Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-03-22
For The VIRGIWIA ARGUS.
TO THE MINORITY IN CONGRESS

character, while they designated Jane,
Madison, as their individual choice, in the
next Presidential election; yet you did no
forget, that an address OF seventeen legis
lative men, and of legislative men only
must attract peculiar notice. 1t was no
deemed advisable to abandon he respect
to which your station entities you. Ii shall
not be neglected by me, for nothing shall
escape my pen which ought to offend Col
Monroe personally, or the friends Of hi.
cause.
But let me not be misunderstood inter.
pref not this profession of forbearanre int
a prayer for moderation towards Mr. Ma.
olson, at the expense of truth or patriot.
ism. Invite. and suppiicate you to weigh
every word, which he has uttered; TO ana.
iyze every sentence, which he has written
to torture all the private and official acts oil
his life and to suffer the people to Judge, whc.
Their under his administration, they can ex-
pect shelter from the impending Storm
No privilege Of this kind will be asked or
seized in regard to Col. Monroe The se-
nerosity of his soul forbids me to believe
for one moment, that he has countenanced
the insidious hints, which in your protest,
assume not a detailed form. These too are
challenged and de6ed. When they burst
from their embyre state, they shall perish
before they reach maturity.
1t is easily seen, that you wish to supply
the leading text, upon which the enemies
of Mr.. Madison are to declaim But you
have not explicitly announced, for whom
they are to declaim. You leave it uncer-
tain, whether after the assault upou Mr..
Madison, with the joint force of Clinton and
Monroe, you will not, if Madison should be
Frustrated, unmask the battery against
Clinton. Or possibly, the equivocal form,
in which you exhibit yourselves, NAV be
despised at length, when every other eff
fort shall seem Intellectual, to allow YOU to
confer on Mr.. Monroe an asylum i'm the
Vice-Presidency, by pushing Clinton into
the chair of state. Beware for your own
sake: let another person, whose populari-
~ has grown from uniformity of conduct,
and honor untarn:shed, more particularly
beware, of this fatal step.
You by the strength of your genius and in
huence by selecting topics, the most difficult
to be impressed on the American people You.
seventeen gentlemen, venture to denouncc, as
corruptors OF the Constitution. at least eighty
others, not more deficient in wisdom and pa
triotism, than yourselves for the expedient of
a caucus, which each of you most probably has
at some time practiced, and none OF YOU would
be averse to repeat, if an occasion, fit in your
judgmenr, should arise. You bask yourselves
III the sunshine of Mr. JeHerson's example. at
tie same time that you pervert his obiect of
rotation III Office into an engine of .naIigni.y a
Eainst himself You cndeayor to pluck from
our affections James Madison, who in the ear
liest moment of revolutionary trouble, was
placed there without intrigue and during 4
probation of more than thirty wears, has str;Ick
his roots 100 deeply in our hearts to be wound
ed by morbid jealousy.
In exercising the sacred right Of clectinr \
chief magistrate. whose real power. and nos.
sible ascendancy from patronage may hereaE
ter excite the lust of dangerous ambition. no
degree OF vigilance can be excessive. To
there fore any measure, which shall
go farther uan to present for public scrutiny.
a candid lie for that office, perfectly comedies
with my mind. II the caucus at Washinoton
have trtnsg!essed this line, ;et them be con
demned Let them not be shielded by sucl
of even yOilr ow, reasons, as arc descended
from the kindred stock of caucus Lctthem
not propagate the alarm Of fcdci alism, and saw
what may be said upon your principles, thai
an election, the success Of which has been pro.
NOTED by its supporters, must raise cores.
pondent obligation OF gratitude, and reanimate
It's torpid limbs. The only difference bet, ycen
you and them, consists, on your part in the
denial of right to more than 80 members Of
congress to decide, when a CAUCUS is neccssa
ry and ON theirs, IN prcsuming doubt, whe
Their they shall wait, until seventeen shall die,
tate, when that necessity occurs. Every adj.
mirer OF thu elective franchise. probably nor
ceres with regret, that the sanCuine hone
which dawned upon IT'S at the birth Of the con,
stitution, that clear indications of the public
sentiment would always mark out before hand
for the Presidential vacancy. some pre-erni-
nent son of America, may soon become vain.
fr3m the full harvest Of revolutionary patr;ots
then existing, sc fancied, that rs time should
PROSTATE one venerable man, some other would
have reared his head TO be hailed, at the first
view, as the successor. In short we believed.
hat intrigue or management would be doomed
o work, ~ the competitions for Offices of
'illagc, or for candidates, who were STRANGERS
% positive merit If this hope, this fancy
his belief shall ever again appear to be well
bundled IL must be from Il repetition Of Some
portion Of the occurrences, which took place
1t Washington in relation to MIR. Madison
men from different states. who
BRING with them from their homes the sense
If their people, attcsting the preference ofsome
;iuzen, ctrlcavof TO ascertain by meetinp.
Fho that citizen is, thus predominant in the |
Icafts Of their countrymen. They assemble. |
md commit fault, hcinous in your opinion. /
u not entering into a contentious comparison |
u men because their prediction had been |
0nE formed from the testimonies Of public |
merit ln things of general conccrn, SUSPECT. |
ms OF executive Influence. or Of inyasio1s Of
he spirit Of the constitution, cannot be too
tudiously avoided. But if the opportunities
or these consultations can be looked for only M /
nc scat OF government, ought they to be lost,
II. A.. IL. a.