acquainted

sFromAnAmericanFarmer,1782

IwishIcouldbeacquaintedwiththefeelingsandthoughtswhichmustagitatetheheartand

prentthemlvestothemindofanenlightenedEnglishman,whenhefirstlandsonthiscontinent.

Hemustgreatlyrejoicethathelivedatatimetoethisfaircountrydiscoveredandttled;hemust

necessarilyfeelashareofnationalpride,whenheviewsthechainofttlementswhichembellishes

saystohimlf,thisistheworkofmycountrymen,who,when

convuldbyfactions,afflictedbyavarietyofmiriesandwants,restlessandimpatient,tookrefuge

oughtalongwiththemtheirnationalgenius,towhichtheyprincipallyowewhatliberty

theyenjoy,estheindustryofhisnativecountrydisplayed

inanewmanner,andtracesintheirworkstheembriosofallthearts,sciences,andingenuitywhich

beholdsfaircities,substantialvillages,extensivefields,animmen

countryfilledwithdecenthous,goodroads,orchards,meadows,andbridges,whereanhundred

yearsagoallwaswild,woodyanduncultivated!Whatatrainofpleasingideasthisfairspectaclemust

suggest;itisap

rivedonanewcontinent;a

modernsocietyoffersitlftohiscontemptation,t

compod,asinEurope,ofgreatlordswhopossverythingandofaherdofpeoplewhohave

enoaristocraticalfamilies,nocourts,nokings,nobishops,noecclesiasticaldominion,

noinvisiblepowergivingtoafewaveryvisibleone;nogreatmanufacturermployingthousands,no

handthepoorarenotsofarremovedfromeachotherastheyare

wtownxcepted,wearealltillersoftheearth,fromNovaScotiatoWestFlorida.

Weareapeopleofcultivators,scatteredoveranimmenterritorycommunicatingwitheachotherby

meansofgoodroadsandnavigablerivers,unitedbythesilkenbandsofmildgovernment,all

respectingthelaws,withoutdreadingtheirpower,llanimated

withthespiritofanindustrywhichisunfetteredandunrestrained,becaueachpersonworksfor

avelsthroughourruraldistrictsheviewsnotthehostilecastle,andthehaughty

mansion,contrastedwiththeclay-builthutandmirablecabbin,wherecattleandmenhelptokeep

eachotherwarm,anddwellinmeanness,smoke,inguniformityofdecent

nestofourlog-housisadryand

ormerchantarethefairesttitlesourtownsafford;thatofafarmeris

takesometimeerehecanreconcile

himlftoourdictionary,whichisbutshortinwordsofdignity,andnamesofhonour.(There,ona

Sunday,heesacongregationofrespectablefarmersandtheirwives,allcladinneathomespun,well

mounted,snotamongthemanesquire,savingthe

eesaparsonassimpleashisflock,afarmerwhodoesnotriotonthe

noprinces,forwhomwetoil,starve,andbleed:wearethemostperfect

nisfree;asheoughttobe;noristhispleasingequalityso

eswillnotetheshoresofourgreatlakesreplenishedwith

inlandnations,tellhowfarit

extends?Whocantellthemillionsofmenwhomitwillfeedandcontain?fornoEuropeanfoothasas

yettravelledhalftheextentofthismightycontinent!

Thenextwishofthistravellerwillbetoknowwhencecameallthepeople?theyaremixtureof

English,Scotch,Irish,French,Dutch,Germans,ispromiscuousbreed,thatrace

ternprovincesmustindeedbeexcepted,asbeingthe

eardmanywishthattheyhadbeenmoreintermixedalso:

formypart,Iamnowisher,hibitamost

conspicuousfigureinthisgreatandvariegatedpicture;theytooenterforagreatshareinthepleasing

tisfashionabletoreflectonthem,butI

respectthemforwhattheyhavedone;fortheaccuracyandwisdomwithwhichtheyhavettledtheir

territory;forthedecencyoftheirmanners;fortheirearlyloveofletters;theirancientcollege,thefirst

inthishemisphere;fortheirindustry;whichtomewhoambutafarmer,isthecriterionofeverything.

Thereneverwasapeople,situatedastheyare,whowithsoungratefulasoilhavedonemoreinso

hinkthatthemonarchicalingredientswhicharemoreprevalentinother

governments,havepurgedthemfromallfoulstains?Theirhistoriesasrtthecontrary.

InthisgreatAmericanasylum,thepoorofEuropehavebysomemeansmettogether,andin

conquenceofvariouscaus;towhatpurposhouldtheyaskoneanotherwhatcountrymenthey

are?Alas,etchwhowandersabout,whoworksandstarves,

wholifeisacontinualsceneofsoreafflictionorpinchingpenury;canthatmancallEnglandorany

otherkingdomhiscountry?Acountrythathadnobreadforhim,whofieldsprocuredhimno

harvest,whometwithnothingbutthefrownsoftherich,theverityofthelaws,withjailsand

punishments;whoownednotasinglefootoftheextensivesurfaceofthisplanet?No!urgedbya

varietyofmotives,hinghastendedtoregeneratethem;newlaws,anewmode

ofliving,anewsocialsystem;heretheyarebecomemen:inEuropetheywereassomanyuless

plants,wantingvegitativemould,andrefreshingshowers;theywithered,andweremoweddownby

want,hunger,andwar;butnowbythepoweroftransplantation,likeallotherplantstheyhavetaken

rootandflourished!Formerlytheywerenotnumberedinanycivillistsoftheircountry,exceptin

thoofthepoor;invisiblepowerhasthissurprising

metamorphosisbeenperformed?s,theindulgent

laws,protectthemastheyarrive,stampingonthemthesymbolofadoption;theyreceiveample

rewardsfortheirlabours;theaccumulatedrewardsprocurethemlands;tholandsconferonthem

thetitleoffreemen,the

enceproceedthelaws?Fromourgovernment.

Whencethegovernment?Itisderivedfromtheoriginalgeniusandstrongdesireofthepeopleratified

thegreatchainwhichlinksusall,thisisthepicturewhichevery

provinceexhibits,hecrownhasdoneall;eithertherewerenopeople

whohadgenius,oritwasnotmuchattendedto:theconquenceis,thattheprovinceisverythinly

inhabitedindeed;thepowerofthecrowninconjunctionwiththemusketoshaspreventedmenfrom

epartsofitflourishedonce,

forthefaultofafewleaders,atestpoliticalerrorthecrownever

committedinAmerica,wastocutoffmenfromacountrywhichwantednothingbutmen!

WhatattachmentcanapoorEuropeanemigranthaveforacountrywherehehadnothing?The

knowledgeofthelanguage,theloveofafewkindredaspoorashimlf,weretheonlycordsthattied

him:hiscountryisnowthatwhichgiveshimland,bread,protection,andconquence:Ubipanisibi

patria,enistheAmerican,thisnewman?Heiitheran

European,orthedescendantofanEuropean,hencethatstrangemixtureofblood,whichyouwillfind

pointouttoyouafamilywhograndfatherwasanEnglishman,who

wifewasDutch,whosonmarriedaFrenchwoman,andwhoprentfoursonshavenowfour

American,wholeavingbehindhimallhisancientprejudicesand

manners,receivesnewonesfromthenewmodeoflifehehambraced,thenewgovernmentheobeys,

andthenewrankheholds

Heb

individualsofallnationsaremeltedintoanewraceofmen,wholaboursandposteritywilloneday

ansarethewesternpilgrims,whoarecarryingalongwith

themthatgreatmassofarts,sciences,vigour,andindustrywhichbeganlongsinceintheeast;they

ricanswereoncescatteredalloverEurope;heretheyare

incorporatedintooneofthefinestsystemsofpopulationwhichhaverappeared,andwhichwill

herricanought

thereforetolovethiscountrymuchbetterthanthatwhereineitherheorhisforefatherswereborn.

Heretherewardsofhisindustryfollowwithequalstepstheprogressofhislabour;hislabouris

foundedonthebasisofnature,lf-interest;canitwantastrongerallurement?Wivesandchildren,

whobeforeinvaindemandedofhimamorlofbread,now,fatandfrolicsome,gladlyhelptheir

fathertoclearthofieldswhenceexuberantcropsaretoaritofeedandtoclothethemall;without

anypartbeingclaimed,eitherbyadespoticprince,arichabbot,eligion

demandsbutlittleofhim;asmallvoluntarysalarytotheminister,andgratitudetoGod;canherefu

the?TheAmericanisanewman,whoactsuponnewprinciples;hemustthereforeentertainnew

ideas,voluntaryidleness,rviledependence,penury,anduless

labour,hehaspasdtotoilsofaverydifferentnature,rewardedbyamplesubsistence.—Thisisan

American.