The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-02-28
TO THE PEOPLE OF VIRGINIA.
ELLow-CIrIZENs,

10 The PEOPLE OF VIRGINIA.
FELLow!CIrIzENs,
. am aware fthe Unequal
ity Of the contest IN Which l am forced to en-
DARK i am supported in it only, by the firm re-
lance which l have on your candor and Justice,
and by the consciousness OF my own purity, which
l appeal to Heaven, in the most solemn manner
ID attest. l call upon you to 90 unto me rs YOU
would that others should do unto YOU: read my
defence ; and If do not eonyi~ce YOU of nv inno-
cence, and of the barbarous and tyrannical iains.
tice with which l have bean treated, then. aban.
doh me forever. i do not mean 10 impute to the
House OF Deiegates, generally. any deliberate in.
teniion OF b"bafiiy and tyranny many of item
Knew not what they were doing. | Have been
informed of conversations heIi by several of the
Delegates since their return 10 their respective
oalues which afford the most conclusive proof
that they did not even understand the re5ort OF
t'iei', owncuInnrttec. THESE misrepresentation
Will be noticed and exposed as l proceed witch the
examination OF thcrepOrt. They will not fail to
nave a proper effect upon your minds, because
tlIey VIII convince you that an act which OUGHT
to havebeen don. on full knowledge aud cain,
de''reratIon only, has been done, by many, IN TO.
tai darkness and ignorance of the facts aud even
at the statements for which they were voting
There were in the House Of Delegate s ether
gentlemen OF very honorable principles and minds
Srttetai'y correct, WHO voted Tor Inc adoption @,
this report: but they took the fact, on ,,s
statement ct their committee they felt indign ant
az Tie SRbbctt!oH OF guilt, which it was her du-
" To Rave seen frsUeY before they condemned:
they took that npon credit, which they OUGHT 10
have taken, only, upon evidence and SO highly
were they excited by tie l!ea that the state mad
b~tn sWindied and detraUdcdby nv agency, that
some ofthem were, even unwilling to have 4 me-
mortal read 10 the House, in which ! PRAYED 70 be
neafd before J was condemned although tina:
memorial! was cQuclcd in terms tue most rcspe ct.
tai and Understandable md althc,,,.L DID, -
were thus stopping ti'eIr ears against il. had not
seen one atom of the proofon which their preildi-
ces were founded. There were Others in the
House, who voted for the report under on i'm
prsSsi9r, Incredible as 1t may appear, that the re-
port imputed nothing GiSaoAoyable to me that
IL dffa;Sncd, merely, my supposed inuttention in
the purchase OF iron, and iJoscncss and inaccura-
cy IN tho mode OF keeping the accounts men
VINO were, therefore, wiling to have appointed
me, a5gnl, as the superintendent, under the
cH"cka lad restrictions OF tleir new law. To
these three classes OF men the deliberate iaisa.ieu
81 iHJis"ce, cruelty and despotism Cannot be fair
y hnpnted yet the r6ec: upon my character and
Interests rs the same, IS ifthcH hal been impei.
led 10y The vorst of motives. There was in the
House, q small corps NOT so innoceat as those Of
whom l have been speaking men VINO have
been hesuie 10 the manutlctory OF arms from its
first foundation, and who have sought ever on.
p%oitunity OF reviiing and seeking 10 destroy it.
= III ''''9Ni'i'N 81 tIltSS sl-il DGs,dll DtIDfG the ar
nhouty commenced It's operations and therefore,
cannot be reasonably ascrihed 20 any thing aIniss
IN the operations themselves unless the effect
be supposeGt to exist before its cause.
Ii am asked to wligt the hostility of these
men IS 70 be 1scribed answer, that IT might
have preceded from an honest conviction that
the huiiding OF the armoIy was al impOlitic mea-
sure Or IL might have proceeded from that tenn
per i0r hIScilief which is sometimes found to in.
habit tue brsasi5o Of men who feel that nature has
denled them the talents 10 90 good that species
OF spl3tul and eilviOus deprayity, which sickcns
at the stSht OF q work III iIsCre, rising By other
handSj WHICH sometimes supplies the place of
mtei'ent and enables even dLiincss and stupidity
themSiYcs. to do mischief with success. There
was, believe, another principle of act on en-
Ployed IN this case and One, the more DANCE
rSus tld alarming, because more darby and pro-
tOlnuly concealed, and, because il aimed at OBJ.
Jects no less Chan the overthrow OF the present
FORM OF our state government, and the seDarati.
on o. The state itself. This demands 4 deyeiope.
rhent somewhat more full a fact of public no.
toficty, mere, may Ee unknown to many of you I;
70 "lt that during the session OF Assembly. in
t'e winter of 1912, q caucus was, one niyht.
Puohciy held an the capitol, in this CITY, on The
suggestion, Of some one 60 more, of the back
metnters, the object OF which was, 10 deliberate
on the division OF the State of Virginia, and he
erection nt a separate government beyon5 Tie
- -iho OtiaINt's Dui.tEl DicItET. Tive sol .
created cbairInan Of tbs committee, and author
% the report aganst me, was a cOpsDic,ous
member, and advocated the division Of tbe sf,,.
At t.lat ume, there was, as / an advised. and
sun IS, an act of Assembly in force, which desj,.
req every person 8 lily Of high crime aid mis-.
ueineahor, who shall attempt 20 est. tiish an, 70.
ccefiinent within TIC cominonwcaith, ~seDIrate
rom Or 1ndepciitent oft ie govt. Of V,rgipa. I'm.
less b. act Of tie legislature, & subjects {ba r...
son, convicted oGsucd offence, TO any pains e nc.
Iaiies, not c~XtcndHptO life OF member. attic Ia,
cit ION OF the couT. THIS nuctunal caucus. ms.
ever, was never, hoIcSs, held but Che pr,;srt of
disuniOn was defeated by the virtue and Grytnness
OF some OF the Sack-country members them.
selves, who commended zeal0uslv aid succes.G,i
~ ior tAe unity and integrity Of the common
wealth.. Edt although dcicated at ,i,at t,n.. =
mas never been abandoned. Onti, contrary. T.
mas She whltstit repeatedly in y].ri3u; sli).e IN
,o"u 'N- 'hcess"nt cOiHptaints, shat tsc back cou,-
Try - uncgnaliy represented, that the local me.
rests oi tfc western Part OF the state are crrsb
and o! .rwhelmed by the great preconde.
Innce o. uie eastern delegation III inportuasts
uShlahds that a convention should be called 10 re.