Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-06-28
SIR NlMRoD oUIXOTTE.
ALIAS
T. W. SMITH, ESQ.

The might, hunter; knight efthe broken
lance he chemical decomtoSer Of
neyshafsr; the Transmitting aichymist
of animal substances, sc. sc. Cc.
This distin pushed gentleman, whom nature
has so bountifully endowed with extraordinary
aptitudes for acting an infinite variety of
parts, finds much fault with our style; and,
complaining of our want of capacity "to i'm
prove the taste, or enlighten understanding of
our readers" thinks he has been singularly
happy in placing himself in most advantageous
contrast with us, by some uncommon speci-
mems of his pre-eminent qualification for i'm
proving the taste and enlghtening the under
standing of his o7pn readers.
AS we have no taste for turgid bombast no
ambition to seem to be Uery wise, by labOred
illusions to sciences, of which we know no.
thing but their names and wouldnether wish
to acquire the character of being very pro-
found, by writing unintelligibiy, or so obscure
ly, as not to be understood without great labor,
we shall not endeavor TO initiate Mr.. Smiths
examples In these respects, we yield him
the palm, as readily as we acknowledge his
great superiority in Billingsgate" attain
ments. But, that air readers may be gratified
with the novelty, a least, of some of the most
brilliant corruscations of his unrivalcd genius,
and the displays his csaste. his highly cul-
tivated mind, and profound iudgiaent, we sub
NIT the following specimen, which was pro-
duced, after " ling labor" b. the citcum-
stance of our havus copied into our paper, a
short article from the Richmond Enquirer, in
which Gov. Coles was favorsbly mentioned in
connection with the proceedings of our late
Legislature on the sub ct of the convention
question, and which article had beer previous
ly repubshed in the convention paper at Van
dalia.
=" BY what species Of chymco rel process, (says
Mr.. Smith) the Spectator suddenly been
decombosed and all the c6ias-- 'a'fscies in its
original composition, bcru tHa~$U bed into
the most complainant ano aaHi0tory naterials, for
praising the former ohje of's Interest sar
casms, we are entirely al d loss TO understand,
wonderful y unless son~th ng more than the
USUAL PROCESS IF ALCHS NY, has been
resorted to on the occasion, more wonderful
still since alch,my is the most sublime part
of chemistry The power Of the agent used
in this process is universally acknowledged
[ why then suppose any thing more anted y
and the solution Of newspaper, mind that
produced, with the reunion Of the paris rans-
Il Ill
is said to have been done in the most scientific
manner, [and. this Mr.. Smith believes to have
been done by chemical process. notwithstand-
ing something more than the usual process Of
was required Lest our readers
should entertain doubt on this subject,
lstrange apprehension J We place sample of
the constituent parts before them, in their ORR
ginai and in their new state"
The friends ola convention may congratulate
themselves on the wonderful powers by which
their champion has inmitaby illustrated his
subject, by his well selected and appropriate
figures. But unless they can prevail on HIM to
descend little more from the regions of sub
lime science, and draw his illustrations from
more familiar objects, when he comes to dis
cuss the main point, he may not make as many
as they expect, though both he, and
they, will hare the better chance of contending
that his rgtments remain unanswered, from
the impossiblity of understanding them.
AS extremes naturally approximate, so the
sublime and The ridiculous are often found so
near the confines Of each other, that the mis-
take of the one for the other, ought to be con-
sidered pardonabe. 1t must be excusable,
therefore, if any one should suppose it ridlcu-
Ions, to speak, in one short article, of decom-
posing nerp,baber, by chemical process of
it into complaisant and adulatory
by some other process; Of suppos-
ing that something more than the usual pro-
cess of alchymy had been employed in pro-
ducing these effects; and then, of dssolving
it by the power of the agent used in alchymy
Of producing reunion of the parts, including
the transuded particles, in an entire new as
pect by the same agent; and all done sin the
most scientific manner )" and for what purpose
Simply, for " praising" a man.
We do not profess to understand the science
Of chemistry, nor the process of analy zing We
getable, mineral, or animal substances. But
we should suppose it would require very easy
and simple proofs to as certain that far the
greater "constituent part'' of Mr. Smith, is
gas, from the great quantity of wind he has
discharged in consequence of slight puncS4l
ture by us; and the quality of the gas ofwhich
he is composed, might be determined by its