Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1810-09-18
FOR THE VIRGINIA ARGUS.
To the Honorable 1ohu Randalah

late period, have been your ardent adj
mitiers; one OF your most strenuous
euiogists lone, In a breath, who has
been devoted to you from belief, tina :
although you were eccentric in your
course you were incapable of uttering
AN untruth. Recent deveiope meuts.
however, have convinced me, that YOU
have deviated from the line of vera
city that you have misrepresented
facts to the public and that, TO iniure
the first man of the commonwealth of
Virginia, the first man of the nation,
you have perverted the plain meaning
OF things, ard asserted what is not true
In the lace of the American Lepisla-
ture, OF your fellow citizens, and Of the
world. | could forgive small eauivo-
cations-little alterations from pro.
Priety--I could overlook your philip
pics, your sneers, your sarcasn>,, pro-
ceeding from your pevishness for
these, on national scale, are triflinp !:
Ieould even pardon you for your fee
BILE attempts to wound the reputation
OF the living father Of his country:
But l cannot forgive your palpable de-
Paftui from the pure and simple truth
1 cannot over fookyour false state
mems, which tend 10 delude YOUR feel.
low-citizens, and prostitute the sane
TRY OF the Representative character to
purposes of which l had supposed YOU
incapable. When Congressman deals
IN fiction, with,a ficility and eirronter1
similar to party Journalist, he is no
longer entitled to respect or credibih-
~.
do not abandon you on slight
grounds. You stand convicted of mis-
rspresentatienb by the official documents
OF the government. Without further
preface i will recite the chief points.
You have stated in a speech in Con-
gress that In the year 500 there were
40 SHIPS of'zvar in commission where.
rs there were not half that number.
You have stated that in the year
1909 there were but fifteen vessels of
al sorts in commission whereas for
ooe-third of the year there were in
commission upwards Of one hundred
vessels, and for the residue of the year
tfere were thiriy-seven.
You have stated that each man in
the navy in the gear 1909, cost the go
vsrninentnine hundred dollars where
as the cost of each man in that year did
not exceed three hundred and thirty-
three dollars, including every expense.
You have stated that under Mr..
Adams administration every vessel of
respectable force a, present belonging
io,the navy was built; whereas the tri-
gates United States, Constitution, Con-
steilation, and Congress, were chiefly
built and paid for under Genral Wash
ingtoa' observation-disclosures and under the
standardization of Mr.. Jefferson, the
ship Wasp, the brings Hornet; Siren,
Argus, Vixen, Nautilus, Oneida, and
the bombs Spiifre, Vengeance, I'VE.
sayfus and Etua, the schooner Re-
ssnges and 40 gon-boats, were built
or purchased and now belong to the
Navy. g
In fact. sir, your mista,ements are
inGumcrable you have diminished
5000 < 5000 men into 2,7oo con-
verified 1900 dollars minus into So
Oc0pdollafs blns and transferred 500
cannon, carronades, .mortars, and ma.
ny hendred tons Of shot, purchased un-
der Mr.. Jeferson's administration, TO
the creditor Mr.. Adams.
These points are Sufficient to fix nv /
opinion Of you they are conclusive as
TO your veraCity; for zVton91g can Place
tile least co9fdence in your assertions ? |
And then, 10 the moral wickedness
OF propagating falsehood in the nation,
you add a singular maliguity, by at
tempting to magnify John Adams ex- !
travFgauce into economy in order to
diminish the merit OF Mr.. JelTerson's
real irugality.
DO you ask for my'proof of this ma
Lightly! You furnish the evidence of
1t yourself for d all the mistatements
which YOU have made, there IS MT one
IN fator ofMe Late and present admin.
iStrGfiony Z Tney are all against Mr..
Jefferson and Mr.. Madison which