Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-08-05
ALEXANDRIA:
MORNING, AUGUST 5,
FOR THE GAZETTE.

,ocratic. That people IN our cohdi'ion
! should he luxurious. is natural, and indeed
almost unavoidable, since SO long as we re-
tain our liberty unimpaiied, no snmptuary
laws could be prescribed to set boands to
our vanity, or to limit the external display
of our pride; and since nothing can prevent
the majority of individuals from becoming
comparatively rich, aud opulence seldom
fails TO encourage sensuality, and stimulate
to excessive enjoyment. TO preach 10 a
wealthy people against an over indulgence
ofappetite for the good things OF life, would
be as fruitless as to preach restraint upon
the animal appetites to the grosSestkInds oil
auadrupeds but might il not reasonably
be hored that our rich folks, or The fools
who, in or order falsely iopass Tor rich, eE-
pose themselves TO real poverty, would con-
| tent themselves with the qualification of
| those sensual passions in which they amin
dulge without trespsssing on the feelings of
their fellows, and fill. fatten, and luxuriate
10 safety, without making il a part of their
enjoyment Gas the greater pat ofthose who
are able, Systematically do) 10 mortiiy those
about them with alfectation, arrogance and
superciious pride. 1t is related of per-
! son who by hard industry in some Of the
lowest walks oil life, and by penuriousness
still harder, had amassed what was called
in his country, Il pretty penny Of money,
! and had returned 10 his native town, in Scot
land, to play the great man for the rest OF
his life that being in the course of events
raised 10 the Office of Provost, he was pulled
with self consequence, on the strength OF
his new dignity, to such an excess that he
sometimes INDUCED in that worst of all ar
rogance, the occasional affectaton OF hu-
mility he would shew the world, so he
would, that he was not so great person as
they imagined; and one day on being ap-
preached, bonnet in hand, by an old init
mate of his poorer days, graciously con-
descended 10 say to him, put on your hat,
Donald nay put on your Rat-l am still but
a man." This contemplate display OF ar
rogance it is which makes the great dis
tinction in England between the new-made
London grub, and the digni6ed country
conference.-the saucy Nabob, and the sim
pie unaffected proprietorof old family acres;
and this il is which after being exposed TO
derision and adherence, with its ilnume-
rable airs, and baboon tricks, in comedies,
iarces and novels, is taken up by distant
apes, and mimicked as il it were really any
part OF the Distinguishing characteristic Of
people Of real rank and fashion.
Man is by nature sociahle and friendly TO
man, and where no opposition OF interests
exists, rarely harbcrs any malice or hostile
disposition 10 his .ellos creatures but the
detes'able snirit OF that most de,estable Of
all things, monicl 'gisioc-acy, raises a
. barrier more impossible than malice or en-
w themselves could erect. between the
new made rich and the humble, and seems
TO have impressed the Goiar-holders with
an opinion that they are, by the mere virtue
OF their money, Transmitted into another and
superior species of beings; or 10 borrow the
idea of the Scotch Provost above named,
that they are no longer men. This pest
lence of the heart, RACES in the District of
Columbia, as badly had almost said
worse than in the Cry of Londoi-ani a
man with not 8 ,housandth part of the skill
of Lavater my distinguish this sort of fell
lows, as they walk the streets, 10y tLeir SUI
percilious, dis1ainful mien, as ifthey ques-
toned the right OF their humber fellow citi-
zens 10 breathe the same atmosphere with
them. Sometimes one meets man so
stately in his department, that il it were not
for an incurable vulgarity in his aspect, he
might pass upon strangers for the leader OF
victorious armies, OF the governor OF states
or nations-and those who know the real
character Of the man, are only relieved from
humiliation, by the sense that his pompous
air conceals mean spirit, and that his
solemn, superciious countenance is but as
sumed as a veil Tor his ignorance and insig-
nifcance.
Such are vast numbers Of those colossal
mnions of usury and avarice, who strut a
boute cur streets as if they would
"Bestride the narrow world
Like Colossus and We petty men
Walk under their huge legs andpeep about |
To find ourselves"
= Loan bola IN nass bv ther, without being |