Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-06-04
aSaDag.
THURSDAY MORNING lime A Ison
FoR TuE Ware.
"EDGE HILL AND VERITAS."

ledge HILL AND VERITAS."
injustice 10 the author of "Critiquc OH the first
OF the above works, cannot permit the statements
and structures OF the last writer to pass of entirely
un:"aded. He says, he is "astonishcd that the Ed
tors sense OF proprety should have allowed their col
unns to be disgrdced by such tcanion and unpr0pob
ei "uacH On The feelings of the descendants of that
Gentleman whom the Revolutionary man points at
as the person whom the Novelist intended o repre-
sent under the character of old Fi2roval. The au-
thor oi the Critqae says, III speaking of Wcstovcr
luT no other place can BE- meantl the ancient ariso
cratic pride of Virginia, and the stately department of
some OF her Dons, X their servle LOYALTY to monar hv
are lnnItabiy depicted i'll old Fitzroval 4 dozen
quotations may BE- made from this Crtique quite as
26taSre but the whole article venture 10 pronounce
a !"c' On most respectable family. and ritten PROB
aoiy by some Supe',mnWted Revolutionary person
age. And louise Nrrilass own words "a dozen quo
taions may be made" and shall be made "quit, AS
2genS1re, from his works, who | slal prrsrutl,
show, has givenSuch sroHg and coRvincia troais oC
hts not beng SUPerdaauated!
The foregoing quotations from Veritas and some
others shall hereafter MAKE must Confess contain
severe charges, and conveyed in stray enough
terms iof one IN the fullest rgor of js and mefl- n
gGiaSt a "SuPeranauItca Revolutionary p,rsoagge"-
particularly 700, who complains SO bitterly oc Ibef
cdIumny and defamation on otlcrs!-Iftru however
ADMIT, the author OF the "CrtiQue' deserves the
whole. Though unfortunately, perhaps it may turn
out III the winding up, that Verltas NAV taH under
some OF the consequences ana ills which he he
THOR OF the "Crlt!quc." Yes. this p,igk,, m1p of
tr.tt ana prime IF mental Strength NAV De seen 10
al! from the high signature he has assumed, down
INTO tie very reverse. ] shall not, however condos
cchd TO employ the kind of cpithcs and STYLE
leven nJusttnhle retort) bring upon him such an
unfortunate and unenviablc end But before enter
ln,nutey INTO an examination Of Veritas's supcr;o.
hroors. permit me to offer word or two on general
principles as immediately applicable, aud further in
troducton to an entire defence ofthc author of the
I"Critique."
have long since understood, that when book
was gwen 10 the world 1t became fair object ami
Inedverslon All its contents might be freely quo.
ted and fully commented on. Arain-it ia said
that the true characters of conspicuous iadi-ignly are
seldom fairly and fully given and rightly understood
curing their own lives According To Yertns il is
beous, scandnlous, infamous if not oven bInh tr,a
son. TO give the characters ofhose whom he chuses IN
esteem OF high standing after their dcaths-partic-
uary such of the ancient artist ncracy of this
as did not chuse To Join the patriot cause IN the Revo
luton, but chose rather 10 loud their ini-hty i7Rp
ence TO paraIyse oVr more than hunble-our desocr-
ate ana doubtful struggles Taking both doctrines
together then, ask the usdeyn O,'drIe Veritas and
not any "SuperG1nuGtcd pcrso,,age' who bcInad to
ytght US through those difficulties, to saw when tho
hves OF the vlItunus great, the injurious bad are
10 DC hed up Tor the benefit of the rising generations,
beg Ecritas however, to he assured that those
cra principles are not now applied 10 my particular
individuals and II he vii, be so rood rs to link a
gam with eyes less inHdmcd and Judgment lrds dis
icmpcrd with passion, he will find the whole of the
CTltlque fnhng entirely within the first OF thcs,,
general rules; and that nothing but hrs own disturbed
iaHcy nnd lI-appcd intItuati0n aud attachment
10 ancient persons and things could have vgrourht
him up TO such unfortunate and fatal dc
riun against Hose rery fro5i!e persons amt ibpos,
Dome person, 1t seems, undertook 20 write a Nov
cl, ~ which ho proicsscd TO give soip<. cfho srcncs
OF the Revolution. He gives lively md prtur
csque account OF a place he calls Edge IIii" inhab
tied clearly, according 10 tie autbo,is account bv n
Tory family lie gives many other fictitious cLaroc
tiIs equally well drawn but gives real names of
PaCcS or persons that ought 10 give cTcncc 10 nnv
human beng, IN Mjs count,.y NJ 1en,I that I c.y
possibly perceive. a crtque analizcs the porf,r,n
ance-gives credit for much and objects to some sroo
portion OF ITS parts. He too like the novelist most
carefully avoids giving single reyi nrrc Of either
place or person, except in repetition Of the Novel
Unfortunately, however he says the ancient nristo
cratic pride Of Virginia, and The stately drportment
OF some OF her Dons and their scrvllc loyalty 10 mon
arcby, are lnIml;ably depicted in old Ftzroval."
i his Is The first great and mirhtv ofcndi,,r for
which the tcise Vertas pops his head out. and ctos
:" Westovor, Westoycr, ola Westoveri Thine occu-
pants are the fair fImed characters so yilclv tradu
ccd ond calumniated"--Ye vcrily IN substance
'ortas thus sounds the first trump that applies to this
Part OF tho Novel, and identifies and realizes places
and persons. The word Wcstovcr. ! most nos;,iyc.
y assert Is no where to be found either i'm the Nov
el or tho Cntlquc on IT.. Surely then, tho muck
sighted, he deep Penetraag pcrit1s must have some
Olncr lnfOTn1a ION Than Afforded
him. either by the Novelist or the Anibor of tho
Criquc, for thus pointing out, identifying lanI to
use hs own words) ciiyyjng those ho prctcni5 To-
defend,
But oven admitting for n moment, that hc is RIGHT
III his location Of place, and identity persons; is not
the Novel which first drew the picture and n,1i o,t
the charge of dsotfccton to the cause Of the Roo
luton, equally censurablc with the Cri,cue Which
~ lrit mere response and comment on that mart,
My friends Inc Editors Of the NVhjV have said that
The whole Novel should be taken asa nero Gotion
and that It was ridiculous 10 apply the rnlcs Of rc
history to that. ask those correct and iuJico,,s
tornry friends, whether they would apply NOR ri-
gid and strict rulesto the Cri'7uo where il is linn,
but mere response and comment OF the text, Adj
uniting That doctrine then TO be correct land adj
mttcd to ITS fullest extent in the Crque qclfl VIVA,
bccomcs OF the gratul,ous and oifico,ls odonon If
Wcstoyer and It's occupants, by Vcriias bir6ser ~
the place and tho persons meant in the NngoI o,,J
Crp'qur' Arc there no other superb Esiabliqhnonts
on James iLVcI-,two others in the same neiohbour
hood nearly OF cquol magnfcencc)-- were there no
other arisocrats or Virginia Dous of that dnv-no
other persons Of that sort disa ,cted 70 the nor;t
q I-ffnW Il.