Western Sun, Volume 1, Number 24, Vincennes, Knox County, 23 March 1808 — Page 1
THE
WESTERN SUN
EACH CENTURY HAS ITS PECULIAR MODE OF DOING BUSINESS, AND MEN GUIDED MORE BY CUSTOM THAN BY REASON, FOLLOW WITHOUT ENQUIRY, THE MANNERS WHICH ARE PREVALENT IN THEIR OWN TIME.—HUME.
VOL. I.
WEDNESDAY MARCH 23, 1808.
POETICAL ASYLUM, FALSE GREATNESS. MYLO, forbear to call him blest, That only boasts a large estate, Should all the treafures of the Weft Meet and conspire to make him great. I know thy better thoughts, I know 'Thy reafsen can't descend so low. Let a broad stream with golden sands Thro' all his meadows roll, He's but a wretch with all his lands, That wears a narrow soul. He swells amidft his wealthy ftore, And proudly poifin what he weighs, tIn his own fcale he fondly Isy3, Huge heaps of (liining ore. He fpreads the baUnce wide tohcld His manors and his farms, - ' And cheats the beam with loads cf ncld He hugs between his arms. V , : .' ' . , . o might the ploughboy, climb A tree, When Crcfus mounts his tbronet
And both Hand up, and fmile to fee
How long their lhadow's grown. -
'Alas ! haw vain their tancies be; ' ;
To think that fliape their own !
Thus mingled ftill with wealth and (late,
Crcfus himfclf can never know ;
His true dimenfions and his weight, Are far inferior to their (how. , . - .. f , : Were I fo tall to reach the pole, Or grafp the ocean with my fpan, I mud be meafur'd by my foul ; The mind's the ftandard of the man. Watts.
The following curious (ketch, being a piclure of the livec and manners of the nations of Europe, is extracted from a French publication.
rt:-3 cvj.-r tl.ir:-r t!:e . It?lian values lii- the iroofe was imnicdiatelv at it. Th
e what is of littls vulue, the 5pamarc .X!pond Hie faid
In religion, the German is unbelieving 1 1 the E-.iglilhinin devout the Frenchman zea
lous, the Italian very ceremonious, the Spaniard a bigot.
In keeping his Word, the German is faithful the Lnglifliman safe the Frenchman giddy, the Italian cunning, the Spaniard, a
cheat In giving advice,'the German is flow, the Englishman resolute, the Frenchman precipitate, the Italian nice, the Spaniard ctrcuuispecl. In love, the German does not underftand it, the Englifhman loves a little her and there, the Fiechman every where, the Italian knows how one ought to love, the Spaniard loves truly In external appearance, the German i tall,tke Englifhman well made, the Frenchman well looking, the Italian of the middlr ftze, the Spaniard frilitful. In drefs, the German is fliabhy, the En
clubman fubero, the Frenchman changing.
the, Italian a tatterdemalion, tne ipaniarc decent. In minims, the German is downiftV
the jEnglimman rjarbarous, the Frenchman
eafy, the Italian polite the Spaniard proud.
In keeping a fecret, the Gcrmao forgets What he has been told, the Englishman
conceals what he mould ditulge, and ditrul-
ges, what he liioulu conreali the rrench-
man blabs every thinj, th? Italian does' not
utt:r a v,-or.d, the Spaniard is very mystenous
In vsnity, the German boalta nttlqthe
Erlichcan i:c?.ifes all,' the -Frenchman
pr;
tie
indfTerent to ?ll
. In catin an J drinkirtg;. the German is
a drunkard, the hnglishmiiii . a lover of
fweets, the Frenchman drlicate, the- Italian moderate the Snimard niggardly. In emending and doing good, the German does neither ocd nor badj the' Englifhman
docs both without ic:on,' 'the". Italian is
prompt in bentucence but ) vindictive, the Spaniard is indifTsrent, in both ;-respects In fpeaking, the German fpcaks little and badly, but writes well, the. Frenchman fpeaks well cud writes : well, the -Piifelish man fpeaks badly but writes well also,, the Italian fpeaks well, writes 'much and well, ihe Spaniard fc:!;s little, writes little, 'but In addreCT, the German .looks like ;a blockhead, . the Englishman resembles neither a fool nor a wise man, the'Frenchman is airy, the Italian s is prndent but looks like a. fool, ths Spaniard is quits the reverie. - Y'V' .-V J - 4'- ?r n:'''-y In hws, the German laws' arc di(ferent, the Englishman has bad laws, but observes them well; the Frenchman has good laws nut observes 'them badly; the Julians rand Spaniard have good law$ the former observe negligently, the latter rigidly. , : Servants, are. ccmpanions in Germany, (laves in England, matters! in France, resjedful in Italy fuhmissive in Spsin. Diseases, the Germans are particularly infe&cd with fleas, the Englilh. with
whitlows, the French with the fmallpcx, the ltalians with the plague, and the Spaniards with wtns. i
The women, lire housewives in Germany, queens Jn England, l idics in France,
captives in Italy, (hve in Spain.
In courage, the German reiemhies a bear, the Englifliman a lion, the frenchman an eagle, the Italian a fox, and the Soaniar?s an elrnhant.
In the fciences, the German is a pedant.
the Enrlilhnian a philosopher, the French-
man has a fmat:r:ng of every thing, the
ftalian is a profellor, and tht ipanuia a profound thinker. Magnificence, in Germany the princis, in England the (hips, in France the court: io Italy the churches, in fpain the armor-
a brace of arrogant pretenders and block-
heads, and introduced with no little apparent fatisfa&ion awd felf complacency, the following ftory, which, by the by, 1 knew he had borrowed. Once upon a time a goo fe fed its young by the fide of a; pond, and a goofeinfuch circumftances isjalways extremely proud, and exceifiyely punctili
ous. If any other animal without the leaft defign to offend, happened to pafs that way1.
ies.
V
Husbands, (mark the ConclufinnXV in
Germany they are masters, m Lrrgin" fervants, in France companions, in Italy fchool.boys, and in Spiii tyrantt
FOR THE WESTERN SUN.
I heard a man rather friendly to that
undulinc traitor D-ivis Floyd, fomcwuato
verbearinrr in his temper, and a cood deal
iven to Ioquacy, talking the other.day of
the Indiana man (who is Ihrewdly luppolrd
to be the very iuror who milled the jury) Sc
!iis oatriotiik commentator; he faid (and
fcemed to make no honrs of it) that they
was hers, and (lie would main
tain her right in it, and fupport her honor,
while Ihe had a bill to hifs, or a wing to
flutter. In this manner (he drove away
dittks, pigs, chickens : nay, even the. inn duous cat was ft en to fcamper. A loung
iug ni a ft iff. however happened to ptfs by,
and thought it no harm il he (hould lap
little of the water, sis he was thirftv. The
guardian goofe Hew at him like a fury, picked at him with her beak, and (lapped him with her feathers. The dog grew sngry, and had twenty times a mind to give her a (nap, but fupprefling his indignation becaufc the wretch was not , worth his re fentment, A pox take thee cries he, for a fcol : fure thou who have neither.ftrengthj nor weapons to fight, at Ieaftlhculd ' be civil, fo faying he went forward to the pond and quenched his third in fpite of thegoofe, (thelearned reader will calily perceite that there is fome little alteration in the. ftory ) he further faid, that the Indiana man Was a booby, and that the; ftyle of the commen tatorwis 1 profe run mad,' c ranting, vile, aVufitre, defamatory bomb aft I 'I was greatly aftoniflied, ahd very gravely obfervrd to him that I did not fee the application of the ftory -not fee the. application 1 why man its as plain as , the hole upon your fate, but whether or not, I am not to tell you the fio ry, and find you undei (landing too. I then entreated him to take the trouble to explain that a ftory, without application to a liv ing
and known character, was Tittle worth.
Well then miftti, replied' he, a little mode
rated hv nv xonciliatorv manner ;the
jroofe is ftupid, cabling and noify, and fol
ly is proud and-quarrelfome ; and are nc:
ihele little great men f o f the pond may frrv'e to ftand for the civil liberty of the citizea: and do not thofe champions wifh the world to believe that they ar? the guar
dians of our lights, and to be placed in the
front rink of the defenders of our country ; doubtlc fs, ftd he, a Sidney and a Hampden
were but bovs to them! Muir, Palmer.
Rowan and Emmet, cerfe to deferve the
name cf patriots when compared withthefe
men ! the celibrity nt the fc rmer in the fci
eucr of politicks, and their brillient exploits
in the caufe of liberty and their cruntry,
dwindle into nothing, and are loft inthefo-
pcti)r glorious blze of the light, which is
lhcd upon tl is intricate fubiect, and the at
thirvements which have been performed by
a gentleman (f.id to be) in the Indiana Territory, and a little bit of a fcrihhling e-
ditor iukentiut), who rafldy tfpoufed his cufe, and wantonly gave currency toTlatements which he did not know to be true, 2c fome of which arc certainly falfe. Farther, faid he, attend to the analogy : 4 If any other animal without the leaft defign to f. fend happened to psfs that way, the goole was immediately at it. And this is the cafe wiih the big little man, you know itir, deny it who will or dare. In this manner (he drove away ducks, pigs, and chickens
ind ptay fir, did'nt the little man drive fT
ihe old Don and old Gtunt, Sc fent the owe
other juft as much as to buy feafoning to
his wa(h i it would feem by the ;by,. that if the old fellow deferved any. things be ought to have had decent maintenance to
fupport bun in the decline . of life ; if nothing, the penfion given was little lefs than
roobety upon the public Ihe li.fiduous
ca was f:en to fcathper? and who does not
know, that Burr fcampered thro the ftate
of Kentucky, as if ?11 the infernal legiotts
had been at his heeh z And who occauoned this bhthe little Editor? Who is it but hcy that has fonght thro a hoft of 5pa nifti confpirators, to fave his lately adopted country from utter ruin ? Why I tell you fir, that he's the grrate ft little man in the Western Pcrld t he makes all fly before him, he's armed cipapee, and clonthf d with the panoply of truth, and innocence, pofief.
fing the boldnefs of the Lien, ti e perlVveranre of the hound trained to. blood, and the
cunning of the ferpent, he is; and rhuft be
invintible I A lounging maftttt (this fir- is
Floyd) however, happened to pafs that way,
and thought it no Varm if hr fliould lap ra
little of the water, as he iwisthirfiy. Floyd thought it no harm to make a little money . in an honeft way, as he was needy, and his creditors Were importunate. The guardian goofe (the little Editor) flew at him like a
fury, picked at. him with her beak, and flap
ped him with her leathers. And did not this man fly at tnd feize uporfFloyd with the ferocious avidity of a halt f:;miflicd wolf, peck at him with his pen, already foul, but row hipped in the venemous gall of deadlydefamation, Sc (lap himWith his feathered words which on the greedy ears of malevolence
tell ' lottas nakrs ot inow,' his eflorts have been vain but his intention was cruel. The
dog grew angy (and Floyd has had provo
cation enough in all confidence to make him fo) and had twenty times a mind to give her a fnap, but fuppreffing his indignation, becaufc he thot' the little thing not worth his rcfentmcnt. 'A pox take thee, cried he, for a fool, fure thofe Jfc who have neither ftrength nor weapons to fight, at leaft IhouUI be civil.' So faying he went forward to the t
pond, and quenched his thiift in fpite of Uie" goofe and now (ir, faid this hot headed
friend ot Floyd, you have the application
I thought the man was fpeaking ironically
at fome times, at others he fcemed to be in
good earucft: the facl is, in ftiort, I did
not know whit to think, and he perceiving
my embarralfinent rtiumtd the difcourfc.
nd fo it is fir, with Floyd, maugrc the
dirty and hell born exertions of the precious
author ot the letter, and his HilJ.rnore pre
cious aid and commentator, their (hafts of
calumny fall hatmltfs at his fee;t ; and depend on it fir, that he is a little batter man nr. . i m .t
in an rcipecxs man eiuicr ol ins loul mouthed accufcrs and flanderers. Ht now (lards as high in thecftimation f his friends and acquaintances s t er he did ; hit tharaQer ai a worthy citizen, a gocd neighbor and a firm undaunted foldier,are not tarniflied by
the foul afpetfiftns of his calumniators, ndf is his former influence in the country diroir.iQied ; and fir, let me tell you, he can aa etfily and with as rrufh honor as any other man, rifr in a (liort time a complete , company of effective vclunteers, all - cf wfcora will be, at leaft as willing to defend their country s thofe who blufierand make fuch a jibbering about liberty, treafon, and what not. His engaging snd goirg with Burr, is net approved of, but is cenfidered by all men of candor and re fpeftabitity, merely an inconfiderate acr, uninfluenced by the bafo motives, which are fo bafely afcribedtobia
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