[160] The powers of legislation by the late constitution, were designed to be vested in the peeple; but in fact were vested no where. The pretended legislature consisted of but one house; and no bill, except on pressing occasions, could be passed into a law, until it had been published for the assent of the peeple.
[161] Clerk or register.
[162] See the proceedings of the legislature of Maryland in 1785.
[163] Virginia however iz not alone in this mezure. Rhode Island formerly took the same steps, and stil adheres to its liberality.
[164] The consumption of beef in New England iz the reezon why the exports of that article do not exceed thoze of Ireland. Most of the laboring peeple in New England eet meet twice a day, and az much az their appetites demand. Suppose eech person to eet but six ounces a day on an average, which iz a low estimate, and the inhabitants of New England consume more than one hundred million pounds of meet, in a yeer. I do not know what proportion of this iz beef, but the greatest part iz beef and pork, worth two pence, and two pence half penny a pound. By the best accounts from Ireland, it iz probable the inhabitants do not consume a twentieth part of the meet, consumed in the northern states, in proportion to their numbers. But suppoze they consume a tenth; let the New England peeple reduce the consumption of meet in the same proportion, and they would save ninety millions for exportation. This at two pence a pound makes the sum of two million five hundred thousand dollars, which iz a very handsome commercial income. Let the reduction proceed to all kinds of food and clothing; let our common peeple liv like the poor of Ireland in all respects, and they would save twice the sum. I would not recommend this to my countrymen; I wish them to enjoy good eeting and drinking. But I make theze estimates to show them that they never wil hav much money; for they eet and drink all they ern.
[165] I say Boston, but I beleev the observations to be made at Cambridge.
[166] I once passed the cape at five or six leegs from the breakers, and found but seven fathoms of water.
[167] It iz evident, from the silence of all ancient monuments, that the heeling art waz not cultivated, and scarcely known among the old Romans. For several ages from the bilding of Rome, there iz hardly any mention made of a physician. Pliny relates, that Rome flurished, six hundred yeers, without physicians; that iz, the profession waz not honorable, being confined to servants or other low karacters. In Seneca's time, many of theze had acquired estates by the bizziness; but they were stil held in no estimation. "Bona in arte medendi humillimisque quibus contingere videmus." After the conquest of Greece and Asia, the manners of the Romans were corrupted by the luxuries of the eest; diseeses multiplied, and the practice of physic became more necessary and more reputable; but the art of surgery waz not separated from that of medicin, til the times of the emperors.
[168] Qui diutissime impuberes permanserunt, maximam inter suos ferunt laudem: Hôc ali staturam, ali vires, nervosque confirmari putant. Intra annum vero xx feminæ notitiam habuisse, in turpissimis habent rebus.—— Cesar De Bel. Gal. lib. 6. 19.
[169] The ancients were wiser than the moderns in many respects; and particularly in restraining certain vices by opinion, rather than by positiv injunctions. Duelling and profane swearing are prohibited by the laws of most countries; yet penalties hav no effect in preventing the crimes, whilst they are not followed by loss of reputation. Vices which do not immediately affect the lives, honor or property of men, which are not mala in se, which are eezily conceeled, or which are supported by a principle of honor or reputation, are not restrainable by law. Under some of theze description fall, duelling, profane swearing, gambling, &c. To check such vices, public opinion must render them infamous.[j] Thoze who hav the distribution of honors and offices, may restrain theze vices by making the commission of them an insuperable bar to preferment. Were the Prezident and the executivs of the several states, to be az particular in enquiring whether candidates for offices are given to gambling, swearing or debaucheries; whether they hav ever given or receeved a challenge, or betrayed an innocent female; az they are in enquiring whether they are men of abilities and integrity; and would they, with undeviating resolution, proscribe from their favor and their company, every man whoze karacter, in theze particulars, iz not unimpeechable, they would diminish the number of vices, exclude some wholly from society, banish others from genteel company, and confine their contagion to the herd of mankind. But where iz the man of elevated rank, of great talents, of unshaken firmness, of heroic virtue, to begin the glorious reformation? America may now furnish the man, but where shall hiz successor be found?