The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-03-18
THE ENQUIRER.
RICHMOND, MARCH 10, 1908.
FOR THE ENQUIRER.

To Messss. Joseph Clay, Abraham T'rigg,
John Russell, Josiah Masters, Geo: Gin
ton, jr. Gurdon S. Mumford, John T'homp
Son, Peter Swart, Edwin Gray, w. Hoge,
Samuel Smith, Daniel Montgomery, John
Harris, Samuel Maclay, David X. Will
ans. James NJ. Garnett and John Ran
| dolph, members of Congress.
GENTLEMEN.
| One of the people of the United States, to
whom you have lately addressed yourselves
through the medium of the press, returns
you his acknow Judgments through the same
channel, and as one of your constituents he
expects to be heard by you in his turn. An
appeal to the nation by their representatives
in Congress, and that under so solemn form
as protest, strikes the attention and COM
mands respect. The parliamentary protest
| In. England, has generally been the act of a.
patriotic minority, resisting in behalf of the
! people, the corrupt policy and bold encroach-
ments of the minister. We have been ac-
customed to see and to feel in those pro-
tests the genuine fame of the patriot, the
unity and simplicity of truth, tie energy of
argument, crowned with the light, the order
and dignity OF eoquence. From natural
association of ideas, or which you, no doubt,
calculated, VIC received your protest with 81
milar feelings 1t is true, indeed, that in
this country toe have perceived nothing eli
Their Of ministerial oppression CT corruption,
! during the course of our present admins
tration. The country has appeared to us to-
flourish in halcyon peace. Instead of op-
preston, we have felt cur bucthens tighten
| ed; instead OF corruption, we nave seen on
1 ly that political purity and chastity which
become a republic. But in spite OF seeing
and feeling, when we find congressional
protest published to the world and support
ed by dissenticnts SO respectable, in number,
we, at first, apprehehd that our senses have
been deceived that unknown to US there
has been oppression OF corruption, or both,
which this band of honest and independent
patriots is now about to expose and proclaim
to the nation. We take up your protest
with hearts beating full of expectation and
anticipated gratitude. But what is our dis
appointment, what our regret, what our dis
gust, when instead of protest breathing the
| elevated spirit of conscious truth and virtue,
telling us of wrongs which we have suffer
ed and froUing them too, we find our
selves insulted by an electioneerine sauib-
weak and inconsistent in its oharges-shuf-
fling and prevaricating in it's argument
poor, entangled and crippled in its compost
tion Is it by these means that you seek to
recommend yourselves to our respect? Is il
thus that you respect the understanding and
integrity of your colntrymen!
!. The jealous resentment of republic, is
the sacred guardian of her honor and safety.
The wise and the virtuous approach, and ex-
cite it with caution for they know that it is
dangerous passion, and they would confne
it to its appropriate function. the punishment
+ of guilt, and the preservation of the repub-
F lie. 1t is only the weak and the wicked, who
, seek to rouse this lion passion on every &C
casion ); the weak, because they know not
what they do ; and the wicked, because they
know ittoo we'll because they are, perhaps,
in situation which anarchy cannot make
worse, and may make better or because
There is some man of pre-eminent merit who
stands in the way of their designs, and who
is too firmly fixed to be removedb by any other
means than popular storm or because they
feel themselves so perfectly eclipsed in the
plain road of virtuous and honest policy, that
they find it necessary to fly off into an &C.
certric track,in order to catch the public eve !;
and because they had rather be regarded as
baleful meteors, shaking pestilence and
plague upon the earth, than as salutary pla-
nets of inferior magnitude and splendor, dis
pensing light and maintaining the harmony of
the system or because they have been baulk-
ed in the obtention ofEome faverite appoint
rnent, and writhing /under the united pangs
of disappointed ambition and rancorous re-
venge, or painting for the guilty glory Of head
ing bold and turbulent fiction, they would
involve republic in confusion and ruin, raL
ther than not to be gratifed and distinguish
led. These are truths which the people of
the United States understand :, and under
standing which, they will scan with critical
and suspicious eye, every attempt which is
made to infame the national resentment
Before they suffer themselves to be inhamed,
they will examine we'll the causes which are
assigned for it. Before they suffer their con-
fidence to be Withdrawn from tried, a faith
full and favorite servant, they will anaIize
with calmness and patience the charges
which are made against him. They will do
more they will look with an eye of Jealous
scrutiny, into the characters and motives of
his accusers, They will see whether there
be no one among them to whom the removal
of that faYorite would be personally convent
ent or grateful no one, whose resentment or
whose envy it would soothc no clan Of sub
altern characters, to whose private and per-
sonal attachment to restless and ambitious
lchieftain, it would administer delight. They
will trace the denuncation Is source and
see whether it be fair and .riotic, with
sincere and single eye to the public good or
whether it be the intrigue Of a cabal, to put
out of the way, n nan, who is COO honest and
virIvous for their purposes as to you, gen
Itlemen, it is tobe presumed, that you can de-
~ this scrutiny Occupying the station
which you do, il would be horrible to think
otherwise Of you. To turn against ms the
E" vantage ground" which we have given you,