Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-07-15
From the Connecticut Coarant.
TIE BRIEF RF.NaRKER.

that loves IT not, VIII not taMo iHuep
mains to Get it. nor be much concerned
when he misses It. There IS nobody ~
The commonwealth of learning who uoes
not profess himself Hover oil truth aad
there is not a rational creature that would
not take it arniss to be thought otherwise
of. And yet, for al this, one may truly
saw. there are very few lovers oftrath Tor
truths sake, even amongst those who
persuade themselves that they are SO.
How man may know whether ne be 50
in earnest, is worth enquiry, andi think
there is this one unefung mark Of it, viz.
the not entertaining any proposition with
greater assurance, than the proofs it Is
built upon will warrant"
These weighty sentiments, so worthy
to be carried along with US in all our
secular. and in all our moral ard reli
gio1s concerns, afe particularly appllca-
bic to he subject of ecii-thia&iRg.
Downright SANDER is considered on all
bands as detesiable vice: and person
habitaallv guilty Of it, in its gressness.
is marked as toe to society. A man, a
women. ora family, that is notoiously
infected with this species of scrofata, is
watched as carefully as is a pick-focket
or common cheat. But it unhapplY
falls out. that although rank wiltul Sian
der commonly meets with the repfo5a-
ton it merits, vet what is Of near kin to
it passes with very little censure o, re-
morse. Il mean ones tahlnS up a re.
preach against ones neighbour. or 6etier-
ing an i'll report of another upon slight
.grounds, or without sufficient evidence
The commonness OF this fault seems to
Ievince strong predisposltion to tin ouy
very nature. II is a remark of the great
British noralist. DR.. Johnson. that '.there
are two causes of belief; Evidence and
When we are i'll no man
ner inclined to believe a thing, we NJ
turall require full evidence Of it before
we yield our credence; ard, on the other
hand. when we are powerfully inclined
to believe. we can do SO, not DOLLY without
evidence, but against it. Hence it would
seem that we naturally have strong To-
cination to believe or think i'll of others,
since we SO often do it on no real proof
at all, on or what is next to none.
How happens it, that even in well or
aered society, scandal flies as upon rhe
WINGS Of the wind /? That it so quickly
spreads over a whole neis hborhood, parish
or town! That it continues to widen its
circle from day to day, till every body
knows it save one, to wit, the person
scandalized Does not this argue ge
neral love of scandal s--i'erbaps you
vii say No; and will hold, that two or
three talebearers or busy bodies may have
dane the whole mischief. But pray how
could they have done It if they had not
found multitude ofears to listen to their
tale, and a multitude OF lounges to aid
them in It's circulation? As there would
be no thieves Of ane kind, if there were
10 receivers OF stolen goods. SO there
.would be no taIc-bearers. if there were
n, greedy iisteneaS TO their buzz: and
as tie receiver is as bad as the thief, SO
The greedy listner to sround!ess scandal
Us well nigh as bad as its author. Or at
least possesses some portion OF the same
of|eeling and temper.
No one has travelled very Tar uron
the journey of life, & been an observant
trayeIler, WHO has not noticed the man
ner in which for while this ''pestilence
walketh in darkness" and then bursts
forth into open light The foil report is
for some time communicated in @,lispers
accompanied with solemn iJunctions of
secrecy. Every ore processes to hope Il
is not true, and vet every one whispers
il to every ones acquaintance. # it be
a young female that the story is about,
one that is distinguished by some per-
sonal attractions. 10 the rueiul faces of
the rival Young sisterhood and their good
mothers !! Grumpiing up their mouths
while they are spreading it. and every
now andthen venting deep sigh, they
hope, forsooth, the thing is not altogether
so bad. but are sorely afraid there is too
luucfgh'uth in it. At length it comes to
be common report; a matter of public
Il is in every body's mouth,
and every body must believe it: because
{ccoyding to one orthodox old saying.
What every body says, must be true !:
and, according to another ofequaliy sa-
cred authority, Where there is much
there must be some fire. It is a
settled point. To The pubic opinion, the
case is decided, and the DETAINED party
is cast. All areof one mind. that there
aust be something in it though here &
there, one charitable body or another cx-
Il