Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1824-03-30
COMMENTATORS.

the art OF printing, and since the freedom
of the press has been established, the
description OF persons denoted by the
above caption, have been considered an
industrious, laborious and useful set of
people. And i, is but just tribute TO
say, that we feel and acknowledge the
obligations we are under TO this class OF
literary gentlemen, especially when we
consider the laudablc motives which in
duced many OF them 10 undertake the
revision and correction of text, some
times no, only arduous, but almost end
less in its nature. They perhaps sup
posed, that mankind IN general, weak
from the want oil cultivation, or else care
less and INDECENT, were either unable to
fathom the nitric aoies OF some dark and
abstruse subjects, or were unwilling to
undergo the fatigue OF a task, fraught
with difficulties IN S accomplishment.
Hence 1t is, that they have undertaken
to be the lights Of science, The pioneers,
who were to remove all the rubbish and
impedinents from the high road OF lm-
provement, and give the community an
easy dt CESS W an lilN Sl'itS VI IliNi
And II may justly be said at them, that
the public has derived some benefit from
their reflections, for every reader has an
alternative offered him, TO read the ORR
einal work, either with or without the
commtnjs BY which II is accom- panied.
II hey are vicious, he casts them aside.
If they are candid, chaste and decorous,
they serve greatly To iighten the labofs
oil study, and to give thc udent
radid insight into the nearing of his
author SO that il no essential benefit
has been derived rom the works oil COM
nentaIors, the most that can be SAID
against them is, lhaI they are IN general
a harmless, pioddiag set OF people, who
can rarely be accused OF having done an
injury to the public. Bnl it IS with
commentators and the subjects OF their
Inve stigaton, as with all other matters
and things which iail under our observa-
ton. We can lay down no general rule
IN relation to them, but some exceptions
may be taken to it. Thus political CONF
mentators and POLITE ians who revise,
correct, condemn and mlsconsirue each
Others productions, are fatal departure
from the rules laid down for the govern
ment Of their more wolthy biethlen.
The reason of it is, because This numer-
Gus and amiabie class OF ci,lzens, hose
profound researches seldom extend be-
you'd the ephemeral publications Of the
day, are always at enmity with. each
other. The object of their discussions
Is not to elicit the uuth of any gIven
proposition, on 10 illustrate what would
otherwise be dark and unlnlelli.sibe to
The public, but on the conlfav to involve
every thing in mystery and obseurity, SO
as TO blind and mislead the public OPT
Mon. They delight in Undertaking. the
public services, and vilily,ng The private
character OF individuals, in more elevated
stations than themselves, TO misconstrue
their words, their actions, and in short
to do away every thing which has ten
dency TO create confusion, and bring each
other into contempt and ridicue.
II we inquire into the motives of such
sinister transactions, we are not surprised
to find that they frequently originate in
The spleen and pe,uence of disappoint-
ed ambition, or else in that unconquersble
prejudice, or envlous disposition, which
seeks TO reduce every thing to rs own
dininutive standard of excellence. Its
in these respects that this class OF COM
differ from the rest. Between
them it is moi, as might be supposed,
contest bets cen individuals emulous of
fame, or of that high and honorable dis
tinction which ought to characterize the
guardians OF our civil and political rig hts;
but quite the reverse: they plunge into
the wordy war, with minds fu of blinded
par,alitIes, and hearts full Of malice;
with no other object but that of des roy
ing their enemies with the poisoned ar
rows OF misrepresentation, and securing
for themselves the emoumenis and shell
ler of an Office. How much ought we
to deprecate such state OF things How
much to be regretted that set of men
every way qualified to be the political OBJ
servers OF the times, possessing every
source of information, with the means of
diiTusing il among the people, should so
far lay aside what is due from every en-
lightened and patriotic citizen, as often
times to create false excitement, and
give wrong bias to the public mind.
Such a mistaken policy can never even
tuate in the benefit of the individual who
employs it. He will labor in vain to ar
rive at the summit Of his wishes For,
like the stone of Sysphus, it will con-
tinually recoil upon him, with the accu-
mulated weight of disappointed hopes