towns, regular affemblies are a part of the winter entertainment. Cards and back-gammon, form a part of the common diverfions, and chefs begins to be fashionable. Hunting is practiced in a few places; and horfe-races in the middle and fouthern ftates, are confidered as the most interesting public entertainments. They are held regularly in fpring and autumn, and are the general refort of fashionable people from all the neighboring coun try. Among the yeomanry, games with a ball, especially cricket, are very common. Formerly wrestling was very common among the young men, who ftudied it with the affiduity bestowed in fome countries on fencing; but the practice is nearly obfolete.

682. Perfons and Chara&er of the Inhabitants. The inhabitants of the northern ftates are generally tall, bony and mufcular; and lefs corpulent than their English ancestors. They are remarkable for their induftry, invention and perfeverence. They make the most diligent farmers and mechanics-and the moft adive, bold and hardy feamen on earth. They are diftinguished for their habits of fubordination to parental and civil authority, which render them peaceable, obliging and hofpitable; but educated in perfect freedom, and with a strong fenfe of perfonal independence, they fpurn at every affumption of fuperiority, and treat with contempt and deteftation, any man who is overbearing in his manners. The vices of drunkennefs, tipling, gambling, trickishness in mutual dealings, profanity and the like, are found among the more corrupt members of the community. But the great body of the people, who are freeholders, with ef tates in fee which furnish them with means of subsistence, maintain the character of good fenfe, difcernment and pure morals; living in the conftant attendance upon religious worship, and adorning their profeffion of chriftians, by a correfpondent practice.

HE period for a new election of a citizen, to adTHE Hanife the executive government of the United States, being not far diftant, and the time actually arrived, when your thoughts must be employed in defignating the perfon who is to be clothed with that important truft, it appears to me proper, especially as it may conduce to a more diftinct expreffion of the public voice, that I should now apprife you of the refolution I have formed, to decline being confidered among the number of those out of whom a choice is to be made. I beg you, at the fame time, to do me the juftice to be affured, that this refolution has not been taken, without a strict regard to all the confiderations appertaining to the relation which binds a dutiful citizen to his country; and that, in withdrawing the tender of fervice which filence in my fituation might imply, I am influenced by no diminution of zeal for your future intereft; no deficiency of grateful refpect, for your past kindness; but am fupported by a full conviction that the ftep is compatible with both.

2. The acceptance of, and continuance hitherto in the office to which your fuffrages have twice called me, have been a uniform facrifice of inclination to the opinion of duty, and to a deference for what appeared to be your defire. I conftantly hoped, that it would have been much earlier in my power, confiftent with motives which I was not at liberty to difregard, to return to that retirement from which I had been reluctantly drawn. The ftrength of my inclination to do this, previous to the last election, had even led to the preparation of an addrefs to declare it to you; but mature reflection on the then perplexed and critical posture of our affairs with foreign nations,

and, the unanimous advice of perfons entitled to my confidence, impelled me to abandon the idea.

3. I rejoice that the state of your concerns, external as well as internal, no longer renders the purfuit of inclination incompatible with the fentiment of duty, or propriety; and am perfuaded, whatever partiality may be retained for my fervices, that in the prefent circumstances of our country, you will not difapprove my determination to retire.

4. The impreffions with which I firft undertook the arduous truft, were explained on the proper occafion. In the difcharge of this truft, I will only fay, that I have with good intentions, contributed towards the organization and adminiftration of the government, the best exertions of which a very fallible judgment was capable. Not unconscious, in the outfet, of the inferiority of my qualifications, experience in my own eyes, perhaps ftill more in the eyes of others, has ftrengthened the motives to diffidence of myfelf; and, every day the encreafing weight of years admonishes me more and more that the fhade of retirement is as neceffary to me as it will be welcome. Satisfied that if any circumftances have given peculiar value to my fervices, they were temporary, I have the confolation to believe, that while choice and prudence invite me to quit the political scene, patriotism does not forbid it.

5. In looking forward to the moment, which is intended to terminate the career of my public life, my feelings do not permit me to fufpend the deep acknowledg ment of that debt of gratitude which I owe to my beloved country, for the many honors it has conferred upon me; ftill more for the ftedfaft confidence with which it has fupported me; and for the opportunities I have thence enjoyed of manifefting my inviolable attachment, by fervices faithful and perfevering, tho in usefulness unequal to my zeal. If benefits have refulted to our country from these fervices, let it always be remembered to your praife and as an instructive example in our annals, that under circumftances in which the paflions, agitated in

every direction, were liable to mislead, amidst appear. ances fometimes dubious-viciffitudes of fortune often difcouraging-in fituations in which not unfrequently want of fuccefs has countenanced the fpirit of criticismthe conftancy of your fupport was the effential prop of the efforts, and a guarantee of the plans by which they were effected..

6. Profoundedly penetrated with this idea, I fhall carry it with me to my grave, as a ftrong incitement to unceafing vows that Heaven may continue to you the choiceft tokens of its beneficence--that your union and brotherly affection may be perpetual-that the free conftitution, which is the work of your hands, may be facredly maintained-that its administration in every department may be ftamped with wifdom and virtue-that,. in fine, the happiness of the people of thefe States under the aufpices of liberty, may be made complete, by fo careful a prefervation and fo prudent a use of this bleffing, as will acquire to them the glory of recommending. it to the applaufe, the affection and the adoption of every nation which is yet a ftranger to it.

7. Here, perhaps I ought to ftop. But a folicitude for your welfare, which cannot end but with my life, and the apprehenfion of danger, natural to that folicitude, urge me on an occafion like the prefent, to offer to your folemn contemplation, and to recommend to your frequent review, fome fentiments, which are the refult of much reflection, of no inconfiderable obfervation, and which appear to me all important to the permanency of your felicity as a People. Thefe will be offered to you. with the more freedom, as you can only fee in them, the didinterefted warnings of a parting friend, who can poffi-bly have no perfonal motives to bias his council. Nor can I forget as an encouragement to it, your indulgent reception of my fentiments on a former and not diffimilar occafion. Interwoven as is the love of liberty with every ligament of your hearts, no recommendation of mine is neceflary to fortify or confirm the attachment.

S. The unity of government which conftitutes you one

people is also now dear to you. It is justly fo; for it is a main pillar in the edifice of your real independence, the fupport of your tranquillity at home, your peace abroad; of your fafety; of your profperity; of that very liberty which you fo highly prize. But as it is eafy to forefee, that from different caufes and from different quarters, much pains will be taken, many artifices employed, to weaken in your minds the conviction of this truth; as this is the point in your political fortress against which the batteries of internal and external enemies will be most conftantly and actively (though often covertly and infidiously) directed, it is of infinite moment, that you fhould properly estimate the immenfe value of your national Union, to your collective and individual happi-. nefs; that you should cherish a cordial, habitual and immoveable attachment to it; accuftoming yourselves to think and speak of it as the Palladium of your political fafety and profperity; watching for its preservation with jealous anxiety; discountenancing whatever may fuggeft ezen a fufpicion that it can in any event se abandoned; and indignantly frowning upon the first dawning, of every attempt to alienate any portion of our country from the reft, or to enfeeble the facred ties which now link together the various parts.

9. For this you have every inducement of fympathy and interest. Citizens by birth or choice, of a common country, that country has a right to concentrate your affections. The name of American, which belongs to you in your national capacity, muft always exalt the juft pride of patriotifm, more than any appellation derived from local difcriminations. With flight fhades of difference, you have the fame religion, manners, habits and political principles. You have in a common caufe fought and triumphed together; the independence and liberty you poffefs are the work of joint councils, and joint efforts, of common dangers, fufferings and fucceffes. But thefe confiderations, however powerfully they address themselves to your fenfibility, are greatly outweighed by thofe which apply more immediately to your intereft-Here every portion