clared intellectual existence to be a state of wretchedness and misery.

Among the moral singularities of this country, I must take notice of the conduct of MALEFACTORS.

This class of unhappy men, who, for want of education, are not provided with sufficient power of reason to anticipate the evil their uncontrolled and impetuous passions bring upon them, are more numerous and active in this country than in any other part of the world; and even while they violate, in the most daring manner, the law and collective force of society, seem cautious not to offend the principles of humanity by acts of cruelty, as is customary with robbers in almost every other part of the globe. This contrast is owing to that wonderful sensibility in the constitution of an Englishman, which is the parent of SYMPATHY-which comprehends the essence and nature of all virtue; every other virtue being but conventional.

This sensibility, which is universally, specifically and solely the characteristic of the English nation, predominates over the mind, though powerful from habits of reflection, and renders it impatient under every deprivation and restraint. Rather than submit to the trifling incon¬ veniences caused by the capricious instability of fortune, the Englishman defies the terrors of the law, and seizes: violently on the highway the property of his fellow citizens, to procure to him his habitual luxuries, and his uncontrollable desire of immediate and present happiness. Opposed to the tyranny of impetuous passion, he hears from the pulpit the pains of hell announced. These menaces, the strength of his mental faculties teaches him to laugh at; and temporal punishment-hope seduces him to escape from; and passion thus suborning hope, induces him to betray, while he intends and thinks to love and benefit himself. For surely the mind is the dupe of the heart, when man, in order to gratify a momentary desire of a fleeting pleasure, violates the personal liberty of a fellow-creature, which brings upon himself a long and painful exile, or a sudden death.

Sensibility in the mind that has strength to control the passions, and direct them to procure the well-being of the animal, for which purpose they appear to have been formed, expands existence, augments animation, and begets that wonderful and immortal affection-Sympathy, which carries man to the highest point of eminence in the scale of animated Nature. It is this sensibility, that, when associated with weak mental faculties, urges men to prefer momentary, to constant pleasure; to prefer the fleeting titillations of the heart, to durable, constitutional happiness, or moral health; the result of an extensive reflection, anticipating evil, and calculating by means of a nice, comparative examination of relations and consequences, the balance of good or evil, to be procured by the passion about to be exercised, or the act to execute the volition.

When sensibility is unassociated with reason, man then becomes a monster, and forms society of "mohawks, bullies, prickers and hired mobs;" which monsters this country may (to the honor of the rest of the world,) claim as its own specific and sole productions. There are many other slaves of passion or brutal sensibility, who disturb the dignity and decorum of places of public resort, as theatres, publie walks and streets; by these, blows are preferred to amicable discussion and persua sion of speech. This conduct is the scandal of strangers who are present, and the misery and terror of sympathetic minds, which, for the honor of the country, form the far greater part of the audience. In the streets we have many deplorable instances of this brutal sensibility, which induces the more ferocious to be the victims, and the spectators no less brutal, to form a circle to promote the destruction of fellow-creatures as an object of pleasure. This act is the more atrocious, as it is the collective and unanimous act of a great body of the people; but for the honor of humanity, it is known only in England. In all the nations I have visited, I never saw an instance, where the animosity of individuals broke out into personal assault, but the great body of spectators

interfered, not only to impede personal injury, but to reconcile a future amity.

This brutal sensibility has turned the means of subsistence of society in a state of barbarism, into an universal modern pastime; I mean the cruel pleasure of the CHASE. Here the demon error, under the cloak of custon, and the encouragement of example, fortifies the heart of man against the omnipotent, hallowed and immortal affection of sympathy. Here we see those men occupied, who in the scale of relative truth bear unspotted characters, join their savage yells to the barking of the less savage dogs, and measure their brutal sensation of plea-* sure by the standard of duration and sufferance of the agonizing pain of the animal hunted; and forfeit the only plea of humanity, that of self-defence in the destruction of a general enemy.

The cruelties of mankind committed on the brute creation are falsely apologized for by the plea of utility; as the forcing them to destructive labor, to procure the conveniences of life, and putting them to death to procure aliment.

The great activity which civilization has produced among mankind, by associating them as individuals, and separating them as nations, among whom the same competitions and jealousies subsist, as among individuals in a state of Nature, promotes industry with such enthusiasm, that man and beasts are mutual victims thereto; this procures wealth, and wealth power; and these united are the end of civilization, and the acme of human happiness!

As truth, considered relatively, forces mankind to this treatment of the brute creation, it may plead an excuse for man in an animal state of existence, but a mind in an intellectual state, that by sympathy feels itself a part of all Nature, which in futurity will change that component part into beast, offers no plea, as it sees no necessity to violate the life or liberty of an innocent animal, be cause the aliment of life may be procured from the vegetable world, and that produced by his own labors; and

such aliment procures bodily and mental health, by sálubriating the humors of the one, and tranquillizing the passions of the other. Here, then, utility, or a greater degree of happiness, is the universal motive which puts in action, intellectual existence.

But what plea can be offered for that preposterous passion, or habit of mind, acquired by custom, to destroy animals, not for the necessity, but the pleasure of destroying them. This practice alone proves what little progress the mind has made towards intellectual existence. Notwithstanding this practice is too common in every part of the globe, yet the sacred truth of sympathy, the virtue of Nature, remains unimpeached, as supported by minds of great sensibility.

Men of refined understanding are never addicted to this vice, and women who should delight in the butchery of the chase, should unsex themselves, and be regarded as monsters: and these instances alone fix the truth of sympathy, as an efficient and universal motive to bring man to intellectual existence, and an enlightened state of Nature; when all violence shall cease, and man shall will for himself alone, or reciprocally assimilate that of his fellow-creatures, by instruction and persuasion, conducted by truth and probity.

This brutal pleasure claims also, as a sacrifice to the impious crime of ingratitude, the tender body of the timorous stag, who interchanges his life with man, and furnishes a wholesome aliment; why does not he enjoy the same privilege as the inoffensive sheep, whose transformation is procured with the least pain and torment by the expeditious knife? And why is this trepidating, timorous, weeping, half-humanized animal, with sensibility selected by the select of mortals, called kings, to procure, by agonizing pain, testified by almost human tears, joy to that heart, which if it possesses real excellence, should possess superior sympathy? Can this heart of excellency or royalty (which should mean excellency if it means any thing,) be so perverted and unnatural, as to receive emotions of pleasure from causes of pity, repay

tears with laughter, shrieks of pain with acclamations of joy, and duration of misery with the cheerfulness of hope! The relief of torment by instantaneous deathshall that cause angry disappointment, and shall those who can feel no sympathy with the heart-rending groans of the victim, join only with the blood-hounds, from whose ravenous fangs the huntsman snatches the prey, in the howlings of disappointed brutality? And shall they afterwards claim an excellence over their fellow creatures, when they degrade themselves by assimilating in passions to the brute creation? O poverty! though thou art in the endurement of the imperious passions of hunger, thirst and love, thou art to be adored, and not dreaded: thou art debarred these brutal pleasures, enemies to sympathy.-They are necessary tempests, to keep from putrefaction the stagnated waters of a depraved heart; while sympathy, like a mild zephyr, undulates the regular tides, which flow and re-flow from Self to Nature in the boundless ocean of a benevolent heart, and the injustice of power of the higher order of men, to deprive the inferior of the rights of Nature, is abundantly atoned for.

To this characteristic and brutal sensibility is to be attributed the national vice of DRUNKENNESS; a crime the more odious and atrocious, as being the greatest enemy to Reason,the greatest friend to mankind. This passion becomes imperious from habit, and gives to man an indifference for the innocent and beneficent pleasures, as dancing, music, love, sports and pastimes, and corporeal exercises. It is this passion which causes the parent to sacrifice the comfort and subsistence of a family, to obtain a few moments' relief from the pangs of remorse, in the delirium of folly, which for a moment appeases while it prepares a ten-fold proportion of misery in the loss of mental and corporal health. It is this folly that opens a dreadful field to that giant-prejudice, private combat; and friendship, which, in more rational moments, opposes the only barrier to his violence, is here singled