University of Virginia Library

11. CHAPTER XI.

IT being some time since the preceding part of this
memoir has been published, and an opportunity given of
hearing the strictures, and criticisms, that have been
made, or that passed upon it; it has not escaped the
knowledge of the author, that some have thought the
particulars, in some instances, extravagant, and bordering
on the incredible; which is contrary to the maxim
of sticking at least to an appearance of truth. But how
can any one undertake to say what is extravagant, or
what is incredible? Who is there at this day, who will
call in question the truth of the rise and progress of the
Corsican adventurer; and yet this borders upon the marvellous.
At a future day, when the lights of history have
been obscured, who knows but his adventures, when
written, may be laid on the same shelf with that of Amadis,
of Gaul; Don Bellianis, of Greece; or a small book,
entitled, the history of the seven Champions of Christendom?
It is in the cards, to use a phrase taken from the
gamblers, and not at all improbable, that his fall may be
as rapid, and not less extraordinary than his ascent.[1]

It is perhaps somewhat owing to a defect in the narration,
that an air of improbability is thrown upon a history
by not entering sufficiently into a detail of the transactions.
There is a remarkable instance of this, in the
history of the American war, by Ramsey, in which he
notices the capture of three vessels, and 1500 men of the
British by a stratagem. Perhaps not 1500, for I have
not the book before me; but certainly some hundreds.
All this by four of a Georgia regiment, and an old negro,
a waiter. It was in all the Gazettes of the time;
but the details were not given. It is also mentioned by
General Lee, in his memoirs; who, though he gives
some particulars, yet is not minute in his statement of
the circumstance. There is no doubt of the fact, however;
nor would it appear doubtful to any one, provided

the circumstances were minutely stated, which led to the
success. But it is not consistent with the object of this
work, to introduce this narrative by way of episode. I
mention it only as an instance, that the improbable is not
always false. The study of brevity, is a cause of the
omission of incidents; an unwillingness to detain the reader.
And yet the great charm of ancient historians, is the
minuteness of painting. But I will say for myself, and
at the same time, it may be an apology for other historians,
that the extreme study of brevity arises frequently
from too much sensibility to public opinion; too great
a fear of wearying the reader. We are not sure that
what we relate is of sufficient importance to engage attention;
and we endeavour to crowd the more into a
narrow space. This is an attempt to make up by condensing,
what the material itself wants in its quality.

But the want of probability has not been an observation
in the mouths of all readers of this work. On the
contrary, it has been thought by some, that the incidents
have been all common and natural, that there is nothing
improbable in them; and that the triteness of occurrence,
rather than the unusual, and extravagant, ought to
be the objection. What extraordinary can there be, say
some, in such a creature as Teague O'Regan receiving
appointments to office, or being thought qualified for the
discharge of the highest trusts? Do we not see instances
every day of the like? Is it possible to say how
low the grade of human intellect that may be thought
capable of transacting public business? It will be seen
in the subsequent part of this narrative that the joke has
been carried farther than the lowest possible capacity of
what is found amongst men; not just a block of wood,
for that would be assigning intellectual functions to an
inanimate substance. And yet, even this has not been
without a parallel in the history of the human mind, as
to what has been one subject of the belief of nations. Did
not some even make gods of stocks and stones, assigning
to them celestial natures, and placing them above a
mortal existence? Under this impression some have
been forward enough to tell me, that, so far from my
bog-trotter being a burlesque upon human credulity, and
pretension to office, that the bulk of men in office are
below even his qualifications; and that if I were to go
into any deliberative body, and pull out the first man that
occurred to me, nine times out of ten I would find that

I had a Teague O'Regan by the tail. I have no idea
that things are just brought to this pass, notwithstanding
there may be colour for the allegation. For undoubtedly
there is nothing in which men are less disposed to
question their fitness, than in what regards the endowments
of the mind. A horse not a hunter, will not leap
a five-bar gate, nor attempt a ditch of the same number
of feet in width, unless he is greatly pushed by the rider.
For the animal will have the sagacity to look and compare
the distance with what he has been accustomed to
surmount. But such is the sanguine temperament of
the human mind, that who is there that does not think
himself equal to any undertaking? This is the moral of
this book, and the object of setting the example of the
bog-trotter before the people; not as what is universal
in every instance of a candidate for office; but as an instance
of what is too common, and which ought to be
avoided rather than imitated. For be assured, that so
far as my observation goes, it is not the way to happiness,
to court an advancement by a rise that is unnatural
or to think of being respectable by the mere possession
of office, or delegation. The point of honour in
such case, is rather that of a private station. But it is
experience only, that, with an individual, or with the public,
can sufficiently establish a conviction of this truth.

It will be said, why has the narrative been so long
suspended? For it is now some years since the history
had been brought down to the Captain with his pedeseque
coming to the settlement; and the sequel of the history
begins at that point. The fact is, it was not suspended,
as to the writing; but only as to the publication.
For it will be seen that the incidents had not only occurred
in the years 1805-6, but that they had been committed
to paper, with the observations accompanying them,
nearly at that time. For it was in those years that the
convulsion of public opinion took place, with regard to
the formation of a new constitution; and that we had that
great struggle in this state to preserve ours; with analogy
to which, the disquietude of the public mind, in the
new government, has been depicted. For the passions of
men being always the same, under like circumstances,
they will shew the like ebullitions. It must be admitted
that under this new government, the reverses, as they
may very properly be stiled, were much more extravagant.
And if it is considered as having a relation to

what has happened, elsewhere, or has actually happened
any where, it must appear outre, as the French stile it,
and beyond the life. And therefore in the application,
I give notice, that it is to be taken cum grano salis, or
with a reasonable drawback. Nullum simile est idem;
nor does every picture run upon all fours. There is a
likeness, and a better likeness; a resemblance, and an
exact picture. But a caricatura is not to come under
the rules of painting from the life, or to the life; but on
the contrary, of giving you to know what is intended;
but at the same time, shewing you something different
from the thing itself; in other words, suppressing the
beauties, and giving the faults. For, where the graces,
and the deformities are mixed in the object, you are apt
to fall in love with the deformities, for the sake of the
graces. The use therefore of the caricatura, is to put
the deformities by themselves, that they may cease to
be the object of imitation. Did any one ever see an imitator
who did not copy the defects, even though he did
not mean to do it? I say nothing of Alexander's courtiers
having their necks awry; for that is a common place
illustration. But I myself once knew an orator, a man
of great powers, who had a kind of grin when he spoke;
this, accompanied by some very noble flights of fancy, was
rendered pleasing by what followed; but when catched
by the imitator, was displeasing. So that what took
place in this state, being followed, and carried to excess
in the new government, would seem scarcely the same,
though it might be evident that it was the same, not in
degree, but in kind. But it is with a view to serve future
times, that these things are handed down. For the
cupidity of man still continuing the same, the like convulsions
at no distant day will occur, and unless well
managed, will terminate in the overthrow of liberty.
For it is only by the permanence of establishments that
are constituted on the basis of freedom, that liberty can
be preserved. And if constitutions once come to be
played with, like battle-dores, there is an end of stability.
Every new man, must have a new constitution; for he will
wish one to suit himself; and he will have no doubt but
that he can make one, that will at least have in it what
he wants.

Will there be any end to the projects of innovators, in
matters of law, and government; especially where the
most uninformed are equally entitled to an opinion with

those of the greatest experience, or the deepest thought?
And to exclude any from the right of having an opinion
in public affairs is impracticable, consistent with the enjoyment
of liberty. The principle of the right must be
acknowledged; what is more, it must be preserved, and
cultivated. It is only by reason, or by ridicule, that what
is excessive in the exercise of the right, and erroneous
in the deductions of the mistaken, can be corrected.

In the propagation of a new religion, or in a new
tenet of a particular faith, what is moderate will be less
likely to prevail in the opinions of men. The absurd is
always the most popular, and this upon the principle
that artificial tastes are stronger than the natural; and
what produces the greatest excitement, is most pleasing
to the mind. Hence it is that mere morality, and the
dictates of nature and truth in the conduct of men, are
undervalued in comparison of the dogmata of fanatical
faiths. Unintelligible reveries are better relished in the
pulpit than just reasoning on the principles of right and
wrong in the actions of men; and incomprehensible theological
disquisitions are put into the hands of young
people, as more substantial food for the mind than precepts
of moral truth, which every step in life will bring
into practice, and explain.