Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-10-03

ipIdces3 NAY ieSf tSdtlsHeu. dHti tildt 10, tho
lneither Constitutions. nor. any other IN
Istruments that do not secure to that par
'|ty all the Office, and emblumentof th'
country, at large or of the states, will b.
suffered to stand in fhe way of ADDITION
They will PROSTATE then,all, rather thar
part with power.
From the Albany Daily .9drertiser.
! The following story, with the emphat
lie Introduction prefxed TO it. is publish
ling in the newspapers, asa striking in.
istance of ".jurenife perrersity." 1t is
lprobabIy recollected by those who appear
Ito wonder at the cary tlepravity evinced
lby this youth, that his father was God.
Iwipite-one of the modern c0smopolires,
land perfectability men, who grew up so
lplentifully in Europe, and among Other
parts of Europe, in England, some TWEEN
lty or thirty years ago. Holcroft, the
father, was one of those men, who wished
Ito dispense with all government, not on
lily in the body polite, but IL the family,
land amused himself with the idea that
human reason was sufficient guide to
mankind in the performance of their du-
ties here, and for all important purposes
ltercafier--if, indeed, there should be
amy hereafter.
/ Among other things, Holcrott engaged
deeply in the great business Of REFORM,
(which was so much 10 vogue in Europe
latter the tornado Of Revolution broke out,
and swept over France, and the neigh
bouring countries. In conjunction with
HARDY, ThelwalI, Tooke, and others
the Reformers actually commenced their
llabeurs, and nobody can tell what might
have happened if their car er hid ocer
unfortunately arrested BY the strong arm
iof Civil Power They were arraigned
before the courts, aud though they es-
fcaped punishment, the fright put an end
Ito their cosmopolitica, labours; and Hol.
croft took to writing plays, and novels.
land if we mistake not, his o1cn memoirs
As specimen of his good sense, as well
as aeuteness of intellect, it may be men.
tioned, that when he was about to be
tried for treason, If we are not MISTAKEN
The prepared his own defence, which he
Twas with difficulty persuaded by his law :
Iyer not to use, but.which he afterwards
published. in which he rested his safety
aitogethel upon his p'iaeiptes-making the
basis, aud st Ct of his argument to
eonsist in this Frat his conduct being
founded exclusively upon the principles
lof political JUSTICE whch taught him
ITO do good, and not hurt, to mankind, it
Twas. impossible, under. such an in
lfluence, that he could have been guilty
lof SO black a crime as that of which he
Twas accused. The lawyer very wisely
concluding that abstract reasoning would
Igo but little way against evidence, in
duced him, as we have remarked, not to
trust to such defence.
His son had, undoubtedly, been In
structed in the refined and mystical non,
sense of I" Political Justice" Probably,
lin addition to the lessons which he re-
iceived from his father, he bad also many
opportunities to listen to the profound
discussions of the school, on the merit Of
their system, and the progress it was
makingan the world. Goodwin, the au-
| thor Of s. Political Justice," incuIcated
such doctrines as these. that all reli-
gion was saperstition-tba marriage was
a larce--that all domestic relations, and
duties, were the mere offspring'o preju
dice, and slavery of the mind-that pa
rents were net bound to provide for their
children, except upon the broad princi
pie of justice, founded upon merit, ac-
cording to which, they and the children
of strangers stood upon footing that
|of course children owed neither affection,
gratitude, nor reverence to parents-that
intercourse between the sexes should be
'promiscuous, and all the ties of relation
ship be broken up and lost. These are
"a few of the doctrines of the school t.
which Holcroft belonged, and which, no
doubt, this yosng reprobate, his son, was
taught.
Is it a matter Of astenishment that the
pupil OF such master, should rob his ia
Their, fall into dissipation and profigacy,
and in the end, commit suicide So far
from it, all these, and all the other vices
tina, blacken the human character, are
the natural aud almost necessary conse-
quences OF the destebie system in which
he had been educated. 6ne of the may.
inns Of these philosopbists was. that