The recorder. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1802-1803, 1803-01-26
Mr.. JOHN CLOPToN,
Aem@'r Of C'es,gn
No. VII.

lely ., believe that Srery effort which you I
may n,a,.e, wili plunge you dccpe5. ihalturn !,
70 another iubie6t, IN which exoe0 vou |,
will u,ce1 with equal cmbarraii;nent
About the time when you were conlnietng
vou circular letter, and before il was diipatch-
ed TO your tbejes frisad,, the committee of
;pvettgation, or rather four OF the menbers,
had ALTO completed their famaus ,tbart, re-
dating TO many iuoleGfs which had been re-
ferred 60 then at the beginning OF the felton,
Every body recoeGts the cafe of Mr. Stod-
dert, the late lectelary Of tie navy, in relation
20 docks and navy yards, and that, this cafe was
greatly miireprccntei IN the report. The
The four members of the committee not OILY
acculed MIR. Stoddert of multiplication of tire
public money, but Altered that a linali navy
yard in Philadelphia, which experience had
proved was too Gu4 for t1s building Of
angle frigate, was iuficiens, nor only for all
the purpofes Of building fix fcveusy -flur GUN
ihips, which were to be built in different parts
OF the United States, but ailo for al the Dur-
potus OF the navy.
Your circuiar letter iucceeded this report,
and although you took, 40 direct notice of it,
yet the unqualified Appreciation and applaue
which you gave to all the UeaGircs OF Con
greis, Tefy clearly proves that the report of
tile four members met yoar cn,irc approba-
ton. All this being INCIDENTALLY true, | can
not toreiee how you will reconcile the posi-
tive contradictions which are afforded by the
!att ipeech OF the preGdent TO II rep # i
mean 10 far as related 70 the ef.hi.hinent of
navy yards, docks, and the preicryation Of the
navy.
Candonr obliges me 10 admit that the pre-
iident has in this cafe exemplihed proper
pollt;cal tpir,t Il is federal ipirit, and I
applaud him for it. The uleafures whch he
has recommended, are jut}i}ied BY prudence
ard by policy, ana MIR JeAsra dsfcrYes the
more credit Tor them, bccauie thcy Hani in
opP2lItJon 70 lllat flg-ta-Icd repor5. report
which was received and fanltified by the ma
lority ofCoHgTcis,and has been rc-echoed with
aqpauGs throughout the Union.
!, might be ftificient upon this poipr 70
fay that your opinion was in ho}ilitv with
chat Of the PRECEDENT, The jealous part
z2ns OF Mr., -Jeherfop would not fail to con-
dotnn you; but ! have not arragncd YOU be-
fore tribunal 70 partial. no! Mr.. Clopton.
you have as much right to cherifh and p,o |
2luIgate Your opinions as Mr., .fef-ron, o.
any other man can poAsfs, all that | propof-
70 iiiew is, that your communications are nos
ony indefsnti5lc, bat totally without founda-
hon.
II YOU have any doubts upon this filbiaa
you are reqncited TO read thar part of the e
port which relates to Mr. S1oddart, the Iate
iecretary OF the navy, and that part OF the pre-
fldeRt's ipeech which relates to the eitablifh
mcnr OF decks.
You know, Mr., Clopton, that at this mo-
rnenf, You have not Jingle execute to offer |
tor the lnpoiltions with which you are a.
cuied- Your only hope is, thas your conifi-
tdrnts NAV never hear Of them, or if they do,
that they may be either diloalicved or nilun-
derftooi hy them. The humility of your flu
alton eacjlcS my compai1ioG, ard will there Il
tore, offer the only TWO executes, or lubtcr- !
tuges which exit Firit, bscaufe i: WIS ab- |
io'uteiy ncceiiary te create prejudice
3,sainit the iat administration, in order to
!ecurc the popularity OF the prefcnt, and there
being no acculation which could be (uDport-
81 By truth, faliehood aud NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
were rcfoFted to; and Mr.. 5toddaft's conduct
and cafe were felcGted as the mot iafc. be-
caufe theyrelated to iubjetts concerning which |
nAety and nine OUT Of an hundred were TO- |
tally ignorant, and concerning which, even |
you, though accu}oHed to alos from y9,r |
infancy, pretend to be no lefi ignorant. The |
crhcr execute is, that Mr.. Giles, being one Of |
ehe four members Of the committee, who |
made the report you mad iuch implicit conE |
dence IN his patTlotiiin, knowledge, and can
dour, thar you did not inveFigdte thc flaica.
You voted and acted with the party, being
well convinced, either that Mr.. Stod5arf de-
1erYed condemnation, OF thar Mr.. Giles, aud
thc other leaders Of the party thought his con
demnatlon neceiiary to inlurc the fucceis and |
prevalence Of tbofc republican principles ]
concerning which, you exfreG 70 mntb bsa,t-
I'll gtatifeaf.oa, and concerning which !
proPDie by and bye TO fay few words.
Are you aos obliged TO M, Mr. Clopfon,
Tor aHor1ing you two (seb ers,irgf excajes3
Il IS true, shat many Of your coutituents vii