Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-06-02
= Esv Me.Aiesnndria Gasrtte.
THE DAY.
= By Dawn <DxvSovs, ESQ
= NO. I.

kTgs . n'Se6h ""eAAy SSSsSse Ps'"s e~~S
: DEVIOUS, indeed, will be the path OF
. the'essayist who with his pen shall attempt
70 keep pace with the varying. fantastic and
ephemerL topics, nodes: Wilma and oddt
les ofthc Day. Like the isnes tasx' OF the
night, they assume such ineaieuiable n'odifi-
cations Of color and appearance, appear aad
vanish with such fantastic INCONSISTENCY, that
sefthem, as Of those vapors, We have scarcely
opportunity to know any thing. butthat ehey
are produced by the combined action of Stag
rafisn and Corruption E. { {.
Were Inclined, after the example of the
great author ofshe Nigh. Thoughts, to Pur-
sue my SMILES to the utmost percePtible
points of compasison,-i might observe like
wise, that al those exhala,ions are modified
in their nature and appearance by the varia-
1 tien Of the principles that compose them
arising fl ON the different situations whence
<hey originate, inshe same manner the ~hims
and odGities Of the Day arc infinitely eis,in-
euished by different eolorings of extrava-
ganee, proceeding from the circumstances
and character Of the good people who are in
fected With them. .
tits this infini,e diversity o, co'orinS in the
J.scph's Coas &c Folly, ,nu, gives such con-
slsnt pnG p;htb.e TODD 10 he s.i~|s The
srdos Of The naturalist WHO delights IN Irac-
INK the sane anim,l from the equa,or 20 tho
peis. under ever, different appearance md
feature OIL iss covering " sofpor ils II 10 enc
,esuui,lts stnmiiohs wi!ch shsse rarprrs o.
human folly derive, from .I'l' varyinE 'o"r
In Ill Ito ehangsiu, variety Of hsrs 'ofth!s
tribe OF characters, there Ia none ,haLenjoy
90 sshaussless y solrcs Of Amusement, 10 the
railers,. eayllsrs, and luuphcrs " the Day
Ir ono view, indeed, every cx,rav'gnns ms
MA iha sometimes occurs 10 assonIsh or
amuse Nc In tho history OF our good ferefa
ahers, hue been the folly Of the Day "rhs
spirit that inspired the h,ear shevaHsS, and
mad cap knights Of ehivalris dass, was the.
folly Of their Day, The pious Crusaders
BOWED lowto the folly Of their Day Liberty
and Equality have been the folliss OF their
Day. But whims OF this compass md COM
.plexion do not come within the proposed II.
mi,s Of our Diary; II is the thousand Meta
norphoses Of Fashion the Proteus shapes
Of Folly; the earicatures OF. character: that
present themselves in 90 daily scenes and do
,yuestic occurrences" with which We design,
and have determined to amuse ourselves, with
the same benevolent intention, tho not with
equal assurance of success, with regard to
our Readers. r", = .r
Yet am ready to Hauerfmyself aftersuch
an exposition of my aim, that I shall attract
to myself no ordinary share. Of sttentioh.-
For. surely, an author who deseaDts upon
themes which arc on every body's tongue,
and apparently occupy every body's mind;
which sppsar so nearly Il" approximate wat
IS Al-naturcdly termsu. seesdGi. possesses ra-
'<Dnsl ground Tor supposing thai he ~di attract
70 iiAselfevsry body's attention; no, imply
ing 'heweyer that be is endowed With any Por-
sion of adsres4, ip. the treatment ofthOse sub
;ects, a. al superior 10 that of his readers ;
sa4dial, sprcfessi:a his belief, that in The dis
su.sion, sk she vagsries Of Folly, Fashion, and
Chsrsc,sr. ss exhibited in their sesssintssee,
they may lay claim 70 no despieable share Of
liberty. ! - 81. s~zt . ...gr.,.
swim, folly and fashions do not, how
aver, bouad abe entire scope Of the Day :