Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1810-07-17


mo virtue nor no friend? but must. q
~retched Females whose merit and mis-.
fortune would command respset from any
but a savage, whose notes.-the and laud.s
able endeavors 10 be useful were crown.
ed With appreciation by those whose con.
hdence was 10 her and 10 the world
stamp of sterling worth; was sire too 10
be dragged from modest privacy. 10 make
"a part of his obscene and blasphemous his.
tories! to be coupled with the celebrity
of Thomas Paine, and in whatever coun..
Try of the earth. whatever distant pc.
Rod OF time yet to come, tie Searching
sye OF cnriositys or the keener scent of
scandal should fix upon this wosk, shieh
ne calls history, and call .yilleiny, EN-.
blazoned as the guilty heroine Of the obi.
GUS tale, the strumpet of one, therein des.
|cribed to be the feulest and the s6ithiest of
men2 ,s-S. IL, u
But what is strange to me, who am
not versed in secret history, who NEEDLE
little with the hidden springs ofcfhers' &C.
tons, or the unseen motives that bring
mysterious things TO light. is this, that
this man should 6nd to Justify this crime,
the eloquent tongues which SO very lately
bad depicted him as the most Spurious
and monstrous libeiler that ever suffered
from offended justice. That any man
could countehance such aets; must La
ment; that honest men should do it with
such zeal, ! ann panied to See. But what
these honorable gentlemen have done,
IS but perhaps a course which their pro-
fession warrants. Perhaps within the m.
selves they are conten, ed becau E they think
that while they make proud display of
talent, it isimpossibie cruel success or
unJust vlftory. can follow. So they may
reason with their conscience, but esteem
them We'll enough TO think that in their
hearts they would despise the terdiSas
1rhat CROWNED their efforts.
a do not envy them their cause. al .
though I feel how much it is more ca
tsy and more light to sport with topics
when the heart IS free, and where de-
feat itself brings pleasure with it. than
to weld cause in which to fail would
tbe to suffer, not this little NOTIFICATION
Eof being vanquished In game Of skill.
but the deep and poignant detection
that aHiicts the honest. mind. when
crime and insolence obtains triumph
over humanity.
The confidence with which this
cause was opened to you, the bold eff.
troptery with which he who stands ac-
cused came forward in the sanctuary
ofthe law to Justify now acknowledge
ed libel and a faisshood, by scandal
still more atrociouss and more bare
faced, with compurgato.s who would
within but two yearsspast have suurn-
ed him from them, seemed 20 besoeak
what I shall never name.---Fhe
4 thought is shocking to an homes. mind :
/ may heaven avert such shame from all
/, of us
Fer me. 1 find all words so poor to
pant the sense have of such ini11s-
tlce, that if | thought it possible that
TINS mans confidence was grounded
IN the favor of any of his Judges. I
should resolve to sit me down, com.
mend the lady's cause in silent prayer
to Heaven, and trust to him whose
ways are merciful to- compass her with
his benign protection. Indeed to him
alone she now must look for. consola-
tion, tor man can give her little, and
i PREPARATION she can never have, nor
] peace this side the grave. Already
has her sad celebrity flown to the fur
thest corner of the earth already has
j the wanton cainmny reached those dis.
tant friends whose kind remembrance
were all the balm fate had reserved
/ for her. She feels their anguish adj.
ded to her own. She cannot name
the father of her children if she does
the thought is Ike lightning flashes on
her mind, that her once tender name
is nov reproachful. She cannot cast
i a look of mothers love upon her inno-
cent infants, but the keen idea shoots
/ through her soul, that they are stigma
: tized in history with infamy and bas-
tardy, blighted and blasted in their
dawn OF life.
10 every other grief than that which
this historian has inflicted on her, the
innocent find comfort; for innocence
in all other wrongs, against all other
i strokes of mans injustice or oppressi.
on IS sn evenfold shield. Not Sc
where woman's honor is assaiIed. -