Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1815-03-23

LlAt when ad3u4d seize some state-iGfOH ~ tllS
throat ami drag him 10 TIE bar OF public justice,
shall be throwing many homeward look doubt
f,ll Of your support Respect for the opinions, e.
ven for the preiudiccs Of his cons'ituents-a com
mon interest aud common feeling with them, are
essential to the character OF fit and faithful repre-
sentative ofthe people. But none can be more un-
fit, and in fact, lInfathful, than he, who IS ever
trembling Cor his influence at home, and, IN the
general wreck of the state is alive only TO the risk
OF his own Paltry popularity. And this too, when
there is not single office in the gift OF government
worth the acceptance of any man Of generous zmbi-
ton, Or true pride o. character. Subject me to
what imputatioas it may, deliberately assert such
to be my opinion. To say nothing OF subalterns,
the present Incumbent has readered the preSlden-
tial velvet not worth the wearing Alas, poor man
It's lined with thorns for him.
Amidst all o'Ir notifications and dIstresses, we
have one consolation left That events in Europe
haze changed The character of this war that we
arc no longer spilling our blood and pouring out
our treasure to ryct the chains OF foreign usuFper
upon the Christian commonwealth.
We have another in the manner in which the war
has been wageo by enemy, who, enylous OF the
glory of Hulls proclamation and the burning OF
York and Newark has, in his own person, furnish
ed us with companion in disgrace. To you, among
others Of my friends, have often expressed my re-
greet that the father OF political philosophy and his
llusrious pupil could not have lived to see the sal
vatioa of Europe rescued by the unerrng foresight
Of the and the unshaken constancy of the other
from the West bondage ever yet imposed upon
mankind figured to myself this awful political
patriarch pouring forth his CALCULATIONS and chaunt-
ing his 'Nasc dianittis," 10 strala lar different
from the reverend Hugh Peters and his disciples
of the old Jewry. Short-sighted creature that l
am, now rejoice, for his sake, that he has not
lived to see England the sole champion Of Jacobin-
ism in Europe; to witness the disgrace OF her
arms yet more in victory than defeat. The laurels
Of Trafalgar and Roncesvalles, surprising iii re-
nown the Pladins of Charlemange, have been tar
nshed BY men bearing British commissions, and
boasting that they were pupils Of Nelson and Of
Wellington. What would that great man, :" OF an
ancient character and of a modern genius," say to
the exploits OF his soi-aisa companions IN arms, at
Hampton and Craney- Island and Alexandria and
Tappahannock. ] can figure to myself nothing so
wound;ug TO the noble spirit of such manit is q
nobility of which the patent is from God as an gl-
vanished tale of these and some other transactions
OF the British force, in the Chesapeake, When l
heard that the fleet was passing up the Potowmac,
the first thought that struck that the ene-
MY would land at Mount Vernon that they would
take the body Of Washington tit is public property
and derellct, scarcely covered by a sort Of Roof
house on the shore) and transport it to Westma-
ster Abbey That it would BE- i1terred with Mario.
rough and Chatham and that a magnificent monu.
menr would announce to future ages, that 'sthere
"lay the remains ofthe Founder OF the Indepen.
" dence OF a nation, that had neither vaor to de.
"fend hc ashes, nor gratitude to afford them a
" Tomb" Little did dream that the invaders
were more worthily employed in diving into cellars
and climbing into garrets after q few hogsheads OF
nferCr tobacco and some barrels of sour -four |
sincerely ask their pardon for the gross mlstake
which IcolSEstted respecting sheir character, and
rejoice that none of their sable allies had apprised
them, that beneath the outer shell of wood there
IS a leaden coffin The black cloth, all that has
been stripped off by pious Pilgrims as evidence of
their devotion, IS so decayed by damps not TO
tempt the capidlty even OF the coloured friends OF
our invaders. Its eqnally fortunate that it never
occurred to some Trlncuto of the feet that the corps
OF Washington, like their own Nelson, 4" fostering
in his STROUD" might be turned to as good account
in London rs = "panted fsh"--and that "not a
holiday fool in England but would give piece of
silver" 1t may not be unnecessary to appriSe these
accomplished scholars, and even some of their su-
periors at home, that this is not the language of an
American Libel, but of dramatic writer who
hourshed under an English Oneen, the glory of
whose reign and the sagacity of whose ministers
we are barbarous enough to think not eclpsed by
those of the Prince Regent.
We mist sometimes try to force smile through
our grief5, and confess it does gFeve me to the
heart to think that the demon who now haunts the
Isle ofElba may chucke in the success of one IA
vorite part of his great proect-that the seeds OF
eternal discord are sown between the two great
families of the Anglo-Saxon race England may
rest assured that she will find in this nation no con
temptible rival when shall shake off the present
Lncabus--and that it is not for her with more than
one third other subjects accommodated ard ex-
asperated against her, to talk 70 think of dis
solving our union She counts upon the imbecility
of the men at the head Of our affairs. They stand
like criminals at the foot of the gallows and should
the reprieye of peace happily arrive, will loose in
the joy of their delverance all sense of the disgrace
of their situation.
am, with very sincere respect and regard,
Dear Sir,
Your obedent servant
JOHN RANDOLPH, Of Roanoke