Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-04-27
ALEXANDRIA:
.H0SD1T, .iPRIL y. 1918.
Yoa rsE .Iz1AxDara eA1zrIE

VT - III hsC imp -
the general taste for composition exhibit
ed for some time past By our writers Of
every description. Many years have net
elapsed since the far greater part OF our
public lucubratioss we're so stuffed with
bombast. so overloaded with ualtPlEea
snpeeessar, epithet,. 50 gaadily be>pren'
with the false frPpery Of rhetoric ana
90 o,nteunded with diseordsnt images,
and with illustrations which thekened
the o6searity Of ttr subject they were
lugsed in by the head and shoulders TO e
lucida.e, that those only could read them
without pain who reJoieed 70 see the IN
trinity Of the human mind oheIousi, ou'
81 in exposing itself to deris'on. That
fuIsone AMBITION to shine At the expense
Of common sense, and taste, was tho often
carried from our newspaper ESSAYS, para
s-aphs election addresses and public pa
Degrrics, into our political, and even mi
nistsrial comppsitions-snd there have
been state pspers ADD legislative d"eu-
ueafs which might have been plsced IL
reputable competition With tn most fla
ma. o-atory If the stump, or the Nest
elaboratsIy timid Of those eegiac strains,
which so constantly
Like tall brilies lift their heads and lie"
In the obituaries Of our periodical jour
nails.
II is no lonesr So: AZ least to the same
extent. That indsp'Ed,nee cf style, a.
Hr. John Randolph ssrcasticaiiv demo-
minated il, in which members Of con-
sre-s couched amendments and resoiu-
tons, seems tn have in a great measure
Welded due submission to the laws Of
criticnn-snd even vote If applause
and appr"batinn to merritor'ous servant
of the public is TOW often expressed in
terms such IS his delicacy may endure,
and the reader Of every description ma
understand without much confederation,
Ibeiieve the inimitabIe and amiable
j.. Dennie, was the first amongst Us
who, with anv success, attempted to eI-
.rcise This ravirg spirit-he was followed
br several of eongeaial taste but inferior
talents. whose efforts paved the wav for
the vast mas, ut instruction introduced
into this country b, the republication at
New York Of the Edinburg and Quarter
" Revie~s-or rather the Quarterly and
Rdinburg-becsuse on which side ,oever
the balance Of superiority lies between
these two productions in other respect
which we do not presume to decide, IN
the point we are speaking about, namely,
as style pure, unaffected, and perfectly
classic ii, such a. is fit for a model for
v,u'h in oratorical training to initiate, the
Quarterly is indispu'ab'v superior
While this is our decided opinion, we
offer +" the attention of our readers, bv
way Of reinforcement. an article from
that s.upendou, work Of science and IL
terature, the Edinburg RerisnT; and re
fer it with grea er pleasure, because,
while from variety OF collateral circuH-
stances its serteuce must BE- undeniab'e
and conclusive. it will help Us TO throw
4 barrier across he headlong curse Of
injudici,us admiration, in which many Of
our young eountrymen, partly from po-
ltticaI prepossession, rarity from, ar en-
,husiasfn in spurious el"qusnce, and part
ly from generous and not duIy msa.
s1red or ju.'iy disc -iminating apr"o'a.
'ior Of genus, IN whomsoever or IN what
sosver shape il NAV be found, have ran
Mid in admiration Of inE,teh fgurafi,s
orators, and particularly o. Charles Phil
hips, esq Of Ireland Whatever u favor
able report Mr. Phillip, could hope ="
derive from congeniality Of political prin
eiples in critic, he might REASONABLE
have looked for from the EAisburg Re-.
viesers--their sentiments on that sub
jeet being radically the same as his
whatever partialrty he could hope tn meet
from avo~ed admirers Of his genius he
had a right to expect from the same quar-
ter-fot they have unif 'rmly acknow-