Becoming America - An Exploration of American Literature from Precolonial to Post-Revolution, 2018a

BECOMING AMERICA
REVOLUTIONARY AND EARLY NATIONAL PERIOD LITERATURE
Among other eects of national justice, was to be ranked the swift increase of
numbers. Exempt from servile obligations and perverse habits, endowed with
property, wisdom, and health. Hundreds will expand, with inconceivable rapidity
into thousands and thousands, into millions; and a new race, tutored in truth, may,
in a few centuries, overow the habitable world.
Such were the visions of youth! I could not banish them from my mind. I knew
them to be crude; but believed that deliberation would bestow upon them solidity
and shape. Meanwhile I imparted them to Ludloe.
Chapter VI
In answer to the reveries and speculations which I sent to him respecting this
subject, Ludloe informed me, that they had led his mind into a new sphere of
meditation. He had long and deeply considered in what way he might essentially
promote my happiness. He had entertained a faint hope that I would one day be
qualied for a station like that to which he himself had been advanced. This post
required an elevation and stability of views which human beings seldom reach,
and which could be attained by me only by a long series of heroic labours. Hitherto
every new stage in my intellectual progress had added vigour to his hopes, and
he cherished a stronger belief than formerly that my career would terminate
auspiciously. This, however, was necessarily distant. Many preliminaries must
rst be settled; many arduous accomplishments be rst obtained; and my virtue
be subjected to severe trials. At present it was not in his power to be more explicit;
but if my reections suggested no better plan, he advised me to settle my aairs
in Spain, and return to him immediately. My knowledge of this country would be
of the highest use, on the supposition of my ultimately arriving at the honours to
which he had alluded; and some of these preparatory measures could be taken only
with his assistance, and in his company.
This intimation was eagerly obeyed, and, in a short time, I arrived at Dublin.
Meanwhile my mind had copious occupation in commenting on my friend’s letter.
This scheme, whatever it was, seemed to be suggested by my mention of a plan of
colonization, and my preference of that mode of producing extensive and permanent
eects on the condition of mankind. It was easy therefore to conjecture that this
mode had been pursued under some mysterious modications and conditions.
It had always excited my wonder that so obvious an expedient had been
overlooked. The globe which we inhabit was very imperfectly known. The regions
and nations unexplored, it was reasonable to believe, surpassed in extent, and
perhaps in populousness, those with which we were familiar. The order of Jesuits
had furnished an example of all the errors and excellencies of such a scheme. Their
plan was founded on erroneous notions of religion and policy, and they had absurdly
chosen a scene within reach of the injustice and ambition of an European tyrant.
It was wise and easy to prot by their example. Resting on the two props of
delity and zeal, an association might exist for ages in the heart of Europe, whose
inuence might be felt, and might be boundless, in some region of the southern
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