The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-06-07
THE UNITED STATES GAZETTE.

We would wish no stronger evidence that our
political opponents are conscious of the badness
Of the cause which they advocate than their I'M
ceaslng employ Of misrepresenta ion and abuse
They know the value Of the maxim propounded
by shrewd foe to Christianity, who told his
disciples never to hesitate at the invention and
publication Of calumny. They know the
murky power Of abuse in yelling weakness
With good cause we are not driven 10 the
employment of such weapons, though in crush
ing reptile, if he is any way noxous, we use
the instrument most appropriate for the purpose.
Some, which endeavor to annoy us, are too
harmless to attract even our notice.
We treated the imbeciity of the Boston Cou-
rier as it deserved Its buzz was innocuous
We could not degrade ourselves SO far as to re-
tort its vulgar epthets. A careless quotation of
some Of its choicest phraseoogy was certainly
amply sufficient to demonstrate that its COM
ments on our arguments were utterly unworthy
Of notice We quoted them merely that our
readers might perceive what language our as
sailants employ. Whether the language is most
consonant with their habits, or is merely the
substitute which weakness furnishes for argu-
ment, we will not undertake to determine.
Violence of abuse and coarseness of epithet are
no ever, at best, but a miserable substitute.
Shrewder foes fight with the brighter weapons
Of cool misrepresentation and polished calumny.
The grossness Of the vice remains, but it is
covered by the thin polish invented by hypocri-
sy. A lie however is lie, no matter In what
elegance OF language it may be couched, and
by what specious name the affectation Of extra
ordinary poleness may call it-no matter whe-
Their it be only insinuated or boldly told. We
wish to no term to ears painfully polite, that
will offend by its harshness; but we must con-
TESS that we find in some of our contemporaries,
who pretend to greal dignity and excessive can
dor, not only single passage but even whole
articles, to which truth cannot but ap-
ply the harsh epithet which we have
penned above. We might select exam
pies and make running commentary in proof
of our assertion; but our labor would be dis
agreeable TO ourselves, while it would but little
edify our readers, who we trust are, as we are,
enemies to the maxim which holds all to be fair
in politics. Semel mendax senper mendax, is
When we find one false statement in an article,
it is no bad rule to doubt the truth Of all which
it contains-whether that statement is directly
made or cunningly Implied.
Thu United States Gazette words asentence
with excessive caution, to convey the idea that
our paper is now sustained "by seven thousand
dollars subscribed in cash. and the large amount
paid in subscription by the Clay Wings of
Philadelphia" That any money has been sub
scribed Gin the sense meant by the writer in the
United States Gazette) for the Madisonian,
since it has been under our management, we
utterly deny that we have received any Pha-
delphia money for our paper except from
our subscribers, we deny; that the Clay
Wings (even Office holders, and their name is
legion,) subscribe for our paper, we deny
theseven thousand dollars alleged by the United
States Gazette TO have been subscribed in Pha-
delphia, or to the subscription of the Clay Wings
we deny. That the "vtatyn of our paper has
been acquired from the 'seven thousand dol
lars" is pretty fancy Of Mr. Chandler's-and
we leave him willingly to the enjoyment Of the
vision his imagination has created. But the dis.
righteousness which would convey to the mind
of the ordinary and uninterested reader belief
which is untrue, we must denounce as unworthy
of the reputation which Mr.. Chandler has gen
orally enjoyed, An equivocation is worse thar
a direct misstatement The former i more dir