Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1807-01-13
Tl2 IL CentS Single. I

the honest convictions of his Judgment &c,
the wishes OF any administration-the +
5 shall become an unworthy Representative.
But, sir, / trust long time is yet to come,
in which there will be always found faith.
full, enlightened and independent Represen~
tatives tooppose those measures which their
Judgment canrot approve no matter bg
Zohom recommended. What is the obiecs
81 Representation is it not thar the Re-
representatives. Shall oppose those measures
which they do not approve, as we'll as sup.
port those which they think good IF
every project proposed or wished by the.
Executive rs at any event to be adoptedo
then is the Representation of the people i'm
your government mere sham, an useless
J expense-I-eave the government at once
subject to executive viii.
! DO not gentlemen perceive that the doCA
trine, for which they now contend, favora
/ that cour7e which has been used by every-
! government that has by peaCable means
arrived Mt tyranny! Few indeed have eE.-
fected that end by open and direct ASSAULT
upon the liberties of the people. Did YOU
ever know "A free government changed iptA.
desPotism, as long as the Representative
of the people continued virtuous and en-.
| lightened, and had independence to opposs
themselves asa barrier between those who
govern and the governed Look TO tho
example of the late administration. Tbs
federaliSts defeated their own projects by
their rapacity for power--they would noe
wait the accomplishment of their ends BY
the slow working of events--in their
greedneSs for authority they seized UPON.
all reserved pewer--strengthened the Ex.
ecuuve arm by means OF implication and
construction, and openly grasped at the
most sacred rights of the people, and tor,
give security to their schemes, boldly de-
ctared by law that the people shCuld not ut =
ter their sentiments upon the affairs of gos
Vernment-unless indeed, it should be ia
favor ofitS measures. What was the con-
| sequence The people, thus directly at
| tackled, were roused--the manly eloquencc
| of their faithful representatives was heard
throughout the union and the hopes of the,
! Federalists were banshed. The course,
| now proposed by gentlemen, is indeed more,
! ingenous-but it is therefore to my mind
more terrible. You will not say that the
eople shall not utter their sentiments, bur
You declare, in effect, their Representatives
! should not 4; unless it be to approve ~
measures of the government What is tha
! scheme YOU would now present to the
| view Of the first administration that SHAH
| be sufficiently corrupt and ambitious to-
! useit! This" Offend not the people dis
recty-enlist them by numberless unim-
! portant forms on your side ; if one or more Of
| their Rrep reSentati' IS be found superior,
to the lures of executive favor, and dare
! raise their DICE against Executive viii.
cause them to be suspected give out the
! worst interpretations to all their most indif.
! tereHt actions, procure them TO be denoun-
ced by the state Legislatures thus shall
good and Vlrtuous men be intin I'd ted, or
Observation-Disclosures stead shall be supplied.
bvmen obedcnt to our wiil---through these
shall our measures succeed 7Oifhout ut hosi-
mon, and we arrive at all power Noman,
70 whom the name Of Republican gives cree
dit, shall remain to oppose our schemess
tcderalists have already deceived the peoA
[ pie and they will not be believed"
Sir, will not III compliment to the integs
rity of any administration do that which [
think wrong upon principle, although {
should be assured that no evil would imme.
diateiy result from it. Are gentlemen de-.
sirons to protect the acts Of the admlnisb
tration from all inquiry and TO silence all
scrutiny ] should suppose t., { an ad..
ministration conducted with great wisdom
and much virtue wotad rather court inves~
tigation, that their acts being seen and
known should be the better approved.
never expect to have any Representative
whose every act shall accord with my
judgment; nor do ] expect 10 see any Pre-
sident of the United States whose admins
tration shall in every respect meet with
my applause ; and vet ] expect 10 be a.
well satisfied, in relation to either, IS most
men. ] look to tile general course if that
be good, il is sufficient. Where find much
to approve, the little that does not command
NV applause shall not receive my ccnsure.
IT among many things well done, find
few Of inferior workmanship, ] shall con-
slider either that ! do not understand the
utility Of the latter, or shat they be the eff
fccts Of a well coceived, but badly execu-
ted design. / mCte the same measure to
my Representative aud the President. I
have confidence in both. The same virtues
and talents which at first gained my conf
dence to the President, in a degree to which
] never expect 90 have the same rcasons
for bestowlng 1T Oh another, still retain it.
] have the same confidence in the govern
mcnt Of the United States that ] ever had,
But will not adopt this Resolution bee
cause ] see no good which it can produce
because ! doubt whether the particular
/ measures alluded towerc thc best because
/ it is an uniustifablc attack upon the indie
/ pcndcncc Of the Representatives ofthe pco-
/ ple--and because under the influence Of a
vicious and ambitious administration il
I might be used as a precedent 20 bring into
operation che most wicked schemes.