[No. 107. —Vol. ll.j THE TABLET No. CVII. " Wrong headed blockheads when they help intend, '•* Plague while they serve, and hurt while they befriend." I AM of the opinion that people fiiftain more inconvenience thro the ignorance and folly, than they do thro the malice or treachery of those with whom they are concerned. 11 is uiUc-h ealter to counterwork the actions of bad men, than of weak ones. Knaves may be retrained by a variety of checks, from doing the tnifchief which they meditate, and may be punilhed for the crimes they actually commit. The whole ■world is, as it were, armed against their enor mities. But there can be 110 effectual precaution againftthe mismanagement of fools. Their mis takes indicate no perverfenefs of heart, and can neither deserve punishment or excite resentment. How can we reproach a man when he meant us no harm ? How can we guard against his errors, when he has not discernment to ekape them him felf ? It too often happens, that we impute mifcar riagesto the bad intentions of those we employ. We do not so readily fufpetft that men judge or calculate wrong, as that they intend wrong. But thefacfl is otlierwife j and it will be lound, upon a critical examination, that error of judgment is the main source of public as well as private dif- Orders. There is hardly a more common cha racter in society than that of a marplot. This fort of people are the more dangerous, as theyfel dom attempt to do a good tuin, which docs not terminate in a real disadvantage. Their zeal to fevve us makes us accept of their services ; and when they have committed one miitake, they are so lorry for it, that we let them run into more blunders to atone for what are past. A marplot is most vexatious in public transac tions ; because it then is more in his power to betray stupidity without incurring contempt,and propagate error without rifquing detection. In pUbTic affairs there is i. great diversity of opinion ; and in questions of alpeculative nature, declaim ers of folly screen their impotency under profef lioiis of patriotiftn. The appearance of patrio tic zeal is too fafcinating not to give popularity to the man who discovers it. Thus it happens that weak men, who are a perpetual marplot upon the plans of the prudent and knowing, insinuate themfch'cs into the public confidence. This is an inconvenience that all countries and ages have experienced. There is no pollible remedy against it. People will listen to tliofe whom they sup pose to be their friends ; and it is peculiarly the character of a marplot to be officious in offering his good services. Hemuft be employed because he means well, and he will do hurt, bccaufe he li3S not discernment enough to do good. It would be a fortunate circumstance in the management of public affairs, if mankind'looked more to the qualifications of those to whom they committed their concerns. If men have underltanding they will leek the public prosperity, because it is their • interelt to do it ; but if they are deilitute of ca pacity they will counteract the public weal, be cause they can never know in what it consists. A wrong headed man, however lionell he maybe, cannot be supposed to concert proper measures, since it is obvious that reason and propriety can never alfimilate with his character. Whatever he suggests will be tinged with the quality of the fountain, from which it flows. Wife men only can conceive wife institutions. POLITICIANS. NO country, perhaps, in the habitable globe, contains so raanv government amenders and declaimers on the fubje<ft of Conititutions, as the United States.—Every man feenis to think himfelf born a Legislator, and is generally so te nacious of his own darling sentiment, that unless it is adopted, he is continually complaining. But this truth, advanced by the Soi.on ofourcoun try, ought to be known:—That the experience of the world hath shewn, that a person " may de lend the principles of liberty, and the rights of mankind with great abilities, and yet after all, ■when called upon to propose a plan of Legislati on, he may aftonilh the world with a signal ab surdity . TIE great and important fubjeft of agriculture, having bertl recommended to the notice of the national Legiilature, by the Frefidem of the United States ; it will doubtless arrest their at tention—and is there any thing of more consequence to the prof pefity, -wealth and independence of the United States ? The pre sent appears to be the crisis when the cultivators of the foil, ihould xeceive the tokens of Legislative patronage.—Manufattures are the o&pxing of agricultafc—aftd tnuft form the basis of al) profitable ■ Xpeoilatiaß. PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS BY JOHN f£,\XO, No 9, MAIDEN-LANE, NEW-YORK AGRICULTURE. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 1790 PROSPECT OF NORTH-BRITAIN. By Dr. MITCHILL." (l Scotch arc proud of their JL Lock-Lomond. And truly the lake with its contained islands, aud neighboring moun tains, exhibits a mingled scene ofteauty andfub limity. From the summit of the lofty Ben Lo mond, there is the grandeil profpe<3a I ever en joyed. Fortunately, when 1 was on ic the wea ther was so serene and the atmosphere so free from clouds, that one of my companions who had ascended the mountain more than a dozen times, said he had never had so fair a view of the sur rounding objecfts. Southward the lake with its twenty iilands,the village of Lufs,the mansions of Camltraddon and Bonhill, and beyond Smollet's sumptuous monument beside the river Leven, the town and castle of Dunbarton and the Firth of Clyde appeared beautifully in view ; further than these, port Glalgow, Greenock, the islands of Bute and Arran and the Craig of Ailfa, toge ther with a part of Ayre-Shire and the Atlantic Ocean, lay fairly displayed. Westward, beside Lock-Long and Lock Fyne, feveraloftlie Hebri des were -visible, and in particular the heights of Ifla, the Paps of Jura and the mountains of Mull could be clearly discerned. Northward the stu pendous Highlands, extending in the Shires of Perth, Breadalbaine and Argyle, away toward Lochaber and Inverness, as far as the eye could comprehend, afforded a fight ot rude grandeur and wild sublimity, that delighted beyond de scription. Eastward, Lock-Ard, Enrick water, Lock-Law, the city and castle of Stirling, the hills of Fyfe-Shire, the river Forth and the arm ot the German Sea were plainly seen ; and had there not been a hazy portion of air a little to ward the South, it was judged that the castle of Edinburg, Sallbury Craig, the Calton and Pent land hills, and Arthur's leat might have been descried." * TTiis gentfrnran n preparingfrt of Experiments to tTyttie qualities of the different kinds of timber, and of different prefer vativc vainilhcs, in icfilting thr fslt.-waicr pipe-worm. His bud has been infer ibed with the following vnfc,compolcd, as is thought by the Roman Nai tius — Intmd Mdt-ura nitidr feiutralie parait. fOR THE GAZ.EI " Admiration ar.J.uptabxjr.ee are incompatible." I Would question t i.e'reality of this,tor the honor ofourfpeeies, when taken literally—and lam induced to think it vill not hold good as a general truth, even »'itli ilie n<cefliiry exceptions, which in all general rules are admired. it human na ture admits not ot perfection, yet it is not so wholly depraved as ro cxclnde both from senti ment and conduit, every thing noble and meri torious. Any thing intrinlically excellent inspires us with admiration-—and tho there are compara tively few persons poflellingthe eflentials for this, we are not in confequeiue juftifiable in aflerting that none have them. It requires a considerable proportion, 110 doubt, of amiable qualities to counter-balance the numerous propensities to folly, and the many a<flions which deierve the epithet of littleness. Still he who admits the a bove position as fufliciently evident, holds a doc trine extremely felf-debafing. tor depreciate the supposed excellence only of human na ture, and you eventually humble that defiie of eminence of which few, very few are wholly di verted. Who would make vigorous exertions to acquire what is beyond the fpbere of poflibility ? Tho I cannot boait of long experience in the wavs of the world—yet what 1 have had vincive of the contrary. If the greater pat t of mankind are void of properties that can stand the scrutiny ot acquaintance without deitroy ing admiration, yet 1 firmly there is a number bearing a proportional relation to the whole mass of people as that of persons emi nent in Arts and Sciences to thole unskilled therein. Experimental knowledge is of superior influence in inoft instances. It tali (caicely be queftioiied that Collegiate acquaintances are ot the highest intimacy and give a great opportuni ty for discovering not only the abilities, but alto the amiable qualities of the mind. Perhaps more so than moll other situations. The disposition is then formed for contmunioatlvenefs, being un taught in the ways of deception untoui ed by disappointment — I have been 011 intimate ac quaintance with some, whose excellence, far from vanifliing, was such as to encreafe my ad miration. This inclines me to believe intimacy thetouchftone by which we may distinguish real yf ('} 1 !>: I'.Kll i£> STATES. Q PRICE THREE DOLLARS PR ANN from apparent merit. Nor would I apprelienfi an enquiry after a perfoti pofltfled of real aad intrinsic excellence, equally romantic with re searches after the philosopher's (lone, or attempts to balloou it to Luna. The inculcation of this doctrine is also deftru<ftive of considerable happi-i ness as it tends greatly tolefl'en the felicity of fa cial connections. A propenfityfor admiration is implanted in every breast— Who would risque the loss of this by aflociating intimately with rhofc he regaided ? If fully convinced it would destroy or even leflen their reciprocal good opinion ! The married state, particularly when hearrs congenial are united, is perhaps the situation Where the molt complete liappinefs exists—and mutual love can (I would fain hope) subsist in this State where the closest intimacy lrnift necef« farily be formed. What is hve, but admiration raised to its highest pitch—and when it arises from real excellence, it call itand the test ot acquaintance Upon the whole we may fafely concludc that the idea in the inottois not flri<ftly true, and that ad miration and acquaintance are not incompatible. Our ideas of excellence are only comparative, originating from what we find in human nature —if it did not exist there, from whence is the idea derived ? ARISTIDES. CONGRESS. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. TUESDAY, MARCH 30. The proportion for ttjjuming the fiate debts under conjide ration. (Mi. Bland con*inued.)' VIRGINIA had a number of marine officersand sailors which were employed in her state vessels; these had also been put on the lift of her public creditors, and had received certificate* for pay and depreciation. In ftiort her military debt for cvvtineit till turpofes amounted to three millions three hundred thousand dollars principal, on which the had regularly paid an interest in specie annually of fix per cent. This fund arose from arrange* menu in her revenue, of which the had then the entire poffcOiom Her impost was pafmeoi ol this interest, and wa» competent thereto; has frit nut gJVcn up to the contine&t, to the general government this nch fburce of levtnuc —and this debt, ot others of a like nature is now charged on her lands and negroes. From the commencement of the war, great, nay enormous emi grations have taken place and still continue. Kentucky is said to contain fifty or sixty thousand fouls, nine-tenths of which have emigrated from Virginia. It is said, and I believe with truth, that more than one half of Georgia is peopled from Virginia by recent emigrations. The state of Frankliii, the cession of which this house has just accepted, has been also chiefly peopled from Virginia, and is said to contain more than twenty thousand peo ple. Large numbers have emigrated to other states, to avoid ei ther being called into service, to obtain lands on eafv terms, or to ivoid taxation. What is now to be the situation of Virginia ? The remaining citizens are to pay (unless the assumption takes place) the whole debt, while she, who has been termed the eldeY of the states, and not improperly may be termed the mother of those just mentioned, may not unaptly be compared to the peli can, who is represented as feeding her young with her life's blood, t. e. with her citizens. And how are these citizens em ployed ? Why, in Georgia, helping to pay theit state debt, and in Kentucky and Franklin, hitherto out of the reach of taxation, or unable to contribute any thing towards this purpose from their own eXposed situation, being engaged in their own defence ever since the war with Great-Britain. Virginia may on this oecafion be divided into two parts, inde pendent of Kentucky; that from the sea coast to about the heart of the state, through which the army marched, both friends and enetnies, as one part; and that near ar-1 beyond the mountains, as another. The firft was fubjeft to have their houses and towns burnt by the enemy, their plantations laid waste, and their ne groes carried off. 'Tis beyond all doubt; that not less than 7000 of these the best of our laborers were carried off by the enemy, or left their matters ; those inhabitants who fuffcred this loss are affo the greatest cieditorl to the state and the United States, having loaned money, had their property impressed for the use of their armies, or contributed voluntarily to their support. By emigra tion, vast quantities of vacant land belonging to the emigrants have been brought to market, so that the lands in all parts of the state have fallen perhaps 60 per cent, in value; and these lands thus depreciated, are now loaded with a heavy tax to pay this contimntal-ftatedebt. The burthen has become almost intolera ble, and this burthen is aggravated by the lands being depopula ted of their laboring hands, which have been either taken off by the enemy, or by emigration. I am not ftirprized (continued Mr. Bland) that Georgia has de clared herfelf against the aflumption, or that the members even from Virginia, who came from far weft should do so ; bot I own I am a little surprized that North Carolina should have taken up that opinion, efpeciallyas what has been said of Virginia with refpefl to emigrations applies in a certain degree to her cafe also. In short, when Virginia contraSed her debt she had reason to think her resources were adequate to the pnyrtient, bot now those resources are gone, she has not only parted with her revenue from impost and tonnage, but (be has parted with her immense territory Nortb-Weft of the Ohio. This fir, is deemed a respec table fund for the discharge of the continental debt. What pro portion of this fund will fall tf> her share as a state ? She will par take of it exactly as her citizens are creditors of the United States; and 1 believe it may be fafely aflerted, that the military debt which she has taken on her<elt as a temporary measure recom mended by Congress out of the question, her citizens will be found as lenders to the continent or holders of continental securi ties, not more than upon a par with some of the smallest states in the union. [Mr. Bland here stated the amount of the state debts of Virginia ; four-fifths of which if not nine-tenths might justly be placed to the account of the United States.] Some gentlemfn are very desirous to fever the funding of the debt of the United States from that of the states, though both of them have been incurred for the fame purposes, viz. the payment
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers