Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-12-17

From The defect OF language, the same
word Is often used to express "A good or a
bad thing. The courage, for instance,
which iiberates a. nation, ~ vastly differ
cDi in lis moiive and end, from iha. by
whlcli II Is r"siaycd but because courage
has been too Often ibe source ol HE most
eNecrab'e acts, ought we TO renonnce lis
assistance. Tor eiie,i Ting purpos Is the nrust
dcsifahie2
Defamation is a species of battery in
vented Tor the preservation OF nine lives
out OF ten. Oclabbrr indeed Was for de-
cimaiing every mothers SON Of his cove
ardly men, but would these men have
pref ned death 10 Il REIMBURSEMENT oil a
prejudice against the term, lottery Were
we prevented by the same prrlutiIc, from
resoriiug 10 ii probable in0Ge Of resusci-
iating thousands OF acres of land nov
deati, a diniaul!on OF subsistence might
decin,a'e unborn generations, or the pro-
gress al impoNerisl,meni might possibly
| terminate in the liibernian mode Of a.
Wording lottery.
! Lot1cnes tiave been sometimes honest
| ~ used for The pay men, oi debts. One
OF this kind, by dividing The sic for a ci-
| ~, produced natures happiesi humour,
DESTROYED deterriDg monopoly, anu
| pavrd the way for The most useful inter
|
| beast. A splendid city and bpuehcial
canal, are proofs, hope, imperisliabl,.
that lottery may DO great good aud
inspire 4 hope, thar still more desirable
internal improvement, may derive an i'm
| pnlse from the same source Had the
| legislature decided against Byrd's loite-
~, they would have drstro, eel or iniped-
ell It's useful effects. A foresight, of these
would certainly have induced item, To
ind remedy for the prejudice against a
WORT, by some substitution OF terms. "a.
| dequaie 90 a description OF HE measure.
The title g TO enable B, rd 10 dispose OF
| his estate for the payment of his debts,
| TO lay the foundation of city OH spot
pointed out by nature, and 10 open
great channel Tor commerce, would have
| described the effects Of the law, with in
| hni:ely more accuracy, than the odIous
word lottery" SO in this case; by
describing The measure by the true anti
| cipaiion of It's effects, aud calling il law
| :" for allowing those inclined TO do so. 10
raisa sum OF money for the encourage
meni of agriculture ;" the offensive word
may be avoided, and as much zeal ia lis
| favour awakened, as would have been
awakened by the anticipation of the eff
.ecis of Byrd's lottery.
| Ought AN end, unaIied To any vile spe-
culaton, and unconiamimated by any
bariaring between public delusion and
| private avarice, TO be defeated for want
OF words 10 express it, or by mistahing
| the relation of words TO the ihnss tliey
were intended not To misrepreseMi, but 10
reflect with fidelity This would result
| from the opinions, that the word g cOu-
rage" must invariably imply a bad thing,
because ambition, pride, or malice is We
rs oiien lis source aud THAT all the
Things represented by the word lotte-
! nv" mus, also be bad, because some of
| them are, and the sicarious in:perfeciion
OF language, occasionally subjects that
| term, 10 the duty Otimprcssing the mind
with ideas of ava,ice and imposition.
Ii substance and not shadow is The OBJ
ject in view, the immoral effects Of loite-
RES founded III vice and conducted with
fraud, are noi even plausible arguments
against one, founded IN virtue, and in
| capable OF being converted INTO an en-
! glue OF imposition. But admitting that
all lotteries contain bad qualities like ar
| dent spirits, ii does Bot thence follow, that
the use OF either ought 10 be prohibited.
Either may still be made subseryient 10
good ends. IL love for wine and lotte-
ries cannot he expected ; as one is un-
| willingly taxed 10 defend The nation, why
may not the other be permitted voluDia-
rily 10 tax itself, for the improvement of
lis agriculture ! Ii is certainly better 10
keep our lottery money al home, than 10
suffer the love for loiferies.to be exer-
cised to enrich our neighbcrs. What
would be the policy of sending the people
out of the state Tor each glass OF wine
or drink Of grog they choose To indulge
in, because ardent spirits have bad qua.
liles see from The newspapers, that
lottery Offices are established al meat of
orr towns. Contributions for advancing
national prosperity must be levied up0n
our vices OF our virtues. Why should the
J former lac absolved from an expense,
which they III fact create? Although in
capable otexiirpaiion, the policy Of check
ing, bv making them subservient to pub
lie utility, has been always approved of
| by The soundest moralists The fondness
for lotteries must remain beyond the con
trOl of Virginia, whilst il is encouraged
by nelgllb0ring states and our alterna-
tive lies between using IL as resource for
Improving our own country, OF surren-
derimg II 10 he taxed for the embeilisli-
| meld Of their cities.
This Is however Tie worst ligIl III which
the subject can beyIewed. Lotteries NAV
be MA 'e as subservlenl 10 the health of
our JANUS, az liquors 10 ne health OF our
bodies. Tickets NAV he purchased from
wish to enable nation 10 live well and
10 live long. Even view go gain will be
ciiaslened of half lis vices, by an union
with Az affection for our country and
whilst arithmetic will discern a cheaper
price and less risk, social sympathy viii
rejoice in the reflection, that capital
prize resulting from The Improvement OF
our agriculture, viii he drawn by every
individual of Tie stale.
The legislature of Virginia have hermit