Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1825-10-21


in Pennsylvania and Ohio, and crowned with such
noble results on the Grand Canal of n York, it
will make final and most forcible appeal TO the
pride and the Patriotism of the Legislature of
1876, and make that appeal in the most powerful
form. Second it by the ablesi talents which eau
be commanded, and postpone the meeting, AT
Fincastle till the next spring to be composed OF
Populations from all The counties, which feel
an immediate Interest in the wo or in the
character of the Old Dominion. Will she shrink
when her sister states are striving every nerve to
eclipse aer in their public improvements;
\ LOWLANDER.
COMMUNICATED.
To I'Ugiaidl Of Fairfar, ar the Lord of the
great .ud1Sion
May it please your Mae>ty-Your plants have
touched the cords of my sympathy, end sincerely
commiserate your case. Doubtless, your pathetic
wang will also excite the compassion of the Edi-
OF this paper, and all the feeling portion of its
readers to whom yor have sued your moving pray
for advice. Nay, sir such are The rowers of vonr
eloquent appeal 10 the head and The heart that an
prehend all The geese of the commonwealth will be
laid under contribution 10 supply pens TO rninister
to your relief. Under these impressions ] should
not obrude my g farthiag rush-light" toto that
blaze of intelligence which will flash into being at
your holy cal for light, to dispel those gloomy
perplexilies' which afflict your purturbed miad
bat have dreamt, or read, or somewhere heard if
said, that 50 in the multiplicity of counsel there is
safety" Age, sir, and if The tongue of a fool has
saved Republic why may il not sound note In
iCiSe mans ear, that will save him from being
buried in the ruins of lis own decayed Mansion
therefore beg leave to contribute few words to
The great council you have solicited; not that
would ntrude upon the province of the PRIVILEGED
authorities in or out of court, about the big house
yol are pleased to make honorable mention of, or
in the remote regions of this wide domain, whose
prcscripfire right TO the Office OF councillors is
fast maturing into its proXimaie and more pere,np
Tory grade OF dictatorship, and consequently in
crcases their ienacousness of court 0rpileges and
may render them sensitive at this encroachment if
not accompanied with a suitable disclaimer of every
preension but that of sheer SamplicitV, which.
with its motley Sznsilment, has ever found such
cougenial favor W coar,iy minds that royal pre-
rogsiive itself relYes into perpetual saIurnaa in
the presence of ~ privileged fool learning wis
dom from his chance medleys and his uncons ions
snaches OF sense wit Thus / hope shall
make my peace with your prescriptiVe councillors
and will be permitted to contribute word or two
of plain talk, from which you NAV possibly extract
something more to the real purpose of your case
than the wonted dupliciiy of your courtly advisers
will permit you TO obtain from their superio. wis
dom, under any extreuliies of danger.
But, sir, do not mem to lake il for granted that
Won are this lcoHdertu rise man! You may be
one OF those poor degenerate bipeds, who are mo
addicted to eXtravagant hyperboe and senseless
allesory; prone TO idolise the settled order of
things" and to stigmaiize all improvements with
he eplthet OF inRoDGtioHS," because improve
ment is rcpngnant 10 their natural supineness of
character! If that be the case, sir, and your whole
family parake of the hereditary blemish, YOU are
not 10 be " trusted" to dictate dny changer your
mansion, lest you spoil it totally, by destro wing
the good parts and substituting worse in their
place. will it be of much concern to the
world or loss to yourselves, if your decaying cdi-
fee overwhem you all In its tremendous crash
FASTENED by the increasing dsproportion of its
weight and strength. But, sir, if you are a man
OF tolerable share OF common sense, you NAV
safely refer the matter to experienced and skilfiI
craftsmen, architects aud masons Of the present
day, whose plans you may revise and adopt or
reject, till the work be arranged and executed To
your circumstances and taste. BY all means |
would caution you against employing or advising
vith any OF the " Masons of TO- Their ma
sorry might do honor to tie day and age in which
they served their apprenticeship; but they would
make most bungling display BY the side of the
great architects of these enlightened times. Look
for instance, at the University of Virginia, and
compare that splendid specimen of modern taste
clumsy, dsproporliOnaie and Ottre gothic man
sion and confess your mortified shame for the rude
state of The science among your venerated ances-
tors. Yes, SIR there is in the neighborhood of the
University arenowned architect who will aid YOU
in new-modeIling and amending the defects Of your
a" anliqIsted mansion,' or erect a new one on the
site OF the old, II the majority OF your great coun-
sci consent TO It,, against The &C practical convent
ences, utility or taste Of which you shall not have
a reasonable ground to complain. Moreover, he
will submit his plans to your individual criticism
and appreciation before they be executed; and he
will also carefully provide for their future allera.
tons aud amendments your convenience change
Of circumstances. or the improvements Of the sci
ence may require; the want Of which facility i'm the
present disposition of The materials Of your man
sion" is the principal thing which now gives rse
to your perpeXity
/ pra y sou will not understand me, however, to
iasinuate that the great architect in The neighbour
hood Of the University is the only scientific man
Virginia aiford. in the science Of which you
profess TO be 50 grossly ignorant be assured that
every quarter o! the slate furnish it, Qttofn--
You hardly ever heard Of house falling 10 decay,
or becoming antiquated and announcement TO the
progress Of practical" well as " theoretic'
comfort and utility which now pervade all human
concerns, but there are artists at hand who can
repair the decays correct the defects and adapt the
whole to the present state and propHety Of things
in the most mastery manner. This is fact too
familiar to al but yourself to require illustration
among the most infant states Of our sisterhood
For your particular edihcaiion, then, will cite an
extreme case, and leave the rest to be supplied by
irresistible inference--fsr he who can swallow