$38 On National Character. 
truth of some African nations. A mother 
bewailing the loss of her son, found conso=: 
lation in reflecting that he never told a lie; 
no, never. Do we not receive Negroes into 
our families in’ full confidence of their, ho- 
nesty ? We'could not receive a Tartar im the 
same manner.. Dr. Franklin relates that some 
Indians, noticing the fraud and deception 
practised by the white people, asked if they 
had had no mothers to instruct them; evi- 
dently implying the office of those of their 
nation. When referring to the page of his- 
tory we learn that nations of the first class, 
when their wants increase beyond their power 
to supply them, by the robbery of strangers 
enlarge their views, and that which was called 
theft is now called war; and he who was the. 
leader of a gang of banditti, is now called 
general, There is no instance of a nation 
who in their days of barbarism were great 
thieves, that did not afterwards make good 
soldiers. On the other hand those nations 
whose maxims inculcate honesty, are, at every 
period of their history, seekers of peace.. 
They do not want courage when forced to 
exercise it; but they endeavour to avoid. the 
occasion of its being called forth. Hence the 
Chinese built their wall. Other instances 
might be advanced to shew how ‘far the 
