Views of Society and Manners in America: In a Series of Letters from that Country to a Friend in England, During the Years 1818, 1819, and 1820Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, 1821 - 523 pages |
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Common terms and phrases
acquaintance American appearance army Atlantic BATTLE OF PLATTSBURG beautiful Bordentown British Bubona Canadaigua captain cataract character citizens colonies congress consider constitution DEAR FRIEND emigrants enemy England English equally Europe European farmer father federal feelings fellow-citizens foreign forest George Prevost hand heart honor House of Assembly human independence Indian interest island lake lake Erie land laws less LETTER liberty look manner ment miles mind Missouri moral nation native nature never observed officer party passed patriots peace Pennsylvania perhaps Peterel Philadelphia political population racter redemptioners republic revolution river river Raisin savage scarcely seemed seen senate settlers ship shores singular slavery smile soil soldiers sometimes spirit thing tion traveller trees truly union United Upper Canada vast vessel village Virginia virtue waters West Point western whole wild wilderness wind women York young youth
Popular passages
Page 427 - Straits ; whilst we are looking for them beneath the arctic circle, we hear that they have pierced into the opposite region of polar cold, that they are at the antipodes, and engaged under the frozen serpent of the south. Falkland Island, which seemed too remote and romantic an object for the grasp of national ambition, is but a stage and resting place in the progress of their victorious industry.
Page 427 - No sea but what is vexed by their fisheries. No climate that is not witness to their toils. Neither the perseverance of Holland, nor the activity of France, nor the dexterous and firm sagacity of English enterprise, ever carried this most perilous mode of hardy industry to the extent to which it has been pushed by this recent people...
Page 405 - ... whatsoever its licentiousness could devise or dare. These abuses of an institution so important to freedom and science are deeply to be regretted, inasmuch as they tend to lessen its usefulness and to sap its safety. They might, indeed, have been corrected by the wholesome punishments reserved to and provided by the laws of the several States against falsehood and defamation ; but public duties more urgent press on the time of public servants, and the offenders have therefore been left to find...
Page 324 - Their governments are popular in a high degree ; some are merely * popular ; in all, the popular representative is the most weighty ; and this share of the people in their ordinary government never fails to inspire them with lofty sentiments, and with a strong aversion from 2 whatever tends to deprive them of their chief importance.
Page 405 - Nor was it uninteresting to the world, that an experiment should be fairly and fully made, whether freedom of discussion, unaided by power, is not sufficient for the propagation and protection of truth — whether a government, conducting itself in the true spirit of its constitution, with zeal and purity, and doing no act which it would be unwilling the whole world should witness, can be written down by falsehood and defamation.
Page 305 - And whose duty it shall be to enquire whether the constitution has been preserved inviolate in every part; and whether the legislative and executive branches of government have performed their duty as guardians of the people, or assumed to themselves, or exercised other or greater powers than they are entitled to by the constitution...
Page 427 - We know that whilst some of them draw the line and strike the harpoon on the coast of Africa, others run the longitude, and pursue their gigantic game along the coast of Brazil.
Page 7 - Island, have been regularly published on the daily weather maps issued at Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston, together with forecasts of the force and direction of the wind and the state of the weather for the first three days out of steamers bound east from American ports.
Page 405 - During this course of administration, and in order to disturb it, the artillery of the press has been levelled against us, charged with whatsoever its licentiousness could devise or dare. These abuses of an institution so important to freedom and science are deeply to be regretted, inasmuch as they tend to lessen its usefulness and to sap its safety.
Page 430 - Religion is like the fashion; one man wears his doublet slashed, another laced, another plain ; but every man has a doublet : so every man has his religion. We differ about trimming. 4. Men say they are of the same religion for quietness...