Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1811-04-05

charge against me is for keeping back des-
patches in 1898, and tina: was not remov-
ed from Office till May 1900. 1t 1 com
mitted the alledged offence, what excuse
can be offered by Mr.. Adams new friends
or BY himself, for his keeping me IN once
ayear and half. or more, alter the deed
was done! Why did he not remove me
without delay, and give that as the reason
Mr.. Adams we'll knew that was held 10
estimation by many distinguished citizens
of the United States; and that my friends
in Massachusetts,, in particular, lof which
state both of us are natives) were numc-
rous and of great influence, whom he could
not fail to offend by dismissing me, unless
he could assign an adequate cause. 1 know,
when he did remove me, that this conside-
ration did not escape his reflection. Where
as, had been guilty of the offence at this
late day conjured up against me, while it
mortified, il would have silenced my
friends and could never have held up
my face in their presence. Among those
friends, were many whom had not per-
sonally known. Toa man, believe, they
had once been the friends of Mr.. Adams.
They continue mine to this day, with IN
creased regard. That they are not now his,
we have his own testimony. Indeed tina,
he had few, very few friends 10 the u.
States, Of any sSrt, is necessarily to be in.
ferred from his own declaration. Two OBJ.
scure democrats 10 the interior of Massa.
chusetts, on thceve Of an important eiec.
fion, in 1909, subscribed (for understood
they were incapable of writing it) letter
to Mr.. Adams, replete with The most full.
some fattery, 1.-THE writer seems to have
known what would best please his taste) in
which they ask counsel Of the venerable
father of New. England His answer,
marked throughout with his usual arro-
gance, ego'ism and vanity, thus concludes:
~ always consider the WHOLE NATION as
my CHILDREN: but they have almost all
been UNDuTIFUL to me. You two gentle
men are almost the only ones, out of ny
own house, who have for a long time, and
! thank you for it, expressed hlal af.
lection tor JonN ADAMS"
4 My innocence is TO be inferred, not
only from what is already stated, but from
Mr.. Adams own publications. have
read his letters. printed in Boston, in 1909,
on the subject of the embassy to France, in
1899, to which must suppose the des.
patches in question are understood to re.
late. These letters Mr.. Adams has writ
ten for the purpose of jus.ifying that en-
bassy. He therein states, at great length,
the grounds on which he took that step re.
ferring to many private letters, and intro.
duciag one from Mr. Joel Barlow, receiv-
ed in the winter, 1853; all mentioning
the desire of the French government to set.
tic their differences with the United States
But these, he says, "would not have in.
fuenced him to nominate a minister, If he
had not received abundant assurances to
the same effect from regular diplomatic
sources" Or these he has published two
letters from Mr., faileyrsnd, French min
lister of foreign relations, which (Mr. A
dams remarks) were communicated to Mr..
Murray, American minister in Holland,
and by him to the executive of the United
States. One Of these two letters Mr.. A
dams sent to the Senate, with his nomina.
ton of Mr.. Murray, the 18th of February,
1899. Now in all his tedious details on
this subject, spread over near hundred
octave pages, in which are exhibite marks
enough OF his resentments against his Sc
cretaries, (resentments that appear to have
suffered no diminution of force in the lapse
of ten years) have not found one solitary
in,imation that any dispatches had been
kept back.
S. In the last place, say, that in 1898,
was in fact, consulted Il do not mean by
Mr.. Adams) on the question of declaring
war against France; and gave nv opin-
ION explicitly in the negative. Not that I
nowciaim any merit for that opinion; per-
haps it was an erroneous one, which some
may eensure: relate the simple fact.
TyNnGHy pIcV EpTNC