Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1821-02-26


s,'lule The beautiful ideal Of re cabi;.' C.
the rational glory Of any p, CPL. an h
found hitherto only liz the Legislation @t
Iitical rOmanceS. "oIh
Under The influence Of that ius,,
sobriety Of senllmen, which d,Ii"0ssssis
even our struggle Tor existence. ,n. s0Sss
ring. as ii weie, 10 the srst prncinI.. ms,
tural justice. we have rec6g ni,ed insea
constitution the universal qualify s vTG .Aa
kind. Aiming US no privileged cl Ia aa
crosses the hIrors and wealth OF ,Ls aa
and exacts 20 the unworthy inhe rilor " Ii'
cestral reDomn. the Difference Which G IN
property Of virtue. We ale not ,s". ~
alloy the generous ambition of vou.tN b
vulgar admire ton Of rank, nor en s"aa
in the honorable competitions Of IGS ,u ~
absurd prejudices OF caste. With "s "a!
emphatlcally true, that KNOWLEDGE is s'
er, and ii " The glory OF a ration - Fr'
we'd from The character and NOT f,"r* q
wealth or multitude OF its people I~ u. ID:
in my view is that county where n. "' IF
the first step tow ards respect for ,hsr ;Ils
by learning TO disregard ex,rinsic adv,0s s
ges in others, aud where ambition !, ' ".
nearly refined into virtue. because wv
reap no rewards but from the s,renuor, =, g
ercise u its powers.
This beautiful pre- emine nee ( ash is IN.
ea,leG) on the side Of popular goverpm NEW,
can hardly be sufficiently valued, hn
parts tone Of independence, which ;Oa
turn bege,s free though, and liberal conn.
tItioA, while these, again. react in AID =,
the institutions which foster them. W..
the lowliest member Of the state NAV ~,
sonably aspire to its highest honors, he lesh
a new interest in its peace and order ana
sense Of responsibility always favorable
to decorun. The worst feature, lbercu
in the many governments Of mankind. hS
hereditary inequality of ranks both BE-
cause il is opposite to natural sense and il,
tice, and hostile to The dignity and 10 d.
virtue OF the greater portion of their ns,. +
bers. And ii, in feroclous and turhulr
ages, the people might yield this uowot,
homage to few, in xthange for saiety,n
have reason to congratulate ourselves on aa
revolution in society which has excharvd
the capricious protection Of feudaI chs,
for the regular guardianship Of Public Law
and has, in our land, rendered ii the cnIy
superior.
Blu, il is incumbent on us to rmembe,I
that this NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF itself d
give a certain elevation 10 The character a
conmuDity--is however, equally april
cable TO all its members. 1t embraces Ii
lowliest and the most i,espised; Tor an eau
lity uneauslly distributed. is an absurdiy
in terms. Whatever pre- JUDGES climate, Ia.
guage, eompler,sn, may have engendeM
elsewhere, ought to expire in a land b
which nations have found a common az.
lun and common freedom. Since it hl
pens. therefore, that among a people W bib
owes such obligations to liberty, there e.
ISIS a class shut out from its blessings, DE-.
graded by our laws and pref JUDGES, an.
forming burdensome excrescence to ~.
tenn whose spirit does not circulate ,bro' il;
it we are driven To excuse this anomaly >;
well as we can, by remembering how slow.
~ the falseho OF opinion vanish from a.
mong men, and by the hard necessity Of Out
Giro umstances;--ws may hope, at asst
when we come to understand better The frs
of our political creed. both for true,
OF this evil, and more urgen
zeal TO amend it. "After The introducio,
Of christianity" says an author, into ID.
Roman empire, every law made relative ID
bOndsmen, was in favor OF them; till al las,
all subjects wer. made equally free" Ith
no honor to republic, that in a later age,
with increased knowledge, under govern
ment framed with aregard to the rights o.
men, and with domestic policy, too. which
supposes and requires internal repose, hi,
mischief should be deemed 80 inveterate ant
necessary, that its assailants incur odium
and an apology may be thought requisite 70
this advantage in free country. that lh
truth and wisdom which are often silencet
by the clamor Of the day, are however eli
cited by opposition. and survive for tn. be
neht OF another period: error can scarce,
grow lnveierate; and justice must eventual
~ hnd an ally in freedom.
A tree press has always been reckoDed
great bulwark OF liberty, and, after all du
a 'lowance for its abuse, deserves to be cb.
rlshed as an inestimsbIe privilege. Not tba
people grow virtuous from the crcum
stance only OF reading what they please
much less that this channel of opinion an
instruction. is always pure;-but take il 70
granted that the prep"nderance is on the sid
oil just thought and primo ipIe. and that. il
De not. il is no means of incre asDg them. t
place their vehicle under the control OF an
arbitrary censorship. | find, without SUI
prize. the venaI writer's of more absolut
decrying the press, & imputInI
10 It evils which result ether from tbei
particular situation, or from the general con
'tItutlon OF mankind; but | am chagrined a
The tImorous reasoning OF one of the wises
men that this nation has to boast off, which
even siIgmatized the medium through whicI
be shed so many rays of intellect on BIZ
country. The press is, indeed. no NOR
nan inc vehicle OF public opinion: the'sourc'
AND the discipline Of these are to be sough
N the education OF the citizens, and sociel.
pas little to hope, if IL, aecnrity is 10 corsis