Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-01-01

-tHu WneIHeT, by pursuing any pHdhtCMS
from a blind devotion 10 their authors, The
General Assembly might not risk itself 10
The disastrous catastrophe, which beici
the adventurous pheion OF Old in his &C.
lebrated celestial excursion Should il no,
also be recollectet, that theories beaut,-
ful in appearance, when attempted 10 he
brought into practice, instead OF clvyatin.
man 10 staiioA ab.ve himself, may re-
duce him TO one below himself =" All
that glit ers, is not gold"
3d. Blu. a still greater check upon free
enquiry, viii be found in tlie following ex-
tract from the late Governors commune
cation TO lie last General Assembly
enhanced by ihc recollection; lIai The
gentleman, who then honored The Exc
cutiye char OF Virginia, is known, not
only as long tried, and approved pa
trlot, and statesman, bat also Tong known
and revered. for lis sound Judgment, and
practical aiiiity, III all the public, as wei
as, IN all The private concerns of life
".Ihc iiUStrleHS aud patriotic cilizens who
planned and accomplished our re,oimtion, can
never be rivallcd IN t!ieatiectionS OF their conn
tTyinen. Next To tEemin the estimation of
future generations, will rank those who shall
c0ntsibnte most &C. The establishment of Il sys-
ten Of Public Ednca,ioii which may give 10
tht Commonwealth The greatest command OF
IneGOi talents, ana to our citizens The best pros
poet al individual happiness. No system will
go tins, ualess provision is made for the edu-
ca;iOn OF those whose parents are unable 10
detgay tie expense Of ii. Genius is not the OH
SriDg OF wealth alone 1T il exists IN the c,iid
OF the poorest inan ia tie Commoiiweatii, let
!. be cultivated al the public expense make
IT IA natloaai property, that II may be natl
Olal haueSt
Alter this eloquent and animated pro-
mise, by such u chief magistrate, of a
niche III The column otiame, 10 the inyen-
tors, and all the advocates ofihe propos-
et system of public educalion, next to
our beloved revolutionary heroes and ia
thers, and consequent denunciaton, a
Sainst all scepiics, what humble citizen,
unaded and alone, wOilid dare do more,
than 10 submit iu secret retirement, his
conscientious doubts, TO those, upon
whom is devolved the awful responsible |
~ OF Judging this great question Alright
4th. Bgta still further and greater "a
iarm awaits free enquiry upon this parti-
GUAR occasion. The Editor Of tie En-
qurer, IN imitation OF ancient customs,
las already decreed the llonors ofdciica-
ton upon the inventors OF the splendid
scheme oi public education, and other a
nalagOiiS ones, for further improving the
condition. OF man; whilst he has hardly
retained from booming TO The Internal
god, the unfortunate scepics of The last
Gencrai Assembly, who impiOlisly reius-
ed ti,cir necessary aid, 10 further these
grand and fascinating discoveries. The
Enquirer has already bestowed upon these
moderD theorists all the attributes Of de-
mI-gods, and as all visionary schemes,
especially VIXEN wholly ahslracted from
the difficulties OF their execution, APP
proaclt rapidly 10 perfection in the esli-
nation OF thcir Jealous votarleS, their au
thors necessarily preceding them in The
race TO perfection, it is naturally TO be
expected, that By this time the Enquirer
Is prepared To accord 10 them the attri-
bntes of whole gods, or al least to en-
due them with the gifts of the Holy Spirit,
and the power OF working miracles. Thus
may hope be inspired that this divine
power, which was so literally bestowed
upon ihe holy fathers of the primitive
church, and which was then esteemed es-
senlial 10 lis existence and extension;
bat which, from some iGScrutablc cause,
has since been withheld from their dege-
nerate successors by an all wise Provi-
dence, may again be renewed in the per
sons of these modern political theorists
What humble citizen, then, can be found
SO destitute OF all regard for his present
and future fame, as to disrespect the re-
wards and encounter the refreshments
thus held out by the potent influence of
the press; and this just ground OF alarm
Is not little magnihed by the recolecti-
on, that the Editor of the Enquirer has
acquired transcendant power by his
press, i'll this state, and by that means
may not only promulgate public opinion,
but may color or restrain 1t; or rstmake
1t according 10 his own pleasure, and pro-
mulgale II afterwards. Under such CIR
cumstances, woe beiide the unwary citi
zen who shall uuadvsedIy subject him
col IN hD f,ft Iuf,
1t is doubted whether the inquisi.
tOTlal powers assumed by despotic gov
ernnents over the press, are more 10 be
dreaded, than the same powers exercised
by an Editor, who has acquired tie. IN
fiuencs Just mentioned.
lSorry 10 interrupt the honorable mem
Der, sir-but 1 beg leave TO erptain-If
the gentleman means that / landed the last
legislature, he is mistaken-I spoke Of them aS
thonght-in strains very little calculated TO
dcyy tliGm-I spoke oftIIemin terms sharp aud
IDdisnaHt--and some gentlemen were pleased
10 say, insulting If he means to say. that
was friend to the bill proposed last winter
the hoard OF public instruction, &c. &c.-he is
grossly mis- taken. Aly opposition 10 it, was
no Secrei--my pleasure in its defeat was keen
ana sincere. IL was at my inVitation that
friend, with more leisure aud ability than
possessed, wrote two Nos against it. Those
NOS came out AZ the very crisis of the bill
aud their efficacy was felt by almost every
man who read them. They had the honor of
bring denounced on the floor OF The House of
Dciegates.--Thc more / reflect on the fate of
fhaf bill, the more rejoice At il.
" Tie wriicr, however, means that admired
HE pubiic spirit which 1ctuated the session Of
1Slb-l6, plead guilty to it, plead further
guilty TO the charge Of attempting in the
tuIun Of 1915, to rouse that public spirlt among
the citizens and representatives OF my native
stae--I plead guilty to the charge Of approx
ing the literary fnnd-and its considerable
tla.fs~ Ia, ,,ff Nf,ta Id