Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1810-12-18
FEDERAL WRITER'S.

The mode in which the federal
writer's manage their opposition to the
administration, is at once a proof of
the "leanness OF their pates" aud of
the weakness oftheir doctrines. AS,
even bad cause may, by witty and
dexte'ous men, be SO conducted IS TO
snake the worse appear the better
reason j" and if the doctjne be sound,
the merest dolt n ay, if he NEEDLES at
all, make tolerably decent figure in
print. When our present race of fe.
deral writer's attack the administration
in their mos, flushing political vein,
they givesus nothing but gress person.
albuse. Thus, Go illustrate their
logic they argue that the republican
management is bad, BECAUSE this OF
thatrerspn is wicked. II bis would do
well enough, were the que&ion NOR
alone; for, in that case, individual
wickedness would very property form
partof the efquiry. But, in po.
liiical scrutiny, 1t ought to be she n that
evils have occurred to the public tr IN
executive or legislative acts, or are
certain 10 accrue from such acts, be-
fore the writer can claim the least pre-
tension to an audienc5arom the people.
When ribaidry reigns where reason
ought to preside, and calumny meets
us full in the face who're we ought 20
encounter Legitimate saGze, or wiz, or
humor, it gives US poor opinion of
the writer as well as of the pr nciples
OF his party. Open the pages Of the
Federal Gazettes and .peruse iheirc COL
umns, and you will ind little else but
point blank detraction against private
reputation, invented by envy and pro-
psgated by folly and dulnes. Ali re-
l9ning men perceive in such a course
6foppoStion, that it is The places and
not the politics of the men III power
that are the object Of the assalants.
Hence it is that the progress OF the
Federalists is like that of crab
They make great Roadway back.
wards. For where selfshness is sc
palpable, converts are not easily null
And wh5shouh weAwonder at the
feeblene9 of these writer's? They
are, chiefly, set Of journeymen po.
liticians, who roam about the country
at all seasons, like reapets in harvest
ready 10 cut down any characters 70,
pay. They sell their labor as a small
dealer in rope-yarn vends his cordage
by lines, regardless of the quality O
the raw material of which the line:
are made. What care these hirelin,
and vagrant scribblers about sense ant
reputation? having none themselves
they do not desire that other n.eI
should have any You may pick W
half a dozen Of these fellows at any
tine fer triae, apd they will cheer
fully do you summers job if yo'
will only fud them, in beefsteaks an'
whiskey.
Things are otherwise. conducted i
Old England where, although lead
ing politicians on each side have th-l
str.bhle,s in keeping, as ancient feu
dal lords once had their micstrels, We
they are compelled to furnish some
thing | k sense and are rot suffered /;
deal 10 personal yulgarities. Really, l.
Federal Gentlemen of fame and fol
tune, ought TO think little on TIL
topic; and rescue the cause of the
party from the verniu who, instead {
promoting it by Dibbilng at Republ
cans, only dehle i by their excremer
tai method of writing. Bad enough
20 be sure, the Federal doctrines are
but they might be rendered less cd
ous by literary ornamgpts, it bette
workmen were engaged Nor the sci
vice. Even the Devil himself ma
be looked upon withScomposure VINE
he is decenly painted with agreeab
decorations.
IL hne, we feel for the intellectu
character of our country, when we Sc
men welding a pen in politics WI
ought TO be employed with pic
axe and whose souls would be niue
benefited by castigation Of their b
dies at the whipping post.
FOR TIE ARGUS.