Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1805-07-06

ing demagoeue or the futile reasoning Of
tne pa'ppsred coxcomb. Instead of inves.
'agahng the merits or dement's OF those
VINO administer the arduous and compile
GATED concerns Of the national government,
do we not find the most disingenions mo
lives imputed to their charged Are we
not loaded with the vilest slander from the
unPrincipled portion Of the community,
who fatten on their ungenerous and corr
rnpt system ofmisrule aud destruction a.
gainst Mr.. Jefferson and those in his con-
hdence! OF what consequence can it be
to the great body ofthe community, whe-
ther John or Thomas fills the executive
department, il our official functions are
but conducted according to the letter aud
spirit OF our admirable constitution. Who
but fools or knaycs would spend their
hours and days in attempts at satire on
cheese. Mammoth, or a salt mountain
Yet we Nave seen whole columns taken up
with this puny and ridiculous subject by
men who profess to have nine tenths of
all the virtue AID understanding in the
country yet substitute this method to vent
their envy on the president, for the want Of
more plausible grounds of complaint.
1t is certainly full time that all good
men should step forward 10 discounte.
nance that in those who call themselves
gentlemen, which would undoubtedly sub
ject the most stupid schoolboy to severe
flagellation.
In republican government, the voice
ofthe people ought and will most pndoubt-
edIy prepopderate. Those who are now
the minority, when their system Of so.
.ernment was I" in the full tide Of success
full experiment." laid great emphasis on
this established principle and why will
they not practice now, that which was
then mos, near their heart; why will they
not observe that forbearance towards their
political opponents, which they once re-
commended TO those whom they pleased
10 style the deluded multitude. If the
people were ever competent to the inyes-
tiga,ion and practice of moral duties; has
that competency since diminished! Or
have their habits become more corrupt
and unfehned! No person, we presume,
will have the hardihood TO utter so pre-
pos,erons an idea, as that the people are
moving in a retrograde motion to the dark
ages of bigotry and superstition; on the
contrary, perhaps there never was peri
cd in the history of civilization, when a
people progressed in an equal degree to a
state of pcrfectaoilily. Let Us ten unite
in dscountenancing that narrow and dan
gerous policy of imputing every aclion oil
our rulers as founded on fraud, and pro-
noted by hypocrisy! Cannibais would
blush at such impolicy and iDgratltude.
Let us rather argue the case as becomes
It-e in pursuit Of the immutable prlnci-
pies of truth whose msgnanimity would
not deign to withhold the grateful plau-
dts Of their appreciation to public functr
oneries, whose prominent acts appear TO
have been intended, and have since been
demons,ratiye ofthe grealestnational bles-
sings.
lat some period very far remote, the
people should find themselves too free, en-
lightened, s. 700 happy let uscourt slavery
and despo,ism close up the lap of igno-
rance. and call upon chill penury and
wretchednesstoove rwhclmus. Butwhile
we enjoy equal privileges while every
member who composes our great fedora
tive compacts protected in the blessings
of life, liberty and properly, and the most
obscure individual may raise himself to
the highest honors by his own superior
merit; let US discountenance this vile spi-
rit of distrust and defamation which has
been too long suffered to dif1use its bane-
full influence on social intercourse. and to
contaminate the morals of the rising ge-
peration.
A swEAr--FoR A SWEAT.
A pbysician had a skeleton so fix'd