MULES. 163 



the world than to subdue a single prejudice or error, 

 most nations having a superstitious attachment to those 

 habitudes which they derive from their ancestors, that 

 seem to come along with them into the world, and 

 with which they were nursed and brought up." 



Perhaps it may be deemed by many quite as vision- 

 ary or absurd to attempt an introduction of the mule 

 as a substitute for the horse, for the purposes of agri- 

 culture and hackney employments, as was the project 

 of the Spanish monarch for compelling his subjects to 

 wear the French costume, to the exclusion of one they 

 had been so long accustomed to look upon " as a dis- 

 tinction which was the birth-right of every true Spa- 

 niard ;" and as we may suppose, so congenial to the 

 indolent habits for which that nation had long been 

 proverbial. 



It must be acknowledged that there are serious* 

 though I trust in this age of improvement, not insur- 

 mountable impediments ; for we have to combat not 

 only hereditary prejudices, or to speak more correctly, 

 such as have proceeded from a deficiency of means 

 and want of knowledge, to develope the valuable pro- 

 perties and to subdue propensities of a contrary cha- 

 racter in this hybrid race, but we are met at the 

 threshold by the same species of pride which the 

 Spaniards manifested in regard to their costume, 

 founded on the enthusiastic, I may almost say super- 

 stitious, attachment to the horse. 



It is believed that a vast portion of our fellow 

 citizens, and I may with propriety add the people 01 

 Great Britain, from whom we have derived some 

 inveterate prejudices as well as those illustrious exam- 

 ples that have had such a powerful influence in leading 

 our country to the high destinies that await her, do not 

 15* 



