Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1812-11-11

<slle, whose motto is equal and exact
Justice to all nations >, and who ackuow-
ledge no exclusive right in any one ma
tioa, to insult their feelings and to tram
pie on their rights. 's
THE GOOD OLD TINES THAT ARE GONE.
Ever since the days of Noah, the age,
.ve Ive in, has been the alternate theme
of libel and coincidence. The old man
Of the present age, like his predecessor
Of former times, takes a peculiar kind
of pleasure in dwelling upon the purity
of morals and the vigor of intellect which
distinguished the companions Of his ear
ly days. He enjoys secret pride in
recounting the things that hare been,
and he derives melancholy satisfaction
in believing that they .SW never 6eagain!
The improvements Of taste and the re-
fnements Of modern education are in
bis opinion inimical TO that substantial
comfort and t. that practical good sense,
which be is willing TO believe exist now
only in his own remembrance. The
most important events, equally with the
most trivial occurrences, are weighed
In the Balance of former times, and sell
dom fail of being found wanting"-
If a campaign is lost--he sxclaims a.
gainst the efFeuinacy of the soldier of
the present Gay, and
g Shoulders his crutch
To slew how fields wore won"
when he was called to defend the rights
Of his country. IF an individual fails IN
his enterprise Of honor or of profit, 1t Is
simply because he hasn't half the sPnlt
or the perseverance Of his grandfather /!
The wreck of an ewtre-or the crash
Of hlafe-the exit of a hcro--or the fall
of sharrozy-srs all alike hurled with
indiscriminate rigor before tie Judg-
ment seat which fancy has erected on
the partial memory Of former tines, and
are there. alike condemned as the natu.
raj, bat bitter fruits, of that melancholy
fall from the wisdom of good old times,
which has cast shade of weakness and
Of error over the best and brightest deeds
of the hrcsent day
An Old Spartan (says Anacharsis ) ore
day explaining TO King Asis some III
fractions of the laws, exclaimed tha! all
rcs lost! That, replied Agis, (smiling)
Is 50 true, that remember when / was
a boy to have heard my Ja!her say, that
when he was boy, he heardSmy grand
father say the same thing! The reply
! s,inced tha, the King possessed more
wit than feeling. The good old man
was mortified at sn answer which .ridl-
culsd his prtpdioes; While it disputed
his Judgment, For my own part | DC
rive. 3, much pleasure from listening to
the tale &c other times; as garrulous
old ape itscts can feel in narrslin% 1t;
even though it be at the expsnce'o: my
own credit IS enc Of degenerate pos
terity. There is an indcscribabls plea
sure in bcholdng the eye "hich age has
dimmcd, lighted up anew with the ami
mating recollection OF carly daYs-and
an marking the uansien; glow whlchthe
partial contrast Of the past and present
times, kindles on the cheek that time
and care had combined to bleach. Few
indeed are the eml oyments of the OLD
mar; bet chief O: these is the pleasure
of maintaining the character OF Former
times. who would delight to tear the
kivy from the wi,hered trunk that time
\ had stripped Of its branches and Its
leaves? Who would snatch from the
aged pilgrim, the only remaining me-
mento OF his native home and his de-
parted friends? Who would crop the
only aowcr that time had spared to bios
som in tie wilderness He 5cho syeald
denv the old man the pleasure Of reenr-
ring 10 Iiis early days, and Of maintain
ing thar nothing noR' is SO coed as II
USED TO sx.
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