The Wheeling repository — Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.], 1808-02-04 00:00:00, page 2

<5-1 by philosophers. Some have suppo
sed them to be only common stones,
struck \\ ith lightning and partly melted,
flut tins theory has now no advocates.
A less fancical hypothesis is, that they
are masses thrown from volcanoes. No
such bodies are found near the craters
of volcanoes, or are known to be pro
jected from them: and in many instances
these hodieshave fallen several hundred,
and even several thousand miles from
any known volcano. Mr. Edward King
has varied this theory, and supposes
that these substances are thrown from
volcanoes, not in solid masses, but in
the state of ashes or dust, lie supposes
that these ashes, descending in a cloud,
become condensed, take lire, and pro
duce numerous explosions. According
10 him, the pyritical, metallic, and agii
laceous particles melt, are suddenly
ehrvstallized and consolidated, and fall
in masses to the ground. This expla
nation evidently involves as great diffi
culties as those which it is intended to
obviate. Some philosophers have sup
posed that these stones are thrown from
terrestrial comets. Not to mention any
other objection to this hypothesis, it will
by no means account for such a pheno
menon as appeared at Sienna in J7‘J4,
when stones descended, not from a mov
ing meteor, but from a luminous cloud.
O-her philosophers, ascribing to these
stones an origin still more extraordinary,
suppose them to be projected from the
mooli. Admitting that bodies can be
projected beyond the sphere of the
moon’s attraction,they must move round
the earth in one of the conic sections,
and all the difficulties attending the pre
ceding hypothesis embarrass this. The
subject must be acknowledged to be in
volved in much obscurity., and the phe
nomenon, till we are posse ssed of more
facts and better observations, must be
considered inexplicable.”
There is in man a degree of insensi
hilitv produced by that which is known
to all, and which daily passes before his
t yes. The wonders of the universe—
the operations of nature—the daily, yet
majestic spectacle of the rising and set
ting tun, excite neither curiosity nor
astonishment.—Bledsoe's Masonic Or.
The streets of Winding on Monday
last brought to mind the following lines
of Stephen Duck:
And when the thaw comes, on a sudden
The streets arc all like battered pudding.
For the Wheeling Repository.
I HAVE ever felt great reverence
for ancient maxims, or what is vulgarly
called old sayings. In general, I have
found them replete with morality and
truth. Occasionally, to be sure, cases
will occur, which may form exceptions
to the broad principles upon which those
maxims are formed; but those cases are
rare, and such as must necessarily be
excepted from every general rule.
It is a maxim among the officers of
the law, that the greatest rogue always
turns state's evidence. This maxim has
long been considered as universally true;
for it is insisted that even among thieves
some regard should be paid to good
faith. He \\ ho has become an associate
in any crime, it is said, cannot by dis
closing it recover his reputation, and'he
who betrays even his associates in guilt,
is esteemed as having added treachery
to Ins other crimes, and rendered him
self so much the more detestable.
These notions appear to he incompa
tible with the existence ot government,
if but partially considered. Upon inves
tigation, however, they will be found to
originate in the common leelings of all
mankind, and therefore cannot be de
ceptive. No matter how much we may
be benefitted by treachery, we instinc
tively despise and shun the Betrayer.
A Judas is always viewed with horror,
or with contempt. In truth, treachery
of any kind is so abhorrent to every cor
rect sentiment of the human mind, that
our detestation of the fact precludes all
1 consideration of the motives. Arnold
was not only despised by Americans : he
was held in the utmost contempt by the
British themselves; and though the go
vernment protected him, no respectable
| man felt easy in his company. Trea
chery is a crime, so dangerous to socie
ty, and so destructive of social inter
course, that it is questionable whether
it i3 not, in general, more safe to risk
the consequences of any contemplated
mischief, than to resort to treachery for
its detection.
An illustrious exception to this old
maxim, and these old fashioned reason
ings, has lately appeared in this country,
in the person of General Wilkinson.—
Though manifestly a Traitor to 1 rai
tors, lie has been hailed as the political
saviour of the ration. His treachery to
his country in the first place, and to his
associates in the second, has been for
i gotten, or denied* iiurr, as a ccutre of
gravity, attracted the whole indignation
of the great majority of the citizens ;
and Wilkinson, while detailing lacts -
which none but an associate could havo
known, was applauded as a prodigy of
honour and patriotism. A spectacle ne
ver before witnessed, was exhibited ip
the United States: The populace toast
ing, feasting, and caressing a common
informer ; a Traitor turned state's evi
dence, and endeavouring to drag his
quondam friends to the gallows //
Nor was this all. It was deemed cri
minal to doubt Wilkinson’s integrity.
Whoever adhered to the old notion, that
a double Traitor ought to be despised,
was himself considered a Traitor. None
but a Ilurrite could question Wilkinson’s
patriotism. Every man was required
either to applaud this hoary headed ve
teran in treachery ; this cold blooded,
systematic Deceiver, who, to make the
best of his own story, had by ialse pre
I tenccs gained the confidence of the Con
spirators : or he was to be suspected ot
designs against the government of his
country. It was supposed impossible,
that any man could at the same time
wish Justice to he done upon both Burr
and Wilkinson ; that any man could feel
the propriety of using Wilkinson’s vo
lunteer disclosures, to investigate the
designs of Burr, and at the same time
despise the mean and dastardly treache
ry which induced those disclosures.
Bui time destroys every illusion, and
truth will sooner or later resume her
empire. Already these unreasonable
opinions with regard to Wilkinson, be
gin to vanish. Suspicion no longer rests
upon the man who refuses to worship at.
the shrine of his patriotism. He begins
to Appear to the great mass of citiz na
in his true character : a selfish, unprin
cipled wretch, who had not pati iotisnv
and integrity sufficient to reject the o
verturcs of a Traitor, nor fortitude e
noutrh to persevere in the treason. By
the first he has forfeited the confidence
ol the upright; bv the latter he has in
curred their contempt. ^
Wilkinson will soon be consigned to
his proper station. History, perhaps,"
will not place him so low as Titus Oats.
He will not be esteemed so despicable
as James O’Brien,! nor so detestable as
f O'Brien in thus drferibed by Cu-ran, in hi*
deftnee of Patrick Finney, ind fl .d for h:gb
tretfon upon his teftimony: * Y<’U find Inna
coiling himfclfin the fcaly ciiclei ot liia c;uti
ou perjjiy, making anticipated battle again®,’'
, any wb* fhould appear againft hira."
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