The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-12-25


!he sense Of honor sviU IMPROVE 7vifh the
inheritance Of character. WHO would
suppose. from this description. that the PEG
pie OF America were any thing better than -
horde OF wandering and predatory Arabs ?
And VINO wouId suppose that this writer
from the proud and lofty tone with which he
ueats Us, inhabited, himself, a country less
perfect in its virtues than that Paradise
which GaudenGo al Lucca has created "a
mid the deserts Of Africa Aud yet this de-
cla'mer against migratory aagcnfurers and
.hecnidforS; Ibis teacher Of feffaement and
grace an manners is himself Scotchman
or, ut most, all Englishmaa and let him
be OF which, of those nations he NAV, we
have seen samples enough fhis countrymen,
here. ministers as we'll as specula ors, to
know that this critic would nave displayed
more understanding as we'll as justice by
taking the tone or modesty than that OF AFRO.
yAmCe and th!t fair comparison of the
Two countries would give him no ground of
triumph AS 10 morality and manners before
any impartial tribunal. AS to Scotland, |
should be glad to know on what quarter OF
the world, where penny can be turned.
kven by carry ing pack. she has not poured
and is not daily pouring her " adventures
and SPECTATORS! IL may be very true, and
according to Doctor Johnson's account of the
mater, certainly is so, that in Scotland. the
spiriI of adventure is dehrived gifts hrohcr
objects ) but we are vet to learn that this
deprivation has had the effect of improv
ing" either " The inheritance of character
or the sense Of honor" And as to England
should be glad to learn what she is but, con-
tessedly. q nation Of SPECTATORS and aGuen
:ure1's Z .Ihe man who becomes the uegres-
sor in casting national reflections should take
care that his own nation IS invuluerable, at
LEAST in the particulars which he csnsures:
but to select the very points, in which
his own nation is NEST offensive, as the TO-
PICS OF proud and wanton abuse against an
other, aud to call them great and peculiar
faults" is to subject himself to the charge
OF want of good sense as well as good
breeding from who. no elegance of style
or poSuancy OF periods can save him.
The picture which his critic has drawn
OF our literature. although certainly aggreva
ted into carricature, has more resem
barce of The truth" Now" says he :. tho
we are certainly of opinion, that the second
rate pamphleteers of that Country, write in
CoDparaby better than Mr.. Ashe-it is
no doubt true, that America can produce
nothing tobring her intellectual efforts into
any sort OF comparison with that (meanng,
i suppose those of Europe. IL fancy THAT
MIR. Hammond MIR. Erskine and Mr.. Rose
must have shaken ;heir head, in token Of
dissent. when they read this period. The
writer proceeds" kibcrty and competi
t'on have AS yet done nothing 10 stun
ulate literary genius In these republican
states. They have never passed the limits
oil humble med;ocrity, either in thought NJ
expression. "--Then follows a PEE sonality
which l do not choose to repeat. He then
proceeds" In short Federal America
has done nothing, either 10 extend. diversi
y or embeliish the sphere of human knowl
edge. Though all she has written, were
obliterated from the records of learning,
there would. II we except the works of
Franklin. Gor the suppression of which
an haSsant, corrupt attempt was made in
England, to save, suppose, the necessity OF
this exception,) :. be nopositive elimination
either of the useful or agreeable. The dc
sruction of her whole literature" always
excepting, suppose, those parts. of Frank
tn's works, winch escaped the medltated
oesruction,) would not occasion so much
regret as we feel for the loss OF few leaves
from an ancient classic.
Then follows paragraph which exhibits
most paIpable and ludic, Gus struggle be
tween the dsingehlousne.s S, and cand0r of the
critic; between the complex and conflicting
duties OF lashng Mr. Ashe for lashng the
Americans, and at the same time inticting
the lash on them himself; between those
aweepiug Censures by which the critic was
disposed to eXterminate every thing like a
tents from this cou0try. aud the strong and
glarIng evidence OF the reverse which he
dared not for his own sake directly to deny
Mark the labor and discord of the para :
graph, and let the reader when he has fin .
ishedit ask himself, what clear and definite
opinion Of America can be deduced from il
''Butnotwiihstandin Il this, we re ally cannot
agree with NJ. 3 h ia thinking he Anne
ricans absolutely 71lscpable or deeeuerafe :
and are rather reluctantly, suppose
inclined 10 think, that whe q their neehbor-
hood thickens, and their ohuience ceases 10
GefeHd on ererfion, they Will show some
thing Of fhs same taientS 10 which il is a
at present, then, 1t seems have snewn
nothing of these talents but let us see the
residue OF the paragraph, tina we may
learn what talents we have shewn And we
are more Inclined to adopt This Favorable
efiinion, from considering that her history
has already furnished occasions for the dis
play OF talents Of q hieh order; and that,
in the ordinary business of government, she
displays no mean share Of ability and clio
9uence. --lh hen it seems that talents for
war and the ordinary business of govern
p,eDt are part Of The talents to winch II
Is the duty oil those critics TO do Justice q
0lORg heDSeiUes--in other words are no
par ct the talents of their country; for with
ont opposing this, the paragraph is invo
we'd in contradiction, which sophistry may
attempt. but candor cannot reconcile aud
scEh q ttIuG certainly NAV Ing supnooad A