The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-10-24
From toe fBeqon) Independent GSrouieie.
ToDEcIUS.

! ed in the Richmond Enquirer, the prof6s,i OBJ
| ject of which is " 10 offer TO the world fame
facts and obfervations which may enable them
| to form more juf opr;ion of the conduct of
the Republican minority, during the lsG Geffi-
on OF Congrefs, and of the motives BY which
they were probably aetuated." a more fpccial
Object appears to he vindicatiou of Nj. John
Randolph for large proportion Of your pub
LEGATION conii!ts of detail of his trania9ons,
opinions and conversations, fome of which are
Represented TO have been private, and, Therefore,
however influential upon his own udymeat,
cannot be fuppoied to have had any influence
on that OF other members of Congrefs, or to be
| material TO their publication.
From internal evidence, there is fome realon
| to believe that you are Mr.. Randolph himielf,
preiented III Roman drefs but, whether you
are, or not, as you have thought proper TO az
| iume the lgnature OF Eeeiio, / take the liberty
| to addrefs you, as a newspaper writer, and thail
annex to the!e curCory obftrvatons the anrm
| ed name of another ancient Roman. IF the
| printers, through whole papers they may he
communicated to the public, have not already
inherited your publication, | hope they viii give
it an infertion, that both lides may have an i'm.
partial hearing, and jult companion and con-
| cluion be formed .,-.
| You complain that the events OF the Taft fef-
fon of Congrefs have been miirepreentetl, and
are miiuDdeyftood yet you appear to me to
have added TO thofe INTERPRETATIONS, and
| endangered further Misunderstanding, by partial,
incorrect and uncandd fiatements. Some in
| ttances of your partiality, ncorreGnefsand want
OF candour, will be fpecified in the feCueI.
| Many of your ohfervations, however. ar, nm.
doubtedly juf. AS you have junly obferved,
1T is an undoubted fact, that, during the lift
FELTON, of Congres, a fchifn aroie in the Re-
publican party. a portion of the Republicans
ieceded from the majority of their brethren, and
from the administration. Of that feceiiion Mr..
Randolph WAS the leader. His friends and enc
mes, OF courie, atcrbe his conduit to differ
lent caufes but all, believe, agree in one point.
that the principal honor or dihonor of that new
Ioppoiition, which you denominate fchim,
belongs to hin.-yVthout him, indeed, i. ia
believed, no fuch diviiion would have been
known in the hiftory of American parties. The
fplendour of his reputation, ithe brlliancy of his
leloquence, his long experience in the Houfe.
his former !ervices, while cooperating with the
kepubiican majority, his bold invettives, his
perseverance,. and zeal, had their wei ht with A
number of his perfonal and political friends.
who, together with the whole little phalanx of
federalifts, supported him with their votes.
The Republican part of the minority, at the
lat feiiIo2, were not 70 numerous, as, PERHAPS.
under the eXllting circumstances, was tc have
been expected. The future progrefs and final
iilue of this dfunion are without the tcope of
our Preient enquiry.
4 infer nothing from the novel coalition of
.he fei'SfIiiitS, d0 party, with MIR. K. as their
temporary leader. ! fimply fate the fact, and
leave every one to draw his own differences.
As good politicians, they have made the mott of
ms voluntary id,wthout committing themfelyes
TOR his fupport and, 70 long as he, or any o.
ther Republican, will content, on any princ;-
ciple, or for any cauie whatever, to abet them
IN their fy'tsmatic oppofition to the Republican
adminiff-aiion- th-s' will for nary ohvians roo
IONS, unqueitIonabIy continue to euloeize him,
however vilionary and extravagant they NAV e.
teen his general fyitem of politics OF this
certain truth, it is prefumed, no well informed
man will be unapprized.
Gou lay, Z" that the voice of the nation has
declared for the administration" So far we A.
. gree and ] truft the public fentiment is too
well iettled, to be ihaken by any thing, howe
yer ingenious, which you have faid, or can fay,
on me iubJect. Infead of being weakened, it
VIII be strengthened and confirmed by your un-
authorized publication of the Prefdent's conf
dental meiiage. Yes, fir, by that aa of indic
cret,on' you have unintentionally contributed
10 the weIl-earned popularity of the aimniC-
tration; aud, ut the fame time, difarmed your
friends OF one of their mott potent weapons
both of attack and defence. Independent OF
the eleet upon our foreign relations, Won NAV
be aiiured, the Republican majority perfonalIy
'NN W H-Fe that document numerically
known, especially after it had been 70 horribly
cancatured by party INTERPRETATION. The
Puolic now fee it with their own ewes and no
iongerreceiye their impref1ions oft through the
ditort!ng optics of prejudice and conjecture.
Having dfcofed this confidential meiTage OF
Dec. oth, which you declare the Houfe of Re-
PreienfatIves voted not to make public, YOU
nave not condefcended to explain by what means
you obtained it, or under what pretext of an
thorIty you thus publiih it, in violation of of.
hcial confidence and contempt of the order OF
the Honie The contribution vets each depart.
ment OF our government with power Of dc.
ternining how far their proceedings 1lall be
Kept iecret, and at what times tbey.(lali he nro.
mulgated. Such Discretionary power is ne.
cshdry, particularly in cafes refpeeting foreign
relations. 1t may fometimes be proper for the
executive to communicate to the legnature in
FORMATION concerning other governments, VIII n
would not be proper to be communicated 70
thofe governments.
"A premature dilcIofure of Gich confidential
communications, relative to exiting diEcren-
ces or pending negotiations with foreign now
ere, might exPoie our government to the refsnl-
nlent OF thote powers, and tend, in various
ways, to obitruct and -..rhaps defeat obiet4
OF great natiousl intereR Hence the pro,ri.
ETY. and necel!ity Of the authority en,rnRed bv
the contribution TO each Houfe, 70 eniuin C.rre-
cy upon its members. In the exerciCs of tbst
| conf itufiCn,I ,t;C-r,,;o. ''''''