Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-09-23
FOR FHE Enquirer.
A NEW HISTORY.

public" from 4, $40, will exhibit Of
unhDnhed appearances; hove been rom the eont..
Il" press w"h'" sny preparatory alteration, fo ,rpa.
rate pubic alton Tue publisher md ei h,m,eif
ut liberty to nu,s,e, by any alt ration uhay.r the MS
mat has fser into bis hands whh have been Ia.
work Of di'iau, period, and OF iep.',,d su,hor
mus terminated in disgrace, the political life of
the younger Adams; the SECOND OF his family who
a"mhed 10 the first honocs OF the Republic. The
american people are apt, very iusty 10 consider
the rise OF his man 10 power the mos, .xt,oorl;
nary incident recorded in their annai.. The res
tora'ion OF dcposed family and vanquished par
~, III lie person oil man OF the greatest Utilities
u, III general, task hard to be accoupshed even
win The aid OF military force, and d, the price OF
domestic teud; bu, the peaceful and voluntary eIc
Vahon OF an inferior man, uDdes such circum.
stances, TO the suoimest station in the gift of man
Sni, by The people themseves, is an occu renee
10 NIL = new page in the history OF he world and
To furnish new theme for philosophical specufa
ton he path OF John Quincy Adams Ia, poyvcr
was no. the splendid career OF conaucror 'lisiin
guiShed by the desolation of lis country. In Civ
,ns' men the explanation OF an event. which
brings down to the level of every day, common
place occurrences, the wonders Of history ,ee
nave difierent and more difficult task 10 DC rforr
'nan 10 mp our pen ia blood, aud repeat he hact,
hco narrative oil military strife IT was, Indeed.
one OF those marvellous events which checks tho
pen OF the historian in its early career & demands
IN order TO be comprehended or belle. ed a deem s.
elaborate enquiry into the. principle. of human
cohuuc'' winch t!iaws down, invounariiy the
mind rs well of c reader as Of he writer rro,,
~ smooth surface OF de story, eek for the un
OBVIOUS rausrs of such isirri hin. eif..s: which
III wore, without very anIui- Npianaton Tim
dull cannot easily compi ehend and the enlis h,en
ed viii not readily believe.
history, which is merely n naked narration r
facts, possesses no greater utility than work of
imagination. Unless il lay open the connectnc
links between the events which it relates. tbcjr
rscipforai DIP ndence; their consequences and
,htir causes; It will exhibit, TO Inc INTELLIGENT rea
der, the absurd Appearance which desf man dis
covers III the spectacle o. dancing-who sees the
movements, but cannot hear the music which
alone coniers upon them a-rationaiity and , hcau
ne nope therefore. that the phiio-ophc rca-
Ger wli' not consider some general reflections in
'his place, as altogether useless OF napproptiate
4 ne vulgar and the credulous o. mankind hayo
always beeh too apt TO attribute 10 those w no hay
been successfully engaged in The conduct oil po,it
cal affairs, commanding si,periorit, over thor
fellow There is a very ren raj tsndenc,,; -
men, minds 10 ascrbe 20 the ,.osifiys ayenc1 ~
the persons who happen, for the zine, 10 be al The
heau OF AFFAIRS the prosperity and renovn or the
adversely ana dlshonor of the nation whilst COM
mere" iiouTiShes, agriculture proepers inaivduaI
acquire wealth, and the nation acquires glory bar
nlris are esteemed OF Course, ,n:iied Ia the an
Pause aud the gratitude of the people: and when
"ir ''a'S Oh 'hings l. reversed, they are held UP
a. III oigects OF eXcc5a'iou or contempt Anoni-
W. many uniounded notions that have been pr.ya.
ien' III The world, maXims never TO be lisn,ted
we "eiieve that mankind have assen,ed 10 no oni
mon so utterly erroneous tlis--to so pervadino
anu pernicous delusion.
When political things arc stripn,d of tba ,,ys,a
riouS veil il which cunning or Ignorance. ,,as IN,
vested thei', II becomes obvious thai men are sci
dom indie tied 10 ihei rulers for the pood t,ev en-
Joy; but Ior The evil they suffer. almost always.-
Sometimes, indeed, ,s;aroi,ies bciau co,,,rD;,,
which human wisdom could hardly have forssae,
ana could not possibly have prevented rhcv
however, are Ike the earthquakes and hurricanes
mat dishguie and desolate The face of the eartb:
NOW MOI when or whence they come, nos
"ouiu II advantage us 10 know. All governments
are con'rNances. productive themselves of MANY
eVilS 10 prevent the greater ones incident IN h,,
man society. The interposition of the strono arm
VI government, ~, IN every case, an abrideemeut
oil natural liberty, and therefore a positiye evil
i"-' "hich interieres the least, in tue afl,irs OF
men, i best in It's administration; and f,,t which
ns me least capacity 10 interfere best in its con-
su'u'ion. The ruling power Of state can. there
lore he only negatively good-by abstainiar from
unnecessary interpretations; but NAV he pos,tivelv
bad-by every interference not demanded h, t,,e
Puuiic e2isencieS. Men the best mana ayers Of
their own concerns; and the sole utility Of gov
e'ie"', Is TIE security which ii affords TO every
one iii ue pursuit OF his own happiness accord.
ing 10 ms own discretion. Every member of go
ciety, IN the successful conduct of hi, o,y,, affairs
contributes directly to the prosperous a6 nDistfa
lion OF The state: and the natural and necessa
ny condition OF well-const;tuted government IL a
.o. Po'Peiiy' s@nohai prosperity is the
creature of individual happiness of the means nj
procuring which, every one is his own best i,ldye:
ana individual happiness is, ia sort, the consc
Quehce OF national prosperity Far different how
ever, were the notions which prevailed in the me-
r.oa OF which we write. Government ,yas con-
sidered mysterious and COMPLETENESS es,abI;zh
ment, which created the happiness of the people:
anu the men VINO happened 10 be in power iurinc,
Pe'iohoi public prosperity, were celebrated for
.heif abilities and virtues, and reyerenced az tina
beneiactors OF mankind
ne orcGn0 nnpern we're exaggerated in the
general estimation, that they were far beyond th,
reach OF ordinary men; and none were cons;d,raJ
eqiai 70 the attainment, who had tot enriched tho
greatest abilities with the experience of man,
yeats-who had not reaped :. tiie well-earned han,
ses. OF many learned coniere ncc many patient
lecture, and many midnight Iucubration. ;"
A'tnis distance OF time, we must attribute in n
great degree, the success OF this man TO tho nrc.
VaIehce oil these delusi0ns. In that age the man
VINO would have ay0wed and applied TO politics t,e
pam principles ihat-the aiIirs OF the State arc
pui 'he affairs OF the men Who compose it--that
eoi'hon sense IN one thing is common sense ia
~ =, ~ anu mat the great secret in politics IS
lnA' mere Is 40 sccret-wouid have been jiscred;t
ca as an utter TOOL, distrusted as a douor;r.,
|"dNe. me man would have been denounced h.,
we o'Sc,pies OF John q. Adams as guilty of snc
- VI DiaNPnemy, who might have prcsu,ned IN
100, 'hal stii 10 their darling diplomacy con
sstc" ohiy OF the application Of that same co,n,oo,
sense, which is protective of saIu,ar, ros,,1.a
common concerns, Ia tho more important bn, -
i''i'S more simple and comprehensive concern 81
. ot"'e' Ihe} would have ho,n shocked ~ m,
''F'p"s olScIosurc; iorhaving be iIdsb cd IN -
o. ,'ae al' cone ain n upon this hea for ne
"'cq"Sl'ion ot Their powcl aud =, puf,fioo a., -,
INV iuil well that they mus. have f,Ile, &c.
we Uia-Phem0us dcvelOpemeut OF that C,,al n,in,;
t'c iRe test oi That incIple they kne,v tst ~;
,',.i, "cVef could ABIDE. Common sense was =