ron tut fctsostos chrovcik to robekt walsh esquire kiscstox u c 13a jan 1820 slr i am one of those who rcadwrth great satisfaction row excellent letter on the genius and dispositions of the french go vernment i admired it as a work elo quent in composition and correct in its reasonings and which few writers of the present day could equal or surpass had proofs been wanting that americans were capable of excelling in any literary pur suit in which they diligently engaged this work was decisive for it shewed that on political questions such luminous views could be given as to invite com- pnrisons without fear with the best wri ters in foreign nations and what is still nacre rare in such discussions a manli ness of sentiment and uprightness of principle pervaded the s hole with im pressions so favourable i looked further than the author and imbibed an interest for the man when a periodical publi cation was soon after undertaken by the rame hand i looked for the most inter esting details of domestic policy and manners and habits and a vigilant and fearless correction of the erroneous con ceptions of foreigners respecting north america iu language piercing but nei ther coarse nor illiberal my expecta tions were not disappointed in what was your- of the few numbers that were published of the american review and notwithstanding the strange apathy o your countrymen in regard o native pe riodical works had there been a greater number of originil articles and no vo luminous state papers the work would have been supported your failure in his attempt did not lower you in my estimation either as an author or a man and i looked anxious ly for the time when mime original work worthy of your talents would issue from the american pres a work of yours has indeed appeared but alas how dif ferent from what i looked fnr how in jurious to the reputation of its author and the morals ot nations you are pleaud to be offended with england thatls you are desirous buf i divine not motives let them rest you have written a ma volume which few will ever read oi it would become it own antidote but though very few will ever peruse the work itelf yl v be come a storehouse or magazine of ca lumnies and misrepresented facts to which all the demagogues will have re course hence the hatred of your coun try will if possible be increased against great britain if this be your desire you will certainly obtain itsgratificatinu it is not my intention to add fuel to the flame i will endeavour to extinguish it while i present you as a melancholy ex ample of perverted talents talents ca pable of the noblest efforts but which are now employed in pandering to vice and sowing the seeds of future discord and misery tiif riutace you fell us in your preface that you have undertaken to prepare for the press a survey of the institutions and resource of the american republic and of the real character and condition of the american people but finding that such a work would take up some time you fall upon the plan of making up in the intcnal a preliminary volume which should em brace a review of he dispositions and totdut of great britain towards your country from the earliest period and a collateral retaliation for her continued injustice and invective after indulging ill a vehement diatribe against great britain you condescend to pfcint out the cause of j our anger 1st the edinburgh and quarterly reviews it is i believe the first time that these two celebrated works were ever associated together in promoting or defending the 5a me pi in ci pies they have always been supposed to be in op position to each other and to be the or gans of the two great part km which con- tend with one another for the adminis tration of the countrv and it will not fail to be a matter of great astonishment to the readers of the ii r- 1 of these jour nals to be informed that mr walsh denounces it a a vehicle of calumny on ih united states for it seem that the edinburgh review after praising amer ica in almost every number begin to find it necessary in order to preserve some semblance of honesty and fairness to qualify its commendation and to ad mit that the proofs which this young em pire has lately given of ambition ntnf cvu- cltv deserve some gentle castration and gentle as it has been given oil take fire and considering it impossible that wux native country can do wrong vou turn upon your old friends with implaca ble hostility it is less surprising that you should be displeased with th quarterly review as that celebrated journal has never mat tered the states by disparaging great britain or concealed its opinions on the machiavelian policy pursued b this new republic which young in years sur passes in hypocrisy in contempt of truth and in rapacity all contemporary gov ernments in reviewing the books before them tlie writers of the quarterly review rea soned from facts and not having he ad vantage of your knowledge they have been so presumptions as f cjtavr some logins inference from their remises they cannot pass in sibne tip v remnt- ic industry of the ruling party of the united state to inspire the limiurgfnc- ratioo with haired togrcal brftafotfmfl with a manliness and discrimination wor thy of their learning and abilities they frequently contrast the situation of the two countries and it is a misfortune which it is to be feared your huge volume cannot remedy that such contrasts are not much in favour of the united states you atfect sir great sorrow at being obliged thus to come forward in favour ofyoor country and to repel the contu melious language of british writers and most truly say that national antipathies are to be deprecated in themselves and that to excite them wantonly is an of fence against humanity and religion in this i agree with you but i accuse you of acting exactly in opposition to this maxim and of having most wantonly of fended against humanity and religion in he work which we are now examining in proof we might proceed immediately to show that the two reviews are not more severe on the united states than they are upon other governments even on that of their own country nor more severe upon the writers across the allan- tic than upon their own but as we shall meet this subject more iu detail in the eighth and ninth sectionsof the book we proceed to the second head of offence mentioned in the preface it i the custom at westminster school one of the principal seminaries of edu cation in the british empire to exhibit a latin play annually in the autumn of which the characters are filled by the senior students about to be translated to the universities a latin prologue and epilogue serving as specimens of scholarhip usually accompany tfrivplay in an exhibition of this kind which took place in the autumn of 1s1 i the sub ject chosen for the epilogue was emigra tion to the united states it seems this jeu d sprit was full of expressions dis agreeable to the peopjp of the united states and vou draw the nninhlo ii r- clice hum our youiii arc educated in sen- timeilts of he mot sarcastic ad ran co- rods hostility towards ameiica and nf- lev gitiug hie translation of the epilogue you adopt some very sag remark froza j the editor of the port folio w bich con cluded with threatening that if we edu cate our children with such viraliiicc against the united stale they wilibrinr up their children wiflt sentiments of en mity against great britain nothing can be more ridiculous than bringing forward in this grave manner an exctcise which was admired onlv in respect to its infinity and the matter of which is scarcely ever thought of but for its terseness and wit there is besides an unfairness in the manner of introdu cing this epilogue you say that it was recited about the conclusion of the ame rican war now it was in october 1 81 1 when thore was not the smallest expec tation of peace what is likewise wor thy of remark almost everv part deem ed offensive in this epilogue is taken from morses geography i dare say the poor wight w ho composed this offen sive production hardly ever thought of america and had no other view than pleasing his learned auditors with the excellcree of his verses had you given yourself time to reflect you would have discovered that education is a soicand dangerous subject you have only tij look over the school books used through out the united states and ou will find them full of invectives against great britain the children in joining word- of two syllables are sucking in hatred against die land of their fathers bead tlw litoplii io mr well i ftdionl book- so popular ibroujfh the state- and von will find the ereaer number are extracted from 1th of july speeches besides sir you know well that there is one day set apart every year for cvc ra ting great britain a day when an or ator i appointed to calumniate england and englishmen and the coarser the slander trie more popular he speaker have we any thing like this in england will twenty years circulation ot the re views were they full of invectives sow as much haired as one day of indepen dence adjourned meeting to be held or iie fil lowing wednesday at the same boor and place 3d that there be a general meeting on the second wednesday in january annually at which two vice presidents two secretaries and a treasurer be nom inated for the year ensuing and in case any vacancy happens within the year the same shall be supplied at the next quarterly or special meeting notice of uch meeting bsing previously given by he secretary 4th that te president or vice president or aip wo members of the committee have power to call a special meeting giving tree days notice of such meeting and of f object of it 5th that fhaccounts of the treas urer and secreiahs be open to inspec tion at all geuera meetings and be au dited at the quaitrly meeting in janua ry 6th that a k depositary of books for the use of the district and members of the society b formed in kingston under the direct and at the disposal of the committee hy the appropriation of all monies ovf an above one third of all subscription and donations which third is due to tie society 7th that th books be placed under the care of the treasurer who shall without reference to the committee com ply with the request of any member of the society for beoks upon the terms of the society and report the same at the next general meeting provided that such requests exceeding ifl value l 10 at any one time or 3 in one year be pre vious tranpmirtrd to the general board in london for approval and that all monies received for such books so issued belong xchollij to the fund of the district 8th that an pcounl of the lafo of the local depositary be regularly kept and laid bofore the committee at every general mo ling resolved that his exccnrtj sir p m ait land be respectfully requested to cominue his patronage to tlris iw form of the institu tion that the j his hop of quebec be respectfully reqtestcd to become fret sident that thr ion allan maclean and thomas muuand be vice presi dents that the rev official stwtrt and the rev john yikan be secretaries that mr robert rkhardon lc treas urer subscriptions cv doxatioxs to tile disrnicn commnihi of the society for snomottsn crfris- ttjh ksnri loge established at ki rlonjor th depart rnrnt of the br i hops ojficieof upper canada with the titnc and subscriptions of such as propose o become member cj the society stls 3 sot iff i yp i 1 j j 4 4 4 hon allan mac lean j ihi- markliinrl tircj j lanimv q j maratia esq c o smart c 1 i iimij i y joseph ftlurduck vh mclcori dniatiou utihcri kiiiariion tbrftf i commissions rarrle rn lr col ligtitfoot a cm g lieut coj tvan 1 r a hagermafl eq mrs ilagerman iy did gen coramiuct 1 3 4 i i 1 i 3 3 11 ii 0 4 4 8 8 4 0 ii 4 4 1 8 4 1 3 4 win tvnirhcll kcv win macfluiavi i 11 4 4 4 kinostov upper canada diocese of quebec jan 12 lsio the kingston auxiliary bible and common prayer pool society baring betffl this day dissolved ait existed un der its original name and lorin with the view of giving it a form more acceptable to the society for promoting christian knowledge and akreeubly to the in- slruction of the bishop of the diocese as intimated in his lordhrp letter from england upon that subject the hon aihxm mulrw bhng called to the chair and the sbeiefys statement of the object of its district committee being read tlcsotvcd that the sanction of foe tord bishop having been virtually obtained a district committee b now established for upper canada beingllicdepaitmentof a bish ops oilicial in conformity with the rules and orders of the society and under the following local n filiations regulation 1 that this commit tee consisting of such persons a are or pre sently shall be members of the society shall be further openas permitted by the rules of the society only to such of her persons who subscribe at least half a guinea to the use of th district and arc members of the established church 2d thai tlii- committed do mei on tne li wednesday nf january april july and oi tobcr at p2ovjocjcpfccw- ly biil that if ihrre netvtjirs be not pro nt tie cominittcg adjooio run no- lice to ihc tcvral ncnibj i of an fob tin k i ton ciinoniclr mtjfn editors there being a difference of 4gito2 between the rcfult of tiros folution of j ms qucftion and the nfwer which i gurs- wat i hope that i may be permitted to guffs at the caufe of the difference i guefs that the whole difference is made in the cal culation of the circle nd i think it evident trom the following plain mathematical in- vrftigalion let r circumference hillings then r x 07958 x 2 p condition of the qucltion 6272640 d- d r594io908 lo4m but ii we admit ti ro decimal viy 0796 hftead of 958 in the above equation then j xi 0796x20 cuubctt and mr birklcck enter the field of contefl the rcfult is looked for with as much intercllas the greeks nd trojaaa could ftl whiil awaiting the termination of j lie conflidi between hccttor and achilles how far cither has fucceeded the public mull decide but thofe who have been drawn to thofe elyfian fields mull be confidered mod competent to judge such is the writer of thefc re- marks and as frr as an englifliman who has vifitcd thofe regions can determine mr bhkbeck certainly muft yield the palm of victory thefe conclufions are not drawn through any fimilarity of politi cal fentiment- mr birkbeck fa his letters dated january fays it became my duty to publifh and then affes the queftion and who apologifes for the performance of a duty if he alludes to the duty he owed to his own intereft fie that of his own family no apology is requifite he has un- queftionably done what he could to execute this high demand but if we take a wider field aflc has he faithfully discharged the duty he owed to himfelf to the public to pollcrity the anfivcrmuft be the reverfe univerfally his dtfcriptions are too high- coloured glowing he who forms his xv that mr birkbeckf cnthnhafm fhouw have led him r firry h nor to be wonder a at but wlien he knows his error an hnaulv julbfies his miscalculation- conduct is unworthy a man of fenteand bility if however iie fiiould dill 0 barely support the statements he h j to the world it will be difficult r whether the fine free domain whicfrs fmfling around him or the public ws fmile rrioat in denfion of his folly william coitrie new tori dec il 1 8 19 p s i am at this very time polfcflid of a good title to upwards of 9000 acrcsof lands in illinois 6 2 7 2 6 40 s ds and rz5940ioo6- hence wc have i97cc4io8 197005 o6i49tio thereforebynfingc96inhead of 07958 tiro icftens the value ff the circle i49 io but if that ate and penetrating genius will convince fe that the decimal 079577525 ought be contracted to 0796 and not lo 075 j ma perhaps doubt the correftnefs of my gurjing youf8 e c j s m d january 25 1820 foreign news t from the evening post remarks on mqtru birfcbecks three liters morris bhkbeck the nrenuous advocate ideas expetftations from thefe writings ill feel himfelf as much difappointed as they who allow the romantic writings of the age to be the guide of their hopes expectations if mr b has told fomc truths he has not told the whole truth to late the dangers and difficulties at tendant on emigrating to the weft would fcarcely anfwer his ends he has never properly reprefentcd the favage fiate of fociety in thofe regions it confided of a population formed of the dregs of the community though mr birkbeck concluded his letter of the 31ft jan by faying no quarrels of any importance have occurred between the hunting tiibc hctc perhaps ht will not be able to deny that mr hobfen ftorckecper at the englffh fettlemtnt having rcfufed thefe charaftcn drink they dilcharged two rifles at him whilft in his log cabin such fays the gentleman are no quarrels of importance perhaps he can tell u why thefe afts were never brought before a court mr biikbeckgoes on to date i as to diffenfiods and immorality if initancesof the former have occurred it is becaufe the latter is the objeft of our abhorrence it may be prefumed the immorality he alludes to retla with an individual who accompanied mr b when he iirft vifited the illinois the perfnn although a man who had left a wife and family behind him thought it pefely right in defiance of thofe facred ties to many himfelf to a ftmale of the patty and the aft received the fandion and countenance of this very mr birkbeck who now tell us m as to diffcunons and immorality if ietance3 of the former have occurred it ia becaufe the latter is the object of cur abhonence it is in vain fot mr b to attempt to throw this load from his boulders and ftrive to vvafh the lain from his hands it will remain in fpite of his ftroigeft efforts he likewife acknowledges i have been deemed a foe to religion and goes on to inform us that his cteed impels him to no purfuits but what rcafon approves can reafon approve of cricket playing hunting and hooting on the sabba tli day j if mr birk beck feels no refpeft for this particular day himfelf his politencfs hould at lend make him have a tefped for the feelings of others mr bukbeck itas never represented lo the public the aqual advantages of the praiiics in the illinois true it is that state abounds with prairie land ofgieat fertility and requires no expenfc or labour to clear it but here alas the beauties terminated- this feftion of country is naturally flat consequently is ill watered and utterly destitute of fprings- prairie lands form at least two thirds of the state of illinois and from the luxuriance of the foil they are covered iu the fall of the year with a tank grafs from four to eight feet in height in confequence of the want of good water and the decay of this exceffive quantity of vegetable matter the air becomes impregnated with putrid ex halations and bilious fevers and ague be- come general throughout the country another very ferious evil which every emigrant mut feel the labouring man who has a family excepted is the difficul ty of obtaining labour and when procur ed the exceffive demand made for the fer- vices rendered if the labourer performs ever fo indifferently or fluggifhly it must be accepted without a remonstrance he must be feared at the fame tabic and par take of the fame refrefhmer ts aft yomfelves intrude himfelf on your company with out ceremony at all hours and familiar ize himfelf with an effrontery truly repug nant to fenfe and modesty in fine all thofe nice distinctions which render fociety pleafing arc treated with carclefs iudiflcr- ence and too often totally disregarded the nearest market where produce to any extent could be difpofed of is newor leans distant eleven hundred miles the expenfe of tranfporting the price of la bour the rifques of a fluctuating market added to the above inconveniences may well induce mr birkbeck to remark that the capitalist is looking around him unde cided as to the courfe he hall purfue to conclude he tells us the lubstantial extract of a fatter from a gentleman fa south americuio his friend in pirgin ia dated santiago d chili aug 4 1819 political affairs at prefent hear a good afpea things having affirmed that char- after of order and confilleucy which guar antces durability this state is com- pletely free from spain cflvntialiy ide- pendent and the government is in the full exercifc of all the prerogatives of fove reignty it lias quiet pofltflion from the defert of ahcarrra to the south bark of the river bio bio ad fom the andes to the pacific ocean all the mild colonial fyd em of spain together with the enlightening charms of the holy mquifitton and tl liberality of exclufive monopoly have been facrificcd upon the altar of emancipation andhe homage and love for former tianfmarine rulers hk9 ungratefully exunguiflied the revolution will fhortly travel fntfr peru where the fpfrit cxifts and has fomc times affumed an unequivocal form the fquadron of chili under command of rear admiral lord cochrane will fa in a few days provided with congrevc rockets fo g ir 5ya ifticait callao and with troops to occupy fuch ports upon the coall of peru as it maybe deemed eligible to hold permit harmony happily exiu between this government and that of buenos ayre and it is nccefary to great political rcfuks and efficient warlike combinations for buenos ayrcs is on the other fide of the andes what chili is on this the heet anchor of independence in south ameri ca the buenos ayreans were the fath ers of the revolution and with intelligent ilrangcrsare now the foul of it a spanifh expedition is fpoken of bit does not create alarm among thinking people they knowing that spain has nei ther friends nor money nor credit and that nth inadequate without affiflanceto fit out an expedition an expedition would be ferviceable to the cauie of south amcr- ica for by producing a common defigntt would induce union develope the reiour- ces and rcpulfive faculties of the nation and deflroy fadtion r i a military expedition of 6 or soo men will be fent into peru if neceffary but i apprehend it will be unncceffary up on the ground that the peruvians wtfc little encouragement from thofe troops t be ftationed upon the coaft will liberate tbemfclves from the baltimore patriot important operations in netr- grenada and venezuela general bolivar was on the 30th of october at guafguadalilo with about 5500 men and on his march for carac- cas aril mend had quitted anirofluta lo uifcc corni jiij v me cau h e ofcumana and barcelona and expect ed to collect 6oco troops to co operate with the other divifions the evacuation of san fernando by morillc is confirmed and the reafon will foon appear for soublette has beaten la torre mod deri fively and occupied the town and valley of cucuta in fhort fays one of our cor refpondents the jig is fairly up with the spaniards and i expeft this very voyage or certainly the next from st thomas to proceed to la guayra poor colonel rooke died of his wounds and you will fee a grateful notice of him in the correo general bolivar had made propofals to somano the vice roy of new grenada for an exchange of priloners as follows ift the officers and foldiers taken at porto bello 2d officers and soldiers at carthagena and santa martha d citizens ferving in their armies 4th thofe in the prefidtos c this propofition efpecially the firft article of it is highly politic and credi table of his humanity and magnanimity from the correo del orinoco of the 20th october i appears his excel lency the vice prcfident has jult received official accounts from the commander chief of the army of the weft jofe antonio paez it which he communicates his inten tion of commencing his operations ac cording to inanitions previoufly received alfo of his receiving intelligence that general soublette had occupied the capital of cucuta as the general refers to ihcdlfpatch fent dircftly to the government but which has not yet been received we arc ignorant of the details of the battle that put our troops in poffeffion of that valley where the enemy was fo advantageously ported where he had wnited lo large an army and fuppow for emigration to the wstateshasatlength in letters dated jan 3 a july 13th attempted to repel afr cliargeswhich j good that hasalready been effected afforda a number of writers h brought againll him nnd in a letter fthe 3 of j he has entered the rin and taken the i gauntlet rhiown dowrhy william cobbctt who lofefl no opporltfhy to avow himlelf the champion for the intereft of mankind when two cliaraacis as notorious as mr ample compcnlation without a doubt the venders of medicines in that district and the profits which mr b has derived from the falc of certain portions of his land it what he alludes to who elfe has real ized the fubflantial good befidefl himtclf and thefe dealers it is diiecult tg difcover himivlf fo tbongly iecurednay where he expected to repair his immenfe lollei here we have the folution of his p tile evacuation of san fernando which coft him fo much time expenfe anu trotke in foitifying and which the enemy confidered zs the gibraltar of the pw san fernrndo was evacuated on the 15w and general pa 2 found in h all the gun which wf tot even fpi coj th a coa-