Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-04-19
thev do honor to tilra great me n, even IN

they do honor to 1fS8 StSs's nc =, sss aA 90
their lifetime
Thou must have observed by this time,
that thev manage every thing in manner
necul;ar % themselves and doubtless in
the hest possible manner, seeing they have
denan,nated themselves the most enlight.
ened people under the sun. Thou wilt
therefore. perhaps, be curious to knowhoW
t.,ev contrtT E to honor the NAME of living
,,atr;ot and what unheard of monument
thew erect in. memory Of his achievements.
Bv the fiery beard Of the Barbarossa-but
/ can scarcely preserve the sobriety ct a
true disciple of Mahomet while tell thee J
wilt thou not smile, oh Mussulman Of IN
yipc;ble gravity, to learn, that they honor.
theirsgreat men by EATING, and that the
only trophy erected to their exploits rs a
bu5lic Qiianer. But trust me, Assem-, even
In ri,ls measure, whimsical as it MAJ seem,
!. the phlosophic and coLsiderate spirit Of this
people is admirably displayed. Wisely con-
i GLIDING that when the hero is dead, he be-
!, comes insensible to the voice of fame, the
!. song Of adulaticn or the splendid trophy,
they have determined that he shall enjoy
|. his quantsn of celebrity while living, and
trevel in the full enjoyment Of Zine days
Immortality. The basbarous nations OF ar
Itiquitv inundated human victims to the
1 memory of their lamented dead, but the
/. enlightened Americans offer up who'll he
, catombs Of geese and calves, and oceans Of
WINE. in honor Of the illustrious living ;;
!, and the patriot has tie felicity of hearing
, from every quarter the vast exploits ia
/ gluttcny and revelling thae have been &C.
.rlebrated toshe glory Of his name.
> No sooner does. q citizen signalize,him-
I self in conspicuous TaIaerin the service
! of his country, than all the gormaadizers
assemble and discharge the national debt Of
gratitude, by giving him a dinne:---not
/ that he really receives all ile-luxurits PFC
yidcd Oh this occasion-no, my friend ;alc
il ten chances to- one, that the, great man
| does net taste morsel from the table, and
! is perhaps, FIVE hundred miles distant; ana
! to let thee into melancholy fact, q patriot,
under this econ00,ic government, may be
often in want OF dinner, while dozess are
devourcd in his praise. Neither are these
repasts spread ont for the hungry and n4-
cessitous, who might otherwise be 6lled
with. food and gladness, and inspired to
shout forth the illustrious name, which had
been the means of their enioyment--fas
from this, Asem--3t is the rich only who
indulge in the banquet---those, who pay fer
the dairties are alone privileged to enjoy
them SO that, while opening their purses
| in honor of the patriot, they at TIE same
time fulfil a great maxim, which in this
country compartments all the rules of pru
dence, and all the duties man owes to
hamse namely, getting ths 7Dorth efthe;r
| a0'aea.
In process Of time this mode Of testifying
public applause has been found SO marvel
lousy agreeable, that they extend it to e.
vents as well as Characters, and eat IN trl-
umph at then Of treaey----.,t the ami
versary Of any grand national era, or at the
gaining that splendid victory Of the tongue
Ian e}ection. Nay, SO far do they carry
it, that certain davs.are set apart when the
guzzlers, the gorinandlzers, aad the wine
bibbers meet together to celebrate .grGf'a
ildigcstioaa, in memory of some great event,
and every man in the zeal fpatrio,isn gets
devoutly drunk as the act directs. p
Then, my friend, anayeststhou behold the
sublime spectacle of love Of country, ele-
waiting itself from sentiment into an aope-
tite, whetted to the quick withthe cheerful
prospect oftables loaded with the fat things
of the land. On this occasion every man is
axious to fall to work, cram himself in no.
nor ofthe day, and risk surfeit in the gle-
rious cause. Some, Il have been told, ac-
tually fast torfour and twenty hours proceed
ing, that they may be enabled to do great
er honor to The feast and certainly, if eat
ing and drinking are patriotic rights, he
w ha eats and lriakc most and lrarnuee him.