The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-01-30
IOH L LNEIOO
GecHaV

HOHTENSIUS.
GecHay
For THE ENQUIRER.
No III.
In the contemplation of the Presidential
character there is an ideal perfection, which,
like that in painting, can never be found in
any one human being.-Friendship sometimes
fancies, that She discovers il in her favorite
but mankind al large will not be so Gre
du'ous--nor do the people expect it-They
demand indcel, with great reason, that
President shall possess a soul, which coolly
pursues public good with frgnress and
head, which coInprehends the past IN
all its bearings upon theirhappiness; is able
TO manage the present with systematic piu-
dence, instead of iiucti; ting with the viii
OF a party and, above all, can penetrate
INTO what may be the bcscin future, BIZ that
wisdom, which, acting upon an extended
scale, can Accommodate itself to every ext
gency.
That Mr. Madison enjoys these qualities
ais whole life has lumonstratet.
III temper In the Conduct of public bust
ness be necessary instrument of success,
the proof is complete, when we rccollect
with what multitudes, and under what cir
cumstances he has acted and vet has ne
yer made single personal encmy.* He
served tor many years III the old congress,
where Virginia was watched, illuminated
envied and hated defended her and her va
cant territory against every assauit-refut-
ed those, who argued-quelied those, vino
were petC!ant, and yet, i'll The affections of
ms opponents, was always separated from
the cause, which he eSpoused In the new
| congress, OF Which he was long member
ifiltations were heaped upon irrita ions
and intrigue was busy in undermining him
Through this ordeal TOO he passed thout
apersonal enemy How did he accomplish
| all this' Not by unworthy compiiances. or
soothing concessions bot in addition to the
| competence Oh truth, by disdainng 10 in
dui5e 'anity-ilitimedpa ssion-the pettiness
or Islander, and airs OF supeliority.-He
stood upon his OWE talents and virtue
If an exception exists to the assertion, that
| ne has never made apersonal enemy, il must
| De IN the breast or such, as have poured forth
| 'heir gall against Mr. Jefferson; and trans
| CT to Mr.. Madison, as his bosom friend a
| portion OF taeir viruence
Consistency of 20 itical character will be
next selected tor a standard, by which Mr..
Madison shall be measured. To the charge
| OF inconsistency which his former opponents
| invented, some of those, whom the times ar
| ray agains, him, have given a deeper colour
| ing, by whispering that be has she wn want
| or perseverance, in maintaining, when and
where ne ought, the principles, which he pro-
teSsed How wonderfully has accident thus
joined opinions, which god seemed to have
put a sunder?
The foundation of an American character
is the spirit, which led to independence and
the practical love equal rights which COM
municatcd it.
Mr. Madison first appeared on the public
theatre Ill the Virginia convention of 1910.
Ills modesty prevented him from being heard
nD he hut he t,1.
Ill private & in committees upon the arduous
and dangerous subjects of the day. The con-
stitution OF Virginia received some of it's
eminent democratic features from his sug-
geStons. The venerable Pendleton and the
iliustrious Henry did not scrupe to admit.
that he brought into that body d fund of re-
publican theories, which no other member
had extracted from the numerous books o,
government. To follow him step by SEP
through his unremitted eadeavours to prop
American credit--to support Washington.
when ne needed support for his army or for
himseit--to guard the projected peace with
Great-Brtain from any sacrifice, to which
the proGdest nation might not accede with
honor uni the moment when the luminous
idea of general government first dawned
to public view-are the part Of the historian
Here therefore it will only be affirmed and.
il coHtradicted, it will be maintained that
his uniformity of character was thus far I'M
broken.
In the federal constitution itself, it is true
that many ssspisions were entertained OF
departures from repubicanism and lor al
most every part of that work Mr.. Madison
is in no small degree responsible. But what
says the voice of twenty years? Let it be
purely aduiinistered-aad, 60 use term o
its OWN it guarantees" a republican go
vernment.
Nothing can be farther from my purpose,
than TO depreciate the memory OF uue en-
lightened man, who chiefly co-operated with
MIR. Madison in the etters of the Fcderalist
But the remark is obvious to a moderate at
tention that when Madison treated Of fed
eral powers, he defined them in a manner,
which cut off the hope of usurpatiou, thro
the medium If suDtcty--when the Other
gentleman touched them, he wcund them NJ
to the highest pitch, Of which they were the
capable--and provided a chance for con-
struction, which might hereafter strain them
to more lofty tone.
In the preceding number we have seen ono
rIa g I.as ...l.g .a.l.