Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1804-08-08

" IT'S ragged uc.-Honeay mo more
ont -
SUCH is the opinion which the bold
muse OF Otway put into the mouth OF one
of his most brilliant characters respecting
that notion Honestly And such in truth Is
the opinion which every wise man Will en-
terrain, at least 90 times in a 100, ofthe real
value Of the word Patriotism, as it is now
used in theIworld. It is the mask Of the SUBJ
tie perfdious courtier; the bait Of the
candidate for court favour; the hacknled
theme Of the demagogue !; the, stock in
trade Of he trading politician the step-
stoEs TO III limited power; the sre'ght
road to depotism the cash and c!tlce trap OF
every pretender the thin skin winch floats
upon and films over political corruption,
and affords temporary concealment to The
canker worm of states. We. talk OF the
word not Of the thing. The one we meet
with every day--the other rarely; and
when we do meet it have such just cause
OF suspicion that we cannot, il we have no
more faith than reason, put trust IN It's SIM
cerlty. In fact there is so much said OF
it, and SO little done as times now so,
that we cannot bat look upon the recltals
Of antient patriotism which historians have
transmitted, rather as the offervescence of
overheated Imagination than things that
have passed in real life.
five sum up the number Of conspicuous
instances of pa'riotism which history has
treasured UP ard consecrated 10 fame
among the monuments OF human virtue,
we shall be astonished at the paucity, and
not at all fiatterei at the nature of then.--
The eye of true philosophy will consider
them, from the comparative shortness Of
the catalogue, rather as SO many extraordi-
nary exceptions to the natural selhshne-s of
man, or else as SO MANY rnorsIiying proofs
OF the extravaganza lengths to which ambi-
ton will occasionally !incite human infer
nifty, than as the workings of any passion
common to the heart ofman, and generally
inherent in his nature.
If we compare the number Of real patri,
OTIS with that of per6dious, pretended ones,
and contemplate the reiterated success Of
the latter, we shall have cause to be asto-
nished at the overweening credulity Of the
world, and its aptitude to yield to deceit
and to be. duped by imposture. History
supplies us with hundred false for one
true patriot. Cataline was called a patr-
OF; Marius was called a patriot Julius
Cesar was called great patriot. Yet one
,conspired to destroy his country, and cut
off the senate; another massacred in cold
blood hundreds of his fellow citizens and
a third, with his patriotism cheated the
people out of a republic into an absolute
monarchy. Marc Antony was called
patriot, on the very dav on which he Joined
Octavius and Lep;dus in prescribing and
numbering all the patriots on the opposite
side of the question. In short they were
all patriots, all sanguinary plunderers-al
feQerahsts, aHfebhbkcans J
The striking instances Of patriotism
which we meesin walking back through the
histories of the world, are not only few, but
for the most part of a kind which rather re-
press hope, than excite emulation. They
arc in many instances prodigies which so
tar from many attempting to initiate, all
contemplate with establishment ard few
can bring themselves to credit. Of this
Kind are the stories of Regulus, Of Mutt
is Scaevola, and Oft family Of the Fabii,
Of Rome ; and that of Eustace St. Pierre
and MS family, at the siege of Gql~ia, By !
Edward the Sd Of England Thus the few
accounts we have Of true patriotism concur
with the boundless details of the false, to
make rational men distrust the professions
of those who appear extremely Jealous for
the reputation Of ardent patriots. Any
man can pretend TO possess, but few are
competent to the exercise Of that virtue.-