Kentucky Gazette And General Advertiser

FOR THE KENTUCKY GAZETTE.

TO THE PEOPLE OF KENTUCKY.

A PHENOMENON.

Recently made his appearance in Frankfort, the Skunk. This stinking malicious biped (for the beast differs both in form and qualifications from the common Skunk, and somewhat resembles the Orang-Outang) alike offensive to the sight and smell, is to be seen every Saturday at Frankfort, crawling about, and emitting his nauseous and filthy effluvia, to the great (but temporary) annoyance of our citizens. Exiled from the country which gave him existence, for the atrocity of his conduct, he fled to America. A renewal of his nefarious schemes in New-York, where he first arrived, caused him to be hunted thence. He took shelter from the just vengeance of his injured pursuers, in Richmond, Virginia, from whence, in company with his omnipotent protector, who is, it seems, by birth a Virginian, (and left home for what cause God knows, but we presume from the specimen he has afforded of his conduct here, not for praying) with their all upon their backs, sneaked to Kentucky, employed by a faction hostile to republicanism, who feel themselves fast sinking into insignificance and contempt; like a drowning man who catches at straws for his preservation, thought could they effect a division of the republicans or excite by a publication of calumny and lies the public hatred against the officers of government, they might rise into notice. Thank God the stratagem did not succeed- the people of Kentucky whom they supposed to be a credulous illiterate multitude, who would swallow for truths any falsehoods, however absurd, which they might publish, proved too intelligent for their purpose, have detected the imposition, and despise the authors.

This invidious desponding faction discovering the baseness and want of principle of the Skunk, and knowing him capable of every species of villainy, pitched upon him as a proper tool to execute their detestable plans; but being a dastardly wretch he would not venture on the enterprise without a protector. One was accordingly provided--the redoubtable JACK THE GIANT KILLER, who now attends him, and under whose aegis he thinks himself secure. The above Prodigy may be seen at the same place. Cautiously concealing the motives which induced them to remove to Kentucky, until they could procure a foundation on which to construct a Spanish Conspiracy, or some other accusation equally false and chimerical, and implicate those characters in whom the people of Kentucky have hitherto, and very properly, reposed confidence. To enable them to do this, the Giant Killer uses all the address of which he was master, to ingratiate himself with those very men whose destruction he at that moment meditated. possessing rather a comely aspect (but with a bosom black as soot) and apparently in a suffering condition, was by the charitable and benevolent citizens of Frankfort and its vicinity, commiserated, and even honored by their attention and acts of friendship-but this malignant ingrate, like the frozen adder, no sooner recovers sufficient strength and venom, than he attempts to wound by calumny unprecedented, and unmerited invective, the reputations of those persons who, when in adversity, a stranger and unknown, stretched out to him the hand of friendship. Base wretch, do you feel no remorse of conscience! Ha. habituated to acts of black ingratitude you have become callous, lost to all perception of the nobler emotions of the soul. Who you are, I know not—what you will be, I anticipate. Take counsel ere it be too late; leave the detestable Skunk: hasten from the alarming & tremendous pre-cipce on the brink of which you stand: the sulphurious gulf is below. Hell itself is yawning for your reception —lose your equilibrium, and you are engulfed in the horrid vortex; lost forever. Your conduct merits, and no doubt you will receive a punishment more agonising than Prometheus, whose crescent liver is a constant and eternal prey to the carniverous vulture—adieu Mr. Protector.

Now to the Skunk again, whom I have styled in the masculine gender; I may have erred-the point is said to be doubtful. To the public it must be quite unimportant. The height of the beast cannot be easily ascertained, however not without measuring round from the head, via shoulders, back, posteriors, shanks, &c. to the heels, and calculating the angles, which from their number would be a difficult task, and one which I have no disposition to undertake, from a repugnance which I feel to approach a nuisance. To be brief-the animal is a lump of deformity and corruption; his physiognomy is of the most daemoniac kind; (is it not my Lord D.-?) guilt and confusion its inseparable concomitant, an appearance of which causes him to avert his face, and shrink from the scrutinizing glance of every honest man. A particular and correct portrait of him would require the pencil of a Hogarth. He may be seen in Frankfort, all except the face, which he studiously conceals.

A SPECTATOR.

N. B. The animal moves as if hipshot. The Spectator has had a glimpse of the Observer, Co-Editor, Skunk feeder, &c. alias Mr. —— of poetic memory. Hail Mr. Hay planter, I shall whisper a word in your ear presently.