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Article REVIEW OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. ← Page 8 of 8
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Review Of New Publications.
To enter into a criticism on the work of an author who sets off with telling ' you that lie has never erred , nor ever can err , would be an idle task : for such an author is abo-js criticism . We cannot , however , forbear extracting the beginning of Mr . Gilford ' s pamphlet , as it will afford our readers a sample of what they may expect throughout the whole of it : and enable them to judge to which of the two gentlemen ( Mr . Erskine or Mr . G . ) the charge of egotism more properly belongs .
' After the ample discussion which the origin of the Avar had undergoneafter the UNCOHI-UTED ARGUMENTS , and the STRONG ?«/ UNANSAVERA _ : LE - PROOFS , which had been adduced by a learned and worth y Friend of mine , * as well ashy MysELF , f in support ofits justice and necessity , I conceived the question of aggression to be finally decided ; and was , therefore , not a little surprised to see the subject revived by you , after your party had observed , except in occasional allusions to the topic in the House , a profound silence
for more -than two years- —a silence which I was authorized to consider as a tacit acknowledgment of their inability to maintain the pOi ' uions they had advanced When your intention was first announced to the public , through the usual medium of an advertisement , I was naturally led to conclude , that you were furnished with some new arguments hitherto unemployed—that you had discovered some new proofs hitherto unexplored ; which must immediately confound your adversaries , and flash instant conviction on the '
public mind . Impressed with this idea , I was prepared to read my recantation , to acknowledge the force of your arguments , to admit tbe success of your researches , and to do homage to the superiority of your talents . On the perusal of your publication , however , which , be it remarked , I had not
leisure to peruse until it had been deemed expedient to imprint ' The Ninth Edition * in the title-page , the surprise which I had experienced on its annunciation became considerably increased ; for I foui \{ i > that my utmost attention -ivas inadequate lo discover a single argument , on the causes of the war , which had not been employed before , or one solitary proof in support of" the assertions you make . I found , in short , that ,, amidst the most unequivocal professions of moderation and candour , supported-by a style
generally corresponding with the same , you had , no doubt , unwarily and unintentionally , suffered your professional habits to acquire such a preponderance in your mind , as to limit your attention to one side of the important question which you had undertaken to discuss ; and from the prevalence of the same habits it arises , that , while you expressly disclaim all idea of defending the French , all your arguments tend to justify their conduct to-Avards this country ; and , in fact , you plead the cause of our enemies , tvith
the same zeal and energy which you displayed in the discharge of your professional duty to LORD GEORGE GORDON and THOMAS PAINE . ' I will not stop to investigate the motives which could induce yon to take up the pen , after your party had suffered so long an interval to elapse since they last ventured into the field of controversy ; perhaps you was encouraged by the supposition , that those victorious arguments- and triumphant proofs which had effectuallestablished the superiority of their opponents had been consigned to
y oblivion ; and that the strong impression which they had produced , had , by the natural operation of time on the mind of man , aided and quickened by a variety of favourable and concurrent circumstances , been so far worn off as to justify the hop ., that its entire removal would be a task easy of accomplishment . Be that as it may , since it is your pleasure to walk over beaten ground , I can have ' no objection to accompany you in the track . '
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Review Of New Publications.
To enter into a criticism on the work of an author who sets off with telling ' you that lie has never erred , nor ever can err , would be an idle task : for such an author is abo-js criticism . We cannot , however , forbear extracting the beginning of Mr . Gilford ' s pamphlet , as it will afford our readers a sample of what they may expect throughout the whole of it : and enable them to judge to which of the two gentlemen ( Mr . Erskine or Mr . G . ) the charge of egotism more properly belongs .
' After the ample discussion which the origin of the Avar had undergoneafter the UNCOHI-UTED ARGUMENTS , and the STRONG ?«/ UNANSAVERA _ : LE - PROOFS , which had been adduced by a learned and worth y Friend of mine , * as well ashy MysELF , f in support ofits justice and necessity , I conceived the question of aggression to be finally decided ; and was , therefore , not a little surprised to see the subject revived by you , after your party had observed , except in occasional allusions to the topic in the House , a profound silence
for more -than two years- —a silence which I was authorized to consider as a tacit acknowledgment of their inability to maintain the pOi ' uions they had advanced When your intention was first announced to the public , through the usual medium of an advertisement , I was naturally led to conclude , that you were furnished with some new arguments hitherto unemployed—that you had discovered some new proofs hitherto unexplored ; which must immediately confound your adversaries , and flash instant conviction on the '
public mind . Impressed with this idea , I was prepared to read my recantation , to acknowledge the force of your arguments , to admit tbe success of your researches , and to do homage to the superiority of your talents . On the perusal of your publication , however , which , be it remarked , I had not
leisure to peruse until it had been deemed expedient to imprint ' The Ninth Edition * in the title-page , the surprise which I had experienced on its annunciation became considerably increased ; for I foui \{ i > that my utmost attention -ivas inadequate lo discover a single argument , on the causes of the war , which had not been employed before , or one solitary proof in support of" the assertions you make . I found , in short , that ,, amidst the most unequivocal professions of moderation and candour , supported-by a style
generally corresponding with the same , you had , no doubt , unwarily and unintentionally , suffered your professional habits to acquire such a preponderance in your mind , as to limit your attention to one side of the important question which you had undertaken to discuss ; and from the prevalence of the same habits it arises , that , while you expressly disclaim all idea of defending the French , all your arguments tend to justify their conduct to-Avards this country ; and , in fact , you plead the cause of our enemies , tvith
the same zeal and energy which you displayed in the discharge of your professional duty to LORD GEORGE GORDON and THOMAS PAINE . ' I will not stop to investigate the motives which could induce yon to take up the pen , after your party had suffered so long an interval to elapse since they last ventured into the field of controversy ; perhaps you was encouraged by the supposition , that those victorious arguments- and triumphant proofs which had effectuallestablished the superiority of their opponents had been consigned to
y oblivion ; and that the strong impression which they had produced , had , by the natural operation of time on the mind of man , aided and quickened by a variety of favourable and concurrent circumstances , been so far worn off as to justify the hop ., that its entire removal would be a task easy of accomplishment . Be that as it may , since it is your pleasure to walk over beaten ground , I can have ' no objection to accompany you in the track . '