122 
mut be allowed to {peak loudly in favour 
of the fyitem of the exifting government. 
Tt is not. meant to be afferted that-no 
violence of party-leeling in politics is now 
to be found in the United States. It is 
true that certain pr: fligate new!papers de- 
longing to each fide of the political quef- 
tion, do itil avail themfelves of that inhe- 
sent ‘ove of fcandal wnico pervades human 
focie'y, fur the purpo‘e of exciting tae 
angry paffious anc directing them againft 
any objects which happen to difpleate 
them. Buc the effect of thele exertions is 
fiedle and cantient. The edge of newf- 
peper calumny is greatly blunted through. 
cut the whole extent of tue Union. People 
in general would now as readily believe 
that ridicule is the tef? of truih, as that 
rewfnsper afperfion is the teft of moral and 
political rectitude. Indeed, fo far does 
the public inatiention to this mode of at- 
tack now go, that there is danger of to- 
tally lofing that correfion of political 
mifconduct which the prefs, preperly con- 
dudied, is adapted to eftabl:ifh. The in- 
dependent hoerty of the A:merican prefs 
prosuced, in the firft inftance, ali the li- 
ceacoufsefs of calumny, and, in its turn, 
this unbounded licentioufpelS foon difarm- 
ed calumny oi al] its ‘errors. In this dif- 
truiful mood of fociety, cngendered by a 
long courfe of deteSied m ireprefentaticns, 
even rruth itfelf cannct always be heard 
with attention. The public mind ruilies 
haltily to the conciufion, fulfum in pluri- 
bus, falfum in omnibus. 
' The acquifition of Louifiana mui be 
coniidered on all hands as a memorable 
eventin the political hiftory of the United 
Siates. How tar fuch an enlargement of 
foil and juriici€lion may operate to render 
the territ-ry of tne Union tco exterfive to 
be pervaded by the benefits and joft ener- 
gies of government, is a queftion which 
men of different political views will be 
difpofed to decide in oppefite terms. This 
quefiion, like a multitude of othezs, can 
only be left to the award of time and ex- 
perience. 
But, whatever mav be the ultimate effect 
of this meafure, it feems difficult to ima- 
gine that any doubt could be ferioufly en- 
tertamec concerning the policy of fecuring 
to the United States the advantages of 
shat immenf: province, at a time when the 
trans’er of it to {ome cthet power became 
unavoidable. If it could have remaind 
in the hands of the pacific and indo!ent 
Spaniards, fome difficulties of an unplea- 
fant kind would have eccafionally occurred. 
If put into the poflefhot of France, or 
reat Britain, which would have been 
Half-Yearly Retrofpe& of American Literature. (Sept. 15 
the inevitable confequence of the United 
Sraigs neglecting to fecure the tersitory 5 
it muft. "ave beconie the fource of inceflant 
mifunderiianding, and probably the in- 
ftrument of incalculable injury to that 
young and ilourifhing nation. The evil 
ariiing trom. too great an extent of terri- 
tory, if it be admitted as likely in time 
tooccur, is probably remote, and poffioly 
may be avcided; but the danger of the ir- 
ruption of a powerful and ambitious neigh- 
bour bears date with the firft moment of 
his cntering into powlefficn. 
Geographical knowledge may be ex- 
pected to receive much improvement from 
the transfer of Louifiana to the United 
States. Anexpedition, authorifed at the 
fecond feffion of the feventh Cosgrefs, has 
already been aétually undertaken, and is 
now going on, under the dire tion cf the 
Prifident of the Uniced States, up the 
Mifflouri. The two enterprizing con- 
duéiors of this adventure, Captains Lewis 
aud Clark, have been direfted to attempt 
apafiage to the weitern fhove on the South. 
Sea. From thle gentiemen, on their return 
in 1805, a narrative full of inttru@tion and 
interefi may be expeéted. It is allo under- 
flood that a furvey has been ordered to be 
mace of the Miffifippi, from ‘the mouth of 
the Ohio to the Falls of St. Anthony. OF 
this interefting part of the river, a correét 
map, accompanied with a variety cf other 
information, may be expected within a 
reafonable time. A map may likewile be 
hoped for, in the courle of a moicrate pe- 
riod, from the latter place to the fource of 
the Miffifiippi, and thence to the Lake of 
the Woods. The courfe of the Miffiffippi 
downwards to the Gulf of Mexico, has 
been correcily delineated by Captain Hut- 
chings ; and lately, the indefatigable la. 
bours of Mr. Ellicot have eftecied a great 
deal, in tracing al! the turnings and wind- 
ings of that river {cuthward of its junétion 
with the Onio, and the terpitorial line on 
the thirty-firft degree of Hoch latitude. 
The foutherr coaft of Loutiiana on the Gulf 
of Mexice, firetching from Perdido Bay to 
the Bay ct St. Bernard, has been fo far 
explored by navigators, that little of im- 
portance now remains to be difcovered. 
The moft eligible plan of becoming 
better acquainted with Louifiana, would 
be to afcend the channels of the Red Ri- 
ver and ihe Arkantas, by which the path- 
lefs and unknown parts of that vafi coun- 
try may be conveniently penetrated. It 
muft give pleafure to every lover of geo- 
sraphical improvement to learn that an 
appropriation for this purpofe was atually 
made by. the Legiflature of the United 
States 
