The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-08-15

Mr Ames (says his biographer) was en-
Pnancaiiy republican Let his republicanism
be tested by these extracts, to which q thousand
others ofthe same cast of character might be adj.
ded The first extract declares that the affairs
Qt republics are governed by perverse fatality
the second, that it is impossible to love re-
puLic-the third, that there can be 10 such
thins as patriotism in republic, aud least of all
IN one like ouis-the fourth, that our annual e.
r. iections are mortal pestilence, that begins with
rottenness IN the marrow-and the fifth, that
the federalism which formed our national
constitution vas manifesty founded on mis-
take, m supposing the existence Of political vim
tue. saS..,
The reasoning in the second deserves par,icu.
lar notice-itis impo sible to love the republic !;
because the republic is a creature of fiction !:
and because love, to be any thing, must be select
and EXCLUSIVE Instead ofthe republic, let the
| word be our eonnf,y-the argument is precisely
the same-our country is a creature of fiction
Our country comprises the whole nation to which
| we belong-The love of our country, if it be any
| thhng, can neither be select nor exclusive Il is
| lhe love OF the whole community, and prompts
to zeal tor the welfare of all, without distinction
OF party or ofplace. The sentiment of the heart
which disuwns all love, but such as is select and
exclusive, is neither congenial with republican,.
ism nor with Christianity. Mr. Ames acknow
| lodged the authority of him whose Injunction to
| his disciples was, " but I say unto YOU, Love
your ENEMIES" Was this select or exclusive
In truth, this principle of selection and exclusion
IN the application of our affections to the 5oJ;,;c,}
relations OF society, is aperncious error OF NOR
| ais as well as of politics. Mr.. Ames would have
found no sucN doctrine in Ciceros Books of of.
| hces-And the consequences of this principle are
as misclhevous as its origin is contracted 1t
Is the seminal principle from which faction takes
its birth. 1t is this select and eeciusfce love which
breeds the whimsey, that there are scarcely six
hundred out of SIX millions, who look for liberty
| any where but upon paper. 1t sharpens all the
| asperi'ies OF party spirit, and makes federasts
| and republicans consider one another not as fell
| ioW-citizens having common interest I; but as
| two rival nations marshalled in hostile array A.
| gainst each other
Had MIR Ames, but given himself time 70. re-
hect upon his own labors, he must have perceiy-
! ed the failacy OF contounding that sentiment of
| social benevoience, which in our country, is pro
perry demo minated the Love of the Republic.
with that select and exclusive affection which be.
! longs to the connections ofdomestic life-Paren-
tall conjugal and fiia love, no doubt is select 4
exclusive, yet Its limitations are not in the passi-
| on, bat III its objects The love ofthe Republic
which is the love of our country upon the sa,nc
general foundation OF good will, expands with
the extent OF ITS object, and can embrace Il whole
continent with as much ease as single CITY,
But like all the social virtues, il requires cultiya
| ton, and will not thrive upon ridicule and con-
tempt.
Incorrect as this passage is with regard to prin.
cipie, 1t IS not more than the fourth extract in
point of fact. What must be the opinion of res
Pectablc foreigners who shall read this terrible
invectve against our annual elections And
what must be their surprise on being informe,,
mat 1t is merely picture of the imagination
That 1T has no foundation in reality, If, indeed,
a reader can discard the prepossesson arising
from the Authors name, there are, i'm this ex
tract, some internal marks of inaccuracy The
| accusation of shameless brofieacy is in those
| broad and general terms, which so often shelter
1 delusion No specific example of this suppo.
sed Profiigacy is alledged The remainder of the
Paragraph may be cited a curious Instance Of
Judgment extuguished i'll the blaze of Fancy
Our elections are held in the spring. The .Sprins
starts an idea of tillage tllage leads the
thoughts to Summer, and that gives the hint of
! az EPtde7nic. From that moment the accessor
al images become the principal figures. The til
iase turns up noXious weeds--The epidemic be-
comes a mortal pestilence-The election is en-.
tirely gone from the mind both of the writer and
the readcr-Notiing remains but the noxious
weeds and the pestilence.
!, The two great wees, to which the experience
| OF ancient and modern times, in other countries
has shewn popular elections to be liable are bri-
| 6e'.y and violence. / appeal now to the consci-
BUSINESS of every citizen of the Commonwealth
Are the instances of either, common iIi our cleo
lions affirm with the most perfect confidence
! that they are extremely rare. There is some
| times AN excess of zeal, and an enthusiasm of
party spirit III favor OF the respective candidates.
| and the newspapers on both sides are too acces.
sible to scurrity and calumny against the persons
| whose names are held up for the suffrage of the
voters. The general election is always period
OF some agitation, and it stimulates and sharpens
| the anti-social passions of many individuals -
But have no fear of being contradicted, when
say that our elections are remarkable for the pu-
rity, the mildHess and the decorum with which
! they are conducted. Il is inconcevable, that
man acquainted with the Roman history, in the
age OF Cicero and Clodius should say as MIR.
| Ames does Say, that those times were not more
corrupt than our owns
But perliaps one of these extracts deserves
more seriouslyt TO be reflected upon than the fifth
(which so explicitly asserts that fede-
raiiSin, at the establishment OF the Constitution
was mdHysStly JoHrIed on nIiStGse, i'll suppo-
sing the existence Of virtue in the people
1t was observed, ia former paper, that the
friends OF Mr.. Ames, who with SUCH anxious in
dustry, have gathered all the gleanings of the
news papers of late years, for hasty crudties,
which he never avowed, and who have abused
The confidence OF private correspondence, by pub
fishing letters, which, on the face of them, APP
pear confidential, have, at the same time omitted
rom thus compilation, one OF the most eloquent
speeches., which public man, as a Keprcsen
tatVe OF the People, he ever made. The remark
might have been much more extensive in its APP
pication. tapplies to- all his speeches in Con-
gross, from the establishment oftbe Government
u'ltl January, 1894. In the first Congress, OBJ
Jects oil great and lasting importance were dis
----
The deep corruption of those times, is des-
cribed by the Poet Lucan. not with metaphors, A.
bout noxous weeds, and epidemic mischiefs but
rtt IN r.. ctfra ,,ft