Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1816-10-02
MISCELLANY.
From the .ai6any Daily .ldeerfiSer

/
The following siory,with the emphatic in.
PRODUCTION preiixed to it, is published IN the
newspapers, as a striking instance OF. ia
renile Perrersify." It's probably NOT re-
Collected by those who appear to wonde,.
At the early de;,ravity eyincedby this youth
that his father was Gudwinite-one .,f
The modern cusnop0iite,, aud Derfectabil
ity men, who grew up so plentifully in Eu
rope, and among other paris of Europe. in
England, some twenty or thirty years ago.
holcroft, the father, was one OF hpse men,
WHO wished to dispense with all cavern.
meht, not only OF the body polite, Gut IN
family, aud amused himself with the idea
nat human reason was s,lificic.,t guide 20
mankind in the performance of Their tlulie.
here, and for all important purposes hs,paf-
ter If, indeed, there should be any here
utter.
Among other things, Holcroft engaged
deeply III the great business of REFORM,
winch was so much IN vogue in Europe al
ter the tornado of Revolution broke out.
and swept over France, and the neighbour
ing countries. In conjunction with Hardy.
Ihelwali, locke aud others, the Reform.
ers actually commenced their labours, aud
nobody can tell what might have happened
II their career had not been unfortunately
arrested BY thAstrung arm of CIVIL pow.
EH. They weregarraigned before the courts
ana though they escaped punishment. the
fright put an end tp their co, mopoIilical Ia
bors and HOlcfoft took to writing plays
and novels. add il We mistake not, has oiCn
sneinolrs. AS specimen of his good sense
as well as acutene>s of intellect, il may be
mentioned, 'hat when he was about to be
tired, (ior treason, il we are not mistakenly
he prepared his own defence, which he was
with difficulty persuaded by his lawyer,
not to use, but which he afterwards pub.
lished, in which he rested his safety alto
s.ether 'lPon ms priHcipies--maki z til ba-
Sis ana strength Of his argument to consist
In this-IHat his conduct being funded
erctasit'ety aPcn the principles IF :. poiiti
cal justice" arhich taught him to do good
and mt hurt, to maihcind. 1t 1cas impossible
under such az influence, that he could haze
been guilty Of so black crime as that of
achich he lcaS accused. The lawyer very
wisely concluded tIlat abst art reasoning
would 90 but a little way against evidence,
induced him, as we Lave remarked. not To
trust TO such defence.
His son had undoubtedly been instructed
in the refiaed ard mystical nonsence Of
{. Political Justice" Probably in addition
to the lessons which he received from lis
father, he had also abundant OppOrtunitie.
to listen to the produced discussions of the
sctoot, on the merits OF their system, aad
the progress 1t was making ~ the world
Goodwin, The author OF Political Justice"
lncu' Gated such doctrines as these-fhdt all
rPftgton ioaS snpeTsfn'on-'hat marriage
nas 1Jrce-Mrt dH domestic relations.
ana dnfies acere me mere oDSprtHs of pre-
J'tdice ana Sfarery ~ the mlnd-fhat pa
remS 'csre NOT Donna 10 Pror'de Tor the"
children, e:ccept upon the bread principles
81 justice J0andea upon nerit, according TO
'chtch, Mey ana the children o. strangers
stood upon t9otlns.-ttat OF course chiI-
dren otoea ne'thfr GB'cflon' g'di't"de nor
reverence 10 PareHs-that intercourse De-
ttcren the Se1es siioatd be prom Scuous, and
me mes y retGiohSh p De 6r0Feh up ana
lost. These are few at tie doctrlnes OF
me -choOi to winch H"'erolt belonged, and
which uO DOUBT, this young reprobate, hlS
son, was taught.
it's matter OF astonIshment that the
pupil OF such inasfer should roo ms la'h-
er, lali INTO uisSinaton aud pr0iligacy. ana
IN the end commit suicide 30 Tar from IT,
all these, ana all the otner wees that black
en- The human Character, are the naural x
almost necessary conse4ue. ces OF the lie
testaoie system III winch he had oeen educa-
tea One o' me maNlms Pf fnese ph'ioS".
Ph'st: "as-b'a, 0ease Is az eterNdt SleeP'