Camden gazette and mercantile advertiser. (Camden, S.C.) 1818-1822, June 15, 1820, Image 4
POETRY.
Frira Poulaon's Daily Advertiser,
'TIS TO THE EAST*
'Tis to the Eaat the, Hebrew bends*
When room unveils its brow,
And white the evening rite ascends,
The East receives his vow ;
Dear to the exile is the soil,
That reared Jehovah's vine,
Dear to the wretched heir of toil.
#i.Thy memory, Palestine 1
*Tis to the East the Hebrew turns,
The clime to prescience dear?
When kindling recollection bums,
^Vhen memory claims the tear.
Land of the Patriarch 1 he recalls
The days of Promise, when
The timbrel rang along thy halls,
And God communed with men.
Where Babel wept Judea's wrongs :
The banished Hebrew sighs?
Where Zion swelled his holy songs,
His tribute seems to rise :
And Hope still wings his thought afar,
.It tells to those that roam,
That hfl^yhn rode the cloudy car,
. Will guide His people home !
Miscellaneous.
FROM THE DEMOCRATIC PRESS.
The revolts of the Spanish Pro
vinces have caused such displays of
energies, and such developements of
resources, as have called the puHlic
attention in an eminent degree toward
a country which has long been buried
in sloth, slavery and superstition.?
Much light has been shed on its na
tural and civil history, and much re
mains to be shed* Among the Ame
ricans who have generously, and at
great sacrifices and much suffering,
devoted themselves, to the emanci
pation and " independence of the
Spanish Provinces, is Mr. Wm.D
Kqbinson. His imprisonment in
Mexico, in Cuba and Old Spain,
fcave excited much commisseraiion
and not a little cariosity. His oppor
tunities to acquire knowledge have
been considerable, and those who
~ are acquainted with Mr. Robinson,
know that he does not suffer such op
poitunities unjHrofitably to pass. ?
These circumstances have combined
to induce this gentleman to issue Pro
posals foi an authentic narrative of
the Expedition conducted bv the late
General Mina, in aid of the eman
N cipation of Mexico, to be illustrated
by notes ?nd remarks on the moral
and physical resources of that inter
esting mod extensive section of the
American Continent.
< This book is just about going 4o
* press, apd will Vrith all convenience
speed be given jto the public* We
have had the gratification to read a
portion of the Manuscript, and we
have no hesitancy, in saying it con
tains much n$w and curious matter.
. The Biographical sketch of General
Mina is interesting, and the reflec
tions upon opening a communication
between the gulphof Menico, and
the Pacific Ocean, will command at
tention. We have been permitted
to make for publication, the follow
ing extract, touchirfg the Supetvti
tions of Mexico. W e had not sup
posed that any portion of the Chris
tian world, at this day, exhibited
such scenes as those which Mr. Ho
bin son declares fell under his own
immediate observation.
J Mexican superstitions.
As we have mentioned the appari
tion of the Virgin of Guadaloupe.
and as it is one among the numerous
evidences of superstition, which hat*
so long prevailed in Spanish Ameri
ca, it may not be uuinteresting to
give some detail ^f it.
We know from authentic records
that the superstitious terrors instilled
by the Spanish Priests into the minds
of the ignorant aborigines had, at
the commencement of the conquest,
been of more service to Spain than
het- arms. The images an ({pictures
of the Saints, which the priests had
previously hurried or bidden in such
places as to be easily found by the
Indian^ are at this day to be sden id
Imost every village aud town in the
vice royalty. ? The discovery of these
images was ascribed to the interposi
tion of Heaven. Every town ha*
its tutelar Saint, upon which are
lavished immense sums of money in
dresses, gold and silver ornaments,
diamonds, and other precious stones.
To all of these the Padres have giv
en names, and to each oue is attribut
ed particular miraculous powers by
the credulous Indians, and indeed by
many bigoted Creoles. The H0I3
Office has most studiously cherished
the superstition, and have hurled
their thunders against whoever dared
to question the sacred origin of those
Im ages. It would fill an immense >
number of volumes, were we to at
tempt detailing the astouishing cir
cumstances attending those discov
eries, and the miraculous virtues as
cribed to each Saint. ? They have
b^en transmitted from one generation
to another, and have received so ma
ny embellishments and cov firrnation&i
while passing through- the hands of
the crafty and credulous (the latter
of whom imagine that the surest way
of propitating the favour, was to
magnify the powers, of the Saint,)
that even some of the Priests of bet
ter judgment have been led to believe
ill those wonderful attributes, and
are ready to testify to miiacles per
formed by virtue of their prayers
and supplications. It is true that
many of the Priests are perfectly
aware of the deception, but never
theless they find it their interest to
compose books for the express pus
pose of proving the lime and man
ner in which their great miracles
have been performed, and in so do
ing they conceive not only their own
interest promoted, but likewise the
most effectual mode of nresevering
the power of- the Church and the
dignity of the Spanish Monarchy ! ! !
? Hooks of the description just men
tioned, are almost the only species
of litetature allowed to circulate
through the viceroyalty. They are
sought after with avidity by the on
fortunate Creole, and make an im
pression on his mind, not easily to
be eradicated*
About ten years after what the
Spaniards call the conquest, the
celebrated apparition of the Vv?giv\
de Guudaloupe made its appearance
in the following manner : ? '
Adjacent to the city of Mexico is
a hill entirely barren $ an Indian ac
cidentally passing heard sounds of
music, and at the same time saw an
aerial female figure in a praying atti-j
tude* The Indian, alarmed at the
vision, fled, but passing near the
hill a few days afterwards, the same
strange occurence again took place. I
The figure called him bv name, and!
told him to repair to the- spot on a|
certain day, and he wonld find hjerl
picture buried under a heap of roses;]
he aid so, and /net with it as deiect-j
ed. The Indian carried this mys-j
terious picture to tbft Bishop of Mex- 1
kay who was of course in the secret.
A solemn conclave ofrflie clergy took
place, and the Bishop, with the most
\ profound veneration, knelt before the
picture, and named it JSTueairo ,en-\
ara de Quadaloupe. A magnificent
church was built for her reception,
and she received the exalted title of
Patroness of Mexico , yvhich she en
joys to the present day. J
.This is the origin of the Virgin of
Guadatoupe, conformable to the re
cords of tne church now existing at
Mexico. The original picture is
still exhibited in the Virgin's Church.
It is painted upon a Cloth of linen
manufacture, called uavgochi, com
posed Of course threadspun from the
liUres of the aloe, (Agava Ameri
cans,) and wove very wide apart. ?
The Indians and Creoles say the
picture is miraculous; because as you
approach it the painting becomes less
visible, and when quite close, all
traces of the picture disappear ! theii
blind superstition not permitting them
to discover that the open texture oi
the material upon w hich it is painted
is the cause of this disappearance.
A priest told the writer anothei
circumstance respecting the Virgii
which b* deemed the most important
part of the miracle, viz. that the pic
ture nas fouud under a heap of roses
in the winter season, and on a s^km
where those flowers had never bloom
ed. It never occurred to the prie^
that a few leagues from the barren
hill the climate was quite different,
and where roses grow throughout the
year. Consequently th? persons
who had painted the Virgin did not
require aid to procure a bed of roses.
In such veneration do the Indians
aud lower orders of Creoles (and
iudeed many^ -ef-the 4?kldtiog and
higher classes) liold their p&reuess,
that they have paintings of her in all
their houses, invoke her in all their
prayers, and implore her assistance
in all their difficulties.
During the religious processions
which take place in the Mexican Em
pire almost every day, for the pur
pose of celebrating some rites of the
Church, or to offer homage to some
of the Tutelar Saints, there is a
solemnity and magnificence display
ed) admirably calculated to captivate
the viil|;ar, and to gratify the vanity]
and^lQpose on the credulity of all
classes of the community. The
simplicity aud purity of the Chris
tian Religion is lost in these pompous
and mystical exhibitions. The poor
converted Indian (as he is called,)
knows nought about the Catholic
Religion beyond its ceremonies. ?
To the images of baints and other
external symbols he offers his daily
homage, but he is as utterly unin
formed* on the merits and precepts of
the ChristiaiLdr>ctrine as any of the
Pagans of^Whernges.
The writer was present in a village
during a procession when the images
of the Virgiu and some Saints were
taken from their respective churches
into the square before the principal
one, and w here, according to annual
custom, they were to meet and ex
change salutations. Tlitse images
were, by the aid of internal ma
chinery, made to stretch out their
arms, to nod their heads, to embrace
each other, und to give other evi
dences of being alive ? and the mul
titude were in reality taught to con
sider this ceremony as it miracle
wrought by the intervention of the
Priests? li is however, an impor
tant fact, that during the last eight
years, a wonderful change hafe taken
place among the Creole population,
and indeed from what we have re
cently observed in many parts of
Mexico, we think there is more dan
ger of the Mexicans running into ir
religious excesses, than of their con
tinuing much longer under the influ
ence of superstition.
In the Richmond Compiler we
find the following weighty reasons
why matrimonial connexions are 1*89
frequent than formerly
" But there is another reason,
why marriages are not more frequent.
You ladies are rather too extrava
gant in your expenses. Your dress
is enough to scato' an honest man
from marrying you. Your merino
shawls, your lace veils, your coals
flounced up to your knees, (modesty
excuse me) your corsetts, your false
curls, your elegant Leghorn bonnets,
your Canton crapes, your satin gowns,
your love for converzations, your
squeezes, your taste for carriages,
and for equipages? why, these are
enough to daunt the hearts of the
bravest among us. Remember too
ray dear Clarissa, what a host of
new expenses this business of ma
trimony brings along with it. Let
me refresh your memory for a mo
ment; there are cradels and caps,
and cofals and bells, and nice frocks,
and fur bat?, for masters and minsfes
?and brfettd and jirilk ; and there is
schooling of all ports and sizes ; the
Latin school, and the dancing school,
and the French school, and the
Vlusic school ; so that bv the time
we fulfil the last requisition of Phi
lip the 4th, and muster half a dozen
brats at our thesides, the expenses
of our children, added to our own,
constitute a heavier tax than wa*
over laid by Augustus C#sar upon
his refractory old Baclielors. Bnn<;
(hen to yoor aid a* little economy.
Come down in the scale of your ex*
oenses ; be satisfied with less 6how,
trul I'll answer fur it, this reforma
iou will carry more bachelors to
market, thau ail the laws of Philip
or Louis 14.
Take my advice, then, Miss
Clarissa ? or if you are too far gone
lo use it yourself, preach it incon
tinently amon^ all your female ac
quaintances. ? fell them to beware'
)f being coquettes. Tell them to
practice good humour, and carry if
not a pretty face, at least a pleasing
one, about them. Advise them to
practice economy and simplicity, both
of heart and manners; to avoid all
idle show, all ridiculous exhibitions.
Tell them to study house keeping
more, dresses less. A good house
wife is the first step towards making
a good wife. Tell them to read the
Spectator carefully ? particularly the
number which inculcates upon all
young misses the necessity of making
counterpanes. &c. & c.
I have a word of advice to the
Bachelors ? Which I will beg leave
to reserve to another occasion. I
must confess, that for most of them}
I have very little mcrey.
A MARRIED MAN.
THE ENGLISH A FOREIGN TONGUE.
" An etymologist has lately pub
lished tbe following analyss of the
English language. Its vocabulary,
he says, is composed of 6621 words
of Latin origin, 4361 of French,
2068, of Saxon, 1288 of Greek,
660 of Dutch, 220 of Italian, 117
of German, 11 of Gaelic, 89~of
Spanish, 81 of Danish, 18 of Am-'
bic, besides many others of ancient
Teutonic, Hebrew, Swedish, Por
tuguese, b lemish, Russian, Egypt
ian, Persian, Cimbrian, and Chi
-nese ! ! The same etymologist pre
tends, that in Shakespeare, Pope.
Swift, and Milton, there are not
more than a hundred word s purely
English!" r ' 9
. So that it would appear, that when
we meet an acquaintance in the street,
and accost liixi with " how do you
do this morning?" and he replies
" pretty well, I thank you," we are
probably speaking half a dozen lan^
guages at once. What "learned
Thebans" we must be ! In this way.
a man who has a tolerable under
standing of Dilworth's spelling-hook
must be no inconsiderable linguist;
while one who can read Johnson at
sight, must be a perfect Polyglot.? +
'1 he poor Bourgeois gen tilhomme was
quite amazed to find that he bad been
speaking prose all typ lifp without
knowing it } and we are jno J ess as*
tonishe'd on di&coverins tjiat we had
been talking Human, Egyptian,
Persian $ Cimbrian , Teutonic, and
Chinese, for years/ without {laving
ever dreamed of it. There have
been great controversies among the
learned, as to what was that fcjrinid
able dialect, which arose at- JBab$l,
out of the confusion of tongues, but
after this discovery we can have np
doubt that it ig that vejy English
which we all speak; and instead, of
High Dutch, which some have sup
posed was the language used by A
dam in paradise, we do pow verily
believe, that \t was that pure Eng
lish,, of which sp fpty traces have
been left !? Advertiser .
FROM T?E LANCASTER JOURNAL.
CKOSS HEADINGS,
Messrs. Editors.? A Newspaper
may be read frequently in such a
manner as to afford amusement, al
though at first sight it may not be
supposed to contain any thing that is
funny. Take t)^e following as a#
example :
Tlje subscriber offers for sale a
large assortment of? accounts made
out and settled.
Fifteen Dollars Reward. Was
ttolen on Monday tbe 16th instant,
Iron? the door of a shoemaker, a
gfCat quantity of lumber, consisting
w chesnut rails and locust posts.
For sale, 2000 copies of whiter
washing report, universally admitted
to lie the best medicine that can be
used in expelling worms.
Runaway from the subscriber, liv
ing in Gjfermahtown,* a gold watch;
who is an excellent account,
J cat arrived and for sale, a large
qunntity of French, Spauisl), Italian
ami English lauguag^.
To let, a wet nurse, who Las been
In three pitched battles.
To be sold, the time of a genteel
mulatto man, who is broken winded,
and has had the bots these seven
years.
Married on Thursday evening last,
Mr. K. to a two 6tory sand-stone
house, and tanyard, consisting ot
20 vats, besides handlers, latches
and pools.
Came to the plantation of the sub
scriber, in ltapho township, a num
ber of persons afflicted with the
King's evil.
Notice ? All persons having de
mand against a negro man named
.Moses, are requested to meet at Car
lisle on the 4th of March, when the
last mentioned e\ ils shall be cured
gratis.
Ranaway, on Monday morning
the SOth instant, the supreme court,
with a plantation or tract of Lime
stone land, containing 1(51 acrcs and
93 perches, be the same more or less.
We understand a pamphlet is pre
paring 011 the subject of _a bright bay
sorrel mare colt, rising three years
old with a bald face.
FOR THE CAMDEN GAZETTE.
An extract from the Life of Mr. Phi hp
Hcnry, the father of Matthew Hf-nkt,
who wrote the much admiied Commentary
on the Bible.
In conversing with his children
about their spiritual state, Mr. Philip
?1enry frequently reverted to their
infant baptism, reminding them that
they were born in Cod's house, and
"frere early dedicated and given up
to Him, and therefore were obliged
to be his servants. " I am thy ser?
vant, and the son of Tiiine band*
maid." This he used to illustrate to
them by the comparison of a person
taking a lease of a faluablp estate
for a child in the cradle, and putting
his life into it. The child knows
nothing of the matter, nor is he
capable of con&pting; but still he
is maintained out of the estate, and
hath an interest in it, Soon he grows
up, and becomes able to <;hoo$e and
refuse for himself ; and if lie theu go
to his landlord and claim the benefit
of the lease, promising to pay the
rent, and do the service, well and
good, lie lias the benefit of it j if
otherwise, it is at bis peril. ? N o w,
children,? would he say, 44 our great
Landlord was willing that your T^ives
should be put into the lease pf heaven
and happiness, and it was dpne ac
cordingly by your baptism, vvJiich is
the seal of the righteousness that is
by faith ; and by this it was assured
to you, that if you lyill pay the rent
and clo the service, that is, live a
life of faith and ^repentance, and
sincere obedience^ you shall never
be turned out of the tenement. But
if now yon Afflw the terms, and
refuse to pay this rent-*~tbis chief -
rent, as he would call it, for it is no
ratik-rent, ? you forfeit the lease;
ho ever, you cannot but say you
had a kindness done you, to have
lyour lives put into it,?' Thus did
he frequently converse with his chil
dren, and qven travail in birth again
to see Christ formed in them, And
from this topic he generally argued,
and would often Say*-' "If ihfant
baptism were more improved, it
would be less disputed."
\ The pious instructions of this most
excellent man were Jblessed to the
conversion of all his children, llis
lour daughters, early in life, became
decidely serious 5 and the religious
character of Matthew, his only son,
is beyond all praise. The invalua
ble commentary of this able divine,
is deservedly esteemed in the Chris
tian world, - r
Whimsical Coincidence . ? A Cler
gyman win# was reading to his con
gregation a chapter in Genesis, found
the last sentence on the page to be,
" And the Lord gave onto Adam a
Wile.'? Turoiqg over two leaves to
gether, he found written, and repd in
an audible voice, u and she was pitch
ed within and without.'9 He had
unhappily got into the middle of the
description of Noam's ark.