Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1808-05-16
LETTER
FROM cot. PICKERING TO GOV. SULLIVAN.
IcoNcLUDED.
The las, topic 10 your letter which |
shall notice, is 10 the following passage:

4
g We are wrong if we quarrel with our own
political existence. We are nation and
thouph there were not a fesv quho mere J5d
on TIE hubHc rat;oas that from timidity or some
other cause doubted the itrofriety of the de-
claration Of INDEPENDENCE, yet we shall now be
wretched beyond example, FIVE divide our
selves among the European nations"
Your exee.leucy'a meaning here is obvI-
Gus. You intended to have il understood
that /, from tiasidl:5, or soale other cause -
meaning, probably, attachment to the
British" doubted the proprie,y of the
declaration Of Independence; a charge Ut.
ses!y unfounded, and known 70 be so, by
every man ia Massachusetts acquainted
with my lite.
have hitherto treated the various ca.
iumnics invented aud diligently published
against me, with silens con,emps. In one
instance, Indeed, some OF my friends so.
licited my conse1t to a public prosecution.
| yielded 20 their request. 10 nv absence,
the i;beller was indicted, convicted and
punished. And what can your esceigaucy
imsgne 70 have bsen one ground taken by
his counsel, IN defence, or 10 mitigate The
punishment of the hbeller? Wansooly
aud cruelty assaileli as have been 10 news
papers devoted to the vi!est slaDders--
slanders at this time renewed with in,
creased vigulerce shall be charged with
vanity if I mention it? 1t was 20 this e.
feet, as stated 10 me soon after, BY one Of
the counsel for the prosecution, tina, the
counsel tor The libeller urged b. fore tie
court that the fairaess my character zoas
SO zvell knozun, and my reputation SO firmly
established, the libel Gould haze done ne no
injury. Bur, sir, chat trial was local; and
perhaps the knowledge OF the proceedings
hes reached but few persons; while
have been slanuersd before the naion.--
Perhaps have too long a,ieos!y desp'sed
the ISLANDERS ADD their authors But at the
gtesent time a governor Of the common
weslsh Of MASSACHUSETTS has lent hms:W
10 sheir aid.
an uow, sir, far advancedin life
! have children and grandchildren, who,
when I am gene, nay hear these SANDERS
repeated, add not have the means Of re-.
peiling shem. I have. too, soms invslu
autSETIeuus tn t5lusg wf VIC ssates; and M
ny IN that which gave ne birth; men who
are the ornament of sociesy ADD OF their
country. All these, If nas my country
itself, Interested as il is in the public COZ.
cerns on which I as, addressed you
have claims which ought cot to leave Cd.
satisfied. Thus called upon to vicd...
cate my character, am constrained to
give a concise narrative Of aay pubic Ifs,
The disputes between Great Britain aud
her American colooies (Which now torn,
the Uaiied States) commencing WIKI The
S,amp Act, 10 1865, and revived in 1767,
by the ACT OF Parliament for raising ,e
venue in she colonies gave rise TO two
parties which at lengsh were Distinguished
by the names of whig asd tory; the later
acquiesciog 10 British claims Of ,sxa.iou,
the former resisting Them la 1867, she
Assembly OF Massachusetts, SEQ, circuIss
letter to the speakers Of the other Assem-.
bsies, for the purpose of promoting the
adoption of uniform measures (by petitions
ADD remonstrances) TO obtain redress Of
grievances. Most of those assemblies
concurred with tina, of Massachusetts. Ia
1868, a letter from lord Hillsborough re.
CURED the assembly of Massachusetts to
rescind the vote of their predecessors for
sending that circular letter. This was pc
remptolily refused by majority Of 90 to
II. The &c personalities Of Salem, nv
naive town, wee' among the II Atshe
next election thfy were neglected. and
wings chosen IN their stead. This was the
crisis OF The political revolution in iha.
towa. ! was then four apd~,wsnty ge&rs
old. Ny elder aud only bro her, Was
chosen one Of the representatives; and
from that time was myself actively en-