The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-02-08

lures; nut are not thofe very different from the
power of Judging of his official qualifications or
conduit IT the power of official Judgment
were co-extenfive onlyi with the power of ap-
pointment or removal, might not this confe-
quence follow, that though the Prelident mould
violate the contribution of the United States, &
encroach upon the Gate authorities, the legiIla.
ture would have no right to "iudge" of his
Conduct, becaufe they neither had the right of
appointing nor of removing him i? We ad.
mt, that though the power of " official iudg.
ment' is not prohibited by the contribution,
yet that the refped due by the Rates to the fe.
dera! authority, and the probable danger of in.
fenlibie cncroachment, fhonld teach them to ex-
ercife 1t with the utmoft circumfpettion. We
thould not wia,, for example, to fee the execu-
t'ves OF the different fates 70 frequently COM
menting upon federal matters, or the Lcgilla-
lures offering up the mott adulatery addrefIes
to the Prefdent, when the public good does not
REQUIRE the exprellion of their fentiments. But
the pretent refolution is not from the executive
but from the Legislature it is not dictated by
4 with to exhibit the triumphs of party, or
10 Halter the vanity of their chief, but from
with to inform foreign nations of the refo.
litlon with which we will oppofc their aggrec
ions and the confidence with which we will
inpPort our prefent administration. Even the
diientient himfelf would have "ready con-
>u''SN " ~ HnuCu OF the relOlutlOn pro-
mifes the fupport of this State to flch meafi,res
as the general government may ordain in rela-
tion to foreign nations" had he not entertain
ed 1ome doubts about our right to the province
OF Wen Florida" Even the dificntieut him
felf would have joined in neafure, which was
calculated to bear TO foreign countries the idea
OF orr unanlmty and confidence, had his IN.
deritanding been unequivocally entitled on Our.
Ede. How then can he reconcile it to bimf;.lf
to dcnyto the ref of his colleagues the right
OF avowine their appreciation not only of the
canie for which we may contend, but Of the
government who is to condnet us; when that
asowai may intpire foreign nations with
greater reipeGt for our unanimity and refpect !:
and when that " official judgement" is neither
expressly nor by implication forbidden by Ell
thcr OF the contributions of their country Let
us add, how can Mr.. Dodirdge reconcile it
to the character OF liberal and ingenious fpirit
to attribute" no other tendency" to this Refo-
linton, "than to hide from public view. the
vices of a character, already too apparen. to be
concealed" when it is inpoffib,e but he muf
know how ftrongly the difplay of public fprit
IN representative government is calculated to
modify the meafures of an adverfiry nation,
. be sr!E Gays our diatatient under his
ftcn"d COUNTY is 10 pohgfs a luminous perceo.
ton of the truth, with the facaity to make the
bGit uit oft" We will not quibhe about de-
hntions; though the prefent is too vague to
admit OF general acquiefcence. Many men
deierve the character of wife men, who are en-
tIreiy divetted Of toe Sc faculty of making the
belt uts" of their extenGye information. Thy
a'e found philosophers in tbeoyy, tho entire.
ly unacquainted with the details of its Applicant.
on. There is another clafs OF wife men, who
poliels the character, becaufe they have the
" faculty OF making the bea u!c'' of the Hffi,
information which they poiTtfs. Let not Mr.
Hoidrdge thea accufe us of want of lhera.
liy, when for this rtafon, we give him AT.
among the wife men, though he has thought
proper to exclude Mr.. Jcffsrfon from all or :.
teaiions 10 their focicty. bscaufe with all his
eStenive lnforna ion, he has not the faculty
o! applying ito the belt purpofes.
LIST the accu :acy of the definition, however.
be completely admitted let no one hereafter
pats under the character of a wife man, who has
rot oniy ga luminous perc ept On of truth. ,,
but who has he " faculty. to make the brf ufe
ofit OF wat avail will this be TO the diGcnti
ent We ak him, how many truths it is ne
ceiary to perceive, TO come up to his fandard of
wiioom: we ak him how many truths man
max loie the faculty of applying, before he can
iole his pretenfionS to wilton But we more
particularly demand, why, in judging of MIR.
,3efterion, he does not look at him for what he.
rs, and why go back % years to fee what he
has been To prove that Mr. IefFcrfon is not
noqv wife man, he NUT take Mr.. !. as he ex.
ITS, with all his preient perceptions and his az
tual faculties. He mutt not travel back q2
years and compare his perceptions at that dav
with his prefent practice but he nun admit
the preteniions of his opponent, if he does not
prove him wanting in the faculty of making the
bet ufe of thofe truths, Of which he has nov a
luminous perception.
MIR. Doddridge may indeed efcape from this
entertainment, bv the paradoxical afIertiop,
that no man is wife who ever changes his per-
ceptions. He muf fuppofe that the fixednefs
OF opinion is the principal attribute of wifiom.
and that he only can be fage, who continues
tothnk in fpite of experience, and to cling to
prepoieflions when every reafon has evapora-
ted that gave them colourisg. But in the lam
gnage of an ingenious moraliR, we may fay:
"There is no man knows better than the
man of talents, that he was fool for there is
no man that finds in the records of his memory
fuch aitonilhing difparities to contrat with each
other. He can recollect up TO what period he
was ieiune, and up to what period he was dull.
lie can call TO mind the iunumerable errors of
Ejaculation he. has committed, that would al
mott difgrace an idiot. His life divides itfelf in
his conception into difind periods, and he has
faid to himfelf ten times in its courfe, from
fuch time began to live; the MATS Of what
nf hot too. L n 4