Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1804-06-02
ALBEMARLE, May 9th, 1907.

III pics lIOIll = W TO iliChSS QCSps
ALBEMARLE, May 9th, 1907.
Mr.. PLEASANrS,
IN the Washington Federalist of
May 18th, a person we'll known here,
has undertaken to give report OF an ac
ton at law, lately tried in the district
court of Charlottesville, wherein the Pre-
sdent of the United States WAS plaintiff,
and one Johnson defendant the tendency
Of this statement is TO mlslead the public,
by presenting one part only of proceed
ings at law, instituted for the establish
ment of a right 10 lands in contest between
the parties. and so much only of that part
OF the proceedings as looked favorably
for the defendant. On that spirit which
can excite men to enter the sanctuary of
private concerns, and display them before
the public with all the Colorlngs OF false
hood and malice; TO pry into the transac
tioas of private life, not 10 seek for truths,
but for incidents, which, by the distortion
of some, and suppression OF other circum-
stances, may be imposed on the world for
truths, ! shall make not a single obser
walton The public are sensible, that il
Is their esteem and confidence in the Pre-
sidcnt, which draw on him this unreleut-
ing persecution, from party whose views
and conduct are before them, and who
finding no resource in his official proceed
ings which are known to the public, re-
sort 10 those which are private and IN
known, and can, therefore, be misrepre-
sened. Having been present at the trial
before mentioned, and particularly atten
tive to ii, having seen also and examined
the record OF a case, depending in the
chancery court of Richmond, between the
same parties, (Which record was hauled
about at the bar during the trial, and free
to be seen by alb will give brief and
faithful statement of the outlines of the
whOt. case.
r. appeared that the father of the plain
tiff had sold an hundred acres, part of 400
acres of land to person Of the name of
Spiers, who lived adjacent to it; and in
his will dated l757, directed his executors,
10 make conveyance of it. Whether
the conveyance was withheld on their
part, or never solicited by Spiers, under
> consciousness that it had not been paid
for, did not appear. No application was
pretended to have been ever made to the
plaintiff for cOnyeyance-the purchaser
died-his eldest son and heir at law, Will
liam, treated with the pltf. for sale ofthe
lands but before a conclusion he convey
ed his right to his son John Spiers, sold
the adiacentlands on which his father had
lived and removed TO Carolina. No far
1her step was taken in this business until
1890 after the return OF the plaintiff from
Europe, which was thirty-three years af-
ter the death Of his father, the testator:
when John Spiers applied TO the plu. in
formed him Of the conveyance by his IA
ther. which, however, had been acciden-
tally lost, but would, at he said, be renew
ed by his father, whenever desired, and
offered 10 sell the lands to him after some
exchange Of propositions, the purchase
was concluded for the sum which the IA
Their had offered to take, and interest on
that sum from the date Of the offer 10 the
present day, With a REIMBURSEMENT Of up
wards If thirty years quitrents snd taxes
which had been paid by the plaintiff; The
price was paid and conveyance ezecut.
ed, tenant Of the name Of Sneed had
been settled on the 400 acres by the father
of The piif. VINO had continued on IL be-
tween twenty and thirty years rent free,
'and had raised family on IL, one of whom
was a son Of the name Of John; this son
after the pits purchase from John Spiers,
went 70 Care1ina IN Cpiere tho f,t no r.