The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-10-20
A splendid sImpleson.


er who have higher opinion of the force and
IrilliaRey of his mind than we have. II he had
act perverted that mind by a long and pertina-
cous bad habit Of trying to array the harlot
Ealsehood In the robes Of the virgin Truth; If
he had never so busted his eyes as 10 render i,
impossible for him to distinguish between
black lie and radiant fact, he would now be
nan Of extraordinary acuteness, ingenuity, and
efficiency, instead of disputatious sophist
whose ambition leads him to try to make what
ia palpably wrong seem to be right. He has so
c'ntrived to confuse his perceptions, that he
really seems TO fancy that he is what he pro-
f.sses to be, namely, a consistent Quaker,
whereas his life is devoted to trampling under
loot every principle and scruple which original
ny led the great and good men who founded
Quskerism to separate themselves from the body
Of Christian professors, and which their descen-
dants have enforced and carried out into every
day life. Fisher is the complicated antsgonism
Of Quakerism. There are no two things less
alike than his opinions and the opinions of
the Quakers; and yet he seems to think himself
u Quaker! And that, too, when every Quaker
he knows as carefully and scrupulously avoids
all acknowledgment of brotherhood with him,
Is II he was a negro-trader, or a steel-clad war
TDr. .tl-
Now, we take 1t that the fact that man is
so unable to see himself as he is, as to think he
is a Quaker when he is the most absolute antag-
onist Of Quakerism, IL proof positive of a self
delusion akin to that which has rendered Luz
aatic Asylums SO populous. A man who fan
ci.s himself to be- the Messiah, or General
Washington, or the King of England, does not
err more egregiously than ElIwood Fisher does
in fancying himself TO be Quaker. AL the
members Of that exemplary sect with whom We
are acc TAINTED cordially repudiate all sympathy
and fellowship with Fisher. Indeed they are so
very ready in their condemnation of him, they
are so very sensitive on the point of likeness
with that embodiment of pro-slaveryism, that
We have sometimes thought they have over
stepped the mOdssty of Quakerism in their ar
dent desires 10 free themselves Of all suspicion
of affinity with tina, very queer celebrity who
claims TO be very model OF their sect.
Wehave spoken of Fishers delusion on this
subject to give our readero some idea of Qua
and in vain may the works Of Button and Gold.
smith, of Laurence and Pritchsrd be ransacked
for description of him. The insanity which
has LED him to blunder so ludicrously touching
the sect to which his doctrines assimilats him,
has also led him to make ahotch- potch Of truth
and falsehood and facts aud logic whenever he
essays 10 conduct an argument. Is 1t wonder
ful that suoh man should have immortalized
himself by discovering that slavery mskes an
oppressOr wiser. nobler, better, and more dIgni-
fed than any freeman who does not command
C horde Of slaves can possibly become, and that
the Institution Of slavery has caused Virginia
to outstrip New York, Kentucky to outstrip
Ohio, and South Carolina TO outstrip Massachu- |
setts in wealth and all the elements of pros
perity. .. a
Fisher has taken advantage of the smart lit |
tie breeze of popularity which his Lecture on
Slavery called into existanca- IN vi.i, vi.s;aia.
,,nue there, the shareholders gratefully ten
dered him their characteristic Inequalities.
and he ate and drank aud visited among |
them, as we hope, to their mutual edification
and delight. So grateful have these Virgin
ans been that they have invited Ellwood to ca,
Two public suppers. He complied with the in.
vitations and made speech ut each table, thus
pouring radiant food Of wit, wisdom, and
ogic over the evenings festivities. They sup.
,lied his stomach with dodgers and bacon, and
he in rvturn supplied their fsmshed minds with
history with which Gibbon was unacquaiuted.
With political economy of which Acam Smith
never dreamed, and with statistics that the n m.
,als Of no land on this side of the moon ever
furnished. Hes
We are of that extremely small and very select
lumber of lucky individuals who, having read
Usher IS Lecture, have also read his great speech
Wanenton and his greatest speech at Fred
Both these efforts are dedicated 70
hesabime theme Of "Ole virginny never tire"
The oraor proved in both that Virginia il the .
most favored Of oil lands on which the BOUNTY I
{ Providence reposes-thst the men of tina, !,
tate arethe heroes and demi- gods of our race-l q
nat Virginia won our national liberty, made
ne constitutions Of our government, peoplsd our !
ountry, and has furnished all the men of mote :
nd rare merit who have been conspicuous on o
ur national thestre-and last not least thai IN. .
lir Virginians outshine all the women of an.
lent or modern times. For such efforts n IA =
OF In Vrginian's heart not To fssl d..,, n