Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1803-09-06
Far TIE Alexandyia AdvertiseS.


4" It's hard to tell whether greater wanto Of lill
I" Appear in writing or in judging i'll;
6 But of the two, It's fure the Leaf offence
rs To tire the patience than nAead the ienfe.
PORE.
Thegabnvc quotation, together with the
whole of Pope's admirable essay on crit'-
clsm, would recommend to the attentive
per1sal of the gentleman who has, fot
some time past, fayonred rhe public with
his remarks on the Theatrical performance
Of this place. The palpablc illiberali.y
and injustice of those remarks, Cannot
have escaped the Detection and censure OF
generous and discerning public and
did hope that some one, with talents more
competent 10 the task than those possess,
would have checked the career OF misre-.
presentation, and exhibited, in true colors,
the public sentimenr. When an indlyi-
dual protesting to be the organ of'the pub
lie opinion, by severity of criticism or un-.
merited sarcasm, outrages the feelings OF
the man, the indignation is reused, and It
becomes duty imposed by humanity 70
vindicate the injured. The wounds in
Riaed by temporary criticism are not &c.
nerally lasting. nor perhaps entlaed to
much sympathy; but when gsaigs or ne
eessity prompts man to place his Deepen.
dence, for support, on the favor OF the
pubic, the severity Of censure may Proba-
bly, repress exertlon, and destroy the seeds
of future excellence. Mr.. Rutherford,
it appears, has unfortunately felt the lash
of our critics crnsurr, and for presaning
to writhc under the smars--in, his manly
and spirited address, has drawn upon h'nn-
self retort, fraught with all the bitter
ness of g satiric gall" Had the writers
criticism displayed any marks Of a " ge-
MUS equal TO the task, !" mad there been a
ny delicacy in his remarks, or wit and good
breeding in his raillery, the performers
might probably have felt themselves obllg-
ed to him for his observations anu have
benefited by his correction but when, IN
place of these, they discover nothing but
dogmatical stupidity, are they to be blam-
ed if they pay no Difference to his ludg
n,ent, or refuse to conform TO his taste.
They are right TO exercise hrmness and
spirit, to repel arrogance and brutality.
Difidence and moderation will often be
mistaken for imbrcility and Detection, and
will lure cowardice to the attack by the
hopes Of an easy prey.
Wish Mr.. R. do not believe that the
pen Of an individual is always the channel
Of public opinion. Impressed with this
sentiment, he only exercised right, inhe-
rent in every man, Of vlndicaiing himself
from the attack of eensofious lmpudence,
to public, whose favor he was anxious
to attain.
This is not the first occasion on which
our critic has failed in the discharge Of the
duties of h;s office. In one of his first pa-
pers he suffers the charms OF beauty to
mislead his Judgment, and ventures warln-
Nv to commend Mrs. Green tor the case
and animation with which she supports her 1
character, to the total exclusion Of all men
ton of Mrs. Hopkins. For this omission,
however, she is amply compensated by
the loud plaudts with which she is always
received, which eyincr, that OF the ladies
Of the Theatre, she isat least second ia !
vori;e with the public though, perhaps /
incapable of ever arriving at the elninsnee
Of a Siddons CT Merry. Mrs. IFS IN
teresting figure, her eoyre9 performances
and the accuracy with which she always
commits her part, together with hersweet-
ly melodious voice when she charms us
with a song, have deservidly raised her to
that respectable rank which she lndlsputa-
bly, holds in the public favor. /
Convinced thai
!" is tn Poets, tyae geuius j, bit rare,
!" Trke taste as seldom is The ey'fc's