Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1822-07-04

l0tO q luOet "a" 'A'"SAS :,
news pa per in his hand. and seemed
TO be commenting on its contents, to the
thorough convection of mine host. AT
the sight of Master Simon, the land
lord was little Hurried, and began to
rub his hands, edge away from his cor
ner, and make several profound publ
can bows; while the orator took no o.
Their notice of my companion than to
talk rather louder than before, and
with, as thought, something OF an air
of defance.--Master Simon, however,
as / have before said, sheersd OFF from
the porch and passed on, pressing my
arm within his, and whispering as we
cot by, in a tone of awe and horror,
athat's a radical he reads Cobbetp'
endeavored TO get more partlcu-
lar account of him from my companion;
but he seemed unwilling even to talk
about him, assuring me in general
terms, that he was ''cursed busy
fellow, that had COMPOUNDED trick of
talking, and was apt to bother peo-
pie about the national debt, and
such nonsense; from which suspected
that Master Simon had been rendered
wary of him by some accidental encoun-
ter on the field of argument for these
radicals are continually rowing about in
quest of wordy warfare, and never SO
happy as when they can tilt gentle-
man logician out of his saddle,
On subsequent inquiry my suspicious
have been confirmed / find the radi-
cal has but recently found his way into
the village, where he threatens to COM
NIT fearful devastation with his doc
trines. He has already made two or
three complete converts or new lights;
has shaken the faith of several others:
and has grievously puzzled the brains
of many of the oldest villagers, who had
never thought about politics or scarce
any thing else during their whole lives.
He is lean and meagre, from the con-
slant restlessness of mind and body:
worrying about with newspapers and
pamphlets in his pockets, which he is
ready to pull out on all occasions. He
has shocked several of the staunchest
villagers by talking lightly of the squire
and his family, and limiting it would be
better the park should be cut up into
small farms and kitchen gardens, or
feed good mutton instead OF worthless
deer
He is a great thorn in the side of the
Squire, who is sadly afraid he will in
troduce politics into the village. and
turn it into an unhappy thinking com.
munity. He is still greater grievance
to Master Simon, who has hitherto
been able to sway the political opinions
of the place without much cost oflearn-
ing or of logic; but has been very much
puzzled, of late, torweed out the doubts
and heresies already sown by this
champion of reform. Indeed, the lat"
ter has taken complete command at the
tap-room of the tavern, not so much
because he has convinced, as because
he has out talked all the old establish
cd orscles. The apothecary, with all
his philosophy, has been as naught be-
fore him. He has convinced and con-
verted the landlord, at least dozen
times, who, however, is liable to be
convinced and converted the other way
by the next person with whom he talks.
1t is true, the radical has violent an.
tagonist in the landlady, who is vehe~
mently loyal, and thoroughly devoted
to the king, Master Simon, and the
Squire. She now and then comes out
upon the reformer, with all the fierce
ness of cat a-mountain; and does not
spare her own soft headed husband. for
listening to what she terms such Glow
lived politics" What makes the good
woman the more violent, is the perfect
GOODNESS with which the radical listens
to her attacks, drawing his face up in
to provoking supercilious smile; and
when she has talked herself out of
breath, quietly asking her for taste of
her home brewed.
The only person that is in any way
match for this redoubtable politician is
Ready money Jack Tibbets; who main
tains his stand in the tap room in def
ance of the radical and all his works.
Jack is one of the most loyal men in the
country, without being able to reason
about the matter. He has that admi-
rable quality for tough srguer, al
so that he never knows when he is
beat. He has half dozen old max
inns, which he advances on all occa-
sions; and though his antagonist may
overturn them never SO often, yet he
always brings them anew into the field.
He Is Hka the rnhher in rinsto who