Citizens of British North America, at least in 1762, were happy – even enthralled – by their new King, George III. That seems to be the conclusion of Hopkinson’s “Dialogue and Ode.” Perhaps it was not least because he was the first of the Hanoverian line of British kings actually born in England or perhaps is was simply because of their pride in being what they believed were the freest people in the freest nation in the world. Nevertheless, as we know today, that sense of joy was short-lived.
Undoubtedly, the message in “A Dialogue Between an Englishman and an Indian” reflects a minority view of Indians at the time of the American Revolution. Outside of an institution like Dartmouth (founded by Eleazar Wheelock, a Puritan minister, in 1769 as an expansion of his Charity School, which he used to educate Indians as ministers), most Americans would have considered Indians to simply be brutal and savage. Nevertheless, it is interesting to see that in 1782, the antagonist in this short work was an “Englishman” – as if to suggest that they are responsible for not helping the Indian shed their “savage, cruel”(7) or “uncultivated and unpolished”(7) ways.
A Little Teatable Chitcat may be best summarized by the Latin epigraph at its beginning.
The Candidates or The Humours of a Virginia Election (“Humours” is best understood in this title as “Whims,” I think) combines a look into Southern society with a perspective about the late colonial/early national election process. Deference to the supposed “natural aristocracy” was presumed to be the foundation of the democratic process but perhaps the play suggests that such a presumption was threatened by the democratic process itself – especially if Guzzle’s vote carried the same value as Mr. Worthy’s. It is surprising how many issues, which remain important today, were addressed or implied in the brief play: the qualifications of candidates; whose interests are served; the power of political office; women’s role in the process; as well as campaigning, campaign promises, and getting voters to the polls. The play is fiction (mythical?) but at least suggests that the democratic process was regarded with, arguably, a greater sense of respect and admiration than exists in our time. Has 200+ years of democratic politics in the U.S. improved the process?
Denis Brennan
If I had to pair The Candidates or The Humours of a Virginia Election with a painting I would choose The County Election by George C. Bingham. While it was painted in the 1850s, it really highlights the state of democracy in the Early Republic. The painting depicts the glory and problems of democracy and speaks to a lot of the questions raised by The Candidates.
I dont necicaraly think that the play argues that the natural aristocracy was threatened by the democratic process. I believe that the author assumed that aristocratic planter class were naturally the most worthy for positions of power and thus elections were a validation of that position. The planter class had held power democratically from the beginning as such institutions were brought over from England with the first settlers.