The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-03-24
FOR THE ENQUIRER.
No. /.
TIE PROTEST OF THE MINORITY
AGAINST THE
no MIN.fTYON OF Mr.. MADISON

THE Address to the people of the U. States
on the subject of the Presidential election, whe-
Their consider the importance Of the subject,
the respectable station Of the persons under the
sanction of whose names it has been ushered in
to public, or the Intrinsic merits of the address
ITSELF is entitled to deliberate attention, and dis
passionate investigation. We are now Presented
with an authentic document, which may be pre-
suned to comprehend all the objections to the po-
litical character of Mr. Madison, which the inge-
nuity of hatred shaipened by disappointment, has
been able to suggest. If the charges here aiied-
gcd against that distinguished statesman, should
be sufficient to prove his incompetency to fill the
high station to which large portion (f not a
great majority Of his countrymen are disposed to
call him, then will the American people be in
debted to t: Ve seventeen gentlemen, for the re-
! moval of oiiG,of the most extraordinary cases of
long continued popular deluson which the annals
OF republican government have ever displayed.
II, on the contrary, the accusations should appear
either unsupported by fact or futile in substance,
the people will have additional motives to confide
| their interests to man whose Character shall
i have undergone the ordeal of public Investigate
| on, without any dmnution of its lustre. AL
though not the personal acquaintance, yet as the
political friend of Mr. Madison, / shall never
! shrink from such an investigation and meet it
the more readily i'll reply to the address i'll ques-
ton, because, although it seems deeply timged
with symptoms of inveterate malice, that senti-
NEXT is evidently restrained by a regard to deco
rum, and by habits of confirmed good breeding
| The address commences with All appeal to the
public feeling, against the caucus in Washington,
I and attempts, with ludicrous solemnity, to make
it ground Of popular jealousy; to represent it as
| formidable usurpation, and 1T is even gravely as
serted to have been unconstitetiondi The address
ers calculated, no doubt, that if they should
ceed in arousing general ndi gnation against the
caucus and its promoters, the blind, unriiscriml
4 L
MES popular emotions, would trapsfer the public
resentment from the members Of the meeting to
the object Of their selection, and confound the in
nocent and the guilty in one common sentiment OF
| execratlon. profess not to be an advocate for
caucuses. shall not undertake to discuss the
question, whether circumstances may not justi.
| ~ such measures upon the principle ofnscessity
nor whether such circumstances existed on the
present occasion. But feel no hesitation in de
1 nying, that the friends Of Mr.. Madison are OBJ
! noxious to any censure on this account, which
| they do not share in common with the members
OF every preceding congress, and to which, the
slgners OF the address are not Themselves equally
liable Nor does the protest against caucuses
give to the opinions of the addressers any exclu.
| slve claim to respect, any exclusive title to
! the character of patriots, n character so easily
| assumed by any one, and so often assumed by q
minority.
" Our alarm," say these patriotic gentlemen,
4
| mode in which the meeting was summoned, or
"to the proceedings after 1t was convened" 1t is
| unfortunate for the addressers, that an alarm
should be awakened, at this particular juncture,
| by cause which has existed for the space Of II
| or ID years. Why this long and quiet slumbcr
| in the face of danger Why have not these CEN
tinels ofthe people previously sounded an alarm
Let us not be under any apprehension. They la
| Dor under an incurabe malady, morbid vigilance
they see farther in the night than the day
they dream with their eyes open.
The alarm excited by the meeting at Washing
ton, resembles the sudden detection of Wilkin-
| sons treachery just at the tltne when he had
frustrated the Vaccinations of Burr. THEY may
be both very true, but the discovery was made
too late, to do any credit to thc discoveries. Had
the meeting been accompanied with the nomina-
ion of person who was acceptable TO the wish
ca Of the professors, zee should have heard moth
ing Of" the mode in which the meeting +vas sum
moncd," nor Of 1" the proceedings after it bad
convened" The style Of Mr.. Bradley's note was
certainly very ridiculous but the absurdity of IL
was too glaring 20 deserve serious animadvcr-
sion, much less to be connected with the momcn-
tous discussion of a suitable person to TO fill the
Presidential chair II amounted, III substance,
only TO- request that the members wotldattend az
particular time and place, which, III such cases,
must he designated by some one What his mo-
tive was, in adopting that particular language
those alone, who know his character, can Judge
To the pnblic it is quite unimportant
Sincerity confpes me to- remark that this part
OF the subject has been treated in the address,
with an apparent disregard 10 Che candour which
ought 10 regulate the controversies Of gentlemen
who hold so high station in the public estirna.
ton. as those VINO Nave sanctioned this address
by their signature They furnish, in this instance
arnclanchoIy example Of the baneful potency Of
party passions, in blasting and obtunding the