The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-02-04

it's merits or dement's alone werc-or at least
ought to have been considered as the sole to,,ic
which the members were bound to discuss.
IL there are any passages in Mr.. RS speech
es IN which he has deyiated from that topic,
such deviation has been merely in rcply to
others. He was endeavouring to refute their
lopinions--not to advance his own. And van
might just as well attempt to prove him an
ignorant clown, because he has not given ~
! IN those speeches, a dissertation on COMIC sec
tons, or a commentary on the disputes about
rhicglston, as to accuse him of waiting am
inclination to relieve our impressed seamen,
or 10 adopt salatary regulations relativet0
our colonial Commerce, because he neglected,
to propose means for the attainment Of those
desirable. objects, when nothing but the ner-
ITS or rather the dement's of the no,.-impor-
tation act, constituted the subject of debate.
Wnen the topics above alluded 10 shall he
come the subjects of discussion. If Mr.. n.
shall fail to express correct opinions. or
shall deliver such sentiments as the nation
disapproves, it will then be time-but GER
tainly not until then, TO condemn him for ne
glect or violation of duty
! With the" reputation ofMr. Madison or
" the invincible egis of Mr.. Jefferson's admin
istration we have nothing to do in the pre-
sent question Suffice it to say, that if Mr..
II. or any other representative of the people.
beheved that they saw any material error in
the OPT ons or conduct either of Mr.. Ma.
olsen or Mr.. Jefferson, lit was the duty of such
representatives to endeavour to expose it il
such belief appeared to be unfo s;ded, no in
l. Jury COULD possibly result to the parties from
depressing it. lion the contrary there were
Ijust grounds for censure, incalculable mis-
chief might result from concealment. There
was cnce a time when it WAS led to be Or
ttoccx doctrine, to watch all public function
aries and particularly executive ones, with
vigilant and suspicious ewes, and great .lati-
tude OF discussion was not only allowed, bur
contended for asa right indisputable, in the
texamination of their conduct This maxim
was applied in ell its rigour both to general
Washington and Mr.. Adams. and admitted
by every one calling himself republican, to
he universe! principle applicable at ALI
times, and II all pubic men without distinc-
| ZION. 1t was never considered p particular
J practice adopted bv those who disapproved
OF some thingsir tke conduct of our two fer
mcr Presidents, merely to effect particular
lpnrPoscS--but q sine qua non of republican,
ism. Sed tempora Vutan:ur '-Thiuss ava,
not as they used TO be--tIlat which wasoncc
Iccnsidercd All idence of stern--indepen-
| dent--hTm---praise worthy principIcs--is
nr'w-stranse 20 relate, i=coirtc d damn bic
hcrcsv In theory, and an ine.ipidh,c una
toneable sin i'll practice. CanNou be sotcst
to ali recollection OF past times,---oI' arc YOU
tsuch dotard as to believe that tue party
(don't mistake me mean the old republican
lpartv) who achieved the late revolution in
cur politiclls, are either entirely extinct, or
can have forgotten thcmos essential princi-.
pies of their political faith? For the sake of
trepublicanism to which must still hope Mr.
I Adams's definition inapplicab,e althe' ifevery
documentary on its doctrines was like yours,
should despail--for the sake too of my
lcountry, trust, sir, YOU are deceived. The
lparty or rather the principles which elected
Mr.. Jefferson, are vet sufficiently strong A.
Imong the great body of the people, to prevent
q man from being crucifed for venturirg TO
doubt the correctness of some public nea-
isnres which are said to be sanctioned by
has oplnlon-if constant and most rigid
scrutiny into the political conduct of general
Washington, (whose claims to our implicit
faith, hope, may be permitted without of
fence to say, were, at least AT one tire as
great as Mr.. lefferson's, was exercised and
lapproved-ifth the same rigorous exaciinatio
Into the conduct Of Mr. Adams was apDlaud-
led as necessary and proper uPor the purese
republican principles, it surely must still be
necessary and proper to test the present and
Indeed every other administration by the
same maximS. Or will any of those repub-
licans who used to tell us, and we all said
they were right-ours was a government OF
snsticion-not Of confdcnce--now declare
titt IL IL d government Oh CCiNQeNCc ana not
lof sn&ficion 1t is impossible, unless they
Iarc lost to all sense of shame that they can
ldoit, and they must still acknowledged cor
lrect to try every administration by the same
linvariable standard. Instead of approving or
condemning public measures because they
lmay have been suggested by this or that Pre-
sident, they wTl test not only the measures ::
but the Presidents themselves by fixed prin
Iciples from which as long as we say they
ought to be the guides of our conduct, there
can be no appeal. Instead of thinking as we
have ample cause TO believe YOU do that
tevery an who doubts, when executive OPT
1 Mon, or practice may be the subject of deli
lberation, is ipso facto damned--thcy will say
that every man who does not permit himself
to doubt, and that too, very often, is totally
unfit to represent republican people Put
| to return from this DEPRESSION into which your
all confding doctrines have led me.
| Your reiterated arguments to prove that
Mr.. Il. has no sympathy for his Impressed
countrymen are as pitiful as they are false.
They all amount TO nothing more than this !:
Mr.. X. has omitted in those speeches which
have been the eternal theme Of vour criticism,
to discuss subjects other than those alone up
on which those speeches were made, and
which at the time were the only topics of de-
liberation. And therefore that he is ju silly
chargeable with every base and unworthy
sentiment you may choose to imDute to him