The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-10-07

sion to a candidate for the Presidency. In
our ordinary county elections, we take care
to bind the candidate by the most explicit
declarafons. Can it be less necessary in
the chpice' of a President, that the people
should understand the. prirci Piles upon which
he is 20 oct
But whatever doubt may exist as to Col.
Monroe, taere can be none as tn his standing
committee. speak of these gentlemen on
" in their public characters. AS individu-
ais. thev are dcservedy respectable; and
there can he no doubt that their alterations
are honest mistakes. If their publications
are 10 be received as a criterijr of their prin-
cuples, II is apparent that they are dissatis-
fed wish the administration, and that they
wish for a radical change of measures Their
first address to the people contained some
limpcricct iisnts to that eject but the last
brea,hcs the whole split OF the minority.
hesc opinions in themselves, certainly af
ford no ground for censurc; but it is much
to be eg;ctted that the disclosure of them
should have been reserved for So late a pc
I;cd. Had they been avuwed at first. It would
have been distinctly understood, what were
the grounds upon which Col. NJ was sup.
ported. il would then have appeared that
neither his honorable scars during the revo-
lution--uor his capacom mind--nor his un-
rivalicd merits as governor ofNirginia, were
the only operative reastus for his election.
| the people would then have known, that on
position to the administration was one We
| ry essential ingredient. They had right to
! know this, because representative govern
reut is but a shallow, where the people do
net understand the principles of theirpoblic
agents. Let 1t not De said that the minority
do not form party distinct from the repub-
lican majority. The more candid Of that
party admit the fat. If an uniform oppo-
sIJicn inc rueasrrcs vi the ana ion lily ii
violent denunciatpns of all who have any
part in the administration ; if these are Just
| criteria of distinctparties, then are the mi
nority and their opponents antipodcs to each
other.
| Perhaps / shall do injustice to Col. NJ.
when suppose th,t his sentiments are the
same with those ofhis committee. lift shall
appear that l am mistaken in this, l shall
chSerfully retract. But in the absence OF
the sun. we must be content to be guided by
a taper. Until his opinions are given by him
self, we can Only rely on the vote CT his prox-
les
! But the address of the committee merits
| a more particular examination. They have
now introduced the embargo, for the first
time, as an argument la favor of col. Monroe's
! election. They have described in dolorous
4 strains, the complicated evils which have
resulted from that measure; and hold forth
the pleasing prospect. that the election CT
their candidate will ex,ricate us from al, our
| difficulties. They have not condescended
to give us their opinions in explicit terms,
about the original cXpedcncy of the embar-
go; nor do they inform us what are the SEN
timents Of Col. Monroe himself, on that sub
iJcct. Indeed they declare that it is unim-
iportant to enquire into the causes which led
| to that measure.
| Dir, the tiee has arrived when it is the
sacred duty OF every American citizen 20
speak his sentiments without reserve If
we are Involved in great difficulties, it is ne
cessaIy to enquire whether this situation has
! been produced b. uncomfortable events on
! whether it has proceede ed from the imbcci!i-
! ty or wickedness OF those who administer
our affairs If the former shall appear to
be the just conclusion, it becomes US to sup
! port the government with manly frmness
IN dehance OF the clamors and articles OF
designing or mistaken men. If on the other
hand, cur minds are brought to the convic-
ton OF the truth of tie other alternative,
1t is no less a duty TO dcnouncc the men ard
the measures which have led us into these
mlstortunes. To a mind which is unbiased
by party or personal feelings, there car be
no middle course. AT this moment nc utrali-
tv is high political offence While the con-
flct ofparties is raging with unexamp!ed vi
oience, no man can be permitted TO stand a.
loci IRON the storm, III order that he NAV
| take advantage of the event, whatever it
may be. Every citizen has his post assign
ed him, either of attack or defence. it is
not therefore without painful reflections, that
we lind such respectable Characters as the
Monroe Committee, Withholding their SEN
/ timents as to the wisdom and expedienCy Of
the Embargo, and coldly telling us, that
whatever may be the causes which produced
1t, the evils which we actually feel, are suf-
fcient inducements to change our system of
measures. Were the gentlemen ignorant
that this question had ergrossed almost the
whole of the public attentions Every Ca
zette must have informed them ofthis. Have.
they not yet formed an opinion ON the sub
ject? Their talents forbid the subposition.
Did they believe the embargo to have been
originally wrong Then the ob ection to IFS
cxpediency would have been so much stran
ger than the argument derived merely from
the pressure il has produced that their sa
gacity couldnot have failed TO urge it. Did
they believe it 20 have been originally tipht.
the effect Of prudence if not of necessity :
1T this be their opinion, it is not for them to
complain of It's necessary effects and can
dor required them to avow the sentiment
and bear testimony to the wisdom of those
who enacted the law. But without cxpres-
sing appreciation or ccnsure. they enGeavor
to draw from the coisseqHcHceS OF the mea-