The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-02-26

no i"NuiuSs, anu SCI hiSOratn IN WORK. How
ne WIZ discern, at one glance. that such an
appointment VIII create such Il vacancy
which, filled by a particular character.
WIN create such another; aud this again sup
phed by such an individual, will produce
announcer, aud SO on until, by a series of sue
cessive Promotions or changes, the distant
post is vacated on which his heart is set-A
AND then, with what interchangeable industry
VIII he labor at his purpose! According to
tue moraiity OF such gentleman it is by no
means AN important enquiry, whether the
characters whose promotion is to make wav
for him, be the most worthy of that promote
on whether they be the best that could be.
selected, tor the service of the country--;t
is sEfhcieus for him to know, that thew ara
the best that could be selected for his good
as to the goood of the people, that is a mil
nor consideration, and, comparatively. of
little account. AS it would not do for him.
however, to avow the real motives of his
conduct, the characters VINO stand in his wax
are Immediately trcked off in all the fra-
theirs and jewelry of panegyric, aud scarce
| ~ recognize their own image, again. as re-
bected by their unknown and unlooked-foi.
lencomiast.--in the mean time, with what
patient and persevering assiduity will the of
nee hunter study the hunors and Shms Of
those on whom the gift of the office depends
and with what adroit and deXterous yersati
hty Will he adapt himself to them. Has hi.
heretofore committed himself ky advancinss
a Correct, but an obnoxious opinions. mi,
Will support it no longer, however loudly
the occasion may call for il and. thus, ars.
fui as he may be when he speaks, his very
silence too, becomes art and eloquence. Or
lis he drawn out by compuision which
he does not think 1t prudent to resist. he
lprnnes and pares down his former opinion.
until ne hnds that ie frs the popular stand,
ara; Or IT the emergency be pressing, and
his character bold one, he openly renoun-
ces and repndiates it altogether, and under
ltbc assumed sanction of the peoples will.
embraces its converse and advocates il win
| all his energies
! With what vigilance have seen one of
hese gentry watching The whims and hu.
iinors--the 'avorite themes-the course
OF senIiDent--tbe keys of local interest-.s
he chords OF popular feeling which vibrate.
through the elective body; and with what
untirlng pertinacIty, strive to be striking
hen! Some of them. indeed. from the
weakness and shallowness of their contii-
vances, soon betray their designs, & become.
as they deserve to be, objects of general CON-,
tempt and disgust But have seen others.
who have displayed sagacity and an add,
dress IN this Infamous BUSINESSMAN INSIGHT
INTO human nature, and a management OF
lnteres's--which would have done then.
i he III,
ike Phllidores, decide, at ance, the distanr
catastrophe of the game, by the first move.
on the political board. With one of these
adopts there Is nothing, however apparently
careless, that is done in vain. There is mo-.
DOW, no smile, no familiar enquiry that is
thrown away. According to the cant phrase.
eveyy thing tells. And as it was said of
Alexander Pope, that he hArdly drank tea
7c,thouta stratasem-so it may be truly said
OF one OF those intriguers for office, that e..
very glass OF Wine he drinks, is snare for
the gentleman of whom he begs the honor
to join him. There is no opinion that such
! an one advances, or represses, no man that.
he censures or praises, dissenting shake.
Oh the mead, no expression of Couhtenaace
no step that he takes, either in convers ion,
| or conduct, but what touches some wheel.
or versss to some goal" connected with he.
| great affair of self What an immense
cna!n OF causes and consequences, link af,eTt
INK, VIII he forge and put together IN Dr.,
der tn grapple The remote prize and l;i.; =
II within his reach! How will he conplio
cate and involve his machinery with spring
after spring and plot behind pior, mil there.
are few who can pierce through the whole.
scheme & detect he dark & distant purposes.
| Sooner or later, however it will be detect
ever,
1t is incredible too, what strange and even
lndcrous metamorph ,cs this mania fo,s
Office IS sometimes seen to work II ~ he
most 1--we rae duInoSIties and fTn!shins
change their charac'-r in a moment as if
by m-g.c: How suddenly the closest init.
macy aud most serv'le obsequiousness will
freeze into ss'rangement, distance aad re-
pu'S'on; Ho" rancorous prejudice and ma
ilSusnt hoslIy will dissolve and melt a.
way into sweet and respectful attention.
How 'ron-backed haught,ness will learn to
bend. and arrogance 70 creep, and truckle
and lawn and hatter: How envy, for q
season, will uncurl and hide her snakes
malice borrow, tor a moment, the smile OF
bengnity !; and even the cold, the proud.
the dark, the sury and solitary monk relenr
into sociability, and turn his cell into aban-
quoting room
All these things used often to see when
was IN the habit OF attending public bodjes=
and often have smiled with equal pity az
the mnmentary triumph of the successful
and the well-merited anguish of the disap..
pointed iDtriguer. ! used to hope at first.
thai this propensity toinlrigue for Office was
remnant merely of the regal darkness
which once covered our land and which
would gradually retreat and disappear as
the day spring of liberty advanced But az
soon as observed the decline of public vir-
tue and intellectual power, which peace
brougot with it, / saw at once, that the hope
which had cherished on this head was fond
and Elusive: for it required no prophet to
predict, that as Offices could no longer be.
Il - D. II