Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-08-14
To II EpIrons or TIE VINO.

To THE ItDIToRs OF THE VINO.
Gentleinen:-l shall not be so wanting i'm self re.
spect as to answe directly the gratuitous attack Of
u writer IN your paper, signing himself .Omntilian."
Although he has modestly assumed the character OF
u earned StGDHiariln, / should Judge from his stvle.
tIat he much more frequently rcsurtcd for imur we
inent TO 'the luriieus Of Grub street, than the
Groves Of Acadcmus, l~fhuwevcr, ! am mistaken IN
this, and 1t should actually be the case that by long
ana lahorious apprenticeship, the %fi;tr has 6couircG
n tolcrablc knowledge Of moods and lenses. 7 cannot
ne mlsied IN one other conclusion, To vii: that Inc
mas yet much to learn Of that decorum OF manners,
aud OF that decency Of sly lc and language, which are
praciised among gentlemen. Why he should think
IL necessary TO enforce his phIloloUical doptnas nv n
"Guhoo discharge Of %cpithets' at me. am nj a loss TO
determine, unless indeed. IT is that the vanity uftiie ne
dagogue predumlnatcs over all respect Whatever for
the feelings OF others. That | possess a dull arpre
ic.'s!on,' and an ignorant of the English lanpua1c"
may be true. and if true, is my inistoi tue; but how
that ignorance can be 'pitiful," as Quintiian repre-
sent5 \, or why a writer who affects so much verbal
nicely and refinement, should have used without
cause so ~contcmPtuous an cXpletive, is what | can
not understand. J beg pardon however. The pity
ol TINS Learned Theban' is excited az the irnorancc
OF US dnh sous, who do not pcrccive al Il glance, THE
breVlty and elegance which SO strongly mark all
Gen. Jackson's compositions" Yes mi-Cror tho
famous letter 10 Campbell about Slas Dnsmore. and
the Ori1 and elegant thrust OF the "secrsie ossa,sins. -
down to this last episii e addressed To the DamCcr,
tic members of the New Jersey Legislature.
And now Messrs. Editors, for this famous sentence
winch according to the refined perceptions of Quin.
hhan, what a misnomerD is so very "lacouic, cor
rect, modest and elegant" Let US epread il oncs
more before your readers.
"Ihe confidence you express in the principles which shall
control my administration, must rcpose upon my ardent and
honest endeavors 20 foster aud To promote. hv ali -, ,0..I
acts tine general interests OF the county, ~
repeat, and | confidently appeal to all unbiased
aud intelligent minds To sustain the assertion. tbot
tins sentence Is neither perspicuous, elegant nor
grammatical; and | maintain that the explanation
which QuintIlian gives, Is both far fetched and uusn
tlsIactory. IL Is lmmaterial, and | care not in what
cCpDfufInu the yarh ..g,,.a ,..-.1 - -
1t - absurd to say, 'the confidence 1wu express in
my principles, ! must 1epose upon my honest endea-
YOURS, &c.' IfsuCh had been the Presidents mean.
ing, he would have said, "thc confidence mn EXPRESS
III my principles, yoW might safely reposc upon nv
honest endcavors, but for his Excclency to place
tie confidence Of Others where they did not place il
themselves, IS altogether ridiculous. AS well MIGHT
one dandy address another in the following lnnruaoe.
"Thc admiration you express OF the manner in which,
my crayat IS tied, 1 must reposc upon the ELEGANT
neatness ofmy shirt rufilc." There would have benn
just ~ much good sersc and ~pGoprctY in this mode
OF expression as in the sentence c~ulogized by Gum.
lillian.
But setting as,dc ITS graIumaiicoi concentration.
there Is not one intelligent reader in a hundred WIN
would not pronounce thc sentence devoid of nersoi.
Gully. There are few persons, except such as aro
gifted with Quintiiinns amazing disccrnmout. aud
arc wiling 10 'gO tho whole hog" In cvcrv tlipg
winch concerns Gen. Jqckson-who would not ON
reading IT., perceive That sOmcthtnr is vautcd In
mako n complete and ineligible.
In another point OF view, Quintilisn's explain
ton - absurd. When was 1t that General Jackson's
or any other mans roodcsty was offended nj the cop-
gdence oppressed IN biz ,-olryies2 If indeed the
democrats OF Jersey had touched upon another cord,
ana had Jokcd with the General about his grcas abiH-
w. ms intellectual endowmcnts, &c.-his modcsty or
something c'sc might have been alarmed i'm rood
earnest. !ntuch a case BE- might have been glad 10
slnilc OF t'ci7 c%ogfIence 0nd reposs b. upon some
cthcr quality, There arc few men, (be thcir priHcI-
pies good or 6adj who dislike 10 be praised for them,
and sbouid IS soon expect q vir'uops fra. 20
ST. lh from q rovtNIfUfIf lraf.... |...