The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1810-05-30
JAMES MADISON
From .Numa's ADDRESS 20 John Randblph.1
Gro be continued

MEN of great minds, when they enter
into pubck life, bargain for the calumnes OF
dcmagogues. The purest morality, the great
est benevoicnce, and the most brilliant under
standing, are no assurance of exemption from
detraction. The poison of envy, the sly iIa-
placibility Of malice, and the loud and hate
iul howl OF disappointed ambition, are az
ways VISIBLE and audible in the sphere of
grsd, political luminary.
JAMES MADISON, has been for thirty
years a statesman, an honour to his coun ~,
and ornament to the human race. He was
introduced into publick life in the memorable
year l7f6. AT that period he was member
Of the Virginia Convention ; in i77s,
me mber of Congress in 1884 member OK
the Virginia Assembly; 1875 delegate in
the same body by reelection SUBSEQUENT
ly member of the iilus,rous convention hat
framed our constitution reelected a mer9-
ber of the old Congress member of the
Virginia convention that ratified the consti,u
ton; member Of the House of Representa-
tives under the new constitution again a
member of the Virginia Assembly next Sc
cretary of State and finally President of the
United States. Such is the man who is at
tempted to be shorn Of his beams of glory by
Mr.. Randolph, pigma in poliicks, whose
capacity is deClamation, whose energy is pas
sion, whose patriotism is discord, and whose
soul is con,ulsed like the bowels of Vesuvius.
Mr. Randolph, an individual who assumes
perfection, spurns all auxiliary aid, and swell
ling in political arithmetick, would persuade
us that he is the unit, and the ten, and the
hundred, AID the thousand, and the tens OF
thousands There is no boundary TO the van
iiy of egotism when the nerves OF the brain
are too feeble for the pulsations OF the heart
when human pride is too potent for human
reason, the mind of man becomes the organ
of thousand wild and eXtravagan, notes.
Happy would it be where they always as
harmless as those of Ophelis with her rue.
In the case of Mr.. Randolph the discorl OF
harsh sounds betrays his intellectual approx
nation to total distraction. Extremely plain
in his costume, frugui in lis mode OF living;
with a heart in which tbe thirst OF Povec
never created pang, and verging TO the want
of life, Mr. Madison has been accused OF uc-
ing under bias towards TIE policy of tie
Empcrour of the French. His accusers are
mad, or they are knaves. What h.s been the
glory of Madison's iite To have cnIinortIy
assisted in framing and establishing q tree
constitution of government ~ have spoken
and written ably and successfully IL defence
of Republican institutions to nave been pis-
ced, by the unbought sutfrages of 4 free ana
enlightened people, at the head of the execu-
tive department. What could induce him 10
obscure the lustrc OF his honest fame Nei-
ther Dukcdom, nor princedom, nor rove!
crown, nor imperial a ;tery, nor imperial
power, could for All instant, sway him from
the honourable areer of bis youth, nor from
tha, devotion to liberty which is dear and r'e-
cious to his heart. Let US then scatter con
tempt over the creatures who burn TO destroy
the man whose virtues render more canspic-
uous and odious the seandalous vices ct his
raumniA,ors."
Firgiria Fsssr.l