tory, is nothing more than tradition; and our The wealth of a nation is defined by Adam Smith hopes of heaven and fears of eternal torments are to be the annual produce of its land and laborfounded on tradition. Had it not been for tradi- consequently that produce is augmented in proportion, we should never have known that a Saviour tion as you augment the population, until it reachdied for the redemption of man. This kind of es that state when the population exceeds the testimony becomes more or less authentic, ac- means of subsistence, which is an event not to be cording to circumstances, in proportion to the expected for many ages, in a nation like this, of manner in which it has been preserved and hand-which the territory is so extensive, and the popued down; in proportion as it has been preserved ||lation so inconsiderable. The produce of the la in written records, or delivered from living wit-bor of land alone, would, perhaps, be sufficient to nesses; in proportion to its antiquity; in propor-sustain the population of this country for many tion as the language retains its integrity, in which centuries, were it to double itself, as it always the tradition comes down to us. To suffer these does, when unchecked every 25 years. But the traditions to fade away for the want of some per-surplus produce of land flows through other chanmanent record, is to break the connecting link || nels and is applied to other objects, such as manu. between past, present, and future ages. It is to factures and commerce, which again increase the leave monuments either in marble or in mud, at- means of subsistence, and the necessity of populatesting the existence of civilized man, existing ||lation. The checks of population, says Malthus, amongst savages, a prey to all the impertinence are positive and preventative-the former are wars, of overgrown infants, who call themselves phi-plagues, famine, &c.—the latter are promiscuous losophers. intercourse, unnatural passions, violations of the marriage bed, &c. These checks to population exist in all nations in a greater or less degree, and retard its natural increase beyond the proper limit. In this country the population has doubled every 20 years, which has arisen in a great des [We insert the following communication on emigration, not because it expresses our opinion on that subject, but with a desire to encourage and aid speculations on subjects of national policy. The speculative opinion introduced by Mr.gree from emigration. The wealth then of the Crawford into his report on Indian affairs, as to nation has been increased in proportion to the the better policy of civilizing the Aboriginese of increase of population, and when we take also this country, or of encouraging emigration from || into consideration the external capital, the arts; other countries, has been the subject of some hu- intelligence, &c. which have thus been introducmour, much invective, but no argument. Dis-ed into our country by men whom the scourge of claiming, as we do, any prejudice for or against oppression, and the misery of their condition has the man, we cannot but regret to see a subject of driven upon our shores, we must be constrained so much importance treated with so little deco- to acknowledge, that those prejudices which exrum. We shall not now attempt any speculation ||ist against foreigners are illiberal and unjust. It on this subject, but our pages will always be open should be the boast of every American that his to arguments for or against the proposition sug-country is the asylum of the unfortunate of all nagested by Mr. Crawford.] For the National Register. EMIGRATION. tions, and was unquestionably the wish and design of the venerable framers of that constitution, which is justly the wonder of the world, that the "fugitives of the old world," should find in every American a friend and brother. The laws of the U. S. make no distinction between a naturalized and a native citizen. They are entitled to the race. same privileges, immunities and rights; and thus afford another mean of happiness to the human When oppressed and manacled, when borne down to the earth by the weight of governmental burdens, gag'd and chained to the altar of slavery, the condition of the world would indeed The report of the secretary of war on the subject of Indian affairs has produced a great degree of irritation in the public mind, and his indiscriminate denunciation of foreigners has called down upon him much sarcasm and invective. But the secretary of war is not the only one who seems to feel hostile to the encouragement of emigration; it is a sentiment I am sorry to see spreading through our country too extensively. I shall endeavour, therefore, to consider the subject on the principles of be wretched, if no home was left for the miserapolitical economy; and to show that to discourage it would be inconsistent with the nature of our in-ble and unfortunate. As we recognize the right stitutions, and injurious to the interest of our coun- of dissolving the compact between the subject try. It has been laid down as a political axiom, that population constitutes the wealth of a nation. *Smith's Wealth of Nations. + Malthus on Population. and the sovereign; we are not only bound by the quarters avoirdupoise weight, which enabled him ties of humanity, but constrained by moral and to ascertain the peculiar mechanism by which the feet of this animal can keep their hold of a political obligation, to afford protection and smooth hard perpendicular wall, and carry up so to receive with open arms the fugitives of the old large a weight as that of its own body. Sir Eveworld. The ties which bind us to our nativerard particularly described the anatomy of the country, from kindred, friends and early associa-foot of this lizard, which is so constructed as to enable it to produce a number of small concavition, are so powerful that the cause must indeed ties, which act like so many cupping glasses, and be urgent to induce emigration at all, and when atmospheric pressure retains him in his position. misfortune and an impossibility of enjoying that The author, having ascertained the principle on which an animal of so large a size as this, is enhappiness which it is the object of government to abled to support itself in progressive motion promote, and of which all mankind are in pursuit, || against gravity, felt himself more competent to drive men from their native homes, among examine into the mechanism by which the comstrangers, with whose manners, customs, and even mon fly supports itself with so much facility in still more disadvantageous situations. An account language they are unacquainted, it surely becomes was then given of the structure of the fly's foot, our duty to meet them with the open arms of cor- which showed that it possessed concave surfaces diality and friendship, and to receive them into our capable of action in the same manner as those of political family as brothers and as friends. Andgressive motion against gravity was effected by the lacerta gecko; and that therefore its pro the same means." Now of the solution given to this phenomenon, do not believe one word. The motion of the poor insect, I believe, would be much impeded if any mechanism of this kind was resorted to: his gait would resemble that of a man travelling through a region of mud. The pressure by which the air, the cause of the adhesion, would be ex when we consider the benefit that results from emigration by the introduction of the arts, the knowledge and the improvements which foreign-I ers often bring with them, it becomes our interest to encourage it. "With a view, says Malthus, to the more general cultivation of the earth and the wider spread of civilization, it seems to be both useful and proper: and if it cannot be proved that governments are bound activly to en-pelled, would be the greatest on a perfectly level courage it, (emigration) it is not only strikingly unjust, but in the highest degree impolitic in them to prevent it." For the National Register. plain. Here there would be no need of so much machinery for the security of the insect. Here there would then be the whole undivided weight of his body to expel the particles of air from the cavities of his feet, when he could walk in perfect safety without such assistance. On a smooth perpendicular body, while in the act of clambering up, the whole weight of the insect tends directly downwards, and, of course, none remains for the expulsion of the air. The case is much stronger when the insect travels in a vertical position: we often see them running across "Thursday, Feb. 22, Sir Everard Home pre- the ceilings with their backs directly down, withsented an account of the feet of those animals,out falling, in opposition to all the laws of gravity. whose progressive motion can be carried on in opposition to gravity. I observe, by one of the papers of the cast, that an English philosopher has undertaken to explain the principle on which a fly is able to climb up a smooth perpendicular body without falling. If compression is necessary for the expulsion of air from the cavities of their feet, clearly none can be given while the insect remains in this position. I think that a much more obvious so "It is well known that the house-fly is capable of walking upon the ceiling of roonis, in which situation its body is not supported on the legs; but the principle upon which it does so has not been explained, because the animal is too smalilution of this phenomenon may be found, if we for the feet to be anatomically investigated. "Sir Everard was not aware that any animal of a much larger size was endowed with the same power, till Sir Joseph Banks told him that the lacerta gecko, a native of the island of Java, was in the habit of coming out of an evening from the roofs of the houses, and walking down the smooth hard polished chuman walls in search of flies that settle upon them, and then running up again. Sir Joseph, while at Batavia, was in the habit of catching this animal, by standing close to the wall with a long flattened pole, which being made suddenly to scrape its surface, knocked it down. He procured Sir Everard a specimen of a very large size, weighing five ounces three examine the motions of a fly. He is often seen putting his feet to his mouth, and rubbing them afterwards, before he ventures on the ascent of a smooth body; an action vulgarly denominated, the washing of his hands. At such times he daubs his feet with a glutinous fluid, which enables him to adhere closely to a body placed in any direction, and to perform his journey with ease. If the foot of the insect does possess these little cellular concavities, I conceive them to be mere repositories for the reception of this fluid, and, that the insect, by the power which he evidently possesses of expanding his feet, brings these cavi- || this insect is stationary, nature has more than ties all to a plain surface; by which means this compensated for this defect, by enduing it with viscid matter adheres to the horizontal or vertical | the property of the multiplying glass, by which body he is labouring to travel over. When the he is enabled to discover objects in his rear, as insect walks on a plain superficies, his feet are Iwell as those in front. He is quick to discocontracted; the glutinous substance therefore re- ver the assassin who prepares to stab him from mains in the concavities of his feet, untouched, behind, and commits his safety to his wings. Why until he is about to perform the act of climbing. this little vexatious animal should be more prone Again, when the spider has enmeshed this little to annoy us with his pestilent proboscis previous animal in his toils, every effort which he makes to a shower I know not; but such is, notwithfor his deliverance entangles him the more. The standing, the fact. He is prescient of the apsagacious reptile who meditates his ruin, seems proaching storm, and flies to the habitation of aware of this, and after he has bound the insect man for covert. Not satisfied with receiving such by one of his cords, usually retires to his den, hospitality, and departing with gratitude, like confident that his object is accomplished. The other insolent guests, he tarries to sting his bepoor insect, while he is throwing his feet in every nefactor, by way of a parting benediction. His direction to disentangle himself from the cords, || boldness is of itself a phenomenon: when repulsed strikes them with his glutinous feet, and thus from the face of man, it is not sufficient that he binds himself the faster by all his struggles for has escaped with impunity. As if he was appredeliverance. It is probable that the fly does not hensive that his courage would be called in ques exert the property of depositing this viscid matter tion, if he was repulsed by one defeat, he reon the surface of the body on which he is climb-turns to the charge, and winds his horn by way ing from his feet at one and the same instant of of defiance, or perhaps to put his adversary upon time. He may employ it as the case requires. his guard. From whence this disposition proThere are other properties in this insect worthyceeds, I never have been able to explain. Selof notice: when he lights upon the window, and is pursued by the fingers, he buzzes and still attempts to escape through the solid pane. He walks upon the transparent surface, and feels it an impassable body; but this is not sufficient evidence to him that the glass is impervious to his wings. He resolutely maintains his maxim, that a transparent substance will afford no more resistance to his body than it does to his eye. Only driven. When the bloody minded wretch is this hypothesis his whole argument is built; he dashes his head against the pane, and like another sect of philosophers, he imagines, that broken bones and bloody noses only serve to prove the truth of his system; for, like them, heinarks, and maintain, that he has no pretensions continually makes the sacrifice, and like them, he refuses to become wiser by experience. I dom, indeed, is it that this intrepid insect attempts to draw blood from the face, which would be a sort of fly-apology for such impertinence and rudeness. No excuse has the insect of this character. He alights upon the face, and is driven back, at which this pestilent foe to studious tranquility takes offence, and assails us again in the identical spot from whence he has been previous not employed in draining the tribute of our veins, he amuses himself by disturbing our repose, and rendering our lives uneasy. A beloved friend will laugh at my philosophy when he reads these re to that character, who suffers his quietude to be disturbed by a fly-but if he makes an indignity The fly, without being a regular mechanic, offered to man in that very important, that disperfectly understands the use of the augur. tinguishing part of human conformation, the counhave seen him busily employed in boring through tenance, either by man, beast, bird, or insect, a tough animal substance with his proboscis, which the criterion of his philosophy, I confess that would be turned this way and that, in a semi-I have no pretensions to that character at all. circular direction, with the same alacrity and assiduity that a shipwright plies his wimble. In order to give greater strength to the augur which nature has furnished him with, he would lean upon it with the whole weight of his body. After he had employed himself in this manner, he would pause in his exertions to recover his breath and strength, and appear to pant for some mo-porary tomb. But the fly seems conscious of the ments before he plied his wimble again. It has often been remarked, that although the eye of The hybernation of this insect is another curiosity: he does not appear to seek the warmest coverts. We find flies indiscriminately in the window sashes of the garret or the kitchen in a torpid state; whereas one would suppose that they would follow, to the last point, the still re. ceding warmth, and make the chimney their tem approach of his own suspended vitality. As the cold season advances, he begins to discover ali strait lines; at all other times, in lines more or the infirmities of age. His blood gradually con- from east to west, apparently, and in the same Few remain geals; he loses all his summer sprightliness; hetime re-appear again in the east. totters along the table, stretches his wings, and has been observed during nearly three complete long enough to make an entire revolution. One endeavours, but in vain, to climb the inaccessible periods. It appears, also, that these spots at paracclivities of air. His hour of teazing imperti-ticular seasons of the year, move over the sun ia nence and trifling is now over. He no longer joins his fellows in the aerial dance-he ceases to become an object of antipathy to beast or to man. Mournful and solitary, he is now viewed with an eye of compassion; and some friendly hand, perhaps the very person whose blood his sabre, in the days of his glory, had drawn, now sympathises with the wretch, and offers him needful warmth and food. At length the cold of winter touches his heart, and he becomes motionless; he falls insensible alike to joy or grief, and awaits, inpass over the centre of the earth's disk. They senseless torpidity, the renovating beam of a sum mer sun. From the Columbian Centinel. SPOTS ON THE SUN.-There is no occasion, for surprize, and still less for alarm, on account of the spots which have lately appeared on the Sun. Similar ones have often been observed before. It is true, that they are not often large enough to be perceived by the naked eye. But they may almost always be seen by the help of a telescope, and it is much more uncommon to find the sun without them than with them. The moon always has spots: the bodies of the planets are not of an uniform brightness. Many of the fixed stars are subject to an alternate increase and diminution of light. Our own sky is sometimes bright and sometimes obscured by clouds. The whole face of nature is variable, every thing is mutable and fluctuating. Nothing is constant but change The wonder is, that the sun should pour forth so uniform and steady a light, not that it should sometimes be partially interrupted. If our lakes Superior, Ontario, Erie, &c. were bit an appearance very similar to that which the visible to a spectator at the sun, they would exhisolar spots do to us. They would not appear to would all move across in the same time. They would describe strait lines when our days and nights are equal, about the middle of March and middle of September. At all other times their paths would be curved, and most so at the time of our longest and shortest days. Besides, they would appear broadest when near the middle point of their passage, and at their entering and going off they would be contracted in breadth, their length in the direction parallel to the sun's limb being undiminished. We conclude, therefore, from the facts that have been stated, that the sun's spots adhere to his surface, and that their motion is produced by the motion of the sun upon an axis not quite perpendicular to the ecliptic. They cannot be Mercury or Venus, for these planets are only a few hours in passing over the sun, and they always appear round and move in apparently straight lines. They cannot consist of a collection of small planets nearer the sun for similar reasons. Their motion is too slow, and they ought not to be so long be tween us and the sun, as they are in describing the rest of their orbits. If half of the orbit described is comprehended within the sun's breadth, it is a The sun's spots have now been observed and sufficient proof that it coincides with his surface. speculated upon for more than two hundred years. Their dilating and contracting also, according as There is nothing like regular ty in their form and they are near the centre or border, seem to be a appearance. They are as various in magnitude, || natural consequence of such a coincidence. This and as diversified in figure as the clouds of our at- circumstance, moreover, seems not very favorable mosphere, and some of them as fleeting. Some- to the supposition that these appearances proceed times twenty, thirty, and even fifty, may be seen from elevated objects, as mountains or rocks, risat once, sometimes none are to be found for a ing above the luminous matter of the sun. number of years. They have been known to oc- should expect, were this the case, that they would cupy an extent equal to a fifth of the sun's diame-exhibit a greater breadth and more of a triangular ter in length, and a twentieth in breadth. We form, when viewed in a direction perpendicular to their basis, and that we should have the same spot return after a certain interval of time, presenting the same appearance, and occupying the same place. But nothing of this kind is to be found in the history of these appearances, Some spots are darker, and others brighter than the rest of the disk. They are often found to succeed each other alternately in the same place. The dark spot consists generally of two parts, a centre and a border, or nucleus and umbra, as they are called. The centre is of a darker shade There was a remarkable spot in 1769, which apthan the border, and the border is darkest to-peared to be depressed below the surface of the wards the outer edge, and is distinguished from sun. As it approached the limb, the umbra, or the deeper colored nucleus, by a well defined and shadowy margin, nearest the centre of the sun, disyery marked difference of light. But a circum- appeared first. On its return to the other limb, stance of the utmost importance, as indicating the the other margin, being nearest the centre, was nature of these spots, is, that they are all in motion, invisible. It was hid apparently by the intervenand al' move with the same rapidity and in the ing portion of the sun's body. As the spot adsame direction, and if they continue long enough,vanced upon the disk, it came into view. they all return in nearly the same time. They Herschell has observed many appearances of this are about fourteen days in passing over the sun, kind, and is fully persuaded that these dark specks || Dr. are below the surface of the sun. He has given | ill attended to. We depend for the very means Views and observations which tend very much to of subsistence, as well as for all the comforts of confirm this opinion. He has undertaken to climate, upon operations that are going on ninety measure the sides of the depression, and to deter- millions of miles off, upon the more or less rapid mine its depth. He thinks that the phenomena compositions and decompositions, that are taking of the spots arise, not from excavations in the bo-place in this great laboratory of nature. dy of the sun, but from openings in his atmos- There was nothing remarkable in the spot which phere, that the solid substance of the sun is lately appeared, but its magnitude. Its form, apopaque, like the planets, and that, like the pla-pearance and motion were just as they should be, nets, it is surrounded by an atmosphere; that this and just like a thousand others that have appearatmosphere is transparent to the height of about ed before, in strict conformity to analogy, as well two thousand miles, and gives support at this ele- as to the constitution of the sun. But because it vation to a stratum of dark clouds, on which, as happened to be larger than usual, every body the outer substance of the sun, rests the flood of deigns to wonder at it and to guess about it, as a luminous matter, which presents itself to the sur-thing that never occurred before. Besides the rounding planets. This light is supposed to be produced by the combustion of gasses which are generated below, and which in their ascent, drive away the clouds and billows of flame || that float upon them, and thus give us a glimpse both of the opaque surface of the sun, and of the cloudy stratum above it, and that these form the nucleus and umbra of a spot; our earth probably presents similar appearances to the inhabitants of the moon. Where it is covered with clouds, it will exhibit a uniform brightness, where there are breaks and interruptions, the naked body of the earth will be seen of a darker shade on account of these clouds, which intercept much of the light. The sides of the opening also would present themselves alternately, as the earth revolved on its axis, by which means their depth might be ascertained, as Dr. Herschell ascertained the depth of the openings of the solar clouds. large spot, which consisted of several distinct nuclea and umbræ, there was a number of small spots to be seen at the same time, by the help of a telescope. These have passed off and new ones have come on. The return of the large spot has not been recognized. The alterations that it underwent, while visible, render it very doubtful whether it retained its identity long enough to re-appear. FROM THE NORTH-CAROLINA STAR. Case of blindness from Cataract cured by Depression-Communicated in a letter from Dr. John Cole. man, of Rockingham, (Richmond county) to Dr. Calvin Jones, of Raleigh, dated May 30, 1816. Dear Sir-Permit me to communicate to you a case of Cataract that some months ago came under my care and management. Mr. Joseph Ming, The sun's spots, then, according to this hypo- near this place, about 45 or 50 years of age, had thesis, are chasms in his atmosphere, occasioned a cataract of more than three years standing, which by ascending currents of gaseous fuel, and they so affected his sight as to render him unable to are succeeded by fecule, as they are called, or distinguish objects. The right eye was merely bright spots on account of this additional supply sensible to the presence of light, but in the left of combustible matter, which, it may be supposed, eye the obscuration was greater, scarcely, if at is most completely on fire soon after the opening || 1, possessing the power of distinguishing night has closed. But how is the sun ordinarily fur-from day. The loss of sight had been gradually nished when there are no spots? The gas may progressive, neither preceded nor accompained by be more diffused, and by ascending in smaller pain, inflamation or the existence of any known quantities, may produce no sensible disturbance cause. The opacity of the lens indicated this disof the luminous fluid. Besides, there are proba-ease, and the patient, when informed that removbly openings, that are too small to be seen, and ing this untenebrious substance from the axis of the sun may never be free from them It is only vision was the only means of cure, readily subwhen their absolute magnitude is yery great, thatmitted to the operation: which was performed on they become an object of any attention. the left eye by depressing the lens with a needle Dr. Herschell has observed, that the luminous in the manner recommended by Bell. On the matter of the sun, when viewed with his best gratifying view of a darkened pupil when the lens telescopes, is far from preserving always the same disappeared from before it, I observed some memaspect. It is sometimes even and tranquil, and braneous fragments floating in the posterior chamsometimes it is thrown up into ridges, and appears ber of the aqueous humour, which I supposed to to be agitated, like the sea in a storm. The chan- be the ruptured capsule of the chrysteline humour. ges, when in this state, are often very rapid; small After several vain attempts to remove them, they openings are formed and closed in a few minutes, were left to the effect of absorption, and it gives and clouds are seen passing with a rapidicy that me great pleasure to add that floculi in a short considerably alters their situation in the course of time disappeared, and the sight is so well restored an hour. These fluctuations are more particularly that the patient is able to pursue his ordinary ocobserved during the time of large and frequentcupations. The right eye has not yet been opespots. Hence Dr. HERSCHELL infers, that there is a variable emission of light and heat, intimately conI have seen in several of the newspapers, lately, nected with the appearance and disappearance of the case of a woman in Connecticut restored to spots, and that seasons of uncommon heut and cold, sight after a blindness of many years. I suppose of fertility and barrenness, so far as they depend up- it was published to induce the afflicted to submit on the supply of heat, are to be traced not so much to to the operation--the necessity, the safety, and accidental causes near at hand, as to the inconstancythe importance of which is known to the great of the fountain. We are like plants in a green house, that are healthy and vigorous, or chilled If, in this way, you could suppose the publicawith the frost, according as the flues are well ortion of this case would, in any degree subserve rated on. mass of the people. |