The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-09-02

opinions as to til. courfe which the negotiation
!houd be made to afune in a private and in
Official manner thus attempting TO throw
npon congrefs all the refp,nfhii'y of ADOPT
ing pacific meafures refponiibili:y which
he fhould have himfelf affirmed in a conl.
tntional fhape (; and meafures, which he
mould never have attempted to introduce
by fecret aud irrefponlihle influence
But on this fnbic9, it might he ihewn, that
the differences of Decius are not fupoorted by
his facts that had the Pr-6dent proceeded to
temper with the different members of the re-
publican party, to 7,oimteer his opinions as to
the proper courfe tn be purified and attempt
ed to guide the opinions and votes of the iud-
vidual members he would have dtfervcd
| much ieverer rebuke, than flows from the pen
| of Decius. 1t may he fhewn, that very OBJ.
| v'oas diIfinction is here TO be taken, which
Dccius has completely forgotten that the
PRECEDENT would have been to blame, had he
/oHeifo9Qy attempted to influence the opinions
o. congreis, but that the mere giving of his own
opinion when he was confuted by any who had
a right to ak his afIitance, was at Leaf All in
nocent if not commendab'e courfe and that
the whole pith of Decius's Ratements amounts
at Ian to that one accufation. Ii NAV be
ihewn, that in the fuoport of this charge, De-
cus has brought forward but three relevant
facts; Mr.. J. Randolph's fecret conversations
with the prefdtnt; his communication on
this fuhje6 with the fecretary of the
treaiury ard General V,rnun's alledgcd
declaration on the floor of congrcis. With
| refPec' 70 the firR, it may be ihewn from the
| very ffatenent advanced by Decus himfelf,
| that Mr.. Jefferfon did not exprefs his own OPT
| mons to Mr.. Randolph, until the latter gentle
man had thought proper to confut him: it was
not until Mr.. K. had exprciIed I" MS Willingness
and readinefs TO cooperate, as far as his rrin
! c'ples and judgment would permit, in fuch
| plans as the executive might have dcvfed for
| the occalion," that he &C then learned, not
without fome furprift, that an appropriat on of
two millions was wanting to purchaft Flori-
| d.! )" and that had Mr.. Jefferfon on fuch an oc-
Gallon forborne to expr-fs his views however
| imperfectto Mr.. Randolph, the very leader ofthe
republican party in congrefs, and the chairman
OF the f-crct committee, not only Mr.. r. him
feit, but the whole country would have had
reafon to condemn his ience. With refpe6t
to Mr.. Gallatin's proposition, even admitting
that is was preiented at the re7ves Cor diree-
| fiou) ofthc PRECEDENT, it MAJ be flown, that it
was not prefented to Mr.. Randolph until fe-
veral days after he hmfef had confulted
the Prrudent as TO the courie to he purfu-
ed; that ii was not even then prefcnted
under all the importing dignity of the preGdent's
name that it was not de clared to be bis with,
or even his concluiive opinion that Mr.. CAL
| latin expressly rejected the idea, of being I'M
deritood TO recommend the meafnre; "brt if the
committee BoYld deem it adviita5ie, he had de-
vifed plan for rafting the neceifary fupplies,
as he had been requeted Tor drected) in that
eaflo do" With refpef to Gen. Varnum's
aedged allcrtion, it is enough to oblrrve, that
he himfelf on the floor of congref. expressly
denied the idea of ever having made it (: hut
that even if he had, it would have not bees We
. RI for
were " the Ezvest zvibet of the executive" with
out any direct tampering the part of the
prelident the knowing that a combination had
taken place inthe cabinet, ihort time before the
meeting of congrefs, on the qgefton of neeo-
tiatiug for the purchafc of the Floridas, miyht
have been tulicieut foundation for this opipi-
on. " Mark the magic of words" faid Mr..
| Randolph. We srepcat the caution Sub
ititutc "the iHdivi6n0I opinions Of tie pref
aent' for "tbe /seret svj1es Of the eeeentize''
and the magic of the found is gone forever.
bet us defpife as mnch as we will, the flavifh
acquiefcencc of Gen. Varnum in the opinions of
the Preiident is it bis fault, that Gen. Var
mum is Fave!
To what then do the criticifins of Decns
&! 81 q a;iiiiaiiy amount Il N11 Jeiferfon was
not bound 10 express all his opinions in form
| al aud official manner; if Mr.. Jefferfon has not
held one fett of opinions in his official commu-
| nicatlon, ana anothcr IN private 1T he has not
expreHed his individual opinions even in pri-
waite, fave only when he was coniuted by thor.
who may have had fomc right to expect them :
70 what, we repeat, do the itatements of De-
cius amount
That Mr.. Jefferfon may not have fcruDuIouf-
! y weighed every word, which he uttered ON
our Spaniih relations that he has confined hi,
opinions to thoie only, who ought TO have heard
! them, and TO no more it is not for us to Eiy.
That he is NOT Efficiently frnbu'on5 in the con-
cealment of his opinions, is fomctmes fourcc
of uneainsis 10 his friends but if it he fault, is
it not one whichtpringS from the noblet qualities
of the heart But that Mr.. JefFerfon threw
out his opinions in private, for the purpofe of
! evading his own proper and constitutional ref
ponibllity; his whole life, his unrullied virtues,
his ingenious character, his prefent elevated
Handing, all expressly contradict
! TOBACCO TRADE.-----Letters which have
been received in this city from London, announce an
important change in the mode of colleling the duty
on tobacco.-- The following may explain the nature
and coniequenees of this regulation.
! The du'y tobacco in England, is not paid on
the importation, as it is mot other articles, and