Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1801-1806, 1802-12-18
krMAAxs upsa tbe Ecrs.

the sp1sios which has been gisec 10 rh- affFir OF
she forged Letters, b. th: E!itor OF th. Il Us.
He has ma .e his /Scssi entry in this inscrcaiag
drama. The fri was merely TO voluateer 4 a
cAcdid spisiss." which the purveyor Of TIC
Mercury coo6dently tranfcibed into thar paper.
and rendered in return the tfibate of compli-
ment. We are well aware thar thcfe folks al
ways Rand ready with their complimcafs TO ex-
change them for Perlonal, or psrty favoIs :--It
is their peculiar moac of procuring mantIcs 70
cover the deformities of guilt. And we arc
much miftaken, If the Editor Of the E .is has
not, in this cafe, given bounds to his candor
90 the prejudice Of his confidence. What his
politics are, is nothing to the prefcnt queition.
Though, as al able auxiliary in the yinyard of
liberty. and republicanifm. we may rcfpcd.
and revere him i; yer. ~ hsfty, and ofiicious
meddler in this affair, m affair which, II iecms,
he knows nothing about. we fhall not heltssc
20 oppofc, n il Is in our power, and incumbent
on %, to confutc and confound him.
To his mere " spisiss" we fhou'l have re-
piled but. in that caf: it mutt neceAatily have
been mort for we could only have alked what
avail the " opinion" of man hundred miles
off, who had not feen the Letters, or known
any Of the circu nfanccs which attended them,
but from newipspen which by accident he
might have (een, and thofc, politely, all of enc
hdc, could be Of in the neiehborhood Of the
sranfaetion, where all the circumstances were
notorious aad familiar ! Are not the citizens of
Newport competent to form their own cpiui0si ?
Are they to bow in reverence, and handle them
felyes before the furreme fagacity Of the Editor
of the Egisi What new lights did he pretend to
throw on the fubjstt None at all He mere
ly advanced whst he called ga candid opinion
which. according to his own account, was form
ed from tays of the evidence. From its newt
paper drels, and appearance. IL might poAlbly
have carried fome sicendency with thofc who
viii nor give rhemfclves the trouble to reject
but with ,he thinking part Of the community
who had much better means Of information,
thao could be obtained at Wo,esaer, where the
Eg6 is printed. il could not weigh Rfaw.
And the editor OF the Mercury, however CON-
plaifant for favor. or facctious in compliment.
has rid very miierab!e ore in attempting TO
pala. IL upo. them.
/; But we light have been fpared thefe OBJ
f:rvations for, as was fzted. the Editor of
the Egis has dncc made his seozd entry. aud,
as If dittraRfu, of the /" opinion" he had given,
undertakes 60 exhibit the balance Of facts. or
preponderance Of tefimony upon which, he fays.
that opirios was pscdicsted. Ii rs fortunate that
he has done 70 becaufc we are thereby enabled
90 travel on more fold ground, and TO place il
"a his power to reetify his miaake.
One Of the faets he has thus Rated does not
happen to have any cxiaence IN the cafe. The
Others are unattended with thofc circumfances
which are neceaary to explain then. And all
do not make up one eighth part Of thole that do
really exih.
He fays-" fix gentlemen. out Of ten, who
"compared them with fpecimens OF Mr.. Rnt-
"ledgc's hand writing. have made oath that
:" there is very Rriking imilitudc, and that
Sc they have no doubt the letters were written
:" by him.--7be other foKy roere efa 6iferrrt
ss opinion. 1t is undertood the FIX gentlemen.
80 whole afidavirs have been publiihed are all
/" ,epsbkieaxs."
Nov he il entirely in miaakc about
difference Of episi0s between the four, and Fix
gentlemen who have depoled. Though they
may have sd opted different modes Of expreficn
and though the one may be more forcible than
,he other, yet lhsy, undoubtedly Cooperate to
the fsme cfea, and amount, in fact TO the fame
opinion. The language Of the fix is, that they
are compelled 10 bfi,eve tbes tie hand evynivg Of
the js,g<S Gtfers, and fbe hand qvrifirg Of tbr
.otbtr ici,srs. to wit. the fpcc;mens Of Mr.. Rut-
ekdse's writing, are dane By f6e fame bard.
The language Of the far is. thar on examirafsr
ef the forged letters. and eampayjdn Of it.m 7Dab
kHey and mater Of Jabn Rntkdge, fbey pereeive
-shf gre0teF fmii,frde ef hard 7Vyifing, an! fbaf
sbe former are soristra a rszfrainsd bard,
Ixr5 as peyiau qcaa!d qurhe zvbs zoas deErom 10
dygujt BIZ oavr. Can here he faid to exit any
d.Fsrsnre fspiaion Here. then, the opinion Of
the Editor OF the Hg;s Though " Democratic
paper" tas the Mtrsy-le, fays) 1umps in
once.
His faying, that he underhauds the Er gen.
tlemen TO be republicans, implies that he under
Aands the fasr arc not. That he fhould be mif-
informed relative TO the rate. and merits of the
cafe Of Mr.. Ruiledge, is not frange for we are
very fenhble thar every pains has been taken,
abroad ss well as here. TO difor II TO an ap-
pcarance in his favor bot how he could obtain
foch crsnp- Gded information noon very col
lateral & inferior poir', il is difficult to coujrc-
ture. And why h. fhould mention il, among
the reafons for his opinion. is not Iet hrauge.
1t is, at any rate. alfo myqaie.
But ne might have informed himsf.
t;f he wifhed tos corrett ineormatioo,) ffom
sbe fame paper which eonta' the depo6tions
OF she ." FIX" b: has mentioned, that there
were xIxsrrxs gentlemen Of refpctiabiIity in