Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1817-11-29
ALEXANDRIA:
SATURDAY,, NoYEHBER 60. 1877.
NEW RRooMs SWEEP CLEAN.

OF wise anu VlrtuouS ignorance, When
people received their little dole Of in
structiop, not as we do now, from books,
bat from Evolutionary sayings of wisdom
called prove; bs-(Shakespeare, think,
calls them ,c;ss ia,rs) or was levelled by
some sour philosopher since at the in.
cessant itch for novelty which dishn-
cuisines our species from all other AMI
mails, and the fairer part of that species
from the rest of it, it would be hard to
ascertain, and, perhaps, not worth the
trouble of ascsrtaining. But, be its orr
gin what it may-let it come from the
stable or the kitchen, the cell or the a.
cademy, from the tub OF Dsogenes or the
scuilery Of our ever beloved aud delight
full friend .Haritornes-iH word, come
it sanctioned by authority however high,
it labors under this defect. that it is not
unezceptionabIy true. New brooms do
Rot. in all cases, sweep cleaner, nor, in
scme, half SO clean as old ones; and we
are willing to refer the question TO Sc
lect committee OF the fraternity Of the
broom-ostlers, solutions, scavepgers,
and court walters, whether the hard
stump OF a well worn Bosom is not much
better than new one for what Rabelais
calls nice abste:sion of filth, or. as some
of those swollen sons of the pen, who
think it perfection to initiate tie NAM
moth periods of Johnson and The strptting
dic,icn Of the Edinburgh Review, would
perhaps say, for a more perfect exfclia
ton of the successive accumulatiOns Of
physical impurities. superinduced by the
intrusion Of feet insnficiently mundilied,
cohering by adventurous contact, ard in
durated by lapse Of time and mutation
Of weather." We are. therefore, tar from
agreeing with sapicnt gentleman, whom
we heard the other day remark that ne
entertained the most sanguine expecta-
tons from the fifteenth congress, because
Ito use lis own polished and significant
word J the greater number Of them will
be all NEW HANDS. Nov, being ct OPT
MON, as have. already minated, that a
stiff, rigid, worn down stump Of broom
is better, particularly where there is in
veierate ha:d old Impurities to be re-
moved, than rev one and, moreover,
that one experienced old master work
man is better than ten raw unpractised
apprentices that no one science, craft
or trade can come perfectly even to US
Americans, by inspiration; and that no
one, whatever philosophers may think
to the contrary, will understand even
that simple thing called legislation the
worse for learning and practising it a
little before he sets up the business. Fer
these reasons we say, and others that
need not be mentioned, we should have
more sanguinc expectations from the en-
suing congress II the greater number Of
them were not NEW HANDS. TIE be sure,
the person | allude to had better igl.t
to speak at length about the new con-
eress than the old--at least, according to
tn: generally received opinions and no.
TONS long in fashion among us, for he
could not by any possibility know any
thing about the former, while the con-
duct, characters and talents Of the latter
have long lain in full view before him -
Any man, provided he have tongue in
his head, can speak abundantiy upon a
subject that he understandable man of
genius alone can be copious when he
knows nothing at all Of ahat he is speak
ing about.
For our parts, being of that old fash
toned species Of humdrum Bcotians, whe
take things for just SO much as they show
themselves to our senses to be worth, we
have no hesitation to speak little in ia.
vor of the last congress, because We have
witnessed their conduct; and since We
have not the least knowledge Of the new
cop,arx bavp mn rrofo,c;nra IN aEiII IN