The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1827-02-27
nnnERN GREAr MEN !!

WI n niblic officer, Ifthey are performed
~ .old,ess. and with a becoming disre-
W. ,ho conventional rules of clyllity, by
,a,g them on all the delicacles OF the table,
a,oxicating them, at the SAINT time, with
~ aud wine. Time was, indeed, when
.Ai,g more was expected of an individual
,yhom this honor was conferred, than a ca
IA, N utter a long rigmarole of ~fustian, as
..,on.place as the subject which elected it
A..adbare-when holiness and frmness
only appreciated as valuable a%djancts of
orange and s~agacity, and not as qualities
r eotitled their possessor to political delft
Tim But the day of great men has passed
..,v-we hear no more, from the Virginia re-
a.,,ation, either in her own legislative Halls,
=. ,be aoorof Congress, those splendid bursts
Il eInosence and that irresistible force Of argu'
,,oot uaich distinguished her statesmen in her
.tie, and better days. Defamation has sue
..,,ed me one, and yituperation the other No
,ooder. therefore, that men of modest and UNI
..,,,.iye merit are overlooked, while holder
.nt weaker spirits rise to an undeserVed pre-
a.,asocr. IN sacn times as these, 1t is necessa-
~ thaf a %factious opposition should nave, in the
National Councils more particularly, lndiyidu-
al. VITO dcclde from passion rather than inses-
toaton, a who consequently substitute the raw
mo, other dlstempered minds for the calm rea-
sonIags of deliberate conviction. 1t is on this
account, that IA large and influential party pre-
fer,ed the eccentric, dazzling and unsteady
haze OF John f,andolph's sarcasm to the milder
but more permanent luStre of John Tyler's abb
lties. THIS cause has contributed to throw the
mantle OF forgctfulness or OF forgiveness over
the frequent, oft-repeated and dangerous errors
of William B Giles and which, equally CON
trary 10 reason, and to the expectations of his
State. has elevated HIM to the ~Gubernatorial
chair, over the head of Hugh Nelson, one OF
yfginla's early and constant fayorites. II is
10 this cause that DIR, John Floyd is indebted ior
the sudden elevation to which he has been
pushed, and which he is qualified TO occu-
Nv neither by his age, his experience or his Wis
dom while Other members of the Virginia de-
cation to Congress, as far before him in all the
essential attributes OF a statesman as John g.
Adams is before Andrew Jackson, are u%nnotic-
ed, because they are not so ambitious as he TO IL
djm then speeches with words of learned
length aud thIotdering sound -because they do
not speak so frequently and so carelessly Of
swords aud bayonets-ot dlsunion and blood
Nesnoud not, however, have lnterfered with
the conplaecncy of the Hon. Member flom
Montgomery nor doubted the tight of the Rich
mond gentry (mho have SD suddenly discovered
tast nc Is a very great man TO play upon the
vanity which they have raised to such an envia-
bi ptoa, II they had not endeavored to give
Sem edat abroad, 10 their own opinions, as well
as 10 the Doctors suddenly acquired fame, by
honoring him with that great EXETER to good
deeds-a public dinner. Like the Devils com.
pacts with avaricious or ambitious mortals'
whereof the legends and traditions OF" the elder
TN are rcdoient. this single act binds him
head and foot to the car of the donors. He is
Their man-theu representatiye-his fate is
seaed, and mis- couise is fixed as the sun. Let
MIR. Adams do what he will, Gen. Floyd is
bound 10 oppose him-Let Gen. Jackson do
what ne may, Gen. Floyd is his pledged adhcr-
ent and supporter. II is not worth while 10 en-
quirc into the mOtireS which actuate ham, partic-
uldri,. They are similar TO those which am
mite nearly the whole body OF oppositronlsts
aud they have been SO often travelled over, that
they are like "a twicc-told tale, upon the drow.
81 ear" The consequences of Gen. Eloyd's en-
lStment, and the utter Impossibility of his look
inS back on receding Il single step, are Infinitely
@r important to the administl alton ; and 10
uose who number themselves among its sup
portcrs ! Ills dcnmciaiions will be as much
dreaded as the hair-hung sword of Damocies-
man whom as many as fifty of 23S members
9th Virginia Legislature, and SIR citizens OF a
Town containing IA population ofnine thousand
Souls, ale found patriotic enough to welcome a
uong them with a public dinner, must certainly
J 'aess superior claims to the public regard
PilSt nave performed some achievement, CT
by tongue, or pen or sword, glorious in its
We Or ia lis result, TO entitlc him to this dis,
shed honor, SO unanimously conferred
a E have never heard, that, during the late
Wa bat one Orleans was saved, and as that
'eat Is attributed 10 the single" and mighty
ann OF Jackson and as, with the bloody fields
"OhIppcwa and Bridscwater arc associated the
nlnies and fame Of Scott and Brown; we can
mol refer this sudden manifestation of respect
'r zen. Floyd to rcpentant sorrow for past in
gratitude! As, since the conclusion Of the
war, no liberty ofihe citizen has been taken a.
say no right invaded Except the suspensio ion
"'he Rabca. Corpus, by Gen. Jacksou) we can
n' presume that Dr.. FIoyd's jealous cxertions
u The cause of civil liberty have entitled him
V TINS distinguished mark of public favor
"Hat, then, is it owins to? Nothing, more
"or less, gentle reader, than that-hc is opposed
al Z. -idams. and IN faror Of Andrew jack
sVa Jor The merit PreSidencg-and that, let MIR.