abhorence and execration. There are, however, in Europe, who think it is not the man, or rather the monfter, who has waded deepeft in blood-that it is not the conquerer, or rather the defpoiler of a world, who is beft entiled to the world's applaufe; but that it is the fupporter, defender, and protector of the rights, liberties, peace, and temporal happiness of mankind, who is truly great, and to whom the precious tributes of praife, gratitude, and love are justly due; it is Alexander the Firft of Ruffia, and not Alexander the Great, the Macedonian madman. But it would feem that even a ftate of long uninterrupted peace and profperity is not without its inconveniencies, as, notwithstanding the vaft extent of your dominion, fuch, we are told, is the immenfity of population, that the territory is incumbered with inhabitants, infomuch that fome writers pretend that one-fourth part of your fubject are forced to live in boats on your rivers, and that many of the most indigent of them make no more fcruple to drown their fupernumerary infants, than the Europeans their furplus puppies and kittens. But though this feemingly barbarous customs in China is not to be compared with the more grievous and complicate evils refulting from war, and though we are by no means infenfible of the material difference between an infant born in a Chriftian land, and a new-born Chinese heathen brat; yet (probably from its novelty) it feems to ftrike Chriftians with much more horror than war, and is confidered as an act of heathen barbarity. But, for my own part, I am free to confefs, I do not thence infer that a Chinese Pagan is more cruel than an European Chriftian, because I find the fame tender-hearted Chriftian, who feems to feel fo fenfibly for a Pagan germe, and who execrates the unnatural heathen monfter of a mother who is capable of of perpetrating fuch an horrid deed, can, without remorfe, or even any plaufible, motive, deftroy thousands, and even tens of thoufands, of his much more useful fellow men and brother Chriftians, in a day; thereby robbing of their props, fupport, comfort, and protection, thofands of innocent mothers, widows, and orphans: Yet fhould these murderers, or thofe who charged them with the fatal commiffion, be afked why they committed fuch horrid outrages against the laws of nature, of reason, of justice, of God, they could rarely affign with truth any other caufes than ambition, avarice, and revenge; while the poor Chinese mother, with a bleeding heart, is forced by mifery to commit an act of violence against herself, and for which he is the only fufferer: so that the mode adopted in Europe for thinning the country of its inhabitants muft naturally appear to Pagan minds, much more cruel and unjuft-than that practifed in China. But there is another argument more dire&ly to the point, which proves that the Chriflian mode of reafoning is not only abfurd, but also that their conduct towards their own chiidren is infinitely more cruel, unnatural, and unjuft, than that of the Pagan: it is only among the moft needy of the people in China, thar the feemingly cruel act of drowning fome of their children is committed, and that immediately after the birth; which, when all circum. stances are confidered without prejudice, will rather appear to be an act of humanity, and even maternal tenderLefs. Suppofe, for example, a Chinese mother to have two children, and that he is able to fupport but one, reason and humanity prompt her in fuch a cafe to drown one, in order to preferve the other from ftarving; by which means fhe may be confidered as having preferved both from dying by inches. To be continued. New-York: Published every Saturday, by ELIHU PALMER, No, 26, Chatham-street. Price Two Dollars per ann. paid in advance.. PROSPECT; or, View of the Moral World. SATURDAY, December 2, 1804. Noi 52. TO THE SUBSCRIBERS FOR THE PROSPECT. THIS Number compleats the first year of the Profpect, fincere thanks to thofe who have patronized and encouraged a work of this kind; their individual exertions to promote the caufe of moral truth, it is confidently hoped) will meet a juft reward in the fcientific refucitation of future ages. The nature of moral truth requires that its progress be flow; but if flow, it is rendered certain, when not impeded by external force. The intellectual character of man enlarges the fphere of human confi. dence and gives to a dubious anxiety that ftrength and courage which the local predicaments of human affocia." tions cannot furnish. The former is immortal and defies the fucceffive ravages of time; while the latter is temporary, and fubjected to diffipation by the incalculable force of a thoufand different caufes. The philofopher and the philanthropist fhould march with a firm and steady step, and develope all their energies in the accomplithment of the most important object, that of rendering fcientific, virtuous and happy the great mafs of their fellow beings. A refult fo important must be accomplifhed by a combination of individual efforts; we chearfully throw our mite into the general fcale and for the purpose of accelerating the caufe of moral truth fhall continue this periodical publication with renewed confidence of its fuccefs; efpecially as we have been affured by many of our literary friends, that they will not be deficient in furnifbing collateral aid for the promotion of a caufe fo interefting and important. It is the intention of the Editor to keep each years Profpect as feparate and different as poffible, fq far as the nature of the matter and the atility of the publicati on will poffibly warrant. It is an injury to the caufe of truth, and especially to a moral periodical work, to prefume upon a connection which has no exiftance. Truth is inherent in the nature of things and it is not neceffary for any one to know what a man thought last year in order to decide upon the truth or correctnefs of his prefent reflections. We fhall publish the firft number of the Profpect, for the year eighteen hundred and five, on the first Saturday of January next; this will leave a fmall chafm between the first and fecond years publication; but this upon the propofed plan can produce no poffible injury. It may, perhaps be objected that the chain of our comments upon the sacred writing of the Jews and Chriftians will be broken; this would fallow of courfe upon any plan, on account of the incoherence of the matters contained in the bible itfelf. It would be just as well to begin at revelation, and read and comment backward, as to begin at Genefis and proceed forward. There is no connection in the book, either as to principle or fact, and whoever has examined it with an unprejudiced eye, will recognize the truth of this obfervation, Comments there. fore, of the fecond year are perfectly, diftinct from thofe of the firft, and all the other principles advanced will reft upon the bafis of their own merit, without any fpecial anterior relationship of any kind whatever. TO THE EMPEROR OF CHINA. On the other hand, we fuppofe a rich, or noble, Chrif tian, a profeffed difciple of the meek and lowly Jefus, to have half a dozen children: he has much more than is neceffary amply to supply all his real wants by an equal divifion of his property among them, but they cannot of course be fo rich individually as himfelf, or make the same parade after his death, or as if he had but one son and their: this reflection mortifies his pride, from the idea that it will leffen the influence and confequence of his name and family among his neighbours. What is to be done in fuch a cafe?. His religion provides a falve for every fore, as well for the gratification as the humiliation of inordinate pride; therefore, after having nourished, cherished, and fondly reared all his children to adult age, made them his companions and friends, and given them a taste and high relifh for the pleasures of fociety -he folicits, and his religion provides, the tombs in in which to bury five of his children alive, folely to gratify his vanity iu fwelling the fortune of his eldeft fon: from this execrable motive, he thufts the innocent injured: victins into lonely, gloomy, feparate cells, there to linger out a long, long, tedious, cheerlefs, ufelefs, fruitlefs, folitary, painful life, in the privation of overy enjoyment: ordained by Heaven to make life fupportable; and fortheir comfort they are told they are married to Jefus. Yet will this fame Chriftian exclaim-O, the barbarous Pagan!-Such is the Christian mode of reasoning, and thus are the are ignorant amufed if not abufed; I cannot fuppofe that mothers in Afia have lefs natural affection for their children than thofe in Europe. I believe that human nature is the fame every where, but that pcculiar circumftances, fituations, cuftoms, and prejudices may weaken, and fometimes overcome, natural ties. Thus, among Chriftians, we hear of mothers def-troying their new-born infants, not for want of tendernefs, or fenfibility, but probably from an excefs of the latter, and a confequent preportionate dread of public: fhame and difgrace; for, had the fame children. been born in wedlock, it is more than probable that thofe fame. mothers would have been the most fond and doting. But. as the Chinese mothers are actuated by a different motive,. it is to be prefumed they would long ere this day have been relieved from the cruel neceffity of deftroying their fupernumerary children, had it been the fate of China to be fo fituated, or expofed, as to have been forced to receive frequent vifits from the European powers But, notwithstanding the dreadful conflict which muft neceffarily rage in the breaft of a mother before he can. |