the task of business or relief would impose: That one should weep over a novel, or a tragedy, and not at the sufferings of the poor around him, at the sorrows of the bereaved, or the distress of the persecuted, is no proof of the want of sensibility. He who is most efficient to discover and relieve the wants of the community, is never the man of tears, while discharging the great duties of philanthropy. But place the same generous benefactor, after a day spent in active benevolence, at the fireside of his parlour, surrounded by his family, reading a well wrought tale of wo, and his eyes will fill with tears at the sympathetick turns of the story, and the disinterested sentiments of afflicted virtue.

In a review of our remarks upon this subject, the pleasure which we derive from scenes of distress both in real life, and in the works of fiction, appears to arise from sympathy, from curiosity, from the love of novelty, from our attachment to strong emotions and excitements, from the valuable and practical end which our interest in the distress of others promotes, from the developement of our faculties and the formation of character, from mental exercise generally, from a sense of justice and retribution, from the idea of a probation in order to deserve a future reward, from invention and skill in the productions of genius, and from the social and generous nature of our passions.

THE NORTH-AMERICAN REVIEW.

Sketch of the United States of North-America, at the commencement of the nineteenth century, from 1800 to 1810; with statistical tables, and a new map by the author; containing all the late discoveries, and exhibiting the division of Territorial zones, boundary lines, &c. by Le Chevalier Felix de Beaujour, ancient member of the Tribunale, late French Consul General in the United States, author of the view of the commerce of Greece, &c. &c. Translated from the French, with illustrative notes and appendix. By William Walton, Esq. London, 1814, 8vo. pp. 363.

NATIONS resemble individuals in one respect, they are in their youth jealous and irritable on the subject of the opinions the world entertains of them; and are very apt to resent with great warmth reflexions, which acquired experience, matured dignity, and greater knowledge of human character, justified them in passing by with indifference or contempt. Few nations have received more provocations from travellers than the United States; these have sometimes created, greater irritation than such attacks should have excited, when it is considered from what sources they commonly originated. A certain degree of feeling, however, on this subject is not without salutary effects. Since a proper susceptibility on the score of national character, may inspire others with respect for what is watchfully defended, and in the mutual intercourse now existing between nations, the professed libellers of another nation may be brought to shame in their own, by a manly exposition of their calumnies. It has been our lot to be extravagantly extolled, or coarsely misrepresented; the latter course has been the one pursued by almost every English traveller, and by most recent French writers. We took up this book with some curiosity to see what would be the tone of the author, and if this be not perfectly satisfactory, to those who are very anxious for praise, it has in

some degree disappointed us to find in the joint production of a Frenchman, and an Englishman, we are neither treated with scurrility, nor constant misrepresentation. The notes added by the Translator, are long and numerous, he seems to be tolerably well acquainted with the country; on political questions he justifies the conduct of his own government, but without rancour, and though the war existed at the time, his observations are delivered generally in a tone of good temper and moderation.

M. de Beaujour's work, which appeared last year, was composed in 1810, and ought, he says in his preface, to have appeared in that year; the translator declares that the reason, why it was not published previously, was because it contained neither flattery of the Imperial Government, nor spoke with sufficient asperity of England, both of which were necessary to obtain an imprimatur. The author remarks that he has observed the country less in itself than in its relations with other nations; because my principal 'object was to be useful to my own, to which my whole ' endeavours were directed. It would consequently be wrong to impute to me prejudices, either in favour of, or 'injurious to the Americans. I have neither wished to praise 'them, in order to pass censure on some nations, or disparage 'them to flatter the pride of others; for I have candidly 'described whatever I found good or bad amongst them, as a means of inducing them to correct their own vices, as 'well as to lead other nations to imitate their virtues. Such 'has been my object, and this will at all times serve as an 'excuse, if any thing should have escaped me that may 'bear the appearance of severity.'

The work is described in the author's own words as follows; This sketch is divided into five chapters; in the 'first of which, I describe the physical aspect of the 'United States; in the second their political state; in the 'third and fourth, their commercial relations with the prin'cipal nations of Europe, particularly with France and 'England; and in the fifth, I briefly display their political 'relations with the various nations of the world.'

The first chapter describing the physical aspect of the "United States' is destitute of novelty. The facts and ideas are mostly from Mitchell and Maclure and Volney. We shall select one passage from this chapter, as a very finished example of the art of generalising.

In the United States, every thing still bears the stamp of a new country, where the hand of man has not yet per 'fected the work of nature. The eye in vain seeks out those varied and fertile fields, that neat and brilliant appearance which, in Europe, every where strikes the 'traveller; no country in the world presents so sad and 'wild an aspect.

'An eternal forest, cut only into clear spaces or intervals, in which hamlets are placed; sown fields or ponds 'streams intersecting this forest in various directions, and 'all descending from the double chain of the Alleghanys; to the west of these mountains, small swamps which issue into the large one where the Mississippi flows; to the east, a low and level coast, scattered over with marshes, and on this same coast, six large' towns, and an infinite 'number of small ones, all built of brick, or wooden planks, painted in different colours; on every side, massive and lofty trees or forests of shrubs which hide the land; 'wherever the eye turns, it beholds an hideous soil and 'coarse atmosphere; nature, in short, gloomy and unhar 'monized; such is the general aspect of the whole coun

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try.

What most strikes the traveller, who for the first time lands there, is the immensity of the forests, the extent of the waters, their varied forms, and the movement and colouring they spread over the landscape.'

Some of the cits whose excursions never exceed a dozen miles from their towns, and whose ideas have not even so wide a range, would stare at this picture, which is only calculated for effect. A man who sets down with the map before him, to survey the territory of the United States, from the sea coast to the sources of the Mississippi, or from the Atlantick to the Pacifick, will indeed find that the cultured fields bear a small proportion, to the almost illimitable extent of forest, like a splendid embroidery on a vast piece of drapery. A companion picture might even be found in some countries of Europe, and with certain provinces of Germany, Poland and the vast regions of Russia, under consideration the cultivation would not contribute much to

enliven the landscape. The predominance of wood in our surface, is almost every where, too great for the composition of beautiful scenery, and this is very striking to Europeans, who possess but few forests, and whose coun

try is either a blank desart heath, or an extensive surface of grain; but there are very considerable districts in the United States', which afford many extensive tracts of fine cultivation, We are at a loss to know how the epithet coarse can be applied to the atmosphere. That of Greece and the south of Europe, is more generally serene, yet not always more beautiful, but the atmosphere of the north of France, to say nothing of more northern parts of Europe, cannot bear a comparison with ours in point of brilliancy and beauty,

We shall make an extract from the second chapter, treating of the political state of the United States,' to shew some of M. de Beaujour's opinions of our government.

This government has only just made its first appear ance on the political scene; and certainly the first appearance of a government on the political scene, resem'bles that of a young man in the world. In the first place, his pulse is felt to see whether he is possessed of courage; but when he has once established his reputation, he is left quiet, The United States would have spared themselves many wars and misfortunes, if they had repelled with force the first injuries done them. Affronts have not been accumulated upon them, till it was evident they did not know how, or did not wish to avenge them. Govern ❝ments ought never to declare war, but with a just cause but they ought always to be prepared to carry it on.*

The government of the United States, since its institution, has scarcely evinced any thing else but proofs of weakness; and, in future, greater vigour cannot be expected from it, as long as it is conducted by lawyers, a species of men the least proper to govern others, because they have nearly all a false judgment and dull character ; and because, with their confined ideas and mean passions, they think they can govern empires, in the same manner, as they would govern a club,'

'Nevertheless, it must be confessed in praise of this government, that it presents a species of phenomenon in 'the political world; and that, like the hand of Providence, 'it governs without being felt, and almost without being f perceived; for to know that it exists, it is necessary to

→ The Americans had not yet declared war against England in 1810, ' and they hesitated a long time before they did it.'