The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1823-08-05


Adams, that the great interests of uniser-
sal morality have sustained from his mas
terly pen anipjury well nigh commensurate
with Tie .sig0al services which he unques-
toinably rendered to the cause of universal
liberty. That his political works have III
any WISE produced this vide spread mis-
ehiel, am not ready Ia assert Let them,
upon the whole, renain sacred in the esli-
lnation al present t. all future races ri free
men. fnr one, am wiling To- unite with Mf.
Adams, only III reprobaiibg the Are ofRea.
sou. To that work alone 4 attribute the
disorsanizing tendencies of the bold philo-
sephy OF Paine. But, 10 the name of the
lnsiolable immuuiiies al conscience and
free enquiry, let Mr.. Adams 20 further,
aud for the manly reasons " hcll he assign
ed M late indicating publication, ENJOY
The privilege Of thinking unlayorably Of
the Rights of Man," of the Age pf
Reason" and all other Writings Of Paine,
with the exception of his inimitable, his
august and triumphant Common Sense
independent Of The grounds stated by
himself lOrlmpr0bating the labors Of Paine,
II ~ md'erlal t0 bear in mind that Pane
was among the most bitter enemies Of his
father and surely If iiIial piety be not a
crime, the son might naturally aud properly
enough have allowed the resentments en-.
klndled by such circumstance 10 influence
nm against the pen as well as the person
OF The man. Paine, in the height of his
antlpathy To president Adams, had unequi-
vocally charged him in the public prints with
design To rear up "A monarchy in the Uni
fa4H I4fa s4flst 4. l.. A.
tary IN the family of General Washington.
John Quincy Adams was then youthful,
glowing mike with amor putria aud devo-
lion to The civil laurels of his patriarcha
sire. What, | emphatically ask, could
have been more natural than for him, IN
some way of ether, 10 wreak revenge upon
the individual who bad sought 10 rob that
sire OF his good name and brand itwith ;rea
son II was under these and countless
other proVoeatlens 10 excitement, that the
pamphlet signed Publlcola issued from the
press and If some of its structures upon
the democratic party, or upon individual
yotaries and tenets of that party, are too
acrimonious, every bcnignant mind will
freely pardon them on account of their
emanatlng from the very fountain of fliaI
reverence. After the foregoing obserqa-
tons are brought home 10 reason and the
recesscs of the heart, may not hope Mr..
Adams viii appear somewhat faircT to the
public eye, than he does upon The shadowy,
canvass of Henry This fgu-
ratlve, plastic writer first pourtrays Mr..
Adams as the sou of an unblrshl0g monar-
chlst and the disciple of the yilcst toryisn.
He then duhs him political monster, half
lsracllte, half Jesuit, daring ON the one
hand To arrest the meteor Of the revolution
III lis transit from THIS western hemisphere
10 the benighted realms of the east and on
the other hand, after " the magnificent fire
e1'l' lad cludcd lrs grasp, resormg with
pa'try inesse, for his cXtrication from OPP
= 3hrlum, TO groundless distinctions be
tween the Rights of AIan and the Dcclara-
ueJ Of independence. Eloquence is the
tnni sister OF enchlntmenf and drclnma-
llou, like the mountain torrent, sweeps be-
tore Ii Tor while the opposing bnwarks
T the mind. Still the charm of the one,
I'D the force of the other, make but
transient impression, aud are far from being
proof against the simple artillery of truth.
Hence, methinks, | have laid the magic
storm brewed up by Henry, for the purpose
OF crushing his political Joshua" far be-
meath "the elulgent orb Of The revolution y
methinks, also, may have said something
To show that Mr.. Adams, so far from me-
rltlng destruction amidst the angry concus-
Ave elements which have been Invoked
upon him, deserves to bask high IN the ge-
NAL sunshine of 70, and TO be mildly illu-
mined rather than consumed, by those
heavenly beams ever streaming forth from
the armament Of independence.
At the head Of what | will term the Sc
condary class of objections urged by Henry
against Mr. Adams, is the inrxpcable sin
of having opposed, for " six iong years."
the leading measures of the Jefferson
administration. However fearful in sound
or rouslng to the spirit of faction, may be
this charge, it need not he reCoiled from in
hopeless agony by the friends of Mr.. Adj
ans. Like all other charges, il may be
true or untrue and fortunately, if true,
the American public have so Ear discarded
the virulence and bYotry of former times,
as to prefer principles to men, and even
admire rather than condemn the statesman
who, with Independence of mind and the
constitution for his guide, cu,nbats the
most imposing measures OF the existing
administration. BESIDES, the present ANAL
gamation of the original parties in this
country, forbids us To observe old land
marksin awarding appreciation or censurc
to the faith of our numerous politicians
Whether this strange inversion of the poll
teal chessboard be ominous of good or
bad fortune to the liberties OF these states,
am not gifted with prescience enough to
announce. However, as long rs the old
federal and democratic parties remain asst
inflated as at present /; as long as the latter
continue with eclat 10 pursue the tavorite
policy of the former, taking them by the
hand at the same time rs brethren | re-
peat--durIns this reign of good feelings"