The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-11-05
Gbe Gnauirer.
RICHMOND, STD MoyEM3ER.
To THOMAS TURNER.


oil paiiion which led you into error, would
prompt you to deny the refuta,ion." / amnot
furpr'ied that man who could write fuch
letter as you have done, fhould have boldly de-
cared lie had ''fought in vain for a Jingle cir
cuniffance," in the Whole body of records and
certificates which we nave cole cted, that was
inbver!ive of IN important point of your letter"
There are tome men whole minds are 10 COM
Pleteiy dlttorted by PATTON AMI party, that it
would require even the miraculous touch OF l.
lthurePs ipear to reitore themltp their primitive
appearance.
! AS to the letter which you have Dubihed in
the Virginia Gazette of October goth, it is too
much Of a complexion with your frft letter in
the Bottom paper, TO require very particular
antwer. 1t can boat of but few original re-
marks which are worthy of attention.
When were thofe g magnificent promifes"
made. OF which you io tauntingly fpcak? We
have never promied to exhibit GO proofs Of
prcwefs or deeds of valour." 1t was enough
for us to prove, that MIR. Jefferfon had the fprit
of man, without pretending TO claim for him
the honours OF hero. 1t was enough for us to
refute the principal accufation which you have
advanced, and furely this was not a deiiyn 70
important in lis consequences as to entitle the
| man who undertook it to 70 magnificent"
title.
You mifake the very nature of evidence
when You ay,.hat you "might as well call on
the perions who have certified, to prove the
truth OF their REFLECTIVE certificates, as to be re-
| CURED yourfelf to iubltantiate what yol have
afierted, uDlets your enemies, in the ndefatica-
| Die rapacity ct their pu'fuit, can find fome one
| act OF your life Gale ulated to invalida;e what
you may aaert" How far, Sr.the hiltorv of
your life is calculated to invalidate your at
fertionS," is one of thofe in6gni6cant problems
which have tcarce any chance of being fatisfac-
torily determined. There is nothing which you
have yet done to make your hiflory fuhiett of
curioiity & wonder, and there is too little con.
fequence in the only ACT of your life, which has
made you remarkable; too many proofs of
weakness in the letter which has been puhihed,
to make it matter of general concern, what
you have done asa man, and what refpeGt you
deierve AS witneis. In fpte of all your vani
ty, the "rapacious prrtuit of your enemies" is
not indefatigable. But with all your claims as
a creditable witncis, what right have Won TO
place yourielf on the fame ground with thofe
who have certified :" Are you ignorant that
that mans evidence is mott to be reflected, who
has neare:t Attended 10 the fountain of truth !,
What they have IBID, they have Ieen; whereas
you have fad nothing which did not come to
you through the medium of OTHER hands. In
your own bolOm perhaps the teftimonv
more than the teft;mony " of thofl. who have
certified" to facts, but the world will view this
thing under very different afpett The finn
pie queltion before them is, whether the Jingle
name of Thomas Turner fhall outweigh the ac-
cumulated evidence of hundreds.
"If perlonaily appliedto by a gentleman" You
pledge your.eif {" to give the names of perfons.
GA the authority Of whole information YOU
made the communication" Again YOU mif
take the quettiun att fue. The caufe is not be-
tween You and "venal hireling newi.paper
printer" but between you and the public. You
have dared TO ahuie and calumniats the very firG
officer in the government. Every man has a
right 10 expect of you, that you ihouId make
good theft charges, or that you g,oudco
your intakes. 1t is of no manner of account
whether your letter crept into circulation thro'
the improvident ardour of friend (; that is an
affair only between you and your correfpon-
dent. But the duty which YOU owed To the
public, was TO produce the evidence you had of
thefe charges, or tn cOnfeis that you had none.
You may elude the execution of this duty by
fayi6Sit is " hireling printer" who demands
thSjnformation; but the very moment when
yo% foop To turl iubterfugcs, you confcE your
fca Without the ability to fupport the truth, or
the iIrtitude to recant your errors.
Iou declare cit is well known to all Virginia,
lIldL tlS IHOtt NilCCt dlu ICVSTc charges were
circulated aud countenanced by men of the
highef responsibility of character. 1t is well
known that one of the moi confpicuous men
in the fate did contemplate an Impeachment :"
and you add, that you a." know not why it was
not prolecnied." You have very treichcrous
memory, MIR. Turner, or you want candor
enough to do juitice to your convictions. Had
you attentively examined the numbers of the
Vndcaton, you might have iaved yourfelf the
iIiame of confefiine that Mr.. Jeiferfon would
have received the thanks, rather than the CEN
furc," Of the legislature. 1t is qUeH kaozc1
that George Nicholas did contemplate an I'M
peachmeut {: but is it not equally well tnown
that he sVtbdye1V but did not "withold" il !!
that lie was proud to tread back the paths of
error into which he had been unwittngy con-
Quoted !. AID that he was afterwards manly
enough to do iultice to- the virtue of his oppo.
nent, by publicly acknowledging his miRakr /?
1t would have been ridiculous, Sir, to have ex-
pe6ed from you the n1agnanimity of George
NichoIas.-That olan pciieiTcd foul in which
genius, fenGbIity and patriotifm, had found
their favouriie afyun.
An advocate, Sir, n1ould never iniure hi,
c1uie by deGroying llconfidencein thecandout
of his character. To what then am to afcr,be
your aiIertion thar 4" the crcumttance OF the
resignation is 70 ila;ly admitted by the Enquirer.
that any comment ON that fubiect would be
| fuocrhuous ~ Was it that in the Deliberate