The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1811-07-31
MISCELLANY.
from Me National Insctlgeneer.

OF ROBERT SMITHS ADDRESS
TO THE PEOPLE.
{ Continued from our last.1

l'ohuhuSu Hou our last
.drs. 5.--Hcre transferred from the unme-
thodicai place into which il was thrust be-
tween two articles closely connected in their
subjects. Ii takes notice of the act making
some regulations as to ministers and Barbary
consuis and, OF all the articles OF this wret-
ehed pamphlet, II is the mos, piiiful and in
significant Ii docs not rise even TO the Dig
nifty OF being wicked or treac heous, or inn
pudent, or even false. Ii seems introduced
for no purpose but to mark the meagerness
OF the general subject and of the authors In
telleet. He says.this law was bad one he.
says The President did not give it his ncgas
tive he says the President did not in the
subsequent session recommend by message
its repeal , he says that he, Mr. Smith, refu-
sed TO speak 10 any OF the members Of the
Legislature about it as he thought 1t an i'm
proper interfering Of this Executive Officers
with Legislative business. sSs
Having collected all these wonderful dis
coveries from Mr.. Smiths statement we will
just return them 10 him with one or two SIM
Tle observations. We discover from the
date OF the law that il past on the very last
evening" of The session. 1t must then have
come to the President at his chamber in the
capital with number Of other bills, some OF
them doubtlcss Of Intimately more coDse-
fucnccr Ii he did not The next session send
formal message II recommend its repeal,
II might have been because he thought II
better that Congress should take up the sub
Iect at the instance oil member and II was
indeed We'll understood that member OF the
Senate, the very author Of the first bill, had
engaged to propose it. Formal messages or
recommendations on every subject OF legisla-
tion would multiply them to excess, and
would not appear respectful 10 the inteIli-
gencc and vigilance OF the members. Mr.
Madison has probably gone farther IN this
than any Of his pred ccessors. Every body
knows that it always has been and ouSh, 10 be
the practice for informal communications be-
tween the executive and Legislative members
10 take place, with an honest view to the dcs-
patch of business, Mr.. Smiths s1ucamish-
ness therefore on this head is little curious
and be oughtIo have'bccn very sure, before
he averrsd il, tia, there are no members OF
Congress with better memories thnn himself
Allowing him however the peculiar super
refined scrupies 10 which he now makes pre-
tensions, he was the more bound tor that We.
ry reason TO do what was necessary in the
more regular course for eifecting the publick
objects connected with his department. Yet
lie has not told us (and who will doubt that
he would have told us il he coultl) that he
discharged his duty by calling the attention
Of the President from time 10 time to the
case Of the six suffering functionaries, and TO
the cxpcdicncy of recommending 10 Con-
grcss a revision OF the act in question.
.frf. 9 9.--Parograhh in ne ietter 10 Nr.
ErSki,c. This paragraph, he says, the Pre-
sidcnt idsercd with his own pen and we be-
Iieyc il. But when he tells as that he, Ro-
bert Smith, opposed it in the cabinet, we do
not believe it. We will venture to say that
Robert Smith never opposed any thing in the
cabinet. He bad not yigour'o OF mind enough
TO support an argument, cvcil on the tight
side OF question. But which is the rfghl
side Of this question RecoiIect the unive,-:
sal .sensibiliiy II the nation on this point, ln(i
that. without the insertion Of this paraguph,.
Mr.. Smith required Tor the murdcro:ls 81
tack on the Chesapeake nothing more than
the dcIivery'of two native seamch who had
been most shamclulIy and insultingly dctain-
ed ever since the date OF the transaction.
And yet, this is the man who boasts of his
sympathy and scnsiLiliiy to the honour oil the
nation. to
But what has Mr.. Smith 10 offer 10 c,tcn-,
uation of his guilt in that, most atrocious
breach Of official confidence involved in his
relation Of the fact This is doubtless the
least excusable of all the crimes confessed in
his crimeful pamphlet. Intrrstcd by his
country to manage the most delicate transac-
ton that could be conhded to minister,
point of national honour, with rival power,
Jealous, naughty, lavish in her insults and
frugal in heracts of justice then to betrsy
to that rival the secret discussions Of his own
cabinet on that very point Of honour this
marks a turpi,udc Of heart, or blunted,
ri,fAec, wooden headed power Of penetration
and feeling too disgraccful in itself to be able
to disgrace the govcrgu,cnt j; betrayed.
Should this man rcnouncc now his country
as he has his honour, become British sub.