The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-10-03
20 The Editor az TEE Eso1rssk.
CLEANING THE FIRST.


CLEANING THE FIRST.
Had Editors more diligence or greatcr Ia
Tents" lays the author of the Retrofpe6 OF the
laft Century, " they might render their Ga
zettes interettng, by filling them with materials
of a more inftructive and dignifed kind but
wanting thefe qualifications, they muft give fiich
materials, accompanied with fuch feafoning as
circumstances fIrnlfh. Ofwhat kind thefe are
no one is ignorant" Few of us, indeed, MIR.
Editor, are ignorant of the kind of materials and
ieaionlngs, which you literary purveyors are ac-
cuftomed to lay before the public and there
are few of us who do not agree with Mr.. Miller.
that this entertainment is not always Of the moff
inftructive or dignihed kind. The principal err
ror into which you, printers, are very prone to
fall, is one indeed, which is almoft common to
every man thinking too much Of yotirfei yes
and too little of other people. An important
MATS of foreign intelligence arrives perhaps to-
day, which their readers are anxious to perufe.
An interefting queftion comes before the public,
on which the peace of the country may ulti.
mately depend. The thoughtlels Editor, how
ever, requires that the curiofity Of his readers
ihould wait upon his private affairs. Perhaps
fome favorite opinion of his and his only. which
he delivered month ago in his paper, has been
attacked by fomc other editor. A fipele miffake
IN word, perhaps, is eagerly caught at by his
! editorial opponent. His own readers have never
heard oft; and if they had, they would proba.
bly, never have recolceed it afterwards. Still,
the editor to preierve an apparent confency,
conceiyes IT neceflary to enter into mott elabo
rate vindication of his own conduct. Column
after column, and week after week are confum-
ed on this all-important topic. Ihaye ALWAYS
believed, MIR. Editor, that the prefs was fincere
mend OF liberty and now am more than ever
convinced of it, when ] difcoyer that even the
errors of an editor are favorable to the maxims
OF free government. The Ieffon which This
miitaken conduct of the printer teaches us, is
not to be neglected. "Never give a man too
much power over you, for fear he fhould abufr
1T appears to be the proper inference from eve
ry line, which the printer writes on himfeJf
Indeed, Mr.. Editor, it is an ungenerous adyan-
tage which your fraternity are accuRomed To
take OF their readers. You know that their GU
rlohty into the great events of the day, or into
uieful ditcuiiions, will prompt them to perufc
your papers and you feem to profit by this cir
| cumftance to introduce your own name, your
| own opinions, and your own profpeds TO the
public attention. Yours is the little bark.
which "purtues the triumph and partakes the
gale"
You will be curious to know, Mr. Editor.
| where is the connection between thefe critica
remarks, and the occa6onal ketches which I
| have engaged to furniih you on political fub-
jeets. Jingle idea will be fufTcient TO explain
1t. In looking over the public papers for the
Purpofe of understanding the political diicufi-
ons ofthe prefcnt period, and of preparing my.
teif for the office which had aflumed, was ar
tonihed to find 10 great part of almoft every
paper occupied by the private controversies OF
tie Editor. line original part did not always
1uppiy an animated difcufion into the merits OF
| tome great queltion: 1t was taken UP in pro-
wing, that the printer either had or had not adj
vanced tuch an opinion, made ufe of fuch an ex.
preiiion or performed fllch an action. I could
icarcely collect any appropriate matter for my
brit iketch and 1t is really with great diidence
that ] lay the following gleanings before youl
candid readers.
NATIONAL AFFAIRS" On Saturday, Sept
9TH. Gays Ncw-York paper) the Britfh mir
Leander OF so guns, and the frigate Cambrian
came to anchor within Sandy-Hook, where they
Will probably remain until after the equnoaia
torn" This event will explain the reafon VIII,
10 few robberies on the coat of New-York hav,
been recently committed, and why the public
prints have obferved 70 great iilence about Bri
tiih aggrefions. During this fuipicious calm
which the fear of the equinoctial forms, has for
tuDateiy introduced, our minds prudently rever
to the eGgeJ OF thefe aggrefiions and their RENE
dy. Some have csntended, that the Britill hay,
only repeated the fame fcenes, which they ono,
acted before the formation of Jays treaty. Tn
depredatlons on our commerce at that perioc
led to this famous treaty and the Britifh wifi
once more to become the debtors of our mer
chants, that our government in order to recove
this money may content to renew thofe article
OF the lait treaty, which have expired. Othe
politicians again have attributed the arrival q
theie vehels on the coat of New-York, to tn
invitation of Mr.. Mellon, the preiident Of tn
Marine lniurance Company. This gentleman
apprehending the capture Of fome of the Bri