Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-03-16

hall 50 well Oh as myself lhev are rlcb, To De
sure. but they are notto be entie;. Tor they have
exceedingly contracted notions OF things. Once
they were hearty. generous hly h-spirited fellows,
singing loud songs, and drinking deep cups; but
now they are as grave as judges. as s"rdld as
Jews, and as starched as old maids. They turn
their backs on their old friends, and all their souls
are absorbed in making money. Sometimes IN.
deed, when find my coat out at elbows ana
my finances scarcely equal to dinner at an "or'
dinary." am tempted to wish that had accept
cd some profession, and had given little atten'
ton to the meanuess OF money getting. but.
however, must not complain; do now and
then feel little inconvenience Tor want OF din
ner. and little modification tor want OF clean
shirt and whole coat. Still have retained
my independence and my liberal notions Of men
and things. And what is life without liberaIty
OF sentiment Oh, | despise the vulgar, every
dav, commo on place people that pass you by shoals
in the public streets. ebowing their way along,
and looking so greedlly and avaricously, as IT
they were born merely to gather together sordid
pelf and filthy Iucre. They despise ny thread
bare coat and greasy hat, they look contemptuous-
Iy on my old brown black trousers, and think
foul scorn of my gaping shoes; but they do not
see my mind-they know nothing of the tower
ing genius that dwells within. They do not
know that the man whom they despse is man
who despises them.
Ihave often thought of Illuminating the world on
the subject of things in general and OF giving them
new views of religion, politics, and society; but
those mean and sordid booksellers one & all, set
their faces against every thing that is lIbeEal.-
They talk about the march Of intellect, but they
do not care Zig for intellect. They merely print
and publish just for what they can get. They
have no sympathy with the towering aspirations
of mind / had most excellent design for a
work, that should convince all mankind that they
were pack of fools, and that should produce such
a glorious change in the constitution of society,
that talent and liberaliy should reign triumphant;
| communicated my design to pCbsher, and
what was his answer? Blush, Britain, blush for
the meanness Of the intellectual tradesmen! ~
don't think it will sell, !" said the fellow. Why
them" said ,"give it away" The man stared
at me, and said, what shall get by that?"-
There, gentle reader, there is a sure specimen OF
the sordIness of booksellers. What shall get?"
When | see such narrOwness OF soul, and such
degradation of mind, my heart bleeds for hulna-
nifty, and almost blush to call such wretches my
fellow creatures. must confess that this inter-
view had such an effect upon my nerves. do
not know what my nerves are. but know that
they were shocked;-it had such an effect | say.
that for long while could not apply to another
publisher; but at length did. and to another.
and another. They were all IN the same story,
just as if they had conspired together to thwart
INV views for the vel are of the human race.
will not mention names, for do not wish to hold
them up to the contempt aud de-lsion Of mankind.
am sorry to say that their meanness has com.
PEELED me to have recourse to mode Of instruct
ing the public which | should not have adopted
by choice, but to which am driven by necessi-
.ty--l aiiu,ls 10 inscriptions on walls and stable
doors, by means of simple instrument called
piece Of chalk. But The worst of this mode of
public instruction is, that there is not enough
for an elaborate argument, or even well-turned
period. One is compelled to confine oneself to
a certain sententiuus brevity, which cOnvinces
none but those who were convinced before. |
cannot help remarkins here on the llberality OF
terrified stable.bOy. who reading one Of my in
scriptions found fault with the sp.ling. Fool!
have forgot more spelling than he ever learn.
How exceedingly captious and lliberal is it when
no other fault is to be found with literary pro-
ductlon 10 find fault with the spelling Besides.
what man that loves his country would not
for It's salvation tolerate little baG spelling 1t
would be rare thing for the country, if the books
which are Swarmlng every Gay from tne press CON-
tanned nothing more than little bad spelling.
Now il is very notifying to man who is Ca
pabe of governing an empire, not to have six
pence in his pocket. and to have an opportunity
Of convincing the world how much he is their SUI
perior have conversed with men of all sentl-
ments, but have found in them all certain mar
rowness Of mind, and limitation of idea. There
have been few that have came quite up to my no
ton of lberality. Some people are liberal IN one
thing, and some in another but none, except my
self have vet met with perfectly liberal in eve-
~ point Of view, and upon every topic of human
interest, have endeavored. and think success
fully, to keep my miad free from all narrow pre-.
judices; and it is often consolation to me. when
my breeches want mendins, that have no pre-
JUDGES. No, scorn them don't mean breech-
es. but preiudices. The man that is prejudlced
is blind TO beauty and deaf to truth. lam guild.
ed ony and always by pure reason. There Is
not, will venture to say, one person in thous-
and, who iu all his actions and sentiments is guild
ed by pure reason. People are slaves to preJu-
dices, confined and limited in their views In.
deed how ca people take liberal views who do