Number XXVII. Hic nigræ succus coliginis hæc est, Erugo, mere; quod vitium procul atore chartis ; Horace Sat. 1.100. Such rancor this, of such a poisonous vein, Francis. No people have been so grossly misrepresented by foreigners as the Virginians. The inhabitants of the United States have all of them been sufficiently abused; but the "Old Dominion" seems to have suffered the most, and has been, especially to English travellers, the theme of particular obloquy-They have not yet acquired the magnanimity to forgive us the sins of the Revolution, and they take a poor and pitiful revenge by ridiculing and distorting every thing they see and hear. Received with the sincerest cordiality, and treated with a thousand times the attention and politeness met with in their own country, they, on their return, repay our excessive courtesy by uttering and vending the basest calumnies-1 know of no exception to this rule, from the pseudo-Captain Smith in 1784 or 5, to the Ashes and Moores of later times-They have been uniformly caressed, as if in the language of Dr. Franklin, in his examination before the House of Commons, "to be an old England-man was, of itself, a character of some respect, and gave a kind of rank among us ;" and they have as uniformly proved ungrateful. They come among us indeed predetermined to find fault, and, seeing every thing through the medium of their own. prejudices, they estimate nothing justly. Thus we are according to them, very few removes from semi-barbarians-an indolent, drinking, gambling, cock-fighting, atheistical race-hardly possessing any other than the virtue common to savage nations-hospitality-A virtue, which for their sakes I could almost wish we were without. Nor are they content with exposing our moral deformities -for they sometimes even descend to criticise our persons --and here our ladies, as if tó panish them for their extraordinary predeliction for English travellers, are the chief sufferers-My fair country women will not, I am persuaded readily forget or forgive their little idol, Anacreon Moore-His offences against good morals, his lascivious songs, and voluptuous descriptions, might have passed perhaps (I will not say without their censure,) yet without their observation-But to deprive them of teeth and of beauty! Oh! it was monstrous, and is inexpiable !! I have no intention to repeat the calumnies that have been heaped so liberally upon the Virginia characternor in this place to refute them-That they have faults, no one will deny-and some of them, especially their want of public spirit, and indifference to intellectual improvement, it has been the business of this publication to censure-but it would be easy to shew that their faults are counterbalanced by many of the noblest qualities that can adorn the human character-A hospitality, the genuine offspring of the heart-unbounded generosity-a courage superior to all difficulties, and an instinctive abhorrence of every little, mean artifice, the miserable expedients of vulgar minds, are among the number-If any thing indeed peculiarly distinguishes the Virginian, from his confederated Brethren, it is a lofty, and chivalrous spirit, which perhaps the high character of his state has contributed to keep alive-this spirit may betray him into errors and vices--but if properly directed, is the parent of the fairest virtues and I am persuaded that nothing is wanting, to make this the Athens of our confederation than a greater attention to the business of Education and a more equal diffusion of its benefits-To this object then (the observation cannot be too often repeated,) our efforts should be continually directed. These reflections have been excited by the perusal of the following letter from one of my correspondents, who with the true cynical spirit, seems to allow credit to a slanderous charge, although made by an English groom, because no one has taken the trouble to refute it.-To the founder of a sect, out of humor with themselves and the world, such a conclusion may be allowed—but to no one else. TO THE OLD BACHELOR. Old Squaretoes, I hear you set up for a reformer; that you expect to infuse public spirit, useful knowledge, a taste for the polite arts, morals, religion, heroism, liberal and noble sentiments, generosity, courtesy, politeness, courage, magnanimity, and other attributes of the ancient Greek and Roman characters. "Ex quovis Ligno." You know the rest. Read the following, which I have copied from a book published about a quarter of a century ago, in Philadelphia, as exhibiting a view of the manners of this country, (Virginia) and ask yourself if you dare hope to work upon such materials. "The gentleman of fortune rises about nine o'clock."He perhaps may make an exertion to walk as far as his stables to see his horses, which are seldom more than "fifty yards from his house. He returns to breakfast be"tween nine and ten; he then lies down on a pallet, on "the floor, in his shirt and trowsers only, with a negro at "his head, and another at his feet, to fan him, and keep "off the flies. Between twelve and one he takes a draught "of toddy, which is kept cool, He dines between two and three-and at dinner drinks Cyder, Toddy, Punch, "Port, Madeira and Claret; having drunk some few glasses of wine after dinner, he returns to his pallet, "with his two blacks to fan him, and continues to drink "Toddy and Sangree all the afternoon. He does not al86 ways drink Tea. Between nine and ten he eats a light supper, of milk and fruit, or wine, sugar and fruit, and "almost immediately retires to bed for the night. 66 66 "The lower and many of the middling classes live very differently. A man in this line rises about six o'clock. "He then drinks a Julip, made of rum, water and sugar, "but very strong. Then he walks, or more generally rides, round his plantation, and breakfasts about ten."The rest of the day he spends much in the manner above "described of a man of the first rank." This picture has been held up to the world for nearly twenty years; is it to be wondered that your brethren the Yankees despise you? Or that John Bull should think you fit subjects for his sovereign contempt ? Since no person that I know of has ventured publicly to deny the likeness, or to refute the calumny, if it be one, you would do well, if you can, to remove this stigma from the fathers, before you can hope to make any favorable impression upon the minds of the sons. If the picture is just, depend upon it they will all be chips of the old block, in spite of you, and all the old maids in the country to assist you, in your project of reformation. DIOGENES. As this number is still not a very long one, I will venture to lay before my readers another letter, of a different character from the last, which presents so attractive a picture of American Virtue, as will, I am persuaded, obliterate any disagreeable impressions that Diogenes may have left on their minds. TO DOCTOR CECIL. SIR-Will you be so cbliging as to permit one among your earliest and most sincere admirers, and well-wishers, to present you with a pair of the most pleasing characters of virtue, public and private, that I recollect ever to have seen in any author who has pretended to give any account of America, or its inhabitants. I have met with it very lately in the Letters of a Scottish Lady, Mrs. Grant, from the Mountains; it appears to have been written in the year 1773, and contains so admirable a portrait of exalted benevolence, virtue and patriotism, united with the noblest traits of generosity, that I cannot forbear to request you to admit it to a place in that admirable cullection which you seem to be preparing for the inspection, consideration and imitation of our countrymen. ་་ ་་ 66 "Madam, or Aunt Scuyler, (for so, by universal consent, she was indiscriminately called, in the province of "N. York,) was daughter to one of the first & most respec"table characters in that province when it tell under the "dominion of the English. His name was Cuyler, and his "descendants are still numerous and prosperous, in that country, to which prosperity my friend's (his daughter's) wisdom and goodness contributed not a little."This Cuyler was the person who brought over the Mo"hawk Kings, who were mentioned by the Spectator, as "exciting so much wonder in England. He was intro"duced to Queen Anne, and had several conversations "with her. She offered to knight him, but he refused, "not choosing an elevation unusual in that country, which "would make an invidious distinction betwixt him and his "friends. Some years after his return, his daughter, "then about eighteen, was married to Col. Schuyler who "possessed an estate above Albany, in the direction "which led to the vicinity of the French, and hostile Indians. He was a person whose calm, temperate wisdom, singular probity, and thorough knowledge of the affairs and interests of the bordering nations, had given "him a very great influence, not only in his province, but among the Indians and Canadian French, whose respective languages he spoke fluently. He was wealthy, and very generous, and so public spirited, that though "he did all in his power to prevent war, being in fact, a "Lover of peace, and friend of human kind;" ་་ 66 6 C To detail instan Tet, when he saw it inevitable, he raised a regiment at s own expence, and was the first who gave character energy to the provincial troops. public virtue in this great and good man, would, t, be giving the history of the province during his σε σε 66 "lifetime. From the place where he lived, he stood, as it were, a barrier between the Indians and the inhabiants. Of high and distinguished utility was this mild, philosophic, and christian character; yet, unless he had met a congenial mind, he could neither have done so much good, nor prevented so much evil. Luckily for the public, they had no family; therefore greatly re"sembling each other, both in taste and inclination, and intellectual powers, their efforts were all directed one way. At that time there were not many settlers in the province who were acquainted with the English language; and these generally entertained a rooted pre"judice, nay aversion, to the very army which came to "protect them. In the hospitality, intelligence, and pleasing conversation of this very worthy pair, their officers "always found a refuge; from them they met with a cor"dial kindness, sound advice, and useful information.Petty and crooked policy was unknown in this patriarchal family, where a succession of adopted children, judiciously educated, and a number of domestic slaves very kindly and tenderly treated, formed a happy comเส munity, who were directed with such prudence, that they left leisure to their rulers for beneficence still more "widely diffused, and for studies of the most useful naTheir acquaintance with elegant literature was τί perhaps not very extensive; the Spectator, the Tragedy of Cato, and the Works of Milton and Young, being "the only books I remember to have met with, exclusive -66 "ture. ་་ of History, Biography and Memors; of these indeed "there was an ample collection, which had been carefully "read, and thoroughly digested by the owners; and "which not only furnished very frequent matter of con"versation, but materials for reflection, and for that sys"tem of policy by which their plans were regulated.— They had three objects in view besides the great primary one of making their large family as good, and "wise, and happy, as possible; the first was to prevent injustice being done to the Indians, to conciliate their "affections, and to meliorate their condition. The se 60 cond, to alleviate the hardships and difficulties to which "the British troops were exposed, from marching into un"known wildernesses, by receiving them into their fami"ly, making them acquainted with the nature of the country, &c. On these occasions they would accommodate in their house, those officers, whose morals and "manners recommended them most, and allow the par"ties of soldiers, as they passed, a lodging in their offiແ ces, and an abundant supply of milk and vegetables; |