Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-07-19

serious snocK--his health Was in q Wis.
'bie and alarming decline. In these cir.
-ums'ances, atthe close ofgeneral Wash.
'ngion's administration, he sought an i'm.
;erval toput his sstatein order, to recruit his
health ii that were possible, or, ir other.
wise, to provide for the awful change
which he had too much reason to appre
hsnd. Itwasin 1877 and '9s that he was
thus engaged. But we have seen, that in
| 1899 when the dangers of his country lad
encreascd almost TO desperation, although
his health was SO Far FROM being confirm.
ed that il had become worse, he again
made his appearance on the political
heatrc, with the same signal gal
lantry, which had ever distinguished him.
He has been in puLa: life ever SINCE
And those two years of repose and O.;
private duty, SO reasonable, so necessary
10 him, are what you would have us t..
consider as a cowardly flight from danger
We are no! Barb&rians You defeat you
own purpose, gentlemen; you wish to des.
troy Mr. Madison; bat YOU force us to re ;.
call his services aud to reflect how i'm.
maculale must be that life, against which
malice itself can bring no better char.
ges.
SO much for your accusation of the
want ol energy, and for the single in
stance by which you attempt 10 supper,
it. But after all, this is, perhaps, u mere
dispute about word: il is probable, that
we do not attach the same idea TO the term
energy. What cur idea of The energy
oil republican patriot is, we have alrea.
dy shewn in the example Of Mr. Madison.
| As to any ming farther, we admit +, most
| cheerfully admit, that Mr. Madison has
not that kind of energy which Distinguish
ed Ca.aline, Clodius or Caesar, q
Danton, Robespierre or Napoleon
We hope that he has no ambiuon To H..
cure at the spring of guiIlot.ne, at The
head ut faction, nor Of an army, red with
civil blood, and UNANIMOUSLY immortal by
! he overthrow of It's coun.ry's liberty
This may be the species of energy which
suits your projects. But where will you
| ind IL! Not in MIR Madison, most assn.
fediy and as assuredly not in either oil
hs noble minded and honorable gentle
men, who are understood 10 be cursed
silh the support OF your names.
We have done with this charge Of the
want OF energy. Those who choose 10
sake the floating rumor, and through in.
dolence or creduliy to found their fail
! upon II, without examination, may have
been gulled by the din which YOU have
raised. They are however but few
The people, who choose TO take nothing
on cre1ftblt, TO examine for themselves,
are not thus 10 be duped. We have ex.
amined this charge and we have found ii
air.
| But let us see how well this quGdrutes
with your next charge. This is, that MIR.
Madison in conjunction with Mr.. Jay and
Mr. Hamilton, wrote the work called the
The rederalist, in which the most obiec-
tionable doctrines Of the latter are main
tanned. Now the objection to The doctrines
of the latter gentleman were, that they
were TOO energetic. In one breath, then,
MIR. Madison wants energy--m the next
ne has too much Of il. This is the unity
and consistency of truth. But why, a.
gain, are you SO vague and so general in
his charge about the Federahst. Our
juFlsts tell us I" doius later in generGli6us''
deception turks IN general expressions
and the truth, Of the maxim was never
more srikingIy exemplied than in your
treatment OF Mr.. Madison. You mount
some eminence, and with trumpet to
your mouth, you bawI out "Yszoo,"
''want Of energy" "the FederalIst--Jay
and Hamillon." Ii does not suit you to
descend TO particulars, because you know
The charges require but to be seriously ex-
amned, and they are at once falsihed and
exposed. You know the odum attached
10 the words which you utter, and regard
ing your cOuntrymen as pack from the
kennel, you seem TO think that you have
nothing TO do, but to point out the game
and set us on. But we are moi quite such
beasts as you are pleased, most RESPECTFULLY
10 consider US. Instead OF being ready to
worry patriot whose virtues offend you,
we will protect and cherish him aksinsl
lyour injustice and most 1ndeserved perse-
cuton. The Fedrralistl We know tina,
Il Is defence of the constitution, which
5 we are all sworn to support: and where
. is the crime Of MIR. Madison's having par
ticipsled in that defence Is il criminal
w MIR. Madison to have defended the con.
sntulion by written argument, and ye
: not criminal in you and ia US to have
sworn TO support il This Is another e.
5 golu,Ion Of the strength and clearness o
y your dIscernmenl Since you will no
b descend to particuiarizc the Dassaors .,