Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-06-28

supporting an unjust cause, would ever pre-
tend to make classic allusion to ga talisma-
mic touch of the wand of Midas" He had no
such "wand," nor does either the fable, or the
moral from it, warrant any such inference; so
that, Mr. Smith in trying to shew his smatter-
ing of learning, has showed his real ignorance
"a most unlucky hit, indeed, TO recommend
himself to his employers, who have expected
him to write us down with so much ease. If
he succeed no better, when he comes to the
main point, the friends of freedom have not so
much to dread from him as they may have ina
gined Indeed, we ourselves find him so much
less formidable than we expected, that we be-
gin to think any further conflict would be
something like the employment f"pouring
water on drowned rat''
Speaking of our columns on a certain occa-
sion, he says "they were silent as the tomb"
No one, therefore, could suppose, that any
form of expression could represent them as
more quiet" Yet, this man ofwnd and words,
for the sake of sound, of rounding off a period
to his extraordinary taste, and of something of
rhetorical flourish, "to surprize the natives"
by way of Gaping climax, adds, Sand full
as quiet, as if they, fits columnsl had been in
armed in the shades of death.' What sort of
readers can he think he has, if he suppose this
ridiculous verbosity can "improve their taste,
or enlighten their understandings" We hope
never to be lead by so vicious an example, to
pay SO poor compliment to our readers. And
rather than run the risk of mourning their dis
pleasure, by such means, we shall always pre-
fer 10 encounter all the objections to our
palmer, and humber style. With cheerful
ness we yield "the tinsels," our ambition be-
ing satisfied to attain I" the solids" He is per-
fectly welcome to all the gaudy plumage, so
much to his taste, if we can only obtain the
more substantial meat which it is designed to
to cover.
Exhaustless as is his vocabulary ofabuse, it is
surprizing to find him constantly recurring to,
and with tiresome monotony, repeat
ing the same opprobrious epithets. This
can only be accounted for, upon the SUPPOSE
ton, that he has supplied himself with certain
set phrases, as with munitions of war, to be dis
charged against his adversary as often as occa-
sion presents itself; and that, though defeated
ever so often, he has not the promptitude to
vary his attacks to suit new emergencies. He
never fails, however, to disgorge himself on
those who may happen to displease him." so as to
shew that he has not "been accustomed to the
ordinary courtesies, which the rules of society
have prescribed for the intercourse of ndivi-
vduas," or that he has not {" the least pre-
tensions to decency or good breeding.'
After the failure of all his former ridiculous
attempts at intimidation, we hardly expected
the silly rodomantade about his courage.
which his last paper contains and as he
is very fond Of dealing in old proverbs,
we content ourselves with replying to him,
that, "barking dogs are the least apt to bite :"
His "insolence" to US, being incapable of pro-
ducing any "othcr tendency than to disgrace
himself in the estimation of every decent in
dividual in society,"" we may safely leave him
to the punishment of that scorn and contempt.
which he cannot possibly escape.
1t is surprizing that he should talk SO much
of that honorable sense "of protecting ones
character, in way, that every gentleman would
feel bound to do, where he knew it was uniust-
~ assailed," unless he meant to admit, that he
had never been "xnyustiy assailed" at st. Louis,
on various occasions, or that, he was not uu-
justly assailed," a short time previous to his
election as Cashier of the Branch Bank at Ed
wardsyille, and on some other occasions, which
wehadintendedto notice in parallel columns we
have prepared, but which, owing to the i'm.
portunity of some of our friends, and repug-
nance to the involving of third persons after
Mr.. Smiths example, we have concluded to
withhold.
He says that, the most respectable and no
norable men have, on various occasions, been
the objects of our most gross abuse and virr-
lent calumny," and asks, show then ought he
TO expect to escape" as emphsticaly, as though
he meant to admit that he was neither re-
spectacle nor honorable" and therefore ought,
the more naturally, to look for such attacks.
Without stopping to question the apparent
justice ofsuch conclusion, were his premise
true, we proceed at once, to deny the fact, Of
having thus attacked the most respectable