The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-11-04
'THE ENQUIRER.
RfcHnloND. no FGAlaNR 4, 1893.



WILLIAMsBuRG.
BY law az Scion punishmcmts we're de-
| nonnccd against those citizens who in times
OF public canmotipa. refused To declare o
penny, Tor une Of The factions. His view. SAYS
the Historian, in this admirable institution.
was To ronse men OF merit and integrity from
state Of fat'd inactivity; to oppose them
to the factions aud save the rcrab!ic by the
courage and asccn.:ancy of v;r,ae
Perhaps Ut no period s;;co our Contest
with Great Britain. has it been more rsces-
sary to enin;ce this wise law than ut the pre-
sent The Situation If oar country is sAfIii-
cien,iy alarming 10 rouse the most torpid and
animate ihc cot~l.st bo5nm. 4 crisis is fast
Iaiprmching, perhaps mas already arrived,
winch calls for ali the energy of virtue, and
al! the e>It-r, on of talent--Wi,r1ut we are
ASSUMED by Oppressive and arbitrary iafiac-
lticns OF laws cstahiiahed By reason, and sane
| u.ie;.by the comHon consent of al civilized
Observation-Disclosures the vsrv bcs,,rn OF tho Re-
| public. is not,isi!cd degenerate race, who
sacrifice bcr intcrc>ts to selfish and personal
considerations. Without, we are exposed to-
every insnit which can provoke rational irci-
ing, and every injury which can inilame ma
t:onal fcscntuaeni. W'itili6, we.are rent and
Sorn Into ,t;;ercut factions. seine uf whom
as II In league with open enemies, have
shamefqlly iovsaken the catise of their conn-
| try, and to CRAFTY the malignant spirit of
lParty have invited those very aGHressions
| from which all chr evils fiow
10 this gloomy picture of national calaIi,i-
ty must be added the decay of private vii-
vuc, ana the lidivWual abandonment of Drin-
| ciple and character. We have been i'm the.
daily ha5it CT witnessing a disgraceful de-
scrtion trorl the ranks of rcpubGcauism We
have seen Naming Patriots in disastrous con-
junction with the avowed enemies OF Liber-
ty, to whom but little ago they wee in Of :
Position. We have beheld unnatural as, c :
Citations and hortentous alliances-h+ync
friends Of !Nenroe zvish tie adv5cates Of
N2o'iarchy-Y The Sahhor;era Of Clinton zviih
the Eire.ingS If Great Britain
This, Sir is a general view of the situa-
sion OK cu; beloved country-From the nau-
seous detail, turn with horror and disgust (:
! tie hearts s;chened at the contemplation -
| q parent, in the moment OF distress, deserted
and BETRAYED by her own children.
! In a crisis full OF danger from abroad
and so marked By treachery at home, it IS
natural that the real friend 10 his c,unti,
should enquire into the means of its secnr;
| ty and protection. Ii he shall look for them
in the collected wisdom of that great national
council which is shortly 20 be assembled,
am afraid ne viii look lii VAN. in.ependent
o! the important truch thar governments
have much less and individuals puch more
influence in the affairs Of the world than was
formerly imagined, there are particular Cir
lcumstances relating to the material, 81 which
that body Is at pre- sent formed, that must in
:. great degree ahridYe IT'S usefulness ana Ii
init IFS Importance. Unfortunately 1t is ours
fed with toe many tools OF parry and fire.
brands of faction. The gceat interests of
the nation are sacrificed to the qualification
Of lie basest and most eonte Tnptible passions
L o rcpress a rival or secure slD e!eCICn, 90
gain moulcntary and pitifui triumph, on u
obtain solue. local or comparatively inconsi-
dclable object, the best concerted measures
tor the general welfare are opposed and de-
teatcd. The Damon OF party spirit, like
Miiton's Devil, revels and rejoices in the ms
chiefs occasioned by himself and provided
his own diaboical ends can be Obtained, is
alike Indifferent to the disgrace or tine ruin
OF the country.
From such men as Pickering and Key, we
could expect no other conduct. Iiiev and
their partizans have long been distinguished
for theft opposition to the true interests o.
their country, and their servile submission
to British usurpations. The one has the Ia
nonruble part he acted during the American
| Revolution to SuppOrt-'rhc other seems to
have made itjthe business of his life to atone
to the - mother country" by his subsequent
into which, at that period ne was uufortI-
nately betraye But there is, sir, a man
in that Body !rom whom we might have hop
ed better things il man whom, a; one time,
/ Liberty hailed as her son, ard the Patriot
embraced Us his brothcr-A man on whom
at this awful .eriod, had he judged rightlv
ct what was trdiy honourable Tor himself,
| fcpobicanism might have rested with conh-
dence. II not rcposed III security But a .is
| here too W. discover the instability OF human
vrtIis. This ran, whose reputation was
such that call tongues spoke Of him and the
bearcd sight were specjIcte,. To see h!n, "
! has deserted Tie cause of me people lie
has left those banners Under VIII ch he ga
thered all his laure.s, ana has entered the
ranks with the jile,t miscrcalts of Afisto-
crazy. We find him Engaged IN tie same
battles by the side OF I'D tories We behold
him continually thwartirg and pcrpIcxng
| the business of Congress and the me tsa~es
| Of the Administration, as if his constituents
had sent him for thar special pun pose: At
one time opposing OH one day, what lac Had
most warmly advocated the day before, and
at another, cxertlng the whole force OF his
/ intellect against every proposition 10 redress
the wrongs o. the republic, without deignrg
| 20 offer in their stead single substitute Ft-
coDciling CONTRADICTIONS and defending in
constituencies. This man may justify if hr
can, the course he has taken to his own
! g.. a. ~