The recorder. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1802-1803, 1802-11-17

To Nh. JOHN CLOPTON
a7embif 0f consrefn
Mol.
SIR,
ABOUT the clofie of the ,ait ieficn of Con.
sfeiS, you Publiihed printed letters to YOUR
eontt,suents, which were circulated through
the atrict AS foon, As received one of
chem, diicerned, eithef that you adiotenied
10 innpotc upon your conftitucnts, and the
com!nuntys or that you did not underttand
fbe iuble6ts concerning which ycu had " rig
ten. did NOT permit myiejf TO give roo nuth
countenanue 90 either of thefe ooinfe,s; be-
cante, upon one hand, it would iecra thai your
talents were not equal to your aations On
the other, let your talents be ever 10 eresn
you were undetcrving Of pnhlic confiderse,,.
Either Of theie concluitons would be feyere.
thc tirt attacked your head; rhc other your
hc4rt
.'ronh theie coniideratious 7 was Hilin-.
that you ihould rave the fulleR oupor,s1nty,
by undiiturbcd reelection, TO reconfder and
reVie what you had publifhcd. | hoped. for
tie honor eF vour itatSon, and for the char,>-
teI or man, chat you would with .candor and
pTomptitude, diiloIye the delaiion which yes r
letters had produced; and extricate your per-
ionai character from that dilemma. into Which
IL had faiiens and which am determined to
expoia.
The circular lcttet 10 which I aIiuds Gan
'ains 'entiments, which were intended, and
e@cuiated to create prcjudices againf one
portion ct iociety, for the evident purpofe OF
HfeRghening the popularity of another, wbFtsf,
s'Aes yoa deilgnatc by the term r&ta1lieah,
ahc 20 which you Nave attached vourieI i, and
@F whole P''fvNAAee you exprefs heartfelt
ia n. his, Mr.. Clopton, IS not only
ieihih ont lmpudent: | confider ita challenge
10 every perion who poi{eiles Or proteiies prili4
ciPles opPoiite 10 yours. ! have accented
me challenge You mutt not expect that |
man content ryielf barely BY acting On the
defence.
One of the bef attributes which belongs 70
the human character is chgrify II is BIZ this
snat am influenced, when | alloy mvlslf r.,
nope, that your letter was written, publiihed
and circulated, in the fpirit of truth, and I'M
DER the firm belief that il would convey
nothing 60 the mott cfcdulcus or ii;ofl fassj.
rlind, which ought not 60 be believed; and.
1t you pieaie, It aiall be 10. But how t!rer,
Wi your friends fand lip, in the face of the
dli!nGts and acquit you as man fit for vo,r
places for having i,npoied Upon the inhabitants.
or having iuPprehed and concealed Important
truths which did exit, and which, ere vel
Known 70 other perions Whole means of irtoY.
,nation, were inferior TO yours, and which
have iince circulated far and wide
here will Sc too much cruelty to force vol,
INTO defence upun this point viii tbere-
tore admit your cai,dor and integrity at the e4-
pence OF your understanding and vanity; and.
without further apology, viii endeafour in
'he iequcis to convince syour mott infatuated
aamirers and Jealous Partizans that YOU do
nor poiieis the qualifications which hould ems
'lGe you to the ftaton into which Won ba >
obtruded yourielf
a'u told that YOU have hot only had the
advantages Of cla!fcal education,and have heen
" 6''fd at the jsft of Gan-lieI," but ALTO tba,
your whole life has been devoted 10 thofe a.,
ties and emPloymentS, which arc calculatg,l
TO i1Vigorate, 10 expand, and to fore the mind
with all the materials which are ellcntial ,c
give you great advantage over nic. Undo
theie clrcumfanees, 70 far from complaining
you or yonr Importers will, no doubt, rejoice
that 10 TAR an Opportunity offers Of dilplay-
iug your iupeTiority.
He ~" "ht@il nave Iinp6ied upon r1lyfeli
Is tEpieAlant. ltappsars to me to be neceG
iarg' thall therefore arfaign YOU at the ba,
OF public political jufiice, bccaufc this tlpt,
has not bcenpefformed by foule Other; bccait{e
all thatl fhall fay ought to be known by the
public, and particularly BY your conPitnents
hecaufe, from e,length OF time whieh has
elapied, It does not appear to fne that there !,
probability that it will be done by any othet
FEDERALIST.