Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1830-12-08

IMAM iornscil, of tins county.
NSws'-On Snnda, night last, snow fcli to the
depth oi five or six inehes and Mon,La, sleighs
were seen gliding through, our strccts-Congrc.s
aud our Sts,e Legislature, met on Monday last -
Til. Messages g: shc President and Governor,
viii be forthcoming at Nm earl! day
Some persons al our county, Who have pre-
tended highly TO dcprccac the influence oi party
spirit, have lately been very busy in stirring the
political cauldron, and throwing into it all the
elements of strife. The, seem to b.. slcsiruus tn
destroy those friendly relations oriifc, which have
happily existed for the Last two wears in our COM
muni,y. And all this is done under the prrtcncc,
th~i their party has been denied the means Of pre-
senting its views To public consideration This
Is not true We have uniformly granted to our
opponents ever, thing which has been asked in
rrason. For the las, two years, We have studious-
~ avoided giving tho slightest cause Of offence;
whilst Nc have maintained with becoming firm
hess our own ,ie~s-though We have seldom
deemed 1t Necessary TO state those views We
were glad IN resumed, those ei,itics and de-
.cncics Of life, Which tend 80 much to enhance
the comforts Of society; and i; nov remains 10 b..
seen, whether the independent citizens os our
county, will suffer themselves 20 be drilled into
partizan iegions, by men, some Of ~l,oIn, de-
pairing OF success ppou their personal merits
raise the banner o, party, and hope TO ride Into
power upon the backs of the unsus pe citing vco-
many
he tttlI inrr IL. II.
md IN one OF our last mail papers. We know
not its source; bat believe there are very few r.
heciing men Sho will not subscribe to the truth
oil almost every sentiment it contains
PARTY SPIRIT.
Party Spirit prostrates every thing
which Is venerable and sacred within
the sphere Of its commotion. Ii di-
reefs the attention of the people from
their own common interest to the
means Of gaining ends to which preju.
dice and passion may direct them; and
the attention of the government from
public good to the means Of its own
political existence 1t renders a wise
and comprehensive policy impossible !;
Tor party spirit has no magnanimity.
no conscience, no consistency, to with
hold II from resisting as readily what
IS wise as what is unwise. and its vic.
tories are too transient to admit of
prospective wisdom. II is eminently
hostile TO the laws which watch over
the morals OF the nation; for who " Ill
execute them when partikans ON both
sides fear that they may feel the CON
sequence of fidelity, at the very next
election? Too often from the nearly
balanced state of parties. the most
worthless portion Of the community
actually hold the sway in the elections,
even IN state Of society comparative.
~ MISUNDERSTANDING impunity in
the violation oil law. and clothing with
political consequence, and too often
surrounding with adulation, men whom
our fathers would have expelled from
good society, and sent to the work.
I house or the pillory. IL tends TO de-
stroy in society all distinction of Ia.
lent, and learning, and moral charac
ter. as qualifications for office, while IT
reconciles the people, under the plea
oil necessity, TO such preposterous sa-
crlhces of conscience and common
sense as they would never consent to-
uns,:mulated by madness. Indeed.
in all but the name. il rcars beneath
the forms OF freedom a real and most
terrific despotism. For every party
has a soul-sOme masters spirit who.
without crown and socp,re, governs
with absolute sway. lie is surround
ed by nobility, each Of whom IL com
mi IN. "a. A
within his sphere, and bring his retain.
ers 10 the polls, 10 subsefVc ~ sinpli.
city the interests Of the king and tho
arisIocracy. II needs only to kindle
the watch fire, and every clansman is
nj his post; and the argument might
as well avail against bullets in the day
OF battle, as in these determined con
tests OF parties. There is no remcdy
for this state OF things, bot that intel.
ligenee which qualities the people Ia
understand their rights, interests and
duties; and that calnness of feeling "a
4 which the public mind. undisturbed b,
parliLan efforts, will not fail to come
and that deep conviction of the im
POrtance Of moral purity. which shall
turn the expectations Of the peopl,
from party men and party measures
10 the application Of moral power. b,
the institutions Of religion, and the in
terPos'tion Of the Holy Spirit.
GEN. WAsHfNoToN.- story ha
lately been put IN circulation that Gen
Washington was Marshal Of Franc,
under Louis XVI. The editor Of III