r a single popular government,
then the word americans, or columbians, will be the general, and
particular name. But, as there are indians, canadians, and mexicans also,
it seems to me, that the citizens of this Union are wanting a particular
name.

During the foregoing chapters, I wrote against fashionable literature;
unreligious religion; bad newspapers; tourists, whose blind love for their
country rendered them pert, or saucy towards other nations; american
theatres; political parties; and selfish merchants of books. Odd, or bad
men are found in every part of the world; and bad creatures, though they
have more, or less influence in every part of this too much ruled earth,
the plurality has now sufficient understanding to discriminate good from
bad, when the frightful hobgoblin of the so called Religion does not put
its long tail. Demagogues, scribblers, bad politicians, or bad merchants
cannot injure my character, as a member of society in America: but
unreligious religionists, can do a great mischief. And why so? Because in
America the hypocrite is not easily known. The hypocrite who must, of
course, be offended of what I have said against unreligious religion, has
a great power on this new soil of America, against all those who,
despising as I do any kind of cant, take off the mask from the long face.
To such hypocrites, I have only to say now, that their Belief does not
give them any right to brand my Belief. If they think their Belief better
than my Belief, they have only to keep their good conscience for
themselves, without branding my Belief with their inquisitorial hot iron,
and frightful words. He who thinks himself a religious man, and thinks it
man's duty to be religious as he is, should keep his beautiful face with
modesty, and never say that those, who have not his very face, are ugly;
and as the inquisition of the mind, or that of the body have never done
any good to the true religion, it is now time to learn, that in condemning
those, who cannot think as he does, he shows to be no better than an
inquisitor. Fanatics have wronged too much the morals of Jesus. The
hypocrite may, hereafter, speak behind my back against me, with impunity,
as far as his infernal voice does not reach my ears.

There are unfortunately individuals, who think that virtue, integrity, and
all the good qualities of mind, and heart are not indispensable requisites
to a man of belles letters. They are very much mistaken. It is the pu