Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1825-12-10

The style of the last parts of his recent Messag,
'he most excepuonabe that has been used By
any Chief Magistrate. II wants the gravity an,
the simplicity of Great State Paper II il bette
adaptedto the Chair of Rhetoric in Harvard; tina,
'he executive Chair of the u. States.-But
compare the sentiments of this paper with those Of
ms r ourth OF July Grafton delivered in Washing.
ION, IN 1871, aud one cannot help being struck
with the difference of the tone which characterize,
ahe produetoessof the same man at different times
ney sre nor only dinereot from each other bu,
"eanss ~ 'nem isNshat ought TO be. Both are in
extremes In the Grafton, the Orator il so ,olici.
to"s to establish the SUPERIORITY of America, from
tie Liberty which she enjoys and the example she
esnoits 10 'ne world, that he speaks with species
VI iheAeusao'e contempt Of the Arts and the Sci
ences oil Europe. Even his fsyorite SCIENCE of A.
ionomy' with IT'S one hundred am, thirty OF these
agar houses OF The skies is spoken of with a
SUI. % smeeI.--hut IN the Message, the President
'peNs VI Liberty as principally valuable from the
Po ,e wN'ci' " cohiers ct extending The career of
public Improvement; aud he is noy so much devo-
leo 10 tpe sciences, that he scarcely srruples about
tue means Tor 'beir promotion, and in lis great zeal
seems 10 forget the very principles of our cousti-
tuition itself.
Ia both papers, therefore, Mr.. Adams ia hurried
o" 10 an excess. The .arts and Sciences are very
."iuDie 10 man. and therefore they ought never TO
'ue''@,ue"' even when cultivated by another
h'uon But, on tie oher hand we should never.
attempt TO promote them at the ey,enss If H..
constitution. The preservation of our f,,r, 81
government is the first great object of every anoJ
c'l|eh' Next 10 II "ve ought to attend 10 the i'm
pro'ement OF our country: and this Is To be effected
By 'be eNertions of Udiriduai citizens. or of lie
S'ale s00tr"'"enfs' or OF III owbned; or, if
necessary, by amending the constitution and con-
ierrmg new powers on the General Government.
OUT Ia no Case, b. permitting il to usurp a mower
which was ne~er conferred
But To the Extracts from ;hese tyvo r, nsr. Of NJ
Adams
THE MESSAGE.
III assuming her station among the civilized
nations of The earth, it would seen, thai o,r COM,
Try had contracted the engagement to contribute
her share ut mind OF labour ard OF expense 10 the
Improvement Oh those parts OF knowledge which
lie beyond the reach of individual! ACQUISITION. ami
par lcisrly 10 geographical and astronomical sci
ehce. Looking back to the history only of IN.
hMi century since the declaration OF eur irdana,
oehce' and observing the generous emulation with
"iich 'he gov ernInents o, France, Great Bi,ain |
anu hussia' have devoted the genius, the intelli-
the common mnpr9v e ea sst ri reiResye nations
81 science, is il incunoat upon US to
inquire, whether we are not bound by obligations
oil a high and honorable character IN cootri,,te
our portion OF energy and cxer.ion 10 the common
stock: The voyages of discovery, prosecuted in
ue course oil that iime at the expense oil those ma
tlons have not only redounded TO their glory but
TO the Improvement of human knowledge We
have been par,akers oil that improvement, and owe
Tor II sacred de6t not only of gratitude but of e.
qudf or proportional ereTfi0n an the same common
cause. vi the cost oil these undertakings, if the
mere expenditures OF outfit, equipment, and coal-
rietion oil The expeditions, were be considered
the only charges, 1t would be unworthy of d grea,
and generous nation to take secoud thought Il
One hundred expeditions OF decentralization, like
those OF Cook and La Perouse, would not burden
the exchequer OF the nation fitting them out 20
much as The ways ard means OF deirsying a sinsle
campaign in war;
I" Connected with the establishment of an ITni
versIty, or separate from it,, might be undertaken
'be erection oil all astronomical O5seruLt0rY with
pfo,ision Tor the support of an astronomer, TO be
n constant attendance IF observation anon the
Phehome'sd y the heacenS; and for the periodical
pu location OF his observations Ii is tpth mo freI-
nag Of pride, an -fnierican tina. the remark
may bepnade, that on The comparatively small ter
ritoria surface of Europe there are eristinp- nm
yards OF one hundred and thirty Of these Hsht-
houses ot The SHES; while throug houi the W noIe
American hemisphere, there Is not one Ii we re-
fleet moment upon the discoveries, which. IN the
last tour centuries, have been made in the ,y steal
constitution OF The universe, by The means Of these
ou'!uings and oil Observers stationed in them shall
we doubt OF heir usefulness TO every nation2 .4pd
,ohite scarcely a year passed oper our heads
lclth0ut bringing some neiY astronomical DISCO
gerry 10 Aght, iohich zoe must fun ,eceioe at
second hdnd from Europe, are zoe not cjlfti1g
ourselves or from the means of returning Eobf
for hght, tChiIe t1e haze ncitbe, observation nor
Observer upon our half IF The giobc, and IN,
earth reU0Ices an perpetual darkness to or, IN
searching egesi''
q" The spirit of Improvement is abroad upon the
earth. Ii stimulates the heari and sharpens the
faculties, not OF fellow -citizens alone bu of tho
nations OF Europe, and of their rulers. While
dwelling with pie sing satisfaction upon the surero
excellence OF our political institutions Iet ne ma,
be unmindul that Liberty is Power; that tho M
ton blessed with the largest por,ion of Iiher,,
must In proportion TO It's numbers, he the most
powerful nation upon earth; and that the tenure of
power ny man, Is, In the moral purposes of hi.
Creator, upon condition that il shall he ev,.r,iai
TO ends oil benehcence, 10 improve the co,ditioo
OF himself and his fellow-men While co,oi,, 49,,
tons, less blessed with that freedom Which !.
power than ourselves; are advancing with oioan,;c
strides In the career of public improvement ,vero
we 10 siumber in incidence, or fold TN OH, arms oJ
proclaim to the world that zoe are pnys;,J h., J5n
tDH Of our constituents, would it not he m cas,
away tue p9uhues Oh Providence, and doom our
selves to perpetual iDeriority!''
Now let take up the Grafton .rd 30 r.
haveIn no tD0y Uhatsoever contributed IN nav tLo
de6t which America owed to T. rome. and H., ,s
also see, whether in 1924 1t was deemed of s,cb
primary importanceto attend to the cultivation o,d
encouragement Of the Mechanic and of,be elcg,,,,t
arts, The advancement OF Literature. ard Tho
progress oi the Sciences, ornamental and ,,yo-
found (nevef forgetting the astronomical obser-
vatorfes, the mutation and a6eyrdfioa of the Star,
&c.)