The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-02-23

S"SSs. shaii OH! ocs.ic, that ~: sc VINO
prefer and resort to the former, will not
charge upon their opponents, the fault of any
schisms which may be likely to ensrcs But
1t is painful 10 reject, what are the qualities
and talents ca'culatcd to shine and succeed
IN caucus; where the night IS substituted
tor the day where instead Of the audible
eloquence cf pubic debate, the base whisper
OF intrigue is hardly heard; where folly and
cunning, and falsehood, ana hypocrsy usurp
the place os wisdom, truth and virtue Ac-
cordingly, we ind that in caucus, Mr. ~ss-
"e~ is as honest, Mr.. sSss-~ as elaquent
MIR. "s%s& as brave, Mr.. =. =. *s*s*sss as
wise, and Mir y &ssssx&S murh .hlcr
than s**s @ss%s's#. There is not another
situation on earth, OF which the same could
with truth be said. We know there were
many mea of virtue and talents In the Madi-
son Caucus at Richmond : Yet Mr.. sss-*ss
tile 7veakcst, and MIR. +-~ss the ,aosf yici-
OTIS, OF politicians, took the lead ia the bust
ness The man who could deliberately and
wantonly contend that Congress are compc-
tent to repeal the constitution, and tue Presi-
dent and Senate to dismember the union,
found caucus his proper element. What
mas been said CT government may be truly
said In relation to . caucus-that it is won
derful by how small portion of wisdom
and virtue the affairs of nation are conduc-
ted. But though cauCusses be allowed to be
great, it is insisted they are a necessary
cVn. have only to lament, that the federal
convention did not see tins necessity and re-
duce this evil, as they have many others,
within some fixed rule. We are told that
caucusses are essential to the purposes of
cooperation. Sir, / comprehend the full
iorcS OF the defence asst applies to a recent
instance and readily acknowledge, that
without their aid, the influence of Mr. Madi-
duced any eifectual cooperation in his favor
but II a caucus be san essential instrument
OF Presidential election" if this be to be
henceforth annexed, as an informal amend
ment to the constitution, however material
ly varying the original compact; / hope it
VIII he agreed on all hands, that every poss-
ioie care SHOULD be taken to guard against
the baletul effects of those poisonous ingre-
alents SO apt to minglc in their composition
II had been utterly Indifferent as to the
event, the course which the friends of Mr..
Madison have pursued to secure his election
would have alone prepossessed me against
MS hopes. 1t might have been expected,
that the contest would have been fairly CON
Quoted that artifice, and intrigue, and
talsehood would have been discarded on Ell
Their part: that if not respect to Justice, if
not gratitude for the services of MIR. Mon
roe, If not regard to the constitutional free
dom OF election-at least sense of the dig
nifty OF the cause would have prevented the
use OF means, which, however holy the end,
can never be honestly employed or honorably
defended.
From the commencement, and throughout
the Whole session of the late General Assem-
by, there have been constantly published in
the city OF Richmond, extracts of letters
from members of Congress, of which it were
hard to say, whether the motives or the CON
sequences, be most lamentable. Some of
these letters represent, that general i'm
preston existed in Washington, there would
be scarcely an opposition to Mr.. Madison
that he would be recommended by an almost
unanimous vote of the republicans in congress,
excepting those of NewYork. That the
flrst OF these statements was perhaps entire
ly groundless-that Ito say the least) both of
them were grossly and wil!ful!y exaggerated,
subsequent events clearly prove for if we
may rely on the imperfect statements which
have been given to the world, there were in
Washington at the time, about thirty-seven
republicans, exclusive of the New-York de-
legation, who were not for Mr. Madison * the
NY. deegationIS in number) are also Ger
tainly opposed 10 him. Is this almost an u
unanimous vote of the republicans! Is this
| scarcely an opposition? Other letters (tho'
in ambiguous terms, dictated obviously by the
fear of detection and the desire of escape)
ventured to affirm that Mr.. Monroe had re-
nouneed his pretensions in Mr.. Madison ia
vor: Other letters imputed to the friends OF
Mr. Monroe and Mr.. Clinton Gf we may be-
| iieve the Argus intrigues of most monstrous
criminality. That both these tales were
false, will now be denied by no man. will
not further swell the odious detail. If these
stories were designed to produce no effect,
why were they inyentedt For the amuse.
ment of leisure hour Why were they
written? To give information to particular
friends Why, then, were they published /!
Grsss indeed, must be his folly, who cannot
perceive, that they were invented, and writ
ten, and published with all intent to bass the
minds of the Virginia Assembly.
AS it respects the motives which dictated
these letters, it is of no consequence, that
their contents were contradicted, or coun .
teracted, or were in themselves harmless ::
the motives are still equally base. But in fact,
no contradiction could have rendered them
innoxious.-For what inscrutable purpose of
providence it has been ordained, know not
but truth and falsehood are so contrived
as to be OF nearly equal momentum. Truth
has more weight, but falsehood more veloci-
ty. The course of truth is slow and ever
during. That of falshood is rapid and feet
ing soon it spends its force, and stops and
is overtaken, but not till all it's mischief be
complete. those reports did produce an
effect injurious to Mr.. Monroe. The i'm
mensc congressional majority which they as
eipued N Mr. Mar ss,,,., o,,e ,,l1o,.a IL,