Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-04-02
.aLeX.4NDRL4 D.tNY G.9GEIIE.
TUESDAY, APRIL 2.


To the Editor Of the .Heacndr;a Gazette.
Silence, ~ sgoiveS, s2H.ic .FIrs 20 0oTt0"
Rogri&"
SIR--To connect religion; with politics, IN
necessarily, il certainty l.nr:oper. 1t never
WIS NV Attention TO 80 SO, Blu. Gases may oc-
cur, in which It S not only useful, but ahso-
lately ui.,vuiiaba. Such one has presented
Itself in the appointment of Joel Barlow. Sol
considered It aid Tor ,,...t reason | fentured
to make g few remarks rpon the subject. MY
object ~ 10 si.cg. his sentiments Wtch regard
to religion, as Expressed by himself; and, OF
course, tie utt>r ilnpoiicy OF intrusting the
Most important ,,Flrs Of u Christian people to
person of his character.
Sir, ! should not have troubled YOU again
respecting Joel Barlow, had not the urgent
solicitations of FREUD impelled me TO the
t,sk. Discordah to honorable feelings 1t IS,
and irhsoma III tie extreme, to notice evanes-
cent g4rruiity: but every consideration Yields
to the call OF duty and friendship.
The editor Of newspaper printed in Baltl-
more, and pnrrorting to be published hy Ger
tan a. Niles, has undertaken to defend IN
creed of our new minister. He has unwlt-
tinsly copied the extract from the CoiunhIad
which sent YOU and then goes on to'assert
IL A. Nv
refer to our Saviour, but to an IDOL worshlppcd
in Jhibet. For the honor of the ilourishing
city Of Baltimore, hope that the majority OF
this editors rtadess are Infinitely above his
level, il point Of understanding Indeed, stu
pid as he doubtless is, can scarcely persuade
myself that he could have been serious when
he wrote the article in gu ostion. Common
sense revots FROG, the thought of such intel
lcctual deprayty.
do not wish, Sir, to darken the pages OF
your G,,zctte, by any further quotations from
the Co,unlhiad. With profound contempt
view th>t production. have been as much
dsrusted with Mr.. Burrows Poem, as firm
ly believe the public will be with his ministe-
rial labors, May this nation never have seri-
Gus cause 70 lrnent his mission Nav the
tuteiary genius of my country protect Us in
the hour Of peril, and preserve Us from in
trieue, corruption and slavery!
Far be it from me to blame any man for not
having perused the Coiumbiad; but surely,
before such work is extoilcd as an elegant
poem'' it ought at least to have been read. 1t
is true, MIR. Barlow's Baltimore advocate
might have read his work and his own lack
Of intellect combining with the absolute alb
surslity of lnany Of the passages, he might have
been led astray. For neither OF these detects
he is accountable Yet how he could have
mistaken tie passage quoted, is utterly incon-
eeivable Mr.. B. is taking kind of visiona-
ry view Of all the different religions which
have prevailed il the world, and III speaking
OF Christianity, nc makes use OF the s!anderous
Billins,r&te ti.at I extracted Mr.. Niles as
serts th.t it alludes to an Asiatic idol. Is he
not aware that the term " secret grave" is
sarcasm dull and despicable, and old as in6de-
lily Never have seen poet and critic
better matched! The first asserts that 6 the
Lamasn devotion rules half mankind )" the
second declares that ii prevails only in Tibet:
one Says that" his priests by nyriads famish
every cline )" the other asserts that they