The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-05-19
THE ENQUIRER.
RICHMOND, My 10, 1899.
TO THE PEOPLE OF VIRGINIA..
NO. ".
FELLow-CirizENs,

No. v.
| FELLow-CirizENs, -"
lam aware that the num-
Der ofthose who will attend me throughout nv
vindication, will probably be small compared to
the mass ofthe community. Incidence, credu-
bty indifference, and the love of detracto, cover
/ wide region in the world Of man. In the OPT
| mon of such, know that must be content To
| suffer, until time and future events shall place
this subject in its true light But there is class
| OF men IN whose estimation cannot consent To
suffer Tor q moment that class which compre-
llends the feeling, the vrtuous and the intelli-
gent: With such men the quckness Of their
sensibiiy will not suffer them to look with indit.
| ference OH case like mine the conscious vir-
tue oftheir own hearts will save them from the
meanness OF previous suspicion and distr,st :;
while their minds, raised above those mists of
vulgar prejudice which discolor and tlistor,
whatever is seen through them, will look at the
evidence as 1t should be looked at, and see every
fact IN its true colors, and in its proper attitude
| With sucn Ihave no fear that my vindicati.n
Will be SO compeat as to leave not one shade of
doubt to my disadvantage remaining on tier
| minds.
shall answer the charges against me in the
order IN which they appear in the report of the
| committee. The first of them is couched in
| the following terms
With respect to the conduct of the offi .
GERS as more Immediately connected with
the operations of making arms, your COM
mlttee beg leave to state, that although
considerable exertions have been made by
the Superintendent to select good Iron. yet
the mode pursued of depending OH sale iron
is not always calculated to obtain that
winch is best. In matter in which the pub
"lic interests sodeeply concerned, which
"exhausts considerable portion of the annu-
al revenue, and in which the security of tie
people is so much involved, more than cori-
mon asslduity ought to be manifested, and
your committee are of opinion, that if pro-
per means were used, standing contrac IS for
the best warranted iron might be had upon
terms, perhaps not as cheap as ordinary
Iron, yet infinitely more advantageous to
the public, and this your committee would
deem the proper course to be. pursued,
though it has hitherto been neglected bv
the superintendent, to whom offers appear
TO nave been made to that effect"
| 10 ascertain whether l deserve this cen
sure, ut must be remembered that when
the contract for the Virginia ritanufactory
OF arms was made, the mandatory at Spring
| heid rs have before stated was selected
| as the model to which ours should conform
ms fact appears by letter from Col. James
| Monroe, formerly quoted in part by me s. since
given III full to the public from another quarter.
when this letter was before the Legislature last
winter member from Pittsylvania County, OBJ
tact which he al irms the contract for the man
| uiactory having been made in the latter end of
august Ivy; and Col. Monroe not having been
elected the governor until the December follow
ing 1t Is but justice 70 this gentleman TO re.
mark that coming in only three months after the
date OF tie extract, lie had of course an opport,,-
nty OF seeing the first operations under that COR.
tract and understanding its exposition practical
| ~. lie Objection Indicates mind rather prone
to carp at little and trivial exceptions than to
| search for truth with manly candor and good
! faith
! When went on to the northward, as before
stated under the orders ofthe executive, for the
purpose OF examining and reporting upon
installations III that quarter similar to that
Which was projected in Virginia, had an oppor-
tSh,ty OF learning that at the celebrated factory
Oh Springfield, the gur-barrel was forged from
the IRON bar and that the iron was procured at
Ph'ade!phia, through the agency of Mr..
NC Henry, then secretary of war Some cla-
NOR has been raised in this state, sranst the pro-
cess OIL forging the barrel from the bar, and it
| mas neen Il Gated as an innovation of mine, pro-
cee"i's from want enlargement and expert
ehce. ON the contrary, it was in proof before
the armoury committee by several witnesses,
come OF whom were introduced against me, that
! at the most distinguished institutions on the colt
uheIt, the,unlform practice was to forge the
scalp from the bar By{ George Charter, Levi
Peck, and Joel Horton il was proven that such
was the practise IN Springfield by John Purse,
and aDother whose Dame is not remembered it
was I'D proof that such was the practice in the
next most distinguished establishment ofthe u
| states, mat at Harpers Ferry and it was pro-
ven by Sewcll Oagood, that the practise was the
same at Walpoie IN the state of Massachusetts
IL having been the practice however, in Spring
he'fi, was enough 10 leave me no alternative
nor what would have been thought and said, too,
1t alter having been instri, ted by the. executive
TO conform to the Springfield model, had, of
| my own accord, departed from it i'm this iInpor-
tint instance The same consideration deter1nin.
gu inc to procure tie iron for Our arms from the
sai'e quarter at which the approved mate
riaiS Of tile Springfield manlfactoty had been PRO.
cured.
was personally acquainted with Gen. Shee
ot Philadelphia, who had been for some time the
agent of the Virginia executive, in attending to
ihe PROOF and inspection of arms formerly made
there, and who, from his acquaintance with the
artSts IN that city, engaged in the fabrication of
arms and OF course tl'e best Judges of the quail
~ OF IRON, had every opportunity of serving US
III ths particular to the best advantage. Accor.
! uIngiy, on the 9TH September, 1902, when our
maluidctory was ready to commence it's operati.
ons, wrote TO that gentleman a letter. of which
TIE following is AN extract in relation TO this sub
iect
DEAN SIR,
1t being difficult to procure bar-iron
OF quality and size proper Cor the making
Oh gun barrels, have to request you, if con-
Venient, to procure and send us five tons for
mat purpose /or such work, ihe iron Shonld
ne OF ire best and most ,,;oIJe1bIe ly,l1J;tu