Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-09-09

English. Il
LONDON, fully IS.
The Mosquito schr. and small squadron
from Hrligoland, have driven the French;
out of Cuxhaven demolished the batteries,
and forced the municipality to lay downthe
buoys in the Elbe which the French had TAX
EN- up. Our presence isardently desired in
that part of Germany, and hopes are enter
tanned that our expedition is destined thu
Their.
On mutual condescensaOn.--ln the crowd
ed streets of great city, where multitude,
of people are passing in opposite direc,ionss
whist some are crossing the streets oblique-
ly, and some at right angles, it is necessary
for every one to give way a little to those he
meets and thus they all have a free pas
sage. If the whole multitude should pre- IS
on directly onward, without any ones yield
ing an inch of ground toanother, all would
be Instructed, more or less, and general
confusion must en.ue. Or if a churlish in
dividual should take it in his head to march
forward in strait line, and never make way
for man, woman, or child, or even for pro-
cession, he would be sure to jostle, against
somebody, every few steps and wou!d re-
ceive many an insult, and, perhaps, some
hard blows for his obst!nacy and impudence.
And SO it is, my tellow-travellers, in our
Journey through life, and in respect to our
general intercourse with mankind. In the
march of life no ones path lies SO clear as
not in some degree 10 cross anothers and
andif each is determined, with unyielding
sturdiness, to keep his own line, it is impos
sibe but he must both give and receive ma
ny rude shock" In society, in neighbor
hoods, and even among close friends, there
will spring up rivalrlrs, there will be some
times olashing of opinion and of interest,
and if every ore were mulishlp obstinate,
there would be no end nor bounds to conten.
ton whereas bv the exercise OF mutual
condescension, social harmony is preserved,
and the pleasures Of society are enjoyed.
The exercise of condcscension is ranked
amongst the precepts of the gospel, and is
enloined as duty upon christians, who are
told from divine authority, to 6 be patient
towards all men" to- be courteous "----
Hence it follows, that the ever obstinate
man who will not yield an ace in matters OF
interest or opinion, but runs foul of every
one that chances 10 cross his path, does real
ly transgess the rules OF the gospel, as wel
as those of decorum.
Here not let me b. misunderstood Con.
descension has its bounds, and those bounds
are strongly marked. One should never yield
opinions, much less principles, that are Of
great and serious Importance. One should
never sacrifice conscience to please friends,
or for fear OF foes. One should never fol-
low multitude to do evil" One should ne.
yer suffer himself to be coniormed 10 the
world in vicious practices and customs, or.
in fashions, which, although Innocent in
themselves, are too expensive tor him to
follow. One should never WELD any thing
to imp0rtuqity, which self-justice forbids
him to yield at all. In these points the per.
son who would 60 through the journey of
life zveH, must be firm and inflexible. But
in matters of Indifference, or OF no serious
consequence, whether respecting opinion or
interest, yielding accommodating spirit is
not only desirable, but is moral and chris
tian duty. And even in points which are
not 70 oe Welded, one should maintain firm
ness in such manner, if possible, as to
make it evident that he acts from principle
rather from obstinacy.
Connecticut Courant.
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