Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1823-09-05

IN the commencement of public life, which
perjury nseds, ard that cnuntenance which
diHidrnrc requires. raised in fruuiier stare,
4, that time possessing hut a Young aud MS
d population cUmparati,cly unrnlightc, ed
and consequently without Influence, should
now be standing before The people for an of
flee that implies u confidence and convpys an
honor that even thrones might envy. When
we seek solution of this mystery. if talents
are rejected from the account, The difficulty is
much increased from rrcollecting the fact, that
tins indi' idual has Undergone most invcie
rate opposition IN every stage of ms public
career That having risen In the greatest
! honors OF ms own state, he has passed into a
mother and different arena of higher order and
wider limits, where after the same implacahr
luminosity and inten t scrutiny he maintains
his exalted standing Can any one believe
that this moral phenomenon has resulted from
any thing short of talents. and those too of the
most reconcile description II it has, Why is
It not shown To what combination of for
tuitous and lucky incidents shall such an nm.
precrdeuted elevation he ascrihrd? What
great event alone, which sometimes c"nters
| immortality on favored being. has wrought
this wonderful effect What military atcheve-
ment, which operating upon the strong feelings
of grateful people, has produced it? But
say his enemies, what has he done Il is TN
! fortunate, for the present candidates. that they
live so near the revolution, and the unfavOra
bic comparison with that event is constantly
suggesting, that they are the first to commence
a competition for an Office, unsupported by
those high claims, resulting from that strug
gle, which has heretofore been the passport
| to success.
Although ours is emphatcally civil gov
eminent, and we have always been excessively
Jealous of a military influence considering it to
be one ofthe most disastrous misfortunes that
conld befal our institutions, yet we seem To
think that M one hut military character can
preside over the natiop, and when we ask what
a candidate has done, il is with reference To
that very subject. Strip our former Prcsi-
dents of their revolutionary services, and how
Ear do they excel in point of attainments or
mind, our present candidates How much
better qualified were they, for the discharge
of so responsible trust In the language of
the nnterrogatOry concerning Mr.. Crawford
what had they done They had made speech
! es and reports IN congress, and so have the
present candidates, and when compared, the
| little sneers of envy Ia the contrary notwth
standing, there is no difference i'm point orsound
sense. deep research, extensive learning or in
deed any of those characteristics that consti
tute an eloquent debate or able state paper
The form -four government requires certain
IN particular routine, by those statesmen who
are climbing to reach IFS highest summit They
FIRST enter the list parliamentary discussion.
perhaps figure at the head of some great com
mttee being successful there. they pass 10 a
diplomatic or departmental station, and there
they are dependent npon contingencies, whe-
ther they remain stationary or rise i'm reputa-
ton. Our condition in life is extremely
artificial, depending upon passing events and
surrounding objects, 10 which, il can readily
conform q he easily accommodated, according
to Our respective genluses and capacities
hence we are singulary the creatures of cir
cumsiance. The same state Of things that
Invested Washington with never dying fame,
as warrior, immortaiizcd Jefferson as u
statesman and Paine as writer, so that it is
not 80 exclusively to talents, as a happy com
| hlnaton ot occurrences, that q eat men some
times owe their elevation and these but
seldom occur. 1t is not often we have revo
luton or a war, and If is very fortunate FOR us
IN more respects than one, that this is the case
such is the inconsiderate aduIaiiOn paid To
The achievements of war, often performed by
| a brave sOldery, but as often ungtnerouslv
transferred TO their commander, who, possess.
ing but litllr more skill or talents than them
selves, had hat very little to do in the affair, that
the government Is actually in danger of passing
INTO the hands of military adventures We
never think we can reward them suili cieniy ;
we feed them with honors aud cram them
with Offices, and at the same lime begrudae
the forgotteA soldier, who earned their fame.
miserable pension.
III then IT is not required of Mr.. Crawford
tp produce the credentials ofhis military glory
to produce his escucheOn and shew where
fields were won" and banners taken; his
friends are more than willing TO compare notes
with any of his competitors, upon any of the
duties or services performed in that ex-reyo-
I lulionary routine | have before mentioned.
Which of tn I'm has done more Than he has !?
| winch oil them from poor, obscure and IN
AIDED youth, through a manhood of unusual
prosecuting opposition, has risen To their pre-
sent consequence: Which of their places is if
| that he could not Gil And which of them
could fill ms place? Which of them can shew
an evidence of talents that he is not instantly
able and ready to match This is an invidious
SUBJECT IT is not my wish to NEEDLE with
Those who have not improperly intermeddled
with Mr. Crawford it is his character seek
to defend, and j know his cause does not
require that the character of any one else
should be biackencd, that his may be bright.
ened he has suffered in feeling TOO much. to
wish that the sensbty of a solitary indj,id-
ual should be wounded on his account.
Mr.. Crawford has often been accused with
want of skill and abilities i'm the discharge
OF his present Office! Why is he continued in
II There seems to exist the utmost conf
dence in the judgment and probty of MIR.
Monroe; why IS il that he retains such an TN.
skilful iinancier think il is now well under
stood that it cannot be from partially, and
wish could whisper 10 the good old man 10
take care Of the aItiu nsinuations Of some
ambitious aspIrants around him, who have
already filed bis mind with jealousy; pas
SION that always ends in disgrace or remorse