TO CORRESPONDENTS. IT has been, more than once, hinted to the Editor, that the currency of this publication is much impeded, especially in Bofton, by its want of the recommendation of amufing anecdotes and wonderful stories. In reply, he would obferve, that tales, ingeniously related, and forcibly inculcating fome virtuous fentiment, and anecdotes, amusing to a refined and correct tafle, will always be objects of his attention. But he hearti ly difdains to infult his patrons, by offering them a gallimaufry of witlefs jefts, filly puns, and nonfenfical bon-mots, from which the popularity of periodical works too often arifes. The primary and invariable purpose of his present undertaking is, to open to public notice fome Specimens of the literary skill in this country, to offer fuch essays, as are furnished with fentimental instruction and rational amusement,—to remark on the progrefs of Science and the fine arts, and, with various tongues, to plead in behalf of virtuous refinement. If this attempt will not gain extenfive patronage, it is pleafing to find, that there are even a few, who beflow their approbation. THE FOR APRIL, 1804. For the MONTHLY ANTHOLOGY. Parties THE MAUSOLEUM OF WASHINGTON. THE fervices of Gen. WASHINGTON are too recent and important to be already forgotten. His unimpeachable integrity raised him above fufpicion-almoft above reproach. moft inveterate have united in honours to his memory. Congress, on receiving the mournful tidings of his death, with a' warmth, which was as grateful in them, as correspondent to the feelings of their constituents, decreed thofe marks of respect, which his virtues claimed, and which it became an affectionate people to bestow. All branches of government concurred in adoping those measures, by which the reverence and gratitude of Americans might be expreffed to one, who had earned them by as great fervices, as ever a patriot rendered to his country. This was an act of feeling performed in a moment of feeling. Here was a tribute of the heart, which bore on its front the stamp and imprefs of the heart. Let him, who has a fenfe of moral excellence, and is capable of appreciating it; who loves virtue, and rejoices in its reward; who feels gratitude, and burns to express it; let fuch a perfon judge whether this act of feeling and tribute of the heart were not founded in justice and expreffive of the nobleft fentiments. Let him then confider the nice and cold calculations, which were afterwards made in Congrefs to discover the leaft poffible fum, which could be offered with decency to shelter the remains of Washington. Will he not blush and hang his head in acknowledging himself an American? Will he not deteft that fordid economy, which thus exalts itself on the ruins of the beft feelings of our nature, and grudges an honourable and majestic structure to the duft of the hero and faviour of his country? But "what good," faid fome, "will a Maufoleum do?" I would have answered by afking, "what good would the cheapeft and meanest monument have done The question was an infult on the understanding and feelings of our countrymen. Did they suppose that mausoleums, or monuments are erected from mercenary views, to increase our revenue, repel invafion, or support the government? Afk the difconfolate husband, or weeping child, what good the marble will do, which he places over the grave of a wife, or a father.-Are the dictates of affection, the confoling expreffions of tenderness to be flighted and fuppreffed, because they neither protect from danger, nor enfure profperity? Affection is its own reward, and fhrinks from the imputation of acting from selfish motives. If it was to exprefs national gratitude, the expreffion should have been regulated by the excellence of the man and the ability of the people. Washington was the founder and support of our republic; and in this glorious enterprise, he exhausted the vigour of manhood, and the experience of age. Ours were the nerves of his arm, the affections of his heart, and the mighty powers of his mind. Should not he, who outftript all in the race, have received the noblest prize? Was it just, that such fervices, as his, fhould have a crumbling monument, pitiful in defign, and difgraceful by a contraft with the man to whom it was erected? Would individual gratitude have thus ftinted its expreffions to a private benefactor? And was it thus that the labours and services of Washington was to be lowered in estimation by a monument difhonourably "flim," and reluctantly raised? I fay reluctantly-who did not difcover in the flow and wavering conduct of our national council a ftruggle between interest and honour, an anxiety to fave at once the money of the nation, and to fecure it from difgrace? In fact, there was fomething fo indecent and wounding to a delicate mind in most, that was faid and done on this subject, that filence and neglect would not have inflicted keener pangs. Had we owed Washington an immenfe fum of money, our representatives might have debated for years on the easiest mode of payment. But when the subject was a tribute of the heart, of our own offering, to introduce into fuch a measure all the petty amendments of a revenue law-to throw it backwards and forwards from one house of Congress to another, with as little ceremony as a private petition to debate upon it for days and weeks, as if it required deep investigation and involved important interefts-to pour forth in the debate all the rancour of party mixed with the frigid and frothy hyperbole of panegyric-all this was past fufferance, and agonized as much as it difgraced our country. Before this I thought action was the natural language of affection. I confidered our fentiments of regard and gratitude as too refined to be analyzed—too instinctive to need the elucidation of argumenttoo spiritual to be weighed and proportioned in the scales of interest-too ardent to wait for the cold deductions of economy, and too much absorbed in its object to be able to study declamation on its own warmth and difinterestedness. But men are made of fterner stuff, and all this has vanished before the influence of reafon and philofophy. I before obferved, that our expreffions of gratitude should have been regulated by our ability. A nation without wealth or arts might join in rolling a huge and unhewn stone on the grave of their favourite hero, and this would have been an honourable expreffion of national fentiment. This cheap monument would however difgrace a rich and polished nation. In reply to this it was faid, that it was impoffible exactly to define the honours Washington deferved, or that we owed. But on this fubject a warm heart, under the directions of a correct mind, never can decide wrong. Let us suppose, for inftance, that the representatives of a great nation fhould with equal gratitude and prudence determine to erect a Mausoleum to him, who was "firft in war, firft in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen;" fuppofe a few months elapfed, and this great affembly coolly inquiring, "What good will a Mausoleum do? can it speak louder than a cheaper monument? If we cannot by fuch means extend the fame of the man, why fhall we not fave the money of the treasury?" Have we hearts, and do they not teach us to abhor this mercenary language? Do they not regard fuch men, as chaffering rather for a mean popularity, founded on economy, than paying honours to the father of their country? Do they not fufpect, that fuch men have lefs inclination to erect his Mausoleum, than to fell his bones? Should we not reply to their argument, if addreffed to us, "Why erect even a monument to the memory of your favourite hero? Can it speak louder than four rough ftones, thrown on the corners of the grave? It cannot spread farther his praises, and why then fquander your money?" Who does not fee, that the application of this reasoning to ourselves will lead us to erect a monument, not to the virtues of Washington, but our own infamy and ingratitude? Foreigners, who may vifit our metropolis, after viewing the majestic piles of |