The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-07-12
FROM THE NATIoNAL INTELLIcEkcsR
REVIEW
OF ROBERT SMITHS ADDRESS

&kOM The RATIONAL INTELLICEkCER.
REVIEW
OF ROBERT SMITHS ADDRESS
TO THE PEOPLE.
An opinion had long prevailed with ma
ny persons both III and out OF Congress that
Mr.. Secretary Smith, from want of capa-
city and want of integrity, was quite unfit
for his piece. And towards the close Of the
second year of his Office this. convection be-
came SO universal as not to leave the ex-
ception probably of Mr.. Smith himself.-
We. had all been astopished at his appoint
ment we all learned the history of that
miserable intrigue by which it was effected !;
we regretted the necessity the President
was under of casting him off. and thereby
offending the few friends of he family, whom
he had lately gratihed at SO dear a rate !;
and we consequently looked forward with
considerable anxiety to the time when the
government should relieve itself from so in
convenient a burthen.
his was done in March last; and not d.
withstanding the clamors of two newspapers
that have since been placing him daily be-
tore our eyes, we were forgetting Mr.. Smith
as fast as possible. He might have past off
IN silence. and even have mistaken oblivion
for par don. if he had been endowed with a
moderate share of prudence. But he
threatened US with a patnph ct, ard he has
now committed the farther folly of execu-
Ting The unlucky threat. His pamphlet is
before the public /; it must from the nature
ofthe subject excite considerable attention;
and though its first characteristic is weak
ness, yet its wickedness is of too dangerous
a tendency to be passed over without a
comment.
we will begin with notice of its hrinci-
tile, he gross immortality of coming before
the world With such publication: 1t is
not possible that Robert Smith, or any other
man. however coarse and clumsy the tex
cure o: his mind may be, should not perceive
the shock that must be given TO public mo-
,rals, the stab into the vitals of executive 20.
vernment. the violation of one of the essen
rial provisions OF the federal constitution,
necessarily Involved in the principle of pub
fishing the secrets OF the cabinet. The
question here is not whether his statements
are true or false, nor do we enquire whether
they are important or unimportant but
can such statements be made without a
crime Should they be made by clerk
In the same office OF state, it would be per
Jury ; such clerks being under an oath OF
secrecy. But the head OF the d. partment
the Secretary, whose very title signifies de.
pository OF secrets, is supposed to be oound
in honor.
And civilized society went or from lis
.com mencement to the days Of Rober,
Smith, before that lie, in so exhalted a sta
ton, was found to be Insufficient.
Huw precious is the advantage of a free
press, how august the tribunal of public
opinion Here is crime that fines and
halters will not reach; not because it is
too small, but because it is too great !;
1t is like pariicide escaping the code
of Scion; the law has not provided for
1t. What then, Nj. omith, is to hinder your
example from being followed by your sue
cessors III office! i will tell you !: your ex-
ample itself will hinder it, and the ndigna-
zion Of your country which must now attend
you, until you will Consent to be forgot
Ten.
Tins it cannot be said you will have
lived In vain y, lbe defects in human laws
have usually been owing to some defect in
the. knowledge OF human deprayity. Yosr
publication will have contributed to enlarge
che sphere OF such knowledge and the me-
tho5l you have taken to Injure your bene
factor ~ill have rendered a real service.
zfno- to him, at least 10 the government he
administers.
But to judge of the atrocity of the princi-
pie of dlvugmg the secrets of me cabinet,
we ought toreflect on the consequences to
whIch it must lead. The constitution of
she United States has vested the supreme
executive power in the hands of one man.
called the president of the United States,
and it has concentrated all the responsible
lity III him. Inc laws have distribu, ed
the labor of the administration INTO several
departments, over each of which they have
placed a chief, called Secretary or keeper
of secrets. The President nomina,es these
Secretaries, and removes them at pleasure ::
he assemblies them in his cabinet for CON
sultation, or he consuts IL EN- separateJy ::
he obtains heir opinions either in CONVEX
sation or in writing he adopts or rejects
them a. pleasure TOR il must not be for
gotten thai he alone is responsible for the
acts or the Executive he alone is the Eve
Cutive. Now consultation supposss discus.
sion, doubt different points of viep var,
Gus degrees OF information, charge of opinion.
existence OF error aud Search after trnfb'
All this process is confidential be ween him
and his Secretary and for any of these
heads OF departm ents to divulee these dis
cussions, without the consen, of the Presi
dent is ceasing to be his Secretaries: 7,
IS a breach OF the most sacred ties of honor
aud of trust, it demolishes the whole fabric
OF constituted authorities on which the nat
on had relied as means of aiding it's Chief
Magistrate in managing its high concerns
III their vast variety ot details. If then hic
minleteIs have a right to publish hrs secrets
the consequence is he can trust them mn
longer; lie must do so much of the work
himseE as his faculties will admit andtba