The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-04-04
COMMUNICATIONS.

In Feh~ohcs, the force ofhu6Hc opinion
should 2ld the arm of the ia7v.--This is
my text--here follows the ahtiicanon
About 1904, William Smith of Fredericks
burg was merchant and a Methodist, stiff,
Iiigid and puritanical. The whole neighbor
| hood used to be disturbed by his midnight or
S!es in honor ofhis G cd When the Embar
go law was laid, no man was warmer friend
no man was more outrageous in his denun-
ciatiof of Embargo breakers.
The scene shifted. The love of lIumnlon
was too strong for his fear of Cod, & of the
fazv Smith made fictitious sale of some
hundreds of Barrels Of four-about 7oO-to
captain Brown. Brown wanted security
to the embargo bond. He kne7v scarce any
one IN Fredericksburg, but Smith To him
thercfore, mis- application was directed. =
Smith pretended to make great opposition to
this request-declared in the presence of
witnesses, that if Brown violated the law.
he should be ruined-and in the presence of
the Custom house officer most empbaticalIv
added, with his devout eyes raised towards
Heaven, "Captain Brown, remember. ifyou
deceive me, there is God above You can
not deceive" His friend contrived howe
YER 10 silence all his scrpples; he stoned his
name to the bond. The vesse. set sail
Smith took horse and a few miles below
fredericksburg, he embarked-thev very man
who had pledged hin elf to the government
toonserVe the law Sc to make her observe it.
me hrst port they touched, was in the w.
lndies-four atDut % S per barrel-eyerv
.hnS o'u iaif"for a prosperous VOYAGE =:
omith made a contract for the sale of his
Hour. Hearing however, that neighborine-
port or island offered much higher price
he shipped cable in the night--reached the
destined portland sold his cargo for forty
odd dollars per barrel
wen, Slr-this man of virtue s, of money
returns to the United States. as deficient in
the one, as IT is supposed, he was flushed
with the other. He arrives once more in
the respectable town of Federjcksburg---
determined perhaps to step forth nev,
morning, the man Of money and of merit :
he indignant citizens Of the town heard of
MS arrival and guessed his intentions They
assembled "; body, and waited uoon this
mer'torlous adventurcr at his lodgings viii,
drums beating. and the fife ech0iup 6 the
he6ue's marSh." 1t is useless to describe
the scene that ensued--No riot-no vi, lence
no force-On the part of Mr.. Smith nom
OF those marks of resentment. which ev.
press the feelings of indignant, Injured in.
lnocehce-but a most indecent attemut r.
bra8en it OUT t-E ~
Inc next day, 0he eth inst) the citi.
IN'' vi Fredericksburg formed an efipv nj
the man, with this label on his back 20.
range Billy Smith Traitor to his countrv,
And another issuing from his mm,I,
capt Brown, remember, if Won deceive
me, there IS god above you cannot de.
ceIye'" This efigy was suspended ON 3
galiows erected ON cart, and publicly car
RED through the streets, with the accom- ma
n'ment OF the Rogue's March,
which IT was taken to the wharf-and a,
Grafton was delivered over it, by an old Sc
Ven'y S'xer, to the following effect:
FELLowCITIzYNs,
| YOU now behold the Effiey of n Trai
tor, is there man among you who veuI,
50 lar degrade himself beneath the charac
ter OF citizen. to take by the hand tha
nan whom this eiTigy is intended to reore
sent No forbid it Heaven that sucb =.
one should be fostered in the vicinitv =
Frederic ksburg. is there one Grop of bloc,
WITHIN the veins Of any one who calls hiDsel
tree born citizen of America. that doc
not boil with indignation, and rouse into ac
uch every nerve against the traitor 70 hi
country :" "'
Ana now,ye rising generations. 70 shey
now much we think it tie duty Of evero ON
to revere the laws of his country. we ha /,
TINS day publicly shewn in yhat confem,.