Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1801-09-18
To f6e A3tbor Of tbr Cleuuey.

To fbe A3tboy Of sbr G!euuey.
SIR, SIS
HAVE long been Of opinion, which
nevertheless would with to express very
humbly, that mankind are not 70 iuG II,
their gratitude for public lervices as thew
ought TO be, and that fomc of thofe perfons
whom we have tho't proper to hail public
7benefattors, are 70 in very confined fenie,
while others, who really deferve that cha
raeter, are either overlooked altogether, or
honoured with very imall fhare Of our
APPRECIATION. But apprehe,ld, that if
our gratitude, was betowed on thoEe who
confer upon upon US the blefings which we
mott defire. the cafe would be otherwife,
and In particular, humbly conceive thar
OF all men living VIC Gould be mott anxi-
Gus to rank the Editors of newfpapers a.
nong the greate& benefaefors OF the hu-
man race. For what is it that they fur
ply /? Ne7Vs. And what is it that men
ak for IN the morning F.? News Atnoona
News! In the evening? Newss To the
laft minute of the right. News Nay,
do we not hear men, who accidentally
meet on their way home to bed. ak ca
gerly tor news, as they did the moment
they entered the breakfast room, and roolc
up that greasea Of all luxuries, q wet newt
paper.
Now, If tlsofe are to be reckoned the
: greatef benefactors, who confer the great
eft number of favors upon the grearea
number of applicants, farely the Editors
otnewipapers ought to be held in the highef
etteem, and | hope when they fee this juf-
tice done in their merits, they will befow
at leait half a column of compliments upon
me and you, MIR. Cleaner, and upon the
Univerfal Magazine, the Editor ofwhich
can admit the praiie of rivals without H.
dignation. Should there be any, in Whole
minds there yet turks doubt of what I
have faid, or who may think that there
are men Whole works adminifer more TO
the necefities of their fellow creature:
than the aforefaid Editors, I will hang
the iilae of the queaion upon this Jingle
point.
will fuppofe, and entreat thofe perfons
to iuppofe with me, what the confequence
would be, if the circulation of news were
to be aopt for only week-A week did
| fay--why that is an age--for Jingle
day, and then let Us fee what fubhitntes
the ingenuity of man would invent. Bet
fubititute for nezvs! O! the thing is
impofible; the very notion OF it an abiur-
dity, and what is more, an abfurdity,
which / believe never entered into the
head of man.
No.--Mr. Cleaner there are cures,
and alleyiations for all calamities incident
to mankind, except this. Wars, famine,
peailence, earthquakes, inundstions, forms
and fires, ficknefs, lamelefs, blindnefs,
are all capable of mitigation, and what is
very important for my argument, are all
bartiaI evils, compared 10 that dreadful
fagnation which would be occahoned in
the minds of men by the circulation of
news being obfrcefed, / have often a.
mufed, Il mean terri6cd) myfelf by fup-
Poiing fuch a cafe, as fome ingenious writ
ers have ansgledtheir readers by feyyifymg
them with itories of ghoas and murders,
haunted caltles, and iuch like objects, of
horror. repeat it, FIR, that the evils, a.
bove enumerated are partial; ,6re.may,
tor inftance, rage in one freet or diffriet
and do great damage, bur what is that to
the town 10 general Whereas, PUT a flop
to newfpapcrs for dav. and whaf uouId