Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1821-08-08

inc what Fneyer knew. But receive con
ISOLATION from reHe citing that the ancient his'
,orians are eaually ignorant OF this TACT. AS
EXPERIMENTATION il not The most signal quahty
IN the mind of Valerlus Flaccus, he may
probably coniouud The idea OF Punishment
With that OF a publick mission 10 Cyprus' OF
a yoIun airy journey IN Asa.
slhe-Secretary of State can rest unnarm
ed by what Valeiius Flaccus, with his habit
nal grammatical eccentrIcity, Calls my
"suari,,h malevoience" tn. invect've when
il has provoked was sure y. waste Of
"snr,ebtIy genius" that might have been
more credi,sbly employed IN the comp's,,,,
lion OF amusing and aheC'i"s 'd'es
Whet h-r ] shall again no'ict ,his writer VIZ
depend on my own leisure, ms progress n
the art of reasoning, and Inc frequency vi
his devialions into decency. Du' ~ any
event he may be safely COMMITTED 10 'he
censure of the ardent CAssIus ana Inc Joo,'
cious PHocIoN. Such controversies VIII
Iingly eeciine. :,
..Ns zero, ne me I'D tales mpeilits pugnds'"
Before | dismiss VaerIus Flaecus, some
advertence seems proper 10 the MOVIES
which, in his Judgment. originated my ne
marks" Impatient OF the delays oil aTgu-
ment. and deserving violence tor cunning,
he inyi6iousIy lmputes them 10 an over
weaving tondness Tor Eng land. Ii gratitude
for the benefits which her philosophers her
rnoraIi.ts. her historians, her poets ana hsr
orators have afforded to MANKIND, DC ~
subiect of reproach deserVedly incur 1t: II
10 admire the high minded honour, Inc az
vepturous vaIour and the generous munln-
cence of her sons be offensive. J must con
Tess TOO this Sill, II to the gentle yet hrm
virtues. and the winning loveliness OF her
daughters, | bow with inordinate devotIon:
II 10 venerate the blameless Falkland, or to
drop the tear OF respectful sympathy over
the sorrows OF Mary Sluarl be crImmal;-
here indeed | am mos; guilty Should
such feelings deserve the diSpleasure OF my
countrymen, | must endure il, submissive
though impenltent. But will not suspect
that any party resentments can lender
them ILL oeral or unjust. They can separate
the admiration which the English charac-
ter excites IN every candid enquirer
from an approval of the theory or ad-
ministration of the English govern
ment. To admire the principles which
give so destructive an influence to the
prohigacy of kings, mobiles or bishops is a
sentiment better suited to the Secretary's
minions than to an independent re-
publican. 10 admire national char
acter which is illustrated by the most ex-
allied moral and mental qualifications, Is
a sentiment unfelt by the slavish courtier,
but natural to the free American. Her
aldry is in the main worthless but the
highest honor which it can record of any
individual is that he is native Of United
America-the next, that his ancestors
were English.
The charge against me Of using pointed
allusicns and gross personalities 10 the Se-
cretary is also urged by his defender. fire.
uuent allusion 10 his rank in the American
government was essential to the texture Of
my argument; but avoided the indie coTum
of Specializing on his private character,
which as far as report has informed me Of
its qualities, IS amiable and respectable
ANY reference to his political INCONSISTENCY
proceeded from desire 20 explain, on some
in'.ll,a,ne principle. characteristic OF the
".ailress = me u the hostility to English H.
terature, winch envpnomS this otherwise va
disrespect TO bis official station, he had pre-
viousIy furnished the example by forgetting
its proprietiss himself A stranger may be
excused for irreverence 10 that dignity,
which the individual most interested in pre-
serving it voluntarily surrenders. | limited
an opinion which nothing has occurred to
alter, that the Secretary's philIppicb agains
England was designed for lbe ardent imagi.
nation Of the South But he should have re-
collected that the proportion OF fancy to
judgement i, no: necessarily inverse, and
that though vivacity OF perception Is some
times the SURGE OF pre- iudice, il may con
sist with both generosity and discrimination
Much of what is lofty, splendid and intel
lectuai in the English character exists in the
Southern States, bu: animated by glow o
chivalrous feeling, which was, in,requen
among our more phlegmstic ioreiatners.-
Though enthusiasm may charae :erize thispor
ton Of the Am rican family, il is associated
with a solid sense which can distinguish
the fervor of the patriot from the fury OF Tho
denagogue. ln the intsnsest heat OF party
men Of all sides discerned and acknowledge
ed virtue in an adversary. The iederais
could prefer the homes, democrat to ihe in
tereSteu professor vi Ills own CIeeu, d"o 'H'
democrat could pardon the sincere errors 0
the federalist. The states nan Of Virgins
and the G ,roIlnas IS unread in the catechisn
of Hartford. and Dis children are not laugh
that hypocrisy is prudence or that liberty
is rebellion. Liberal sentiments are the ma
,ural associate. of true honor and enlarge,
minds On men thus endowed the effort
OF cajolerY will be vanly spent. No sophis
try can persuade them that youth OF poll
teal heresy will probably rip.n into man
hood OF patriotism. TO them ampocl
from the premier OF their'coun,ry, seeTs a
indecent as political prayer flon the Ca
vinis.ck orator Of Baltimore. They rer
ceive the immoral tendency Of the sd