The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-03-23
FOR TIE ENQUIRER.
TO THE REPUBLICAN, pARTY.!.
THE CEN7INEL.-Ns. ".

which deserves notice. The writer address
ing himself to Mr.. Madison, says" Es-
pouse them, (Mr. Jefferson's measures and
they become your own. You identify your
self with him, who with full and perfect
knowledge that he was about to surrender
into your hands beggared exchequer, and
that the deception could be kept up twelve
months, after his retreat to the mountain,
graveiy came forward in his last official adj.
dress &C. Congress, and to the nation, affect
ing to be embarrassed with the SURPRISES OF
our revenue, and pretending to tax the in
Senuity of the Legislature, not with raising
supplies which he well knew to be then wan.
ting, but in devising ways and means to rid
the country of the burthen of redundant
Treasury. A man who died politically
with a $50 in his mouth. 1t is on record.
1t is deposited in the archives of his coun-
try - This, I suppose is one of those
"sfrong facts for which Mr.. Bronson, and
the other Federal Editors thought those
essays worthy of republication in their pa
pers
Here again cannot help asking if it be
possible that Mr.. John Randolph penned this
paragraph Is it possible that man, pro.
Tossing the proud and high sense of honor
which he does, can be capable-but will
not follow the example which has been set
me. will only say that this writer, whoe-
yer he is. wants either the discernment or
the candor which are essential to an in
structor of the people. More anxiety about
the truth of his facts, and less about the ell
oquence of his periods would have given him
the respect of the wise and virtuous, and
might have laid the basis of a lasting repu-
tation; to this, it seems, he has preferred
the transient breath of admiration from the
ignorant and prejudiced. Why did not this
gentleman quote that passage from Mr.. JEFF
ferson's last official address, on which
he fsunds this charge of deception? it might,
indeed, have disturbed the harmony of his
sentences but it would have atoncd for this,
by the superior candor of the proceeding
and by enabling the people to Judge for them
selves. But it will be presently seen that
such a quotation would cot have answered
the writer's purpose on the contrary, 1t
would have exactly defeated that purpose,
by shelving to the PLANES, understanding
that the Charge was without single atom OF
foundation.
Before / proceed to examine this I" last
official address" of Mr. Jefferson feegper-
mission TO note that passage in this writer
In which he refers to Mr.. Jefferson's retreat
10 The mountains. This is obviously an al
fusion to the old calumny of Mr.. Jeiferson's
deserving his post. when Governor Of Vir.
GINA, on the invasion of Arnold, and taking
refuge in the mountains. / am not about to
enter upon an examination of the truth of
this charge; for l am perfectly convinced
that those who advance it know it to be
false; they cannot have forgotten, that ten
years ago when this charge was PLAYED of
with so much zeal from the federal bate
ries against the rising popularity of Mr.. Jef-
ferson,!t was met by q sentence of the Vir-
gina Legislature sentence, passed upon
a fall examination Of this subject, at a time
when the facts were all recent, and the evil
dence all upon the spot and sentence
which went not only TO the acquittal of any
censures but conveyed to Mr. Jefferson the
thanks of the House, on behalf of the state,
tor the zeal and firmness with which he had
watched over the public interests commit
ted to his charge. These men have not for
gsrten, that in addition to the proof furnish
ed by this sentence, several most respecta
BILE gentlemen, (and among others, Col. John
Harv,e, not then of the republican party,)
shocked at charge so unfounded & shame
sui, came forward of their own accord, and,
through the medium of the public press,
from facts which had passed before their
own eyes, furnished the most conclusive c
violence OF the scandalous faisehood of that
charge. New l appeal to your candor and
ask you what we are to think of men, who,
III the teeth OF all this evidence, go OIL to re-
peat this Charge just as if no answer had
ever been made to it; aud more especially
ask you what we are to think Of the dig
nityof this minority gentleman, who, in or
der to curry favor with his new associates,
aescepds to the humble office of being the
second hand retailer of their stale and cx-
ploded calnmnies.
But this incidental allusion to the noun
tain retreat, was very fit ingredient i'm the
general charge of deception with which il
is Mingled /, Tor that charge itself is GER
tainly one OF the boldest perversions of fact
that has ever happened even in this age
the charge, when stripped of its rhetori
Cal iiourlshes, is simply this; that MIR. JEFF.
aerson IN his last message to Congress, re
presented the. Treasury as being full when
he Knew u to be empty, and affected to pro-
pose various means of getting rid of this re
dundancy, when he knew that there was
necessity OF raising supplies. This is the
charge now what is the fact.
Mr.. Jefferson commences the part of his
message IN question, by stating that the re
ceipts of the last year had amounted to neal
eighteen millions Of dollars, Which with the
eight millions aud hsJ 4 in the Treasury a
the beginning ct the year, had enabled him
after meeting the Current demands and in
tsrest Incurred. 10 pay two millions, tire,
buodred ffOusand dollars of the principal o
our funded Gebc " OF these" he adds, "fiv,
millions, three hundred and fifty THOUSAND
dollars wiz b. necessary to pay what will b,
due on the inst day Of January next, which
will coBp!sai the reimbursement of the eigh
per cent stock" Thus so far from repre-
senting the Treasury as OVERLOOKING, ht
shsws the amount which would be in tn,
Treasury oT the first day Of January 1909