Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-02-02
For the ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE.
Ma. EDITOR,


Madison. The author, after making some
remarks upon the situation OF the Country
the general prevalence of faction, whose
destructive spiri. is represented as direct.
ing not only the affairs of the na''on' but Oh
states. and even of almost every petty VII
lags and corporation in the union; he pro-
ceeds with, what logicians, it mistake not'
cab an argumentum ad hominem.
{. Corrupt, as the contamination OF tao
ton has made it, direct appeal TO your
own hear, would compel you to confess
thar, in appointments to Office, the time mas
no, ye, arrived when i, has been deemed
proper to enquire, rs. the candidate hsnesf'
is he catabhe2 1t would compel you to
confess that measures are carried, not from
regard to ,ne public veal, but with view
10 the Interests Of the faction over which
YOU preside. Your conscience. however
DESTROYS it nigh, be to conceal, would not
permit you to deny, what the evidence OF
known facts 50 fully subs'antiates."
What, said I, as I read this appeal to
his own conscience, do We live in such COS
tern,sxssr times, in which Vvtue is q 50
little regard, that the President OF great
nation can so far forget the dignity OF his
office, as to become the patron of a faction,
and to confer ali the Offices and favors with.
in his gift upon those, and those only, who
compose i, Upon my word. Mr.. Eli
tor, to tell you the honest truth, have
seen and heard many things which have an
aevful squirting that way. and am not a
little apprehensive that it will ere long
cause an explosion. / have read in the pa
pers that Mr.. Quincy told these gre al folks
if they did not mind what they were about,
and pay iittle more Alteration to thc Con
s,itu.ion, some of the states would bs max
inc a "a. ket. God forbid, Mr.. Editor,
that this should ever be the case: for my
own part would suffer much, would en-
dure much. before 7 would Thick of such a
thing. Still there is point beyond which
submission NAV be criminal. The author
mex. makes 40 appeal which ! don't SO !al-
ly understand.
&" might appeal to every honest man in
the community, I might appeal to those
superatively wise and honest members OF
Congress, who, while they acknowledge a
measure to be both unjust in prlnciple, and
runaus in its consequences, will neverthe-
less vote for it, because, torsooih, ,he head
of faction recommends or majority, in
secret caucus. say it shall be adopted"
Perhaps Doc. W, or Some other e.
oually learned and independent member
of Congress knows what this means. |
confess i, puzzles me go I will pass over
it. He next addresses the President as fol-
lows.
"Your desc,iption.of a faction, your fore
sight of its dangers, and your bs'qusnt
Herewith, add another, TO the
too many strong proofs already before the
public, of the little dependence which can
be placed upon the professions Of men,
Unfortunately for yous your words, which
! have quoted, are recorded in black and
white, in characters which cannot be obi.
trrated; which shall no, he forgotten F.; but
which, when the veil that closures the
public vision is rent, will stand, an awful
of your disgrace, and of The
frailtv Of man, VINO, though he could de-
scribe the nature, and fores-e end torewarn
his coua,rymen of the evils OF faction, had
neither virtue TO Withstand its temptations,
nor for,i,ude @ resist lis Obstructive ef-