to be denounced, persecuted, and treated as enemies by all the Spanfards of the same trade or profession; they must lend their money to any person who chooses to apply for it; and as soon as their generosity ceases, persecution begins. If they have any acquaintance above the common, they are always suspected; for it is the general opinion of the Spaniards,that every well informed foreigner must be an enemy to the laws of the country. No direct inquiry is ever made with respect to religion, unless the impiety of the individual is become notorious; they never have recourse to this measure, except when revenge has no other means of gratification, and then, nothing is more easy than to prove the irreligion of a foreigner, who had always before passed for a good christian. Witnesses then swear that he has spoken irreverently of the holy mysteries; that he only goes to church in order to be guilty of indecencies; that he has treated the ceremonies of religion with derision, &c. &c. It is however true, that the tribunals divested of the prejudices of ancient times, do not apply the rigour of the law to this sort of delinquency; but people frequently get clear by some years' imprisonment, by paying the expenses of prosecution, or by suffering banishment.' pag. 111. The author next speaks of the emigration from the mother country. He says, the new settlers seldom return from the colonies, except indeed the Biscayans and Catalonians. This he observes upon, as the reverse of the principles of the English, French, and other Westindians. But the truth is, all the Europeans consider their Indian colonies as places of exile, where they labour for a fortune solely, and escape as soon as possible. The Spaniards, who grow rich, return home; but the indolence of the majority keeps them poor, as they first arrived; and Vol. IV. No. 8. 31 this is the reason of their continuance in America. We next find a dissertation on the attachment of the Creoles to their country, and a description, perfectly true, we believe, though far from flattery, of their education and moral feelings. This is followed by some observations by D. Miguel Joseph Sanz, written with a boldness and intelligence,. that we should think dangerous in a Spanish subject. Of the frequency of law suits, without reason and without end, the author writes much. In a land of liberty litigation must be common; but in a colony, whose government never heard the name of liberty, and whose citizens would be wretched in possession of it, we think the opinion we have sometimes heard must be the only cause. said, encourages law-suits. DiviThe mother country, it is de, et impera. Keep one half fighting the other, and there is no fear of their fighting us. The calculations on the quantum of litigation in each person of the two colonies of St. Domingo and Cuba is very erroneous, the former (if he alludes only to the Spanish part, and such, from the current of his argument we should suppose) being rated ten times too high, and the latter too low. If he would compare the French and Spanish colonists, he should have expressed it more precisely. The relation of the conspiracy in 1797 is interesting and novel. But will not the government of the Spanish colonies be perpetually subject to such commotions? The volcanick fire is now smothered, but it is always labouring for explosion. Of the treatment of the slaves, we believe however, the writer has not formed a just idea, from comparison with their gov ernment in other colonies. The Spaniards have usually been praised for their mildness to their ne groes. This chapter is however worthy the attention of the moral philosopher and the politician. Much too is found of general importance in the fourth chapter on the character and government of the sayages. But in this part, the shameful policy of Spain is most apparent. The Indians are so numerous, the author says, as to commit depredations on the colonists with impunity, and the Spaniards soon sue for peace. At Rio-de-la-Hache, treaties of this kind more frequently occur, than any where else, and the presents by which they are purchased, are attended with some abuses. In fact, they only tend to encourage the Indians to assume a hostile at titude without any real grounds of offence, and by the facility with which the persons charged with the negociation can exaggerate the amount of what has been advanced for pacification,they procure them selves emoluments which must render such events more to be desired than apprehended.' P. 220. The observation is general of the officers in the subordinate de partments of the colonies of Spain, that fidelity to their government is their second consideration, private profit the first. Of the miserable result of all the attempts to civilize and christianize the savages, the author gives copious details. All the efforts of the legislator to inspire them with a desire of improving their natural faculties have proved abortive. Neither the good treatment which they have received on being admitted into society, nor the important privileges, with which they have been favoured, have been able to eradicate their partiality for the savage life, although at present only known to them by tradition. There are very few civilized Indians, who do not sigh after the solitude of the forest, and embrace the first opportunity of retiring to it. This does not arise from their attachment to liberty, but from their finding the gloomy abode of the forest more congenial with their melancholy, superstition, and utter contempt of For three ages have they laboured to impress on this miserable race of men some sense of right and wrong, and yet they are altogether regardless of the right of property, when they can violate it with impunity; they will not abstain from continual intoxication, as long as they are supplied with liquor; they will be guilty of incest whenever they have a convenient opportunity; of lying and perjury whenever it answers their purpose; and they will never submit to labour, but when compelled by hunger. the most sacred laws of nature. The Indians are so much accustomed to the practice of lying, and so little sensible of the sacred obligation of truth, that the Spaniards have thought it proper, in order to prevent the unhappy effects that their testimony might cause to innocent persons, to pass a law by which it is enacted, that not less than six Indians are to be admitted as witnesses in one cause, and the testimony of these six shall only be equivalent to the sworn evidence of one white person. Thus we see that the statesman, with all his expedients and resources, has not been able to accomP. 240. plish his object.' On the whole, we have seldom heard of a book republished in our country, which will repay the la bour of perusal better than this; and we hope Brisban & Brannan, who have it for sale, will be compensated for their enterprize. ART. 48. Lectures on the elements of chemistry, delivered in the university of Edinburgh. By the late Joseph Black, M.D. professor of chemistry in that university, &c. &c. Published from his manuscripts, by John Robison, LL.D. professor of natural philosophy in the university of Edinburgh. First A merican from the last London edition. Philadelphia, for Mathew Carey. 3 vols. 8vo. 1807. THE writings of Dr. Black are his best eulogy. Much credit, we think, is due to the American publisher, who has presented to his countrymen this correct edition of a work, which is one of the purest specimens of philosophical investigation, and of inductive reasoning, since the age of lord Verulam. The account of discoveries in science, and of the progressive efforts, by which the mind is conducted from known principles to novel conclusions, forms perhaps one of the most interesting inquiries, connected with the history of intellectual improvement. With Dr. Priestley we believe, that the first perception of new principles is often accidental, and excited during the investigation of some collateral branch of science; it depends, rather, on their connection with some familiar train of reasoning, than on the intuitive efforts of acute and original minds, independent of active exertion. Dr. Black, how ever, forms an illustrious exception to this observation. If we examine his doctrine of latent heat, we shall find, that, from his first induction to the study of chemistry, he was sensible of the deficiency of the prevailing theory in the explanation of its phenomena. The path, which he pursued, was entirely new; it was developed by the efforts of his sagacious mind, and by the application of those inof true philosophy had made him struments, with which the genius acquainted. Since his period, however, the science of chemistry has assumed a new and more determined character; hence if the student expects to find, in these lecwhich are at present known on the tures, a collection of all the facts, subject, he will be disappointed. The interest, which they excite, results from the strength of reasoning and accuracy of his inductions from known facts, and the apparent ease, with which he deduces novel principles. Dr. Black lived sufficiently long to appreciate the discoveries of the pneumatick chemists. For a long period, it had been his duty, as professor, to explain to his pupils the doctrine of Stahl, and he had been accustomed to believe, that it was founded on the laws of nature; but on a fair view of the principles of the new school, he acknowledged their truth, and, with the candour usually attached to great minds, abjured those hypotheses, which time and the habit of teaching had led him to think immutable. This was the triumph of principle, and the pneumatick theory was soon established, when supported by the ablest and most celebrated chemist in Europe. As Dr. Black probably never contemplated the publication of his lectures, they were left at his death in a very loose and imperfect state. To the labours of professor Robison are we indebted for the regular and connected series, in which they have issued from the press. They are rendered more valuable by the addition of notes by the learned editor; in these, and in the last part of the work itself, the student will find the principles of pneumatick chem weaknesses and defects to an inquisitive and censorious world. If the object of this pamphlet was simply to lash and censure the federalists, without aiming at any ulteriour good effect, it is for that reason to be condemned. Satire is only justifiable when it aims at the correction and amendment of the person against whom it is directed, or to warn others who may be exposed to the same errours or vices. If the intent of the writer was to convince the federalists of their past errours, and to engage them to avoid falling into the like snare in future, we must confess, we think, that he has managed the subject with very little knowledge of human nature. Where the moralist has the power to punish, instead of persuading, it may be well enough to display all the enormities of the offence, in order to justify the rigour and severity of the chastisement; but where his only office is to allure to duty by persuasion and reasoning, where the address is made to men who have pride, sensibility, reputation, and resentment, it is extremely injudicious to commence the work of reform by telling them, that they have blasted their reputations, that they have violated all their own principles, that they have forfeited all claim to publick respect. This is no approved road to men's attention and confidence. No orator of antiquity, or of modern days, ever adopted this method of gaining the hearts of his audience. As to the general merits of the pamphlet, there are undoubtedly many truths in it deserving most serious attention; but unhappily they are so decked with foreign prejudices, they are so blended with the national feelings of an Englishman, that they lose much of their effect upon the publick mind, at a moment of so much sensibility. It is indeed exceedingly to be regretted, that the federalists suffered themselves so readily to fall into the errours which they have so often condemned in their opponents, of appealing to the publick passions, and of inflaming, instead of endeavouring to appease them. It is also to be lamented, that the sensibility excited by an unexpected outrage on one of our publick ships, should have so far made us forget the respect due to ourselves, as to adopt language which, in cooler moments, we have had so much occasion to blush at. To brand an inferiour officer with cowardice, and even murder, to wish him a halter as a reward, when we knew that he acted under the written orders of his superiour, is such a violation of decency and good sense, that one would wish to expunge it from the journals of the day. It must be admitted also, that it was extremely injudicious to give such unqualified opinions on an important transaction, without any suitable knowledge of the facts, especially too when we knew the prejudiced channel through which our information was derived; when we knew that nothing would gratify certain men in our country more than to embroil us with GreatBritain; and when it was certainly possible that they might have fomented and provoked this very affair, solely with a view to widen a breach, which all their conduct for twenty years had been directed to make and increase. But still we repeat it, that we do not think, that the pamphlet in question is calculated to display this subject in so clear, calm, and dispassionate a manner, as to promise any good effects to the cause of virtue, good order, and correct principles. ART. 51. Papers, consisting of communica tions made to the Massachusetts Society for promoting Agriculture. Published by the Trustees of the Society. Boston, printed for Young & Minns, printers to the state, by Greenough & Stebbins. 1806. 8vo pp. 90. SINCE the last publication of the trustees,' say they in the preface, a munificent provision has been made for the establishment of a professorship of natural history, and a botanick garden, at the university in Cambridge. The trustees of the Massachusetts Society for promoting Agriculture constitute a major part of the visitors of this institution. They hope to be able to discharge this part of their trust in such a manner, as to promote the interests of agriculture, as well as of other arts, connected with the science of nature.' We have no doubt that they will. This ninth number of their papers contains a letter on the culture of potatoes,by Hon.T. Pickering; account of the Millward family; account of the Egyptian millet, by N. Adams; letter on the same subject, by R. Webster; on planting osiers and willows; on boiling potatoes; on the agriculture of the Netherlands; on the propriety of bruising oats for horses; on the use of parsley as food for horses and cattle; food of plants; cider press improved; experiment shewing the importance of selecting the first ripe seeds, by Rev. J. Freeman; on the management of the dairy; account of the manner of making cheese in England; communication on the same subject; on the management of pigs. More than one third of these papers are original and useful communications, and the selections from other publications are judiciously made. ART. 52. Two sermons, on quitting the old, and entering the new meetinghouse, in the first parish in Newbury. By John Snelling Popkin, A.M. Newburyport, W. & J. Gilman, printers, for A. March. 8vo. pp. 71. 1806. WITH the same kind of pleasure that we observe the meanderings of a deep and gentle stream, do we look into the pages of a clear, strong, and unobstructed mind. Such is the sort of mind, which we believe the author of these sermons to possess. His manner of thinking and writing is somewhat peculiar; yet his peculiarity is not offensive. He seems determined to choose his own words, and to place them in his own order, even though he should differ from polished writers; yet the generality of polished readers will be satisfied with his taste. The texts, which he has chosen to affix to the sermons, are such as none, perhaps, except himself, would have selected; yet that person must be deficient in understanding and sensibility, who does not perceive their aptitude to the subject, and that of the subject to the occasion. In the first of these sermons, from Ps. xc. 1. our author follows a series of reasoning on the excellence of religion, by a copious and minute history of the first church in Newbury, and by a luminous and pathetick appeal to the heads and hearts of his hearers. He seriously and tenderly recals to their imaginations the venerable forms and fabricks of antiquity;' |