Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1821-07-24

queen instead of '"green'--22d line read
"As who could" &c. instead Of che could"
SC.
To the Editor Of the Alexandria Gasette
LETTER Ill.
Sir,
To one acquainted with the biography
of Mr.. Adams, nothing in his late famous
address, appears more surprising than
the contemptuous manner in which he
speaks of scientific discoveries and litera-
nv excellence. It would seem natural
that one, who is a native of a state, whose
proudest boast is its University, who was
a professor of that University, and who
has published two volumes of Lectures on
Bellies Lettres, would have contracted a
fondness, nay even a reverence for ltera-
tire and science. But it has been the
misfortune of the Hon. Secretary on this
occasion, to disappoint every expectation,
and to outstrip in his errors all that his
friends could fear, and all that his enc
mics, if he has any, could have dared to
hope.
i will not fatigue myself, nor disgust
my readers by following out the tedious
mazes of his discourse, to strip its thorny
branches Of their sickly flowers, to wash
the paint from the withered cheek OF his
frisky muse, to blow the froth from the
vapid bowl, which only a depraved Pa
late could relish. But l must indignant
" resent the libel implied in this charac-
teristick of his speech, upon the States
of the South and the West. For the
Hon. Secretary knows that New-England
will not, cannot. chime in with this part
of his barbarous Glamour; nor, as he ought
to know, will it meet with the appreciation
of the Northern section of the Union,
since the inhabitants OF its large cities, at
least affect a love for literature and the
arts. But | can tell him that though we
have no affectation about these matters,
we have a high respect for the powers OF
the human mind, when displayed even IN
the inventions of mechanicks or the m
provements of agriculture; but this res
pect mounts into a glowing admiration,
when we see them spread out on the ex
tensive views of philosophy, the sublime
discoveries of astronomy, or the soaring
wings of poetry. What sir, does not the
first minister of the Federal Republic
know, that it is characteristics of a free
people to be delighted with literary ex-
cellence-that all the citizens of Athens,
awarded the prize to the victorious ORA
matist; and that assembled Greece turn
ed from the sports of the Olympic arena,
TO listen to the melting tales OF Herodo-
tuso Or has he been duped by the reason
ing of transatlantic sophists, which an
schoolboy could ~refute, into the belief
that ~republicks are unfavorable to htera-
ture; and therefore wishes to persuade
us, that this pretended defect in our sys-
TEN. is an excellence we should boast OF?
The large sums voted by Virginia and
other States for the maintenance OF
schools and colleges, ought to have taught
HIM, that this is not their way OF think
ing. No Sir, it is not. We know, n
we are sorry, that we have but slight
pretensions to literary fame. Bat we ex-
cuse ourselves by referring to our circum-
stances, which to an enlightened mind,
afford s. sufficient excuse. Yet even these,
imperious as they are, do not wholly de-
tain US from the hsunts OF the muses.
We mingle professional with literary la
hours. and often leave our barns or corn
fields, to wander through the castles OF
romance, or dream in the groves OF poe
try. The Hon. Secretary must perceive
how proud we are of our own men OF lit
erary eminence; why should he think us
so meaniy inconsistent as to despise those
nj other nations. We love to imagine
Thomas Jefferson, marking the orbits OF
the planets, and James Madison Iustra-
ting the principles of the Constitution
wbv then should we sneer at the starry
gage OF Herschell, or the profound inves-
- ,ef;ops of Stewart