The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1824-03-12
To he Editors If the Tirgi,,,ien.

Gentl,mcn---rlie following frnalls,
made by an accomplished aud enlightened
gentleman, are Just and applicable, and
worthy Of notice
"Thc great only should be honored--
hut zee honor none. Even in our sister
states, a praiseworthy disposition appears
To exert itself tn discharge the debt of gra-
tltude which we owe 10 our progenitors.
In Virginia alone il is, that the past appears
10 have no existence for Us, and that we
are occupied exclusively with the present.
Whenc. does this unworthy apathy arise
Is il thought that virtue has more merit
when il is the result of reflection, than
when it procreds from imitation, and that
il is unnecessary to hold out models Of
excellencctto those whose duty, and, per-
adventure whose ability it is, to follow the
advice of the poet, and Saa Sponte, rtcte
6cere, guam aiieno meta This view OF
the subject leaves out of the question the
advantage To be derived from biogt Apply
aud the study of human nature, and in the
knowledge of that combination of means
bv which eminent men have been enabled
Ia arrive at the height which they have at
tanned. But we sincerely dcprecatr that
prrsumpttious aud oYerW cening confidence
" hich leads us To believe that ave are in
yincibiy yirluous, nor do we ut all envy the
nsrnsibility which teaches that il can nr-
thcr be elevated To great and noble deeds,
nor restrained from low aud gr0velling ac
lions. by the examples of the great and the
wise: and even surprising such instances
..,.s'..,,i' -, ,"ic 'I11uu 10 exist ~ llarll-
cular individuals, il is the duty of those
whose province il is TO form and reform
mankind, our authors and Legislators, To
consider the world as il actually is with al
lis moral and physical nperfcctiuns, and
To- make use of every engine lich they
can possibly WELD for the promotion Of
virtue and the discomaBcment of vice
Perhaps the cause is To b. traced in the
proverbldl iugratitude of Republics, and
Virginia Is more uugrattful than other
countries only brcausc she is ma. e Icpub
liean. But this IS "A solution which is 50
rcrranant to all our love aud admiration of
rcpubllcansm, that, even it il were true, il
would never be admitted. In bdr opinion,
the cause is not very obscure, and the
whole Of our literary Indifference, az well
as many other defects in our national char
acter, may be accounted for in one word, !
namely Politics. 1t is our exclusive aud |
infatuated devotion Ia politics which pre- T
vents our success in every ether branch OF
science and in literature aud the arts--and, I
indeed, which makes us Totally neglect |
them. In Virginia, We are all politicians +;
and, what is more, we are all political writ /
crs-trom The school boy, who i5 scarcely
out of Syntax and the English Reader
IL happy he has progressed SO ga To the
suPcrannuatvd and praSmatlc dotard, who,
In Il e Il,
read, and who cannot understand his own +
Compositions. We are far from disapprov-
nS of political studies, and readily admit
hat in republic, where a knowledge of !
our rights and liberties is necessary anti
ddte To the insrnsible encroachments of
power. they ought To constitute the funda-
mental, or at least thu primary branch of
education. But, we ask, are the honnrs
which attend thcnoi~y and turbulent career
# the demagogue the only honors worthy
If exciting emulation, and the Capitol the
pny temple in which seat is desirable for
he mhiton Of youth Who will say
hat the fame Of Da,y, La Place or a I
stewart is not as envable as the diploma
lc honurs Of Talleyrand, a Castlereagh.
'rcven Chatham To merit even polit- i
cal distinction, IN any extraordinary de- Il
rec, literature and the arts must be united a
With rditlcs-mhich, without their emo
ling influence, degeuerates Into a narrow i
nd contemplate art, unworthy of the man r
Il science, in which low cunning and selfish Il
5norancc, tisnrping tt'r place of know g
'dSe aud integrity, by Il rapid and inr,ita- Il
lie progression degrade the most high
minded nations to their own despcable ii
vel. Whatever is noble and elevated in
drlduals--nhateycr is exalted and mar =
animous IN nations-and whatever has
cen worthy Of admiration in both, has n
een the result Of that union of all the n
fences, and that cultivation of all the IA -,
n'ties, which alone can lead TO superior \,
Ncellence-and II is utterly in vain for ei.
Ter ever to wish for or expect permanent
'h''cai distinction, whil-tihey neglect the
'oad and Imperishable basis of general
lo"ledsc which alone tan render it du
Ole or despise the elrgancics of htera- re
IRE, which alone can beautify and adorn IN
III Is desoutly to be hoped that this dis l.
aceful apathy, will not long continue, aud fir,
at unless our political mania is utterly IN. II,
lrable, the rapid progress of literary i'm. re-