And slumbers settled on the deep, As when the righteous fall asleep, Thou, that didst rule the angry hour, Thou, that didst bow the billow's pride, Speak, speak, to passion's raging tide, HUMOROUS ACCOUNT OF ENGLISH TAXES. Ed. Review. PERMIT me to inform you, my friends, what are the inevitable consequences of being too fond of glory;-TAXESupon every article which enters into the mouth, or covers the back, or is placed under the foot-taxes upon every thing which it is pleasant to see, hear, feel, smell, or taste-taxes upon warmth, light, and locomotion-taxes on every thing on earth, and the waters under the earth-on every thing that comes from abroad, or is grown at home-taxes on the raw material-taxes on every fresh value that is added to it by the industry of man-taxes on the sauce which pampers man's appetite, and the drug that restores him to health-on the ermine which decorates the judge, and the rope which hangs the criminal-on the poor man's salt, and the rich man's spice-on the brass nails of the coffin, and the ribands of the bride-at bed or board, couchant or levant, we must pay. The school-boy whips his taxed top-the beardless youth manages his taxed horse, with a taxed bridle on a taxed THE ACADEMICAL SPEAKER. 17 then immediately taxed from 2 to 10 per cent. Besides the probate, large fees are demanded for burying him in the chancel; his virtues are handed down to posterity on taxed marble; and he is then gathered to his fathers,-to be tax ed no more. In addition to all this, the habit of dealing with large sums, will make the Government avaricious and profuse and the system itself will infallibly generate the base ver min of spies and informers, and a still more pestilent race of political tools and retainers, of the meanest and mos odious description ;-while the prodigious patronage, which the collecting of this splendid revenue will throw into the hands of Government, will invest it with so vast an influ ence, and hold out such means and temptations to corrup tion, as all the virtue and public spirit, even of republicans will be unable to resist. THE RIGHT OF DISCOVERY. Irving. THE first source of right, by which property is acquired in a country, is DISCOVERY. For as all mankind have an equal right to any thing, which has never before been ap propriated, so any nation that discovers an uninhabited coun try, and takes possession thereof, is considered as enjoying full property, and absolute, unquestionable empire therein This proposition being admitted, it follows clearly, tha the Europeans who first visited America, were the real dis coverers of the same; nothing being necessary to the es tablishment of this fact, but simply to prove that it was to tally uninhabited by man. This would at first appear to be a point of some difficulty, for it is well known, that this quarter of the world abounded with certain animals, tha walked erect on two feet, had something of the human countenance, uttered certain unintelligible sounds, very much like language; in short, had a marvellous resemblanc to human beings. But the zealous and enlightened fathers, who accompani ed the discoverers, for the purpose of promoting the kingdom of beeren by establishing fat ries and bishoprics They plainly proved, and as there were no Indian writers arose on the other side, the fact was considered as fully admitted and established, that the two-legged race of animals before mentioned were mere cannibals, detestable monsters, and many of them giants-which last description of vagrants have, since the time of Gog, Magog, and Goliath, been considered as outlaws, and have received no quarter in either history, chivalry, or song. Indeed, even the philosophic Bacon declared the Americans to be people proscribed by the laws of nature, inasmuch as they had a barbarous custom of sacrificing men, and feeding upon man's flesh. But the benevolent fathers, who had undertaken to turn these unhappy savages into dumb beasts, by dint of argument, advanced still stronger proofs; for as certain divines of the sixteenth century, and among the rest, Lullus, affirm -the Americans go naked, and have no beards!—' They have nothing,' says Lullus, ' of the reasonable animal, except the mask.'-And even that mask was allowed to avail them but little; for it was soon found that they were of a hideous copper complexion-and being of a copper complexion, it was all the same as if they were negroes-and negroes are black, and black,' said the pious fathers, devoutly crossing themselves, 'is the colour of the Devil!' Therefore, so far from being able to own property, they had no right even to personal freedom-for liberty is too radiant a deity to inhabit such gloomy temples. All which circumstance plainly convinced the righteous followers of Cortes and Pizarro, that these miscreants had no title to the soil that they infested-that they were a perverse, illiterate, dumb, beardless, black-seed-mere wild beasts of the forests, and like them should either be subdued or exterminated. THE RIGHT OF CULTIVATION. Irving. ground that has fallen to its share. Those people, like the ancient Germans and modern Tartars, who, having fertile countries, disdain to cultivate the earth, and choose to live by rapine, are wanting to themselves, and deserve to be exterminated, as savages and pernicious beasts. Now it is notorious, that the savages knew nothing of agriculture, when first discovered by the Europeans, but lived a most vagabond, disorderly, unrighteous life,-rambling from place to place, and prodigally rioting upon the spontaneous luxuries of nature, without tasking her generosity to yield them any thing more; whereas it has been most unquestionably shown, that Heaven intended the earth should be ploughed and sown, and manured, and laid out into cities, and towns, and farms, and country seats, and pleasure grounds, and public gardens, all which the Indians knew nothing about, therefore, they did not improve the talents Providence had bestowed on them,-therefore, they were careless stewards, therefore, they had no right to the soil, therefore, they deserved to be exterminated. It is true, the savages might plead that they drew all the benefits from the land, which their simple wants requiredthey found plenty of game to hunt, which, together with the roots and uncultivated fruits of the earth, furnished a sufficient variety for their frugal repasts;—and that as Heaven merely designed the earth to form the abode, and satisfy the wants of man; so long as those purposes were answered, the will of Heaven was accomplished.-But this only proves how undeserving they were of the blessings around them-they were so much the more savages, for not having more wants; for knowledge is in some degree an increase of desires, and it is this superiority both in the number and magnitude of his desires, that distinguishes the man from the beast. Therefore, the Indians, in not having more wants, were very unreasonable animals; and it was but just that they should make way for the Europeans, who had a thousand wants to their one; and, therefore, would turn the earth to more account, and by cultivating it, more truly fulfil the will of Heaven. Besides Grotius and Lauterbach, and Puffendorff, and Titus, and many wise men beside, who have considered the matter properly, have determined, that the property of a country cannot be acquired by hunting, cutting wood, or drawing water in it-nothing but precise demarcation of limits, and the intention of cultivation, can establish the possession. Now, as the savages (probably from never hav ing read the authors above quoted) had never complied with any of these necessary forms, it plainly followed that they had no right to the soil, but that it was completely at the disposal of the first comers, who had more knowledge, more wants, and more elegant, that is to say, artificial desires than themselves. In entering upon a newly-discovered, uncultivated country, therefore, the new comers were but taking possession of what, according to the aforesaid doctrine, was their own property, therefore, in opposing them, the savages were invading their just rights, infringing the immutable laws of Nature, and counteracting the will of Heaven,-therefore, they were guilty of impiety, burglary, and trespass on the case, therefore, they were hardened offenders against God and man, therefore, they ought to be exterminated. ADDRESS TO THE HIGHLANDERS. Scott. SEE, the dark hours of night and of slumber are past, The morn on our mountains is dawning at last; Glenaladale's peaks are illumed with the rays, And the streams of Glenfinnan leap bright in the blaze. Ye sons of the strong, when that dawning shall break, Awake on your hills, on your islands awake! 'Tis the summons of heroes for conquest or death, |