Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-09-10

elnnino esse negligendum, III quo alIqus
signifcatio virtutis apparea at.
C1c. De Orr.
Mr.. EDIToR;
Though Amor Patrie complains Of
the uncoarteous manner in which we have
assailed his arguments, we were uncon-
|scious of having treated him otherwise
than with decorum and civility. s In De
ri expressive ceremonies OF respect" we
NAV indeed have failed. because we real
ly were not aware. Of their necessity
mot concerning it unjust to measure our
respect for all anonymous essaylsts, by
what we conceive to be the merit OF thelr
reasonInes.
A more serious imputation is the I'M
candid statement Of his sentiments: an
error which. if real, was far from being
designed. One great point at issae be
tween US, appears TO be tae true r.atufe
ot profit and of pleasure; and altboug''
by profit We do not mean mere mercena
ry gain, but, like yeur correspondent:
the $ moral and nltimate benefit OF man.
We differ widely from hls,, notwithstand-
Ing, in our conceptions OF this profit, and
.ot yintuous and Legitimate enjoyment.
II we may fatter ourselves with having
.collected the true sense of his essays, we
SHOULD imagine his opinions and Our OVID
on the proper pursuits and destination OF
man. to be in many points not unsi'nllar.
Like him, we believe temporary sacrl-
fee of pleasure to minister often to even
tnai qualification; moderation in enjoy
melt to be necessary to its duration ;
gratitude and piety to Heaven, 10 be pro-
per aud honorable emotions and the cgl-
tiYatioa of our intellectual capacities, a
seemly and Lawful occupation. But while
your correspondent woald converge every
pleasure and business into preparation
for Iuturity; while he condemns evety
thing which abstracts Us for but an hour
from the contemplation of Heaven; for
this, we remember, was PRINCIPAL arsn-
ment against the destinations OF he thea
tire wide Essays, No 3 ~e, on the other
hand. conceive that the present existence
has lis proper aud peculiar enjoyments
that so much pomp and beauty were not
lavished on this world, but 70 DC overlook
ed or forgotten and that these gratifca-
tons are slnless in the eye OF Heaven, II
even they should withdraw US, during
some intervals, from the serious and So
Tenn consideration of their proyider In
short, if Amor patrie were asked, way
he considered the investigation OF a me
tanhysical truth to be consistent with re-
ligion & morality, he must reply, (woaid
he adhere TO his own principle, as ex-
pressed in the pas ago referred to above;)
because it abstracts not the mind tom
tie contemplation of God ;--wi'iIe we
should deem it Sufficiently defended on
the score Gifts use TO society, aad its a
to the investigation 81 should
maintain vital, that it diverted some
ninds, even more than the drama, ffom
meditation and pra} ef, and was there
fore, on Amor Patciae's principle, nc
object OF pious Remuneration.
In thus exhibiting at length to your
correspondent what we conceive to be
the differences between his notions and
our own, we design both 10 oppose one
of his principal Arguments against the
diana, (it4 diversion of the mind trom
religious dWttes) and to viudicate our own
caElor. We crave to know If Amer Pa
t,iae f; if the following paragraphs, which
seems aesigned fCr saumai y 81 oof con-
cessions, is to be considered specimen
of his own.
: Fit be admitted that {: most OF the
predictions of the stage are iiceRtIous
jf it is a school of false sentiment and IL
eentious practice; if itinvoIves crlml-
nal waste of time and money; il It en-
courages a set of licentlous and Proiilsate
performers; if it is contrary to the spirit
and peecepts Of the gospel, points which
Philo- Dramaticus says are so eatirely
established, that they wouid readily have
been allowed if we had never written, .
then surely the question Of It's moral in
fuence is settled
We did indeed admit that most Of the
productions Of the stage were licentlous,
and TOO often hostile to the gospel ; that
100 much time and money were often
thrown away on and that its retainers
were not, Jon the most part, the most or
derlr or reputable. But does Amor Pa
triae discern no difference between our
qualified concession of the too frequent
hostility of the dr. ma 10 the gospel, and
the sweeping general position he has put
into our mouths" that il is contrary,
THAT is, we suppose, always contrary to
lis spirit and precepts; betweena neces-
% ~. :, 7, j. IN accid ental W. aste of tina ard