Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1799-02-19
FSoN rvs AURoRA.
LETTER /.
10 hse Pss,lDssr IF .le Lrn.rsp ar4rr.-
SIR,

SIR,
THE obferyations contained in die AL
the letters which ha:liuccted il, ere "a. ,,s,
y addrefIrd to yeur confidence asd 70 49,.
Judgment NJ oblett is to dcrnonara;s 20
she people, asd TO you. tha, the conai,u,:on
OF the dated States. has been violated. tfsh,
arguments which are ufcd 10 cFeA ~,
demonRra.on, are derived from the Sra
and PuseR principles of political ,c;enec.
and are exhibited in tina, plain form, wbirb
truth alone can venture to aGume.
If, Sir, thcfe arguments fhall exc;.t !,
your mind, doubt co, cernino ;hc 600,
OF congreis, to define and puniih libeis, INV
pn'Pofe will be- accomplished. The Vi r.,
oustersant, of a free people, will nor Dcr-
torn, ahngle ACT ofpower, unlcfs he IS al
Latuf-!y Gars, that he is authorized to
form It, by that charter whofe facrcd
cep,s he has pledged himfelf to Cod a
ms Country to obicrve. If, relying too
on the decifon Of ae angry and asita,c
iembly. he has halIily given his All,
meafure, of which his Judgment now
peis him to queaion the propriety, die
ing all coniiderasions, but thofe Of I,
and Juice, he viii come forward w;th
hrmneis which belongs To virtue, and
iSnowlcdge to the world, the real Gtuat
81 his mind. In doing this, he VII ex
bit to mankind, an inltaRce of reStitu
and candor, whch 1t has been fclLom
ever their fortune to behold and l,v !,
eiorions homage, voluntarily offered 10 req
ION AID to truth, he win promote the carfe
or liberty and virtue, and render his os,
name INN ortal. he will difpsl folici,ude
and iorlew from the bofoms Of ,boulapd,.
Whole Patriotifm is as pure as his own.
and hiii the tumuls'that is now rifng in the
country, and which threatens 10 oycrwheIu,
the union with ruin ard confuiion.
J VIII NOT UiEendyou, Sir, By fay;ag .hat
on. this inbjeft, ysa mgQ entertain 6me
6oa5i. IL is pof1ibie that you nav be aJ-
t0lHfs.y lare, that the Congrsfs Of the Uni
ted states does polefs a power, which Ger,
tsinly is got expressly given, nor can be
ihewn to be neceiIary to carry any qiycn
power into elect. 1t is pohible, that YOU
| nay be asj0tafty fure that you are in The
night, although forty of the Representatives
OF the people, equal at leaf in talents and
integrity, and alnroa equal in numbers to
their opponents, have told you that YOU are
in the wrong. II is poiIible that Won NAV
retain this abio!n:c conviction, in fpite os
the iolern deciiion of the respectable lrgif-
lstuges of Kentucky and Virginia. All this
10 poihble, and il you lhalI iay either bv
your words or actions, that it is actually IN,
cafe, ihau not heiita,c to believe YOU
but this belicfwill be accompanied with won
der, and the moa profound regret. &
YET, Sir, however clear your opinion, how
ever decided your conviction roay be, on this
great conaitutional queaion, there is one
point in which we mut all agree. it is a
trnth, which cannot be denied, truth fuo-
ported by facts, as notorious as they are
alarming, that tle fedition bill is in the
highee degree dangerous and inexpedient.
In this part of the world it is juGly regarded
as an attack on the liberty Of the prefs, and
has roaled tue attention Of the moA G,-
pine. 1t has infamcd that fpirit of flfn;.
cion and dicontcut, which, uniortunately
tor the people, has been already too poY.,.,;.
fully excited, aud has difea and obyioua
tendency to produce the very crime which il
Profeiles to puniih. God forbid that
mould lay, that fuch WAS the obiea for
which tie lsw was made. IF I entertain
ed anopinion 70 dn,Onorablc tony coun,rv.
men, 70 diigracefal to humanity, my foni
woui5 ink with horror and defpair. Blu,
Cannot deipt'r, Truth, liberty, and virtue.
mutt presaii IN America, and therefore,
believe, that the fervan,s oftle beoplc, viii
nos continue law, merely becauie Il has
Pai'ed, when they know, when they fee, that
the cyl which i has already produced, m,
nntely out~ellghs all the good which they
expected to obtain.
-, Ho2TEN51US.
Virginia, january 1893.