The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-02-17
Qbe enquirer.
RICHMOND, l7ts FEBRUARY.
FOR THE ENQUIRER.
No. III.
To WILLIAM DANIEL, ESQ.

SIX,
But to return again to the refolution, NUT
beg leave to differ with you in the inference
which you have trawn-Althoush you pofi-
lively Unfit that the refolution does cenfure the
minority, deny that fuch deduction can be
fairly drawn it is trae that it may be tortured
into fuch an implication, but this is not the fair
Inference It ought to be literally underftood,
and literally difpofed of. IF in doing this, the
minority feel themfrlvcs cenfured, let them un.
derftand that this is confe quence which their
own conduct has produced if they feel no
cenfure, none can be beftowed, for the literal
language the refoiu,ion does not warrant fuch
a deduction.
But, FIR, fuppofe cenfiIre on the minority is
attached to the refo!ution, if by voting for it
you beRow cenfure fbem, imagine you will
not deny, that by voting again!t it, you throw
the lame weight OF cenfure upon the admnitra-
ton this is petition too clear and ftrong to
be coutroverted, and it is point completely
at i1ue between the administration aud Mr..
R"%ss*@r. If you vote in favor of one, you,
IN effect, vote againt the other.
But probably you will defend yourfelf by fay
ing you did not vote againt the refoiution,
you only voted for its potponement this
might have afforded You fome filelter iE weak
imaginations if you had given iIent vote, but
J fhalI always confider fuch meafure in legilla-
tive proceedings, az tantamount to a vote againft
the refolution. You mutt either sc for or a.
eanft, aud you have faid poiitively in your ar
gument that you were not in favor of the refo-
luton. You cannot obfcrve A middle courfe
upon plain queltions of this fort, and there
fore iet you down as decidedly oppoied to it.
becaufe you have acknowledged that your heart
and your tongue were not attuncd to the fub-
jed. Ii follows then, that yon have cenfured
the administration and approved the copdutf of
the minority, at time too, when you ought
TO have known that fuch courfe, purified by
yon, would, if it had any effect, 60 to di-
vide the republicans, and at time, too, when
every word, act, and deed of a representative,
ought to have been exerted to unite the repub-
lican interef. If your penetrating eye had dit.
covered Tome few errors in the administration,
at the time you were " Gnging praifes" to the mi
norty; believe very few OF your coneitucBts will
be willing to- acknowledge that the courfe you
adopted in confequence thereof was calculated
to omote the general good 70 far from it, fir,
expediency, in my eftimation, cried aloud for
your notes in favor of the administration, and if
your inltrument was not " atfuned to the fub-
je6t," fence was the greatcft mark of your diff
appreciation to the administration, that the peo-
pie expected.
Lock at-the proceedings which have b. c had
upon this fubie6 by all the republican fates in
the union fnce their laft legislatures have con.
ftance (the Senate of Virginia only excepted)
| where either branch have, in the remoteft de-
gree, cenfured the administration You can
not produce another inftance. not even from the
journals of a federal fate. 81 hrm, juft and
liberal'' have been he neafures adopted by Mr.
Jeferlon, fnce his elevation 70 the Presidential
chair. that he has aImoh completely refored
the people of America TO the fraternai affs eions
OF each other. The violent party rage which
I'D b. 4
New-H,mplhIre, and which, in meafurc, con-
vuifed the lprings of government, has difappear-
ed, aud our internal tranquility once more ef.
tabllihed, 10 far at lraft, as wifdom and virtue
In government, could produce thI effecf-it
is true that a few abandoned characters have
been confpiriug againt the snion, but this is
not to be imputed TO any opprefIiye meafures
of the government, but to their own vicious
difpoitions.
But, fir, NUT not withhold from you the
tribute OF applaufe due to your ingenuity in
supporting the petitions you have laid down
your language, in an abitraet point of view,
commands my admiration, but when applied
to the fubjeet quetiop, feel myfelf conftrain.
cd TO denounce it. You have built upon rot
ten foundation, which mutt tumble, and all
your arguments will be buried in its ruins You
very ingenioufly aR if the government of the
United States il about TO frizc upos the right,
or the people, 2niwer no II this was the cafe
the representatives Of the people would rather
have introduced refoutioR of different tex
ture; they would have condemned the mea.
lures OF iuch government, rather than approve
them, and an ahonilhed how fuch auction
could preient itielf to your mind. But, Fir,
the people were alarmed at the attempt which
they faw in the minority at that time, and they
are alarmed at the attempt which they fee in
you at tbs, to bring the administration of the
general government into diirepute, at the very
moment when we are threatened with external
and internal dangers, and at the very moment
when we ought to be united by the frongelt
tics of affection.
Even admitting that the view whic you have
taken of the administration be a correct one,
found policy obvioufly dictated a coIrfe con.
trary to that which you have purified. 1t was
inexpedient that the errors of government
fhould be held up to the people at that time,
be- aute much more injurious consequences
might refult thereirom, than by fIbmitting A
iitue longer TO thoie trli1ng lmperfe6trons which
are to be found in every human being, and we
ought torejoice that they are 70 few in the IL.
Iuarous man who prelides over the American
CouuCiis-But, fir, with what aftoninment
viii our hHet hates view this conduct in the
Senate Of Virginia and to what motives are
they TO attrbutet! If they were actuated by
Al arden; dehre to promote the public good, as
they furely ought to have been, they have A.
,Hx1 0trtf, e