The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-08-11

fui inveflgdtion from that " oplivious pooi," in
TO which II was evidently linkiny The politica
Character % Virginia was unufly affailcd by III,
Federal editors OF the northern Rates: have we
not prefented TIC the public fyhema,;c but Ger.
ta'nly very Imperfect Vindicstion? a cornora.
ton OF The mott powerful influence upo3 the
agricultural interea and trade of our fate, is for
tire hrit time introducedinto the hltute book q.
virginia: have we not procured aad publiE,-
ed general abitrac( ofthe different views, which
have been taken by fome of the political oecoro-
n.iitS' or the nature ard principal consequences
OF iuch an inftitution?
Have We not attempted TO excite your curio-
iity, to amufe the fancy, and to enlarge the I'm.
derftanding by pubhing feveraI fpecimens Of
literature and fcience Here we lave prefented
Won with " biographical ketchcs" Of ienner or
GIhbon, Day or Darwin and there YOU will,
Uncover iome intereiting extracts from curious
or uiefu' books. Even the poets lyre has not
been neglected; and although it has rot been of
ten our piea'inS Office to record the irfprations
OF the Virginia Mute, yet we have fometiines lent
willing ear TO the higher and more affecting
trains of fome diitant bard.
Have we publifhed any "articIe of inteIJi-
gence, which has not been well authenticated by
lone evidence or other" In mott cafes indeed
we have attempted to iubioin the name of the
paper, from which we have extracted our infor
marion oecauie we conceived it to be a duty
winch we not only owed to that paper itfelf, but
to the readers of our own. In fome cafes. how
ever, we have omitted to fubioin the foprce Of
our information becaufe that information did
not originally appear in the paper from which il
was our lot to extract it, and becaufe that pa
per was not modeft enough to acknowledge the
obngauon' by mentioning the fource, from
which it was taken.
Is there man to be found, who can confcien-
tloully accufe us of making our paper " the We
hicle of perfonal abufe or of difhonourable ilan.
der" Seldom indeed have we embraced the on.
portunity of bringing our political opponents
within the fcope of our animadverfion vet that
duty has been fometimes impofed upon us, and
never, we may venture to aliert, have we forgot
ten thofe maxims of polite intercourfe, which
are 10 eminently favourable to calm & difpafi-
onate inveftigation of political fnbieds.
From this brief retrofpea of the different objects
which we have accomplished, YOU are not TO ;magine
that we are perfectly fatsfed with the execution of
our plan. We know too well, how extremely natten-
tive we have been to feveral parts Of our defgn we
feel too ienfby, that many of thole obies have been
very upercally eonfidered while others we have NOT
touched upon at ALL
The Editor propofed, for example, to lay open to
his reader the fecret prngs and actual conquences of
SiN"' PohliNiicN OF pubic meafureS This deli
cate duty he has feldom attempted to dfcharqe and
he is not ahamed to avow as his reafon that his
ers are not uficiently mature nor his experience fluff
neenty extenve, to qualify him for the high Office
Inc time may however arrive and perhaps that period
may not be far ditant, when thefe difficulties NAV diff
appear, and when he fha conceive hin,ief qualified TO
aicend with others, to the caufes ofpotcal events
20 trace them to their "remote consequences" Th.t
te however, is not yet come, and he would rather at
hieid his ignorance under the privileges of
thence, than expofe himfeH to the mered CHARGE of
contemplate Sciolif, or pretended Prophet.
oucn then has been the plan, by which our labours
nave been hitherto regulated. We know that if rs
imperfect and we fatisfed that the execution of
IL mas been it'll more deficient. But we can perceive no
iuihcient reaion for devating from in MANY
feriai points From this plan theref-, A-~-s ef .hA
Enquirer will you be able to afcertain, the nature
and extent Of thnfc cor-relative duties which we aIl
conceive ourelves bound to perform In the execute
on OF 1t indeed you may expect to difcover feyeraI
material modflcatonsr Some of them you will find
will evidently contribute to the improvement of the
paper; while candour compels us to obferve, that
new change IS taking place in its matter which will
plainly detract from its real utility
You are perhaps to expect certain innrovemer, i,
the paper, from rhe Improvement of the Editor him.
iel When he fra undertook the duties of his office.
ne certainly had not acquired all the necefary aual6
Cations His mind had been little devoted TO poItcal
reiearches: and bis yle of competition was as the
hedged pinon OF bird too feeble TO rife above an
humble mcdocrity. Already have You feen too MANY
uitratonsot this very obvoustruth & not YOU alone
tor he hinelf has not been blind to the defects of his
own competition. Few indeed are the fentences
which have flowed from his pen, fnce ne became the
Editor OF this paper that he fhould be anxious to claim
or proud to acknowledge. He cannot however but
indulge the Peang preientiment that like other men
he hall profit by the habits of thinking and writing
and this Improvement will evidently rebound to the
value of the paper.
The Enquirer will derive new Improvement from
the literary contributions of Eateyed individuals II
has already had the honour of ranfntting to the pub
lie, lone valuable communications and thee NAV pro-
baby be expected to increae in number anddn valu.
1t will derive comfortable afIance from eo,ys;,o
Ito" OF gentlemen of dtnguiihed literary accomplish
ents, who have entered into an aociation Tor the fol-
owing Purpoiei
THE following extract from the. terms of
Literary Compact, recently formed by focietv
or gentlemenin the city of Richmond, will ex
PLAN with fufficient perfpicuity and preciiion.
the deiIgn OF ferries of elIays, Under the .;.ls
OF "THE RAINBOW" which will be pub.
llihed IN iuccei1ion, once week, in the Enouir-
err. The Introductory number, on the utility of
periodical and miscellaneous efays, makes its
appearance this day.
TIE fubfcribers, impreffed with clear
conviction ofthe exteuGve utility OF periodical
eiiays, and iincerely believing that the Editor
OF the Enquirer is entitled, not only TO the ~, :.
fnf Lt,N b.. h. IN. 4