The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-05-31
Che Gnqulrer.
RICHMOND. MAY 81, 1871.

O~ ~
RICHMOND. MAY 81, 1871. : =
POLITICAL PLE.ADLNGSl!
SMITH rs. MADISON.
Counsel for the Proseeution-7he .durora
No. III.
May IL fieose the hu6ic !--Be fore we
address you on the merits of this cause, we
would wish to MAKE one probationary obser-
walton. The AURORA has taken upon it.
self the Office of Cri,ic-of Cr,nc in
zvords.--ls is with pain that we diverge
from the general track of discussion, merely
to measure words and gage the length.
breadth. and depth of grammatical expires
sions; yet, we only pursue the example
which is set TO us: And who will hesitate
to follow the steps of 60 great a lea
der!
We had said. may it please your wor
ships! that we had one lobe of the brain for
orr o1un use, and the other for that of the
hnbHc. The A1RonA ridicuies the ex
preston, and with an air OF wisdom,
tells us:
g There Is no end to discovery. & therefore,
perhaps, it is, that it is the first time we heard of
this principle ofphysiology, that there was a
lob. which could be applied to gene,al use-----
and another only to tartieufoy ase--we pre-
sumo we are dealing with the particular lobe ON
this OCCASION" ~ 49,
Gentlemen. II there beany ridicuie il this
case, it does not fall upon us We see no
reasons in the pfesen, instance. to t;iush for
the words we have used. ~
Il was. clear, that our expre ssion was
a hgnrative enc; under which We meant
to convey the idea, that there were some
things which we should keen to ourselves,
and others which we should lay before the
fu6Gc.--We had supposed that this form Of
expression was within the compass Of eyery
6rdin-.and yet the AURORA has no. lobe
enough TO embrace the idea! The ridi-
cuie. therefore, is upon.him, who takes il in
Its literal sense and who mistakes a
mere figure of speech for serious ex-
preston.
As mere figurative expression, indeed.
IT might shrink from the touch of criticism
There are but few writer's who strictly oh
serve the rules Of arr Even the huher-
6otes OF the aurora are not always within
bounds--for, as Swift says, its :. comets.
whales and dragons, ought, at least, to be
sizd6fe.'-Yet if we are to be tried before
the tribunal OF criticism, we protest against
the AuRoRA's being our Judge SNeSplead
against its jurisdiction, as non con,hos in
our schools, Grommar is held to be subordi
nate TO Rheforie--and tits certainly trne
that he who knows so little of words as to
be incapable of writing them grammaticaI,y
is disqualified, from Judging of the mere
taste Ola hgurasive expression. It's like
aninfan,'s pretending to RUN before he has
learned to CRAwL.-But the proofs. on this
head are glaring and conclusive. Take a
few examples OF choice, CONN osifion from
the very Numbers before us.
" We have asserted land we re-assert that
the Instructions in the Enquirer as to the compo
sition OF the correspondence and other bapers
apPertaning to the duties of the Office of .secre.
,ary of state, were the consposftions of Mr..
Smith and not the compositions of Mr.. Madison.
and ,nat this was as uniformly so, throughout
the whole term of his holding that Office. as Il
was with Mr.. Madison during the term which
he held the same Office" ''r
SO. Sirs; wa are told, that "the fnsinua.
tions in the Enquirer were The ,comno.
sitions of MIR. Smith. MIR. S. will not sure
ly thank his Counsel for thin. asse rton.
And this mass of blurdersQ ers off with
the strictly grammatical phras "durinr the
term which he held the same Office " -.
This is really past all en- during !-rBut hear
him again:
We have in perfect recollection the case of
an omission made in one of Mr.. Jefferson's mes .
sagss upon suggestion Of some ua1 her of the
cabinet; chick like the omissionsS{I Z in the
declaration OF independence, we them thought
the Paragraph orsitted, among the best parts OF
the comp sition,y
What juwbte of oerbcye is here !" zcAie6
we then though. the haragrahh omitted a.
mong the best parts of the composition -
The compositions Of the .Huyoya would, now
and then. be the better, for a few omissions.
F." We shall show that the talents of Mr..
Smith, so far from being ofthat inferior order to
Which the Enquirer has so modestly consigned
Mr.. Smiths talents thar men equal to Mr.. Ma.
olson himself, equal in the estimation of this
country and the world, have been so unfortunate
as to entertain sentiments the very reverse of
those of the Enquirer" f"r
"The talents Of Mr.. S. so far from, being
Of that inferior ORDER" &c. are what. No
thing" talents Of Mrs" are, left to
sbif for themselves-we beg his pardon,
the floor word "tGienfs" is left without any
verb to associate with it, What pity,
that the grammatical talents OF his Counsel,
are of that inferior order to which his
compositions consign him i. -:
Bat, may it please the court,we are sick
OF these jen:D d'esh,ftS-~-let usleave them
We should never have descended to them at
first, if the Aurora had not shown us the
way. This is the age of retaliation--The
two great powers of Europe, but echo the
acts of each other. Yet, Legitimate as that
rule is, we should never have thought of
using It. il on mere Question of literary
taste, it was not fair 20 question the preten
sions OF one who had charged US with want
IS