The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-08-01

Oh HE writing, under trim conviction, that fuch
models will be OF inehnable ufe in forming the
manner OF thinking and the fyle of our young
eountrymen. They are both from men Of eminence in
their reips9ive walks in literature: they were
both written on fmilar fubjeta. The one is in
probe; the other Is in poetry the fra, is more
general and comprehensive picture OF the conle-
quenees OF war; the latter is more confined, NOR.
fL'fieEA1r, and more marked BY dramatic incident.
ricrURElR
isiroa, DIR. Johrfon's celebrated Thoughts on the
late Trasiaetions reipeaing Falkland's Hands,
l76l;" the pamphlet where this literary hero
throws down his gauntlet to the no lels celebra-
ted Junius, which janus did no, accept. The fol-
lowing is among the mon eloquent dercristions of
Johntou's pen
AS war the aft Of remedies, enrl pr ips t.utana
all lawful expedien,s muH be ufed to avoid it. As
war is the extremity of evil, it is furey the duty of
thoie whole stion entrus them with the care of ma
tions, to avert IT from their charge. There are DIFF
cafes OF animal nature which nothng but amputatiop
can remove; 10 there may, by :he deprivation of
human pa.ons be fometin,es gang-ene in collective
LIE iur which fire and the fword are the neceary re-
medies but in what can ikill caution be better
ihewn than preventing iich dreadful operations, while
there is yet room for gentler methods
1t iswonderful with what cooneis and indifference
the greater part OF mankind fee war commenced
A"o'~ pi"t hCh va IL dI d ulyduCS, or read oil
books, but have never prefented its evils to their
minds coniider it little more than fplendid game
proclamation, an army, battle and triumph.
Some indeed muh perth in the moi fuccefsful field
but they die upon the bed of honor reign tSei, Lze
o~i5a bejoy' eoafHa, AMI FILED yvib England's gis-
~ EriLr in death.
The life OF modern folder is i'll reprefented by
heroic heion. War has means of dearuetion more
formidable than the cannon and the fword OF the
thouands and thouands that perihed in our late
eonte.ts with France and Spain, very fna part ever
felt the itroke OF an enemy the RET languified in
tents and Hips, amida damps and putrefa6ion pale
torpid, ipirtefs and helpefs; ganing and groaning
unpted among mes, made obdurate by long CONT
nuance OF hopeless miiery; and were at laf whe!med
IN PITTS, or heaved into the ocean, without notice and
without remembrance. By incomnodious encamp-
ments and unwholefome itations, where courage is
ueles, and enterprife inpratcabe fleets are ilenty
dnPeopled, and armies iluggiihly melted away
nus is people gradually exhautted, for the mon
part, with little effect. The wars of CIVILIZED nations
make very iow changes in the fyaem of empire.
he public perceves icarcely any alteration but an in
create of debts and the few individuals who are be-
netted are not fuppcied have the ceare rich, 70
their advantage. If he that hared the danger enoy
ed the profit, and after bleeding in the battle grew
rich by the victory, he might thew his gains with
out envy. But at the concluiion of ten years war
how are we accompanied for the death of mutitudes
aud the e1pence of millions, but by contemplating
the iudden slories Of payn,slers and agents, con-
tractors and commiiaries, whole equipages fhine
like meteers and whole palaces rife like civilizations
Thele are the men who, without Virtue labou- or
hazard are growing rich their cosntry is impo-
verified; they rejoice when obninacy or ambition
adds another year to laughter and devaAation and
laugh from their delks at bravery and fcience while
they are adding figure figure, aud cipher to cipher
hoping for new CONTRACT from new armament, and
computing the profits of liege tempelt.
PICTURE End
from the pen of Robert Southey, author of the Epic