Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-03-02
From the Connecticut Couraat.
THE BRIEF RE,iARKER.

THE BRIEF RErARKER.
The old Persian rule, not to spesL IN
there is something weIghty 10 say, .houpb
well enough in theory, is too diiiic,, ,f
practice For, with most OF mankind
and espe cially those who have the phlpsm
# the English or the Dutch bleed in their
veins, it would be an intolerabie .e.,r;r
ton upon the freedom u speech.
Conversati Il is q sort Of Commerce. !,
which there is absolute uecessity fm Il,
circulation Of coin Of small denonlr,.
tons, as well as of that which ID passes.
cd Of great intrinsic value. Not ,b,,
cOuntenance i, ever, or Oh any accovp.
TO be given to base coin. Far from tbe
pale o. colloguiai commerce be the DO.
tame oath, tie obscene or impiOus ie,,
the open or covert SANDER, the lancue,e
OF deceit and ialseh0oi far fem !, "a
every word OF immoral or indecent teuo-
1t must however be admitted. for such +.
tie fact. that 10 carry ing on Il Is kind O;
commerce, there Is urgent need % SINAI
change, aud a great deal Of il to. Fo-
k Of this light cOmmCdi'y, many Nan
81 deep learning and excellent mora Qua.
itieA, makes but wIetched figure in .Iy
other company team that Of The learned.
And how CAT it be Otherwise ? since 20
part OF bis capital is adapted to the cOIa.
merce Of commoa Ike.
For 4 e most palt it is more diEcvltro
set talk a going, than to keep it going at.
ter it is begun. Now this difficulty arises
from a fastidious or sgueamish feeling;
each ole adherirg too strictly to the 4.
aforementioned rule. not to speak IL
something Of consequence is thought olro
be said. For which reason the intervies
begins with profound silence the ind.
V'duals gazing epcn one another, aEt
each longing to put the tongue in motion,
but all alike Unable to find pertinen.
observation to commence wi,h-a! i wis:
renders the case the more deplorable. Is
that the Iorger the siesce is ccutiEued.
The h. der 1t - to break IT.
Now 10 ooviats this distressing diGl.
Guilty, custom has introduced !nru colo.
quail commei ce singular Kind Of sms.,
change consisting Of fruisms, or sei.e,i.
dent sayings AZ this manner Of speech
i, fairly within the compass If every ores
ability. so il has The advantage of always
steering clear of contradiction.
A and j, for example, happening 10
meet together, the one instantly utter.
:ruism. which the other agrees 10 forth.
with, affirming roundIy, and without any
mental reservation, that the thing is even
so: And then he said afFi mant, in hi,
turn brings forth another truism. which
the poli'eness Of the first speaker accedes
to with sprOmpt profession o undcvbting
belief. Nv this time, or at least after tie
interchange OF some half dozen rrusms,
the conversation begins either to deepen
or to lower; and peradventure it come.
10 be quite edifyirg in us progress.
There is no other single source so pro.
liiic Of augil,arics Of talk. or rather Ct
means to begin it with. as the weather.
1t is pleasant or unpleasant. warm or
cool, vet or dry, calm, breezy, or bOis.
ferrous. The sun either shines or it does
not There are signs in the heavens,
sometimes Of rain, sometimes Of snow,
sometimes OF heat. and sometimes of cod.
Not an evening passes over Us but is c.
Their m0Ony or starry, or else cloudy ard
darksCmc and the moon herself assune'
several different phases in the course q
her month.
Now all this, along with a gtcat dea!
of kindred mater besides, furnishes 6
never failing abundance 10 begin talk
with, especially in the climate we live
in. which, more fortunately tor our co.,
loquy than our corporeal veal, is SO per-
petuslly varying. Whether it rain OF
kline, whether il be calm or windy. whe.
Their the evening be ishtsome or dIsm''
dark, in short, whatever turn the w.a'
ther happens to take. We report the IA.
ked trutI, of il to such persons as We laI!
in company with. and they FRANKLY at'
knowledge that, in good sooth, their own
impressions aud opinions perfectly &C.
cord with ours.
Grant, that these truims, or common
place remarks, can neither instruct Do,
entertain; yet they do no harm aud
meanwhile are of special use in the thrs'h
hold of conversation. But though tdiS''
seem licensed TO make a free use Of iheG"'
the same indulgence belongs 10; to 'P'f'
erS and uriiers. This is so important
distinction. that were il generally mihG.
ed, many a disc"ur and speech ~oo'I
be abridged one hall at east, AID man,
MASSEY volume would shrink INTO aP-'!
pamphIe'.
Another method Of commencing COZ
versatioD, particularly with strangers, ,
assailing them with questions that &C"