere, he
auft of course form a very numerous acquaint
ance. It will be requiiite for him to seleCt from
among them, some with whom he may be confiden
tial and communicative. He cannot easily dif
tinguifhthe chara<fter of iliofe who appear to have
claims upon his attention and confidence ; and if
he could properly eflimate them, perhaps poli
cy would forbid him to follow the diiftates ot his
inclination. A great man mult choose such favor
ites, as will meet with the public approbation,
though his own wishes might direct a different
choice. The public opinion may not only be
dilcordant, but it may be fickle. The fame man
may be highly efteemcd by one part of the com
munity, and detested by another. He may be po
pular one day, and odious the next. Thus it ap
pears a person mull ac r t cautiously inchufing his
confidents.
If men in the high offices of government are
heedless in the choice of their atlociates, it will
soon cease to be an honor to be ranked among
their favorites. But when there is delicacy and
judgment discovered in the choice, thole on
whom great men smile will deem themselves ho
nored by their notice. Worthy and refpe<!labl-e
characters will court their attention, and they
may depend on the good will and services of the
wife and virtuous. There is no remedy againlt the
inconvenience of bad counsel, but to have ve
ry few counlellors. If a public inanconiults with
many persons he probably may be deceived with
!refpe<ft to the merit of fomeofthem. He may
bellow confidence it is not deserved. But
this is not the worftof it: By having a great num
ber of intimate friends, a low value will soon be
let upon his friendlhip. It becomes too cheap and
common. None of his friends feel much refpon
lible for the effects of their advice, because the
refponlibility is divided among so many. It be
longs to every man to fix the price of his own
character: He will alvtays fetch what he is worth,
if he demands what he is worth. But if he tri
fles with himfelf, and sets a low value upon his
importance in society, the woild will'alfo think
him of little value.
A discreet line of condurt, and a delicate choice
of associates will give weight, if notluftre to in
different talents. Tliofe who rommitno mistakes,
•will be applauded for virtues they n6ver exercis
ed; and be refpetled for abilities they do not
poflels. Their influence encreales like money at
iiiterell. They meet with no lofles, and what
ever they gain is added to their capital stock. It
is hardly conceivable to what an high degree of
reputation, a man of prudence and circuinfpec
tion may attain. Aud there is nothing in which
a man should be more prudent and circunifpeci
than in the choice of his friends and companions.
ADVERTISEMENT.
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PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS BY 'jOlifi PEKh'O, No. 9, MAIDEN-LANE, NEW-YORK
No. CY
Payments t6 be
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 1790.
AGRICULTURE.
A Correspondent fays that it is with peculiar
•**- pleafurehe observes, that the Preadentin his
speech to both houses of Congress after recom
mending to their confidtrsltion other important
matters, has not omitted to mention, " The ad
vancement of agricukure, commerce, and manu
factures, by all proper fit-us And, «•< The ex
pediency of giving eftedtnal encouragement as
well to the introduction of new, and ufeful in
ventions from abroad, as to the exertions of (kill
and genius in producing them at home," and al
so, " That there is nothing which can better de
l'erve their patronage than the promotion of sci
ence and literature." That " The advancement
of agriculture by all proper means," in an emi
nent degree, demands the attention of every le
gislature is evident from the absolute necefluy of
it. For notwithstanding its indispensable nature,
it is still so little underltood by the generality of
those who follow it, that it is now capable of tli»
greatelt, and inoft rapid improvements under the
nurfing hand of government. It is not only the
tirft, but the molt healthy, molt honorable, and
most exteniively ufeful, and complicated of ail
employments ; to follow which, Kings and Emper
ors have laid down their Crowns, and Sceptres,
and, " f'eized the plough, and greatly indepen
dent lived For this is that art and science alone
on which all the reit entirely depend ; and is, of
itfelf absolutely necellary for the support of liu
i man life : And wherever it is neglected, or un
fkillfully prosecuted, whatever wealth n>ay be ipi
ported from abroad, poverty, and misery will
abound at home : For such ever was, and ever
will be, the fluctuating nature of trade, and com
merce, that thousands, who depend upon them,
may be in affluence to day, and in a ftat,e of beg
gary to-morrow ; which can never be the cafe of
those happy persons who, judiciously, apply ttyein
felves to the most noble, delightful, and indepen
dent art of hulbandry.. Such then being its an-
and 5 would it not be
good policy, in the Tupmne legillature, to nomi
nate, and appoint a proper person, with an ade
quate salary, to continue in office for one year,
or during pleasure, with the appellation of Far
mer-General ; to make annually a tour of the
itate, or states, under their jurifdicftion to regiftcr
the state of the crops, the belt mode of culture,
of folding, and hay railing, and distributing the 1
manure, &c. &c. And the recent improvements
that have been made in any and com
municate, to those who may be willing to lparn
what he knows himfelf, ar has learned frqn} the
experience and practice of other? ; and to
honorable mention of all those Owners, Stewards,
or Overseers of farms whole industry, method,
and prcfeverance may entitle them to it. This
would naturally intpire men of all ranks with an
extraordinary fen fe of the importance ofadue at
tention to this so much neglected art,, and with
a landable emulation to «xcel one another in
what so manileltly tends to their.own, and their
country's honor, intercft, and linppinefs. And
this officer of infpeition and information,by keep
ing a journal, and making notes, and oblervati
ons upon all proper occaiions, to be examined,
and publiflied annually under the of a
committee of agriculture, may colled; an amazing
fund of praitical, agricultural knowledge in a
few years, as into one grand reservoir, from
whence it would continue to flow oil, in numerous
enlightening ttreams, to theremoteft parts of the
empire. " The expediency of giving effectual
encouragement as well to the introduction ofnew,
and ufeful inventions from abroad, as to the ex
ertions of skill, and genius inproduceingthem at
home," needs no comment. But, lieverthelefs,
it may not be amiss to suggest, that enacting a law
to make provision for the authors of ufefuJ inven
tions, discoveries, or performances by granting
patents, or bounties to such, that it would be ex
pedient to make a provisional clause against im
positions, and surreptitious grants ; that all per
sons, when convicted thereof, fliall not only fuf
fer a pecuniary mulct, but restore to the genuine
authors, whether natives, or foreigneis, what
tiiey have tbus fiaudulently obtained, or make
the necellary surrender to government itfelf, of
all, and every thing they have unwarrantably
received, to be applied to the use, and emolument
of those to wlioin it my be justly due. But as to
the neceflity of promoting science, and literature
at the public expence (as it aannot otherwise be
done in any extensive degree) the belt comment,
that can here be given, will )je the President's
own following term of words at full length 011
Hkso
PRICE THREE DOLLARS PR. ANN.
that head : Which display a justness, sincerity,
and energy'of thought andexpreffion so peculiar
to himfelf. " Nor am 1 less purfuaded that yon
will agree with me in opinion, that there is no
thing which can better deserve yonr patronage
than the promotion of science and literature.
Knowledge, is in every country the surest bafisof
public happinefs—ln one, in which the meafcires
bf government receive their impreflion so imme
diately from the fetife or the community asin ours,
it is proportionably eflential. To the security
of a free state it contributes in various ways :
By convincing those who are entrusted with the
public adminiltration, that every valuable end of
government is best answered by the enlightened
confidence of the people: And by teaching the
people tlieinfelves to know, and to value their
own rights ; to discern, and provide against inva
sions of them j to distinguish between opprellioii,
and the necellary exercise of lawful authority ;
between burthens proceeding from a disregard
to their convenience, and those resulting from'
the inevitable exigencies of fociety,to discriminate
the spirit of liberty from that of licentiousness,
■ cherishing the firlt, avoiding the last, and uniting
a fpeedy,but temperate vigilance against encroach
ments, with an inviolable respect to the laws.
Whether this desirable object will be best pro
moted by affording aids to seminaries of learning
already eftabliflied, by the institution of a nation
al univerftty, or by any other expedient, will be
I well worthy of a place in the deliberations of the
I legillature. Virginia Cazttti.
CONGRESS.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH if.
Report of Committee on the bUmorialt of iht people called Quaker r,
under confiderotion.
(Mr. Smith's (S. C.) Speech continued.)
IT has been feid that the toleration Of slavery brings dpwn re
proach on America. It only brings reproach w\ tHose wh<?
tolerate if, and we are ready to bear our (hare. We knorir that
none but prejudiced and uncandid persons, who have hastily
fidered tjie f bjeft and are ignorant of the real situation of the
Southern States, throw out these insinuations. We found slavery
ingrafted in the very policy of the country when we were born,
and we are persuaded of the impolicy of removing it; if it be a
moral evil, it is like many ofhers which exist in all civilizcd coun
tries and which the world quietly fubm t to. Humanity has been
a topic of declamation on this fubjeft : that sentiment has difFer r
ent operations on different individuals, and he bad it in his pow
er to Ihew, that humanity fir ft gave origin to the transportation of
flavcs from Africa into America. Bartholomew de las
bilhop of Chiapa, a Spaniard renowned for his humanity and vir
tues, in order to save the Indians in South America from slavery.
prevailed on his monarch to substitute Africans, which were ac
cordingly on the coaflof Africa and shipped to the Spa
nifb colonies to work in the mines : this appears 10 Robeitfon's
hiftoiyof America, which Mr. Smith quoted. At this day the
Spaniards give confiderable'encouragement to the transportation
of slaves into their islands. Mr. Smith read the e<Ji& for that pur
pose.
Another bbje&ion is, that slavery vitiates and debases the mind
of the owner of this fort of property. Where, said he, is th£
proof of this allegation ? Do the citizens of the Southern States
exhibit more ferocioufnefs in their manners, more barbarity in
their dispositions than those of the other States ? Are ciimes morp
frequently committed there ? A proof of the absurdity of this
charge may be found in the writings of those who wish to dissem
inate this m'fehievnus idea, am d,yet, in their relation of fatts, con
tradict it thcmfelves. They lay down general principles which
they take upon credit from others, or which they publish with fiw
nifter views, and wken they enter into a detail of the hiftorv of
those tfaey overset their own dottrines. Thus* one writer
tells us. that the Southern citizen who is educated in principles o£
superiority to the (lave? which surround him, has no idea of go
vernment, obedience and good order, till he mingles with the
liardy and free fp'.rited yeomanry of the north, and that after
mixing with tlvjm, he will return home with his mind more en
larged, his views more liberalized, and his affe&ions rf&ified*
and become a more generous friend to the rights of human na
ture : but hear what the Eastern traveller is to learn by vifitin#
the enflav'.d regions of the South t He will fee fays the fame writ
er immediately after, industry crowned with affluence* indepen
dence, Viofpitality, liberality of manners ; and notwithflanding the
prevalence of doroeftic slavery* he will find the noblest sentiments
I of freedom and independence to predominate ; he will extol their
enterprize, art and ingenuity, and will reflect that nature is wife,
and that Providence in the diftiibution of its favors* is not capri
cious* Take another striking inftaoce of this contradiction from
Morse's geography ; he fays, that there are more slaves than free
persons in South-Carolina, ajid mentions the mischievous influ
ence of slavery on their manners, which, he observes, by exempt
ing them from the neccflity of labor, leads to luxury, difiipatiort
and extravagance, and favors too much of a haughty, supercilious
behavior ; that the inhabitants want that enterprize and persever
ance which are ncceffary for the attainment of the arts and sciences,
that they have few motives to enterprize, and too generally reft
contented with barely knowledge enough to tranfaft the com
mon affairs of life. Now for the authors proofs : they are con
tained in these words : " Ma'iy ot the inhabitants spare no pains
nor expence in giving the highefl polish of education to theirchil
dren : literature begun to flourifli since the peace ; fevcral
flourif.'hing academies and colleges have been established ; the la
dies have an engaging foftnefs and delicacy in their manners ;
theatrical exhibitions have been prohibited by law ; gaming of
all kinds is more difoountenanced than in any of the Southern
Staff s ; all denominations of religion are on an equal footing ;
comi nerce is flotnifhing, economy is becoming more fafhionable,
and \ Hence begins to spread her salutary influence among the ci
tizen r'' But was South-Carolina, at the cortim en ccmcnt of the