ice. Others saw all this with perceptions, probably, less keen, than the wild deer, that bounded among the trees. Some loved the images of unrestricted love, of licensed polygamy, of freedom from the legal ties of marriage, of free and untramelled roving. But all the adventurers were, more or less, imbued with an instinctive fondness for the reckless savage life, alternately indolent and laborious, full and fasting, occupied in hunting, fighting, feasting, intriguing, and amours, interdicted by no laws, or difficult morals, or any restraints, but the invisible ones of Indian habit and opinion. None know, until they have experimented, for how many people, who would be least suspected to be endowed with such inclinations, this life has its own irresistible charms. People, who have long been soldiers, it is well known, are spoiled for every other profession. They, too, who have long reclined on the grass in Indian tents, who have gambled, and danced, and feasted, and jeoparded life in murderous rencounters and unforeseen battles and exterminating wars, and who have contemplated the varieties of prospect and event in their interminable expeditions, seldom return with pleasure to the laborious and municipal life of the whites.

Among the traders, some had come up the Sewasserna with an assortment, such as they could bring in one, or perhaps two periogues, rowed by hired Indians. Others had packed their commodities, brought by water to the sources of the Missouri, on horses over the mountains. A new, and previously unknown avenue to their country had been recently practised, through a singular gap, or chasm in the Rocky Mountains, and over the wide and beautiful lake of Bueneventura. By far the most abundant supply of goods, however, arrived from the mouth of the Oregon, to which the Indians made frequent trips, to sell furs, and bring back goods, and trade with the ships in the river, and supply themselves with ardent spirits. The frequency and uniformity of this intercourse almost equalled the regularity of a mail. The great amount of furs, peltries, dried salmon, jerked venison and smoked deer's hams, though sold for very inadequate values of barter, in a short time introduced among the Shoshonce most of the common and cheap articles of prime necessity in the domestic wants of such a people.

But though, what is known in these countries by the common term Indian goods, made a considerable proportion of the stock in this trade, the greatest amount, cost and consumption was still in the article of ardent spirits. They, who brought the greatest abundance of that, were always most welcome. It was to no purpose, that an occasional white sojourner, of higher principles and better thoughts, warned them of the fatal influence of that seductive poison upon their race. It was in vain, that their intelligent and moral chief remonstrated against the introduction and use of the bewitching mischief. The Indian trader had not yet been seen among them, who possessed sufficient amount of principle, or capa

bility of moral resistance, to stand out against the entreaties and menaces of the Indians, and the profits of the trade. Whatever quantity of this article he brought, it was soon consumed. But the quantity was generally so small, in comparison to the multitudes, among whom it was to be distributed, that individual intoxication, for a considerable time after the introduction of ardent spirits, was an uncommon spectacle. Enough was drunk for the most part, only to thaw out the cold, stern and saturnine bosoms of this strange people to unwonted hilarity, ardor, and kindness of feeling. Hence the coming of a new trader among them, who brought a quantity of this pernicious beverage, not unaptly denominated in their language, "the fire medicine,' was an era of general excitement and festivity. Hence, too, the visits of the whites to their nation were always associated with these ideas, and were eagerly welcomed. The visitants, of course, were always at first in high favor. A temporary wife from the tribe was either offered by the chiefs, who regulated the introduction and citizenship of the whites, or easily obtained, after the selection of survey. If he conducted with any degree of decent conformity to their immemorial customs and modes of thinking, the stranger was at once free of the tribe, and had a range of inclination and choice, as wide and unmolested, as the Indians themselves. As furs, peltries and salmon were quite abundant, and easily transported down the Sewasserna and Oregon, the traders were seldom long, in selling out their stock of goods and spirits, at a profit almost to the extent of their very flexible consciences.

NATIONAL LITERATURE,

As influenced by the general devotion of the American people to politics. WHAT sort of people we are considered in the parent country, may easily be gathered from the general scope of three or four of the last Quarterlies, both London and Edinburgh, in their remarks upon the United States. We leave the partial, wanton and evidently envious assault upon the general favorite of our country, Dr. Channing, to bear its own comment. They allow us, besides him, the late president Edwards, Brockden Brown, and the novelist Cooper. What industry they must have exerted to become acquainted with our literary claims and resources, not to have heard of Everett, Bryant, Verplank, Walsh, Cooper, Eliott, and a host of other names of similar import, names with which we certainly do not compare some of those, that they allow us; and names of men, who in their several walks, we speak it confidently, write as well, as either the London or the Edinburgh can show. Of their fairness and capacity to judge, let the following extracts from the London Quarterly of November 1829, serve as a sample. We may make the same remarks

on the other objects, in which the United States have been pursuing, though at a vast distance, our steps. Of canals, rail roads, high ways, bridges, steam engines, and other improvements, utterly unknown in some, and very imperfectly known in many parts of the continent, we may affirm, that the extension has been more than ten times as great within one fifth of the space, in Great Britain, as America.' What wonderful illumination! What accuracy of information! This very review is predicated upon the published travels of two men, who each record, in the book reviewed, their transit on a canal longer, than any other on the globe, if we except the grand canal of China. Each could have informed the writer, that the United States had already in operation, or in rapid progress towards completion, four times as great a length of canal, as the whole united kingdom. Compare the Baltimore and Ohio rail way with any thing of the kind ever meditated by Great Britain. Compare the high ways and bridges on Tanner's map, with those, numerous though they be, of the diminutive isle of Britain. And where is the part of our continent, in which steam engines are not known? Is it along the Atlantic shore? Is it along our lakes, along their own borders? Is it on the hundred rivers of the Mississippi? Really, of a country like ours, feverish with the excitement of canals, rail roads and steam communications, such assertions are not arrogant alone, but disgraceful to the information of those who make them. The most ignorant school boy of the remotest back woods seminary would know more of England, than to make such contemptible statements in regard to that country.

There is too much truth in the following. Almost every city has a college, as it is called; though, in fact, they are little better, than our day schools. Yet degrees of bachelor of arts, and master of arts, are bestowed by them on boys of twelve and fifteen years of age; and announced with more form and pomp in their public papers, than those conferred at Oxford and Cambridge on competent scholars, at from twenty to twenty-five years of age. The whole construction of society seems opposed to any other system of education, than that of the most superficial kind,'

The reader will place what follows beside the assertion, that we are following the parent country at an immense distance, in point of canals, rail ways and the use of steam power. 'We should, probably find,' says the reviewer, 'a much larger proportion of persons in America, destitute of even the knowledge of reading and writing, than in any part of Europe, except Russia and Turkey: certainly a much larger proportion, than in a country, which of late years, it has been the fashion with persons, who know nothing of its concerns, to cry down, as hopeless and incurablewe mean Spain. It is very surprising that such a race of unlettered barbarians, should be, as the reviewers, rather forgetful of consistency, say they are in another place, 'quite as acute, as the English, in every thing that concerns profit and loss.'

Captain Hall supposes, and the reviewers devour it all for gospel, that the whole people in the United States are a nest of litigants, engaged in one incessant and never ending lawsuit. How ridiculous must this seem to us, who know, that the great mass of our citizens know little about suits from their own personal experience; and that only the same people

are litigious in America, who would be in every country, if they had scope and the means. It is very pleasant to be informed from the other side of the sea, that judge Cooper was dismissed from being president judge of the court of Pennsylvania, only for the assigned reason, that he had compelled a man to take off his hat in court. "We have seen,' say the reviewers, 'other accounts of the most unimpeachable credit, which represent the condition of these state courts, be it remarked whose decisions are the most numerous and most influential, in a far more degraded light, than Captain Hall has thought it prudent to represent"! It will, no doubt,' they continue, 'strike some persons, who have visited America, or read much concerning the Americans in their own weekly and daily papers, that Captain Hall must have collected many curious instances of the vulgarity, knavery, sottishness and hypocrisy, which would have been both amusing and characteristic; and that having omitted them, he has scarcely dealt fairly with his readers.-Collections of anecdotes of even a scandalous kind are certainly attractive to some classes of readers, and are easily furnished by some classes of writers.' We add, in relation to Messieurs, the reviewers, that there is a class, we hope a small one in America, to whom details of knavery, sottishness, vulgarity and hypocrisy are amusement-are food and drink; that is to say to kindred spirits. To all respectable people, such details minister only disgust. What must be the moral sense of these reviewers, to complain of Captain Hall, for withholding this detestable chronicle; for it seems, abusive as we thought him, they consider him as holding back; and they suppose his work to be popular with the better informed of our country. But, not to dwell longer on the scope and spirit of these reviews, of which we have seen enough in the papers, and which are supposed to declare the sentiments which the better classes entertain of us, not to descend to the common sewers of the journals, one of which, and the court official, recently spoke of Louisville, as on the Mississippi, and the ultimate point to which our population had yet pushed in the wilderness, we are led to a point in these reviews, which arrested our attention, and became as a text of suggestion of the thoughts of this article.

What we quote below, is matter of melancholy truth and fact. 'It has been well remarked by one of the most judicious and practical statesmen in America, De Witt Clinton, of New-York, that the country has been more or less exposed to agitations and commotions, for the last ten years. Party spirit has entered into the recesses of retirement, violated the sanctuary of domestic life, invaded the tranquility of private individuals, and visited with severe inflictions the peace of families. Neither elevation, nor humility, nor the charities, nor distinguished services, nor the fireside, nor the altar, have been free from attack; but a licentious and destroying spirit has gone forth, regardless of every thing, but the gratification of malignant feelings and unworthy aspirations; and, till some adequate preventatives and efficacious remedies are engrafted into the constitution, we must rarely expect a return of the same tranquility, which formerly shed its benign influence over the country. Such and so similar are the result of all Captain Hall's observations on this head, and the life long experience of one of the few Americans, whose name can be expected to carry weight in Europe."

It is wise, says the great Roman bard, to be taught by enemies. Much of the recent, reiterated and concurrent attacks upon our national character, in these distinguished British reviews, is so palpably calumnious, misstatements the result of such gross ignorance, that they are worthy only of the smile of derision. But, that our country exhibits to a stranger, passing through it, the spectacle, from all that he sees, hears, and reads, of having but one absorbing interest, the discussion of politics and elections, is too true. But it is a truth, with which an English traveller ought to be the last to reproach us. The same revolting spectacle has been visible in his own country for two centuries. From England we inherited the temperament. The popular institutions which we have copied from her, have developed it. Our institutions are still more popular, than the model.— Theatres for the display of personal ambition are infinitely more numerous, owing to the complication of our national and state governments. We have, probably, far transcended our example. We, perhaps, show more ferociously and coarsely the universal appetite for this foul feeding, than the people from whom we sprang. Though in travelling through our land, little interest or excitement is seen in any thing, but electioneering and politics; that is on the surface of society, although the columns of our newspapers are occupied with little else, we know, that there is in our country a numerons body of men, isolated though they may be, and personally unknown to each other, who view this order of things with the deepest regret; who would rejoice to see a regard for literature, the fine arts, the lesser morals, and the charities of life, replace this barbarous and Gothic public taste, this relish born in a tavern, nourished with whiskey, and developed and matured in the electioneering arena. If these men, who would rejoice to see another and an infinitely higher interest excited among us, could know each other, and become possessed of each other's views, and could unite their bearing and influence, they would not be without their effect, in kindling a better excitement, a more refined national taste. We know, that there are thousands of the most talented and respectable men, who are worn out, and disgusted with the nauseating and incessant clatter of electioneering and politics. Would, that their voices could be heard, that their influence could be felt, and that we had a great national society, to keep peace, and put down babblers and demagogues; and that papers, which inculcate literary taste, and diffuse literary information, and a regard to the lesser morals, and the domestic charities, could come into favor, instead of the thousand vehicles of fierce and noisy politics.

In our subsequent remarks, be it understood, we attach no blame to the editors of political papers. They cannot be expected to control public opinion, which controls them. We cannot exact of them, to struggle against an irresistible current. Whatever be the prime article of public consumption, it will, of course, be found in the market. Not only have we no right to expect other, than that an editor will fill his columns with politics, garnished to the taste of his party; but we must perceive, that every editor, thus absorbed into the current, will add by his own example, and his own descent, to the weight of the stream.

Suppose we could disengage ourselves from the influence of those habits, in which we have been reared; suppose the scale, which long custom