Part 18 (1/2)
”Such things are;” and while they are, they furnish ground for such philippics as the following; which I will insert, not because any cal for preferall, but in the hope that Aive vigour to her laws, and blot out these foul deeds fro of the principle of honour, the writer expresses hireat nation, but it will always preserve it froh contempt It has done much more for France than ever virtue did Without this semi-heroic principle she would have been detestable indeed I say not that she was ever anything very desirable to boast of with it America in this respect stands insulated fronani of it She is equally destitute of honesty and honour, of substance and seion, and has now pretty well prepared herself for needing none”
In another place he writes thus, ”there is no saying what this saes, or how far that unprincipled Oligarchy ues into futurity, which, at present, exhibits the young serpents crawling out of their beds of venom in every direction where the heavens may smile, or the air freshly blow upon them, &c”[62]
Such senti himself a minister of ”the meek and lowly Jesus,” are little calculated to fascinate and render {181} any people the more inclined to a church establishment
_February 3d_ What transitions of temperature!--the frost yesterday was severe; the Schuylkill and even the Delaware frozen over, and skating the order of the day; the therht a heavy mild rain has fallen, and at mid-day now the thermometer is at 40
HORRIBLE EXECUTION!
I shall copy the account without co a people who call the ”the htened, the ia,) Feb 1, A D 1820
”On Friday last, two negro men, named Ephraim and Sam, were executed in conformity to their sentence, for the efield district, S C--Sa, and his head severed from his body, and publicly exposed The circus have suffered, were of a nature so aggravated, as imperiously demanded the terrible punishment which has been inflicted upon them [They had shot their ohile he slept]
{182} ”The burning of malefactors is a punishnal exaht to see a huned to the flames--let even fancy picture the scene--the pile--the stake--the victim, and the s,--what then must be the dreadful reality! From some of the spectators we learn, that it was a scene which transfixed in breathless horror almost every one itnessed it As the fla shriek of the unfortunate victim struck upon the heart with a fearful, painful vibration,--but when the devouring eleony still thrilled in the ear, and an involuntary and syh the crowd”
In consequence of the above, the following letter was addressed to the editor of the newspaper
”To Z Poulson,
”A Philadelphian in thy paper says, the burning of malefactors is a punishment never before resorted to in this country,--I wish the fact were so, but in the year 1800, the folloas published, viz
”'Charlston, Deceht to trial, before Justices Johnson and Glover, Ben and Smiles, for the istrates and Freeholders were unaniuilty: and further, froravation, that the punishly sentenced--Ben to be carried between the hours of ten {183} and twelve this day, outside the tobacco inspection, and there to suffer death by being burned alive; the other, Smart, to be carried to the place where the murder was committed, between the hours of ten and four, and there to suffer the like punishment on Friday the 5th instant'”[63]
That such scenes have at soraced the annals of ed; for which even a faint shadow of excuse may be found in the madness of fanaticism: that they are now sanctioned by cold blooded sentences from a misnamed bench of justice, proves this new continent to be some centuries behind in civilization; a fact corroborated by several others, a of which are the perpetuation of the institution of slavery, and the frequency andduel co facts has just been decided, after ress; and only by the sland would not carry a question, the New State of Missourie is admitted into union with the _free republic_ without any restriction as to slaves! In the course of the discussion, the State of Virginia has gone so far as to throw out hints hostile, should the question be decided otherwise than it has: and in this it is understood she would have {184} been supported by the other Slave States all deeply interested in the event; as, had the abolition party prevailed, the next eneral emancipation, which, if carried, would have been a death blow to the paraovern to her extent of territory and population, and to the lahich gives to each slave-holder, besides his own vote, one for every five negroes he has These causes have hitherto enabled Virginia successively to influence the choice of a President of the United States Another reason given by the politicians here why the last mentioned State with Kentucky, and so the union is, that a debt of soeneral Govern unable or rather unwilling to pay, they would cancel by a war The political and civil interests of the Slave States also frequently clash with, or are in direct opposition to those which are called Free
Another division of this immense country contemplated as probable, is into eastern and western Governrand barrier; and indeed I found the subject pretty generally discussed in {185} the western country, the inhabitants of which seemed well disposed to the measure
On the subject of Duel coeneral application, to the sentiry passions of some, and the foolish conduct of others will perhaps continue to give cause for and never entirely banish the necessity of appeal to arms; yet will all sensible ht to be the last resort of injured honour, the ultimate remedy to repel insult As real christians, we should refuse it altogether; but taking the world as it is (and that is very far indeed froarded as a serious appeal to heaven, alone justifiable when huht--when, however we ive the offender, we yet cannot keep our honour and overlook the offence:--in such situations, and fortunately such are very rare, a man has no alternative--he must trust his cause to mortal arbitrement: but to rush to the coe, for this is alone consistent with right conduct;--it is irreligious, for religion forbids it--it is ianize society;--it is barbarous, for it belongs to the wild beast of the forest; and the {186} people who have recourse to the combat on frivolous occasions cannot therefore be placed lower upon the scale of humanity If then these sentiments be correct, what are we to think of those who can invite each other to the field upon a dispute about their tailor's bill, or the best e, with other equally i these mockeries of humanity From the contemplation of such, let us turn to behold the istrate of a nation, and a considerable part of a nation's council, publicly parading the funeral of a favourite naval officer, who fell--not nobly fighting his country's battles, but pointing at a murderous distance, with vindictive malice, the weapon at the breast of his brother officer; on account of an affair too, hich he had no concern, and for which even his own friends condeonist, who appears to have attempted all which an honourable , remains[64]
After what has been said, it will not surprise the reader that a store-keeper should put out a board to advertise the passenger that he has ”ten cases of Duelling Pistols on sale;” though itmind be little less hurtful to society than if he had offered ten cases of {187} picklock keys, or so up the inhabitants
Went to visit the Dock-yard and to view a 74 upon the stocks; within the hull of which it is said one of our 100 gun shi+ps ht be placed; and in effect she is frae size The plan of having all the guns of the saood inaction, as the saun:--32 pounders are cast here I understood for the service generally
The Americans seem alive to naval enterprise, and no doubt can be entertained of their beco very powerful, if they avoid internal divisions and cordially join in effecting it It will not be denied that they have on several occasions at sea behaved gallantly; but theshi+ps of war below their real force, by which they have gained soer succeed, and was unworthy of the adoption of a brave nation
{188} LECTURES ON ANATOMY
The mansion which the Governton for his residence, and which he, always like hiive it up for the public benefit, is now devoted to the medical and anatomical sciences, and is named the University of Pensilvania[65] By favour of Dr Physic I was presented with a general ticket of ad the Lecture roo to see in attendance about three hundred students; it was not so pleasing however, to hear the impatient noise kept up by their heels and sticks in the alleries, because the Dr did not make his appearance quite so soon as expected This is both highly indecorous and shewing a want of proper respect for a h in reputation, and I believe deservedly: his salary for the college duties, which occupy his time for four months of each year, is about six thousand dollars There are several other courses of lectures delivered here, all of which are nu lecture of a course on iven by Dr coxe, the very indecorous conduct of the students in {189} hawking, spitting, and coughing, while some few lay across the benches asleep, led me fully to expect a severe reprimand, as they richly deserved, at the end of the lecture; I was then much astonished to hear a short, diffident address fro them for their attention! This they applauded with as hed, hawked, and spat; by the way, these beastly habits I a men in early consu on the subject of fermented liquors, to reprobate, and it land for the custoredients in their liquors