Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-11-14
Fran the Conneetient coaratt.
THE BRIEF REMARKER,
THE following line of Pope,

of that celebrate p0et. loidS'iiuoii q
|hohpsty IS but a Vulgar virtue. as common
10 the meapest as to the greatest anl'l
ties. Honesty. though commentaries Z
$50 far from being one of the nobiest o
human qualities, that the honest ma'
nav nevertheless, be bat apaln slmpl,
man. Of contracted intellects, OF very II
tIe education. and Of low condItion
This the noblest work Of Gud Fy uPoI
such nonsense!
Now, to adjust this matter betweel
the poet and the critic, it will be neces
sary to take cursory view of the differ
emf standard, Of honesty according T.
one or Other Of which reputedly homes
men square their conduct. and OF the az
ferent printiplesb which they are 60
vernetl.
Men sometimes act honestly from p.
licv. rather than from principle OF Pr
bity. hey believe, and believe rig'
that. honesty IS the best policy" IS
cording to this sound maxim, they meal
to act, ard they greatly fnd their sccpu'.
in II. In short, none are wiser III me
generation than those who are honest
together from policy. While careful
mindins TO keep themselves within 'h'
hedge Of the law, they, without mercy e
pity, take every advantage that the lF'
will let them. They escape the intam,y
and punishment which commonly bel.
the impolitic wishts who ave versed 2
the black act Of downright roguery. mus
they walk in plain and safe path. fl
honest repu alton is their passport. and
the laws OF society are their protection
These are your hard honest men. "he
are honest merely for their own safety 9
profit, are Just as selfish in their honest,
as in every thing else, True enough,
the poet is wo thy Of apprehension II be
meat them. But though the fear of dis
grace or punishment, and the desire OF q
fair character, may give birth to Gre
di,able but costracted and spurious kind
of honesty, which has in It nothing OF the
dignity of virtue; yet the truly hone: .
man, however low in circumstances y
mean in parts, is one of Virtues noblll'
ty.
The truly honest man you'd br just as
honest without law As with it Guided
By the paramount authority of conscience.
he neither nlthholds augft nor exact.
aught on the mere plea that civil law IS
or his side.
The truly honest man is he who makes
it cardinal point to do to hers as D.
would be done unto: and who decides
with justice, when self-interest and JUS
tice are in opposition scales.
The truly honest man is never osten-
tations of his honesty. Ostentation OF
it is always an i'll sign it looks like put
ting on patch to hide a pimple.
But enough of definition One good
example is worth score OF definitions ;
and the following example all will allow
10 be good one - he anecdote is Civ
en- in st. Plerre's Studies of Nature.
S In the last war in iermany, cap
tain Of the cavalry was ordered out on .
foraging party. He put himself at tie
head of his troops, and marched to IT,.
quarter assigned him. 1t was solitary
valley in which hardly any thing bnt
woods could be seen. In the midst o! il
stood little cottage on perceising it.
he went up and Knocked at the doo,. out
GENES an ancient Hernonten.* with a
beard silveresl by age. Z" Father" says
the officer" show me field where can
set my troops a foraging." Presently"
replied the Hernouten. The good OLD
mai walked before, and conducted theH'
cut Of the valley. After aquarter OF az
bour's march, they found fine field of
barley 80 There is the very thing we
want,' says the captain. :. Have patience
for few minutes" replies his guide.
Is and yeu shall be satisfied They
went on, anu at the distance of about j
quarter of league farther, they arrived
Iat another field Of barley. The troop i'm.
mediately. dlsmounted, cut down the
grain, tr1ssed It up, and remounted. The
oAcer upon this, says to his conductor.
8 Father. you have given yourself ard U:
unnecessary trouble. the first field vas
much better than this.'--' Very true,
slr," repiied the good old man, 'sbut il
was net Nine
Such aaexample of honesty, repeat
lis worth score of definitions. Here
we have not an abstract notion of honesty
but we see it as it were embodied. Here
we behold the express fem and visage Of
tgenuine christian honesty, acting on the
principle OF loving one's neighbour a,
ones self. And what though the exam.
lplar was an obscure and lowly man, dis.
ltingu he'd neither for parts nor for learn.
linz ? In The moral frame of his mid