The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1826-10-02
LYNCHBURG, OCTOBER 2, 1925.

The Leuisburg Dinnsr.-No one views
with more indifference than ourselves, the
Testimonials of respect which are So fire.
qnently paid TO distinguished individual, i
10 the way ofpnblio dinners; and Ne son-
der that those who are 81 ioud Of appealing
to tn" examples of Greece and Rotoe, in
their "mnst high AID paimy days" AS pre-
cedrnts Tor any novel proposal which may
he generated in their cranums, should for |
ret TO remember that IN no instance did the
citizens of those ancient Republics ever a.
dept this mode of honoring individual
who had done "the state some SERVICE
Ii IS true, when some mighty deed had
been achipyed-wiIen 4 formidable foe was
beaten and destroyed, or the public cotitls
were filled With the price of rhnsompd prl-
soneIs, triumphal entrys into the Capital
were decreed by the State To the conquer
or, aud other modes of dung him honor
were suggested by the public gratitude
But We never hear of any Thing like reg
ular set. 10 at a well supplied table, To I'LL
their maas while they we're discbarging
the contents of their skulls. The fact is
that it IS a custom which has lis origin in
any thing but patriotic motives, aud one
which, except under very peculiar clrcn IL
stances, is mere honUred M the breach
than in the observance" The Lewsbu,g
dinner to Mr.. Clay is one of the few which
| ought to have been offered and accepted.
The peculiar situation of Mr.. Clay, and thr
relation which he bears to the people of
Virginia, should have induced his friends
in every section of the State winch lar
visited, to greet his arrival among them, IN
the way best suited TO the inclination and
convenience of all parties, to show him
that there were yet some who believed him
to he a man of nnimpeached and min
peachable integrity, notwithstanding the
strenuous endea, ors which have been
made to destroy bis reputation and hun
self There is yet another reason, which.
alho' II could have had no effect upon the
ciiZens of Lewlshurg, irres,tihly urged
Mr.. Clay to accept their invitatlon. IL
was the course pursued by a few self i'm
portapi individuals who happened 10 be in
! ipo nelghborbouo ur Ls,,,epuir al thp
time Of Mr.. Clay's arrival, aided by Few
of their humble followers who reside in
the vicinity, To render the scheme aborti,e.
One of Tn indisidu rs to whom we allude,
aud the chief worker of the wires, resides
| W ibt ''tAipFpio VI tuo Otdit, IDS lOHR
borne the character of man of talents, IS
an efficient hone member, as well as
useful missionary of that intangible though
pow rtul body, which for want of better
name, has been called the Richmond Junto,
4 has the privilege Of lacking az" Honora-
Bile" before. g. M C." after his name, BY
virtue OF his office. THIS gentleman, his
head TUNED by the high though not sud-
den rank in life which he has acquired by
! his own exerllons, possessing, as we before
/, remarked, some talent, aud more impu-
i drnce, thinks, as do many of his friends,
that in the absence Of John Randolph, he
is the chef prop of Virginia dignity and
/ the abest defender of Virginia doctrines in
\ the national colacils. He even aspires to
the vacant slippers If our absent Senator,
aud 10 doubt is already in imagination
seated among the Conscript Fathers of
the country. This is certainly due to his
arduous labours in the political world for
hos he not opposed the administration of
| Mr.. Adams? Has he not, for The good Of
his country, subdued his dislike of General
Jackson, and substituted hlgh-sounding
praises of The Generals character and abll-
lilies, in lieu of mis- former denunciations of
the one, aud his rIdlCule of the other? Has
he nrt quoted Polite Economy to show
the banriul tendency of the manufacturing
policy? Has he not opposed the Bankrupt
Law Has he not denounced Mr.. Adams
for being in favor of making roads and ca
uals, and justified similar policy in Jeifer
son Has he not appealed to Washington,
Farewell Address, 10 prove the danger of
the Panama Mission? and has he not
drawn upon his own genius To rdlcnle the
pedaDtry of the President? Aye, all this
bath he done. Such is the gentleman
who, VT understand, besousht the people
of G.eenbrlef, in all the mock majesty Of
the assumed sage, to pause and reflect, be-
fore they had committed themselves To
recoIect uho and tohat Mr.. Clay was, and
had done, before they lent their countenance
10 an ACT virtually approving his conduct
But ridiculous AS was this assumption of
right to Interfere with the wishes of a
people to whom he was an entire personal
stranger, we c0ufess we respect the bold
ness that dictated, much more than we
can the servlIty whl~h yielded to il. We
are told that the gentleman who repre-
seCts the Greenbrier district in Congress,
altho' an advocate of the mode of constr
tutional construction, which has received
the sanction ofthe present as well as of pre-
cedlng administrations, and consequently
compelled by his principles to justify the
policy pursued aud recommended by
Messrs. Adams and Clay, actually bad
SO hltle independence of character, or
depended so little upon his own judgment,
or feared SO much TO encounter the anger
of the Richmond Junto, which holds in
It's hands all the metropolitan honors of
the State, that he seryiely consulted with
his Richmond colleague whether or NOT
he shsuld afford to the dinner the sanction
Of his presence. He was, of course, ad
used 10 abstain from the touch of defile-
ment, and We hope that as proper reward !!