The telescope. (Columbia, S.C.) 1815-1818, November 26, 1816, Image 1
of'wSMI
xinoere 1*
f.to, be tho
"orgrni. 8o?u8usi?roimruhctiun?, (Jiatthoy
" ought to bo ewrcUc.1 only by men of.cknow
4i ledged integrity; *0<1 under the Inspection of
"atribunal noleMHVer* thahtUt of the Ae
** ropagu 9. In ? %iror<ly tlio utility of history can
?* only be impaired bt fliim who know not how
u to write it,?hor doubte<l but by tho?e who
" know not now to reed \U%^lto*hnr$l9.
' . THE OLYMPIq S^M&S,
So called from Olmpia, a city near which they
were performed in tho plains of Eli.- Some as
cribe the first institution ef them to lteroulc*
one of tHe Iditi Dactyli j end other* to Pisus,
of who* we Have nothing loft Out the' name.
But Pflops being more famous in history, ta
rather thought M?Jiave instituted them in honor
of Jupiter i awl after him Atreue, Herculua the
son of Alcmens, Oxylua, and others renewed
thorn. But as yet they were of an unsettled date*
being celebrated only upon tome extraordinary
occasiona, and without any remarkable pomp
and solemnity. The first, from whom they be*
tame famous, was Iphitus King of Flis, of the
posterity 01 Ifcrculc*, who restored them by
tho edifice of the oracle, They were repeated
every fifth year \ and hence the revolution of
four complete years, which was the Interval be
tween cr.ch solemnity, waa called an Olympiad.
But even after Iphitus, tliey aeem not to hare
been continued regularly at firat, because that
which generally pesaea for the firat Olympiad,
in which Corfcuua of Ella wen tlie prize, was
properly the S8th. However, it is from hence
the vulgar JEra of the Olympiad* take date)
and falU In tho seodud year of Aeschylus*,' the
twelfth perpetual Archon of Athena, four hun
dred and eight yeara after the deetructinn of
/Troy, and in the 3&28th year of tho World
^IdsEpochaia placed by Variro, aatho bound*
ery between the Fabulous, and tlietoricul times,
aud it a# much Celebrated for its certainty,.that
tho number of Olympiad a has beon reckenfcd n
mong tlie Chronological Character*!. They were
the annala by which tlie Grecians computed' not
OUlytheir own,but also the histories of otlier
nations. The Grecians themselves were not
presently acquainted with this way of compu
tation \ and as the uae of Otynipiuds in Chro
nology was only accidental, we must iunuire
into the Immediate design of those solemnities.
As to the original of these, and tlie other prin
) cipnl games of Greece, they were Inetituted in
hon^r ef the godaend hcrbes$ they were there*
I' fore Sacred, and art to b^ considered as a part
?if their religion. But besides tlie spirit of re*
: lision and curiosity for public thews, there were
other politic motives, which engaged the exer*
:? else or them. It was thought convenient to as.
semble from time to time, and by these common
, solemnities, to fc*unlto, if possible, so many
difterent states, independent of each other, and
? lesaseparated by thf distance of their habita*
' tions, than the diversity of tlielr interests I So
that ono main end of these meetings, Wto tide*
bate, and ietile every thing relating to the - j$b*
- lie peace, and reputation. As to the sports
?' themselves, theywero agreeable to the lively
Genius of the people, who thought With good
reason, tliey could not in times of peaco addict
themselves in exercises more honorable, <>r use*
Xul. FCr besides that by this means they made
their limbs strong, active, nnd supple, tlicy also
[ accustomed their thought* to the desiro of con*
" Mittf ft was a kind of school or Military Ap*
?entieeship, (n which their courage found $
Dnatant employment t And the reason why
a victory in the games waa attended with such
(traordinary applause. was, that their
inds might be quickened with great and nuble
?sets, when, in this imago of war, they ar*
to a pitch of glery Approaching, in some
cts, to that of the moat famous conqueror,
thought this tort 6? triumph one of the
Crts of happiness, of which human
capable. Upon which occasion,
vras had seen his sons crowned in
i garnet, one of his friends made him
OiagorAs, you may die
satisfied \ for you cannot be a god." N.rt to
describe alt the exercises performed therr, we
may form a general notion of them from the re
membrance of the Old British Tilts and Tourn
aments, which held ti middle place bctwen a di*
version, and a combat. But the Olympic games
were attended with a mueh greater pomp and
variety > and net only all Urecco but other
neighboring nations were in s manner drained,
to furnish out the appearance. Wlicri they
were thua thoroughly eatabliahed they were con*
tinned without intermission. SO long as Greece
enjoyed any degree of liberty) and even after
that ww loft, tomo brinf thtni 'dnern fo the
tmMfcW
intirtettie Oreafcr and CedH*
ISMfaMii^ffiBofc IH&fiflj L
Ito Grteiaos invariably solemnised the funo
ralsof U* first slaiq in wir^jlg ty nnorof N|?
come
StfS!
M, IBnpiHionos
own rclatwus t after which went an i
* harseln iWlM w|
gP|
which. w?
to burisl place for tboso who were slain in
art. Hut they who tlioi} in the oattlo a
and Mil
lC >
artificial anil florid piecosof antiquity. T
TWO n U9II AN DS OK TWO WIVES.
AulusUellius inform* u? it was usual for tho
Senators of Homo, to enter the Senate House,
ipanlcd by their sons. who had taken the
>xta. When something of superior im
. nee was discussed in tho Senate, and the fa
ther consideration adjourned to the (by follow*
i?Kt it wa* resolved, that uO one should divulge
the subject of their debates till it should be Tor
kail* decreed. The mother of tlie young Pa
grins, w!io had accompanied his father to the
jnite House, enquired of her son whatfthe Se
nators had been doing. The yottth replied, that
tie had been enjoined silence,and wis not>at
liberty to sey? 'lite,woman became more aux
iouD to know.?the secrecy of the thing* and the
sileueo of tlio youth did but enllamo her curi
osity-she, tliereforc, urued hlin with the more
vehement earnestness, i'ne young man, on tlie
importunity of his mother* determined on. a
humorous and pleasant fallacy?he said* it was
discussed in the Senate, Whieh would be most
beneficial to tlie State, for one man to have two
wives, or ono woman to have two husbands.-?
As sootrss she heard this, she was much agita
ted?and leaving her house }n great trepidation,
hastened to tell tlie other indtrom), what she had
heard. The next day a troop of matrons, want
to tho Senate Houto j and with Itaii and en
treaties, implored that one woman might have
two husbands, rather ttinn one inah to have two
wives. The Senators* on entering the house,
were a- tonished, and wondered at the intem
perate proceedings of the women, and what their
petition could mean. Tho young Pepir}usrnd*
vancing to the midst of the Senate* exptafoad the
importunity of his mother, his answer. ant| th'e
matte' n* it was. The 'Senate delighted with
tho honor and ingenuity of the youth, declared,
that from that time |io youth should be guttered
to enter the Sonato witnhia father* tnis Hrtuirius
alone expected. Ho wa* afterwards distin
guished by tlie cognomen of I'retextatea, on ac
count of Ini dlsereUop at such on a^e.
. ' LITKttAttV.
**?*:?$!&? ***< JjusMWMk
IIE.VJOUO.'S 8KETCI1B8 OF NQUTH-VMERICA.
tth;v?beentiieajfi#tiny, andperliups the mia
foriuneof tins country, to bo visited by Kur po
an travellers who, from Interest or pYqjudicty
are determined to undervalue and abuse.evcry
tldng American, In their eve, every thing in
tl?? ,y tilled State# is? fclkiMr. mediocrity, ami
spot is the hot-bed of vicc, pollution, and
itmg equality, yhu? cursed by men who
Mtrifttyod to hcattcr their filth, and to retard
ation, we would indeed be in a very pit
wvic condition, if the world did not know how
to appreciate their scurrility, and to estimate
their censure* Candour and veracity do not
seem to form any part of the character of those
who visit our shores; and tliey come with a pre*
determination to disgorgo their spleen and do*
traction on whatever has pretensions to excel
lence in tho American character or institutions.
Our homespun republican manner* soon disgust
the refined petit ittuitre or tho corrupted cour
tior of Ktiropo * to whom even our virtues ap
pear less attractive than eWewherc, because they
are seldom accompanied with those graces which
cause thom to be beloved." It is to bo regretted
that tve cannot bo viewed by thosu travelling
butterflies through some other medium than that
of prejudice. *1110 everlasting slang about tlit
vulgarity, rudeness, and profligacy of tho Amer
ican people must be as loathsome to Kuropcaus
as it is destitute of truth.
These reflection* have hum suggested by the
nernsnl of a late work, entitled lleaujour's
sketches of North-America, translated by an
Englishman*-,par nubile fratruuu Tho author
Is a Frenchman, who, perhaps, because the
Americans could not understand his parlez von*.
I or did not duly appreciate the politeness of
hi* bow, or become absolutely dumb with as
tonishment at the exquisite refinement and
polish of his manner*, has declared that " every
thing among tho Americans favors this vile cu
pidity (love of monoy j) their disdain for the
agreeable arte; their taste for tlie comforts of
lire | (heir coarse intemperance which deprive
them of all love and activity for every think that
Is not personal ) and, in short, even their laws,
which, by their ambiguity, seem to be the secret
accomplices of fraud ami had faith i end with
them, Justice la the result of caleoWtion, but
never of sentiment," A sweeping anathfina*
RrMCStitotttKE
h tmch aa exhibition
M j&* *
country oL earth ha? exhibited a liumaii
Mtair more pure, more patriotic, muro hul.
sublime than Waohtngtoli*-ami yot the country
men of thin Iwro cap eca nothing in history l,ut
tha romancc of nations^ Wo might abply i 1
Mona. Beaujour a line from a poet of his covn -
; A declaration like this is tort Billy and itHfe to
require serious refutation. It is the nature ana
eisorico of republics to bo virtuous. Virtue hful
Justly been considered by political writers as
the very foundation of that form of government!
and that we should aworve from the established
principle, is a paradox that f.MUOt easily Ufe ex
plained. Vou endeavoured in your last to
prove, we think satisfactorily^ that a. nation
whose chief occupations are agricultural will,
from the nature of things, be virtuous and hap
py. Now, as the Minolta of the American
people are of that ch/tracter, it must resijlt that
Aliey are at least as virtuous as any other nation.
That patriotism should form a prominent trait,
must be evident from the nature of our govern
ment. In all republics this has' been fie pie
dominating virtue i. it Is the necessary ifleet of
freedom; and io say that tho Americans ate
wit!iout It, Is to suppose the existence of a. cause
without an effect.
Mr. mainour is frequently at variance with
himself, aiid seems tpbe full of inconsistencies,
lie say?,that though we are destitute of virtue,
yet " in general, good and upright characters,
aro hardly less frequent in the United States
than in other countries." It is notour inten
tion to reconcile these Inconsistences) they are
too preposterous to require refutation. He
seemn to have been desirous to pursue n middle
course, and neither rro'nc nor censure indis
criminately r nuUhas thus produced a kind of
hermaphrodite, * sort of numan hotch-potch,
fielthdr intelligible to himself nor his readers.
Mr. 11. talks of the ambiguity of oiir laws us
a horrible evil; as if this ambiguity existed no
Wierc but In the United States, and as if it
jjnv* possible to frlme a code of laws that could
not ho in ride ambiguous by the ingenuity of man.
fw laws of Kngtandp which nre the foundation
of ours ore equally censurable % ami we have
never heard that the French laws wero remark
able for thf.lr perspicuity and clearness. Yet
notwithstanding this horriblo evil, which he
seems to think sufficient to unhinge society it
self, he admits that the " American jw?oplo <fe
lervo to enjoy liberty by their regard and re
sjitct for the law??tnese ambiglouslaws, which
cannot be understood]. The (Witt arbitrary act
in that country," he continues, 44 would revolt
the most dependant men, but he obeya the
meanest bailiff who epeaks in the name of tho
laws) and he would doliver una-friend, a bro
ther who would seek to elude St." Uut of all
the evils which we unfortunately possess in the
mind of the author, there is rfione which seems*
to irritate him more than what he calls our fond
ness fur distinctions, Tho reader must not start,
lie does not mean distinctions of rank, which
would perhaps be excuseable enough to a- man
so long inured to buw with reverence to a cor
rupted noblesse. No | *' names Ac rank, accord -
ing to him, are no allusion to an American, and
(in classes every man, without distinction, by
the same rule. vit. by that of fortune. He
pays little regard to merit, when surrounded by
indigence ; nud the first question that issues
from his mouth, when a stranger is presented
to him, is to ask, what is his fortune ?" This
is a character we have never yet heard ascribed
to the Americans. In a country where every
mail ha* an opportunity of ncnuir.'ig wealth by
proper industry and application to business^
and where thero are so few very rich, and so
many independent, wealth cannot necessarily be
an object of particular distinction. Talent, ill
whatever manner it inay lie surrounded, can al
ways make it# way, and has always risen to that
level iu this country 'it is calculated to attain.
We could adduce many examples in the United
St,res of the respect and attention paid to mer
it, while the mere wealthy blockhead wns dis
regarded and unknown. Men arc always more
respected here for their intellectual powers than
for the shifts of fortune ; and he who is mental
ly divtinguished, is utoro likely to uttaiu the
fimt offices of government in this than in any
other nation, ft was not fortune that made
Washington, Jefferson and Madison presidents.
It was not wealth that elevated Mr. itallatin,
and many others, to (he dignified and rennet ta
ble situations which they held ) end it is not
wealth that advances a single individual in this
country to honorable stations under government.
If we were asked, wo should say, from our
khowledfe of American character, "that the fir*t |
The second table is cut off ff
leindn t first by a range of hills or kh
limit the extent of the valtiy of the rivet
wait] I by 4 ley el plain ot swamp or :
lands, which separate the valey from ill.
i lor country. These hills-rise sometimes.
and sometimes only "to a level with the plaiu in
i lolrrcar. The uniform extent ef thtese range#
I the valley) the equal bread Ihfaf the sis
nahs that interWftie between tlvoih. ami ilia I
amis, exhibit in the finest point of view
regular ami impartial process Of nature* in' <?&?
rying on her works for the benefit of mail* ,1
' Between the upper table of tho valley and thJP'
basS of the hill) flouaa narrow ravine which
carries oft" the surplus waters from the pl'sln yd
botli sides. The soil of this country may bo
divided iutosilicious>calcarioug and foamy; f the
first abounds in the valley, which has been wash .
cd by.the curront of the river, and more or less*
on the borders of creeks and rivulets j; the se
cond on tlio hills and dry plains, and tho third,
in savanahs ami meadows. These different
uiul? of soil produce different growths of tjrftlpf -
lorbaciou* plants and are adafrted to the cnlturo
of different articles of agriculture) though ma*
nyof them are common to each. Indian corgi
is a principal crop in tho vallies of the rfW
though wheatKhemi), buck wheat) flax and V
tatocs are produced in great perfection?of c
from GO to ICQ btuhols per acre?of wheat fron
40 to 00 bushels and other articles iu proper!
tion. Thu hills prqduce corn, wheat an -yea
and at e always fine for tho - 'Iture of grasses]
The various 1'rults apples, pears, peaches, chef
rieA, 6ic, grow to great perfection. lYo spot
taneous growth oT the vallies, are tlio pt
black oak, walnut) hickory, sycamore)
bcach, white and blue ash and cherry) with
ny more which grow to an amazing height ai
thickness. The faco of this country is delif1L
fully interspersed with hills and plain#, It
and'inclinv.d meadows and valies Iwell water
with springs and rivulots, which dispense healt
and beauty throughout the whole.
" UrtlVilingTotmUin*, cop.ou* l-'ir
" In hmp.d J.iptc, itown c icli tuimy v ?!*?;
" Or,rcMlcbi, KtiJiiitK from lint mli?l roi k,
" The potent nt.'Cjtn rt:fre*hc? pal.il hp: *'
[A description of Vevay, the county aeaf
wns published *omo time since, nvc h u e nothtnj
to remark but the progressive iiicrenso of huihif
ing? ami inhabitants.J The county it divided'
into two townships : Jefferson unci Hossy?-!?n*
three villages Uisulo# Vevay : AlicnviSle, Jack*
sotiville and Mount Sterling;, unci a sa!o of lot*]
wil! take place on Monday next, in t'.ic town of
Krin. Of professional 'characters, (hern uro
three in the department of lawtn* many in ptiV<j
sic and ono in divinity, and whatever may ha
their ineiitf., they appear, tri answer all tlio ptlifj
Eoso/i of it# healthy, moral and peacrablu iri
ftlritanti, traitHy VrdcH TUcordi:i>{ t;> Mc^,<
Anho, Mclisli and others, form an inception
tho western character. <
A vineyard, cultivated by wwo Swias bound
Vevay on the went. A concise history of thei
inhabitant* will moro folly illustrate the cji
tonography tif the settlement uu>l niilico < f >1
villai^o. Yhwe vine drcrtier* arc from the !V
de Vauil, formerly a part of (he Canton of B;|
and arc the deoceiiduittsoi the unhappy nco ,
who were driven by the most abitird and tj
JMnnreutiona from the valie* of Poiduont
*avoy. They settled on the head of the
of uoncva and at the mouth of ?!.#. li
Ilhouc, where tliey enjoyed a pcacof'il red
till that country fell a vic tim (<? military tjj'
tUm, when fiift of the love of lil>er-y llicij
thiiir even on Anirricn,an nn unftylum froitVj
chy, from tyranny* ami from |)cr?cruU?
th?'ii? father* fouml mi iudc|>eti<1cnco ill '
public of Geneva, their descendant* ft;
tune* and nec.ut ity in tho republic of tl?
ted 8t.tte?* Tin y have heir* as thei-o.i
vrty nml their vineyard*. Instead of
jtctumm ftlione, they have here the go/
lH'/?util'ul Ohio { instvml of rttzged f
capped mountains elevated hill? q ,
plain*, They have nothing, itiatruej,
pare with the beautiful lake of (Jen*
what in wanting in tho grmleur of
J the uuhlimtty of mountain* I* morn >i