The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-07-05
FOR THE ENQUIRER.
!gHE OLD BACHELO OR.
No. XIII.
- Stat magni nominis umbra.
Lacdn's Pha,s. Lib. i. y. 1S5.
- He stands the shadow of "A MIGHTY name

~- He stands the shadow Of mighty name.
The near approach of the Fourth of July,
the anniversary OF oar independence, re-
Gals to me the war of the revolution which
preceded it ; and this reminds me-, of my
promise to impart to the reader the reve-
rie on the past and present character of our
Countrymen, into which was thrown, by
Mrs. Martins spirited harangue to her son.t
/ am fully aware. that the subject is far
from beng a courtly one But I am no cour-
tier Nj, purpose is to serve and not to
Halter my Countrymen. wish stimulate
them to generous competition with their
toretathers in those great qualities which
exalt the soul and ennoble the mind; but no
effect of-this sort can be hoped for their
part. unless they shall themselves be brought
70 make the comparison frankly and to feel
and acknowledge their inferiority. For as
long as we remain perfectly satisfied with
ourselves; it is very clear that we shall
make no efforts at Improvement The man,
therefore, who exposes our false pretensi-
cns, forces upon US an useful, although not
u pleasing Conviction; and in showing us
that we are nothing, compared with The stan.
dard of revolutionary excellence, he dissi
.oates the iudolent and pernicious dream OF
vanity. which had lulled us, and puts US on
aspiring to an equality with that hlustrous
model. Neither the probe, orthe caustic
are very pleasant operations we submit
Co them, however,, for the good that
Is to follow : and, painful as they are.
we submit to them. even with gratitude to
the operator, Without farther apology,
then, proceed to apply the probe & caus-
tic to the mind.
The comparison which propose to in
ystitute, is between the characters who bore
part i'll our revolution and those who have
succeeded it, Aud this comparison may be
made either by individuals on by bodies. OF
the revolutionary individuals who are yet
alive, l shall say nothing: they are side by
side with the moderns, and the reader may
easily make the comparison himself OF
those characters of the revolution who are
no more, l will select only few, and gil
wing To the reader the whole post-revoiuti
pnarv, American world, will ask him for
theii equals. ask him, then, who there is
am ngstus, that Yields the acute, profound,
all searching pen oil Farmer Dickinson p
SVhn is there that displays the force and
power of thinking which distinguished Alex.
ander Hamilton s---Who is there that :
quals franklin i'll the vast stores of useful
knowledge, and the boundless reach and
comprehension of mind ?--Who is there
that pcurs the bold. majestic tide of Henry's
eiconence ?--Who is there, alas TO
compare with him--srho suas in zvar the
stirring 2-Were not these men, giants in
mind and heroism? Compared with Them,
what is the present generation, but a puny
race of dwarfs and pigmies
II the comparison by individuals shall be
thought not a fair one, lock at them in bo-
dies Compare, in the first place, your state
legislature now, with what it was during the
revolution; the last was the era of PEN
dleton, Wythe, Henry, Bland, X. H. Lee,
&c. &c. Wha' were the measures of those
days Instead OF being the offspring of pu-
Grille versatility, OF rash experiment, OF blind
precipitation, of maniac prejudice, OF whim
without motive instead of being
-" a feather for every wind
that Slows"
they were the measures of men deN5e-
rate. deef. judicious, solid and stable.
he reader, however, may be OF he OPT
MON sugge sted some years ago by an Essay
Ist in III Enquirer, that our state legislature
is not fair specimen of the talents of the
state, because those talents have been ia =
ken away from us by the stronger attract
on ot The federal legislature. Let us 60,
shen, to the federal Legislature itself. and
look here for the talents thus removed
from us and let us compare that body
witt the old continental or revolutionary
Congress. Comparing them as bodies, thers
is no cher way to decide between them than
by their acts. Talk. ii you please, OF the diff
tculties In Which the present Congress is
placsd; make every allowance for these
difficulties. but, then, remember those great l..
er difficulties which the old Congress had
to encounter. Compare the resources of
the country at those Two periods, in men,
money. arms and ammunition These words
roll easily from our lips bat remember
what they mean and make the compari-
son fairly. l am not censuriDg the pacific
course of our Congress. have nothing to
do with politics / say only, that the diff
ficu!ties with which they are surrounded
ought to weigh nothing in their favor
when comparison is made between
their talents for government and those OF
the fathers of the revolution; because the
old Congress were environed by difficulties
still greater. The moment of difficulty is,
indeed, the proper moment for the trial of
talents Remember, thea, the epoch of
our RevGution.----The colonial habi
tndes Of 6lial attachment to Great Britain,
scarcely half vapauished, the total desti-
tuition Of al' the means OF war. & the acknow-
tedged power of their veteran adversary,
might well have excused them in deciin
ing the contest. Was it not, in truth, as un-
equal as that between the naked shepherd
boy Of Israel and the Philistine giant, arm
ed from head to foot. This was The COM
1.HcaHon Of trying difficulties of which lord
Chatham spoke aRd what was the Con-
s h. old Ja,- III