Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-03-16
from re Psarrus Retsr5lican.

AIR. PICKERING's ADDRESS
To Me- Peotle Of the United States.
No. III.
Fellozo-C Citizens,
In nv last number are stated the principal
topics on which propose to address you.
have written as will continue to write, with
a freedom which the times demand; but which
! the preachers of passive obedience and non
| resistance to the measures OF government,
however oppressive and rumous, VIII not fSl'
to condemn What! They will exclaim Can
he be friend to his country who will not stand
nv its government Must he not be Its enc
! nv, the hireling of a foreign nation, who dares
| IN ouestion the rectitude of his own govern
| ment in its disputes with that OF foreign ma
| ton +? Who, for instance, would offer an eX-
cuse for the British government, which has
caused so many injuries, but British tory,
British pensiener, traitor who had received
British gold
NV fellow citizens! Have you been taught
to believe that your rulers are incapable OF
eIrine? Incapable of In Justice towards to-
reign nation? Incapable OF seeking their own
interests and gratifying their ambition at your
expence? Incapable of crimes 1t so, why
in your constitution have you declared them
anienable to Justice? Liable to impeachment
aid removal from Office: To prosecution and
punishment in the courts law Why was the
press already free guarded by special amend
ment to the constitution Was this guard
provided only that envy, malice, and revenge
might with imputy, expose the errers OF pn-
vate citizens, and SANDER virtue itself when
not cloathed with power? No. History aid
experience proved that men in office, In plac-
es of power and trust were sometimes un1-Ith-
ful and corrupt; th,.t 1t was not always easy
to bring them to. justice that sometimes their
offences were of nature to evade the ordlna-
ry judicial process; that public shame and
disgrace could be their only punishment. The
press is free that any one OF your fellow citl-
zens may address you on any subject which
can affect your interests, honor safety and ge-
neral welfare. The improper, unwise, the
unjust acts of the rulers of nation, may be
directly injurious to the citizens; they may
also be injurious to foreign nations, and pro-
duce dangerous disputes, retaliation, and var.
When such are the effects or tendencies OF
their measures, he who secs them has right
and tits his duty to bring them into pupiic
view, for the purpose of public correction.
This right viii use; this duty will attempt
to perform. But another duty first demands
my care; to vindicate my own character and
exhibit my title to your attention.
am fellow citizens III singular situation,
continually censured and reyiled by every I'M
principled wretch who prints newspaper, or
by his correspondents equally base; and yet
rarely upon any specific charge on which can
come to an issue. In one case indeed this was
done was accused of receiving British gold
AT the instance of some Of my friends I con-
scented that the libeller should be prosecuted.
He was accordingly indicted, convicted and
punished by fine and imprisonment.-His
counsel, Mr.. Jeherson's district attorney, in
Massachusetts, with view to mitigate the IL
beller's punishment, offered to the court rea-
son which must surprise all those who have
formed their opinions of me from the misre-
presentations and lies of democratic prints go
"That the fairness OF my character was so
we'll known, aad my reputation so firmly esta-
biished, the libel could have done me no inju-
ry.'' But neither conviction in court Tor at
the bar Of reason, (the tribunal to which in ad-
dressing the people of the United States l now
appeaD can silence my accusers. "The lies
so often o'erthrown," are renewed; and they
will be repeated while the polluted prints
which spread them abroad receive the prtaon-
age of deceived and abused people.
l have recently been called 'pensioncr OF
Britain, while the accusers far from attempt
ing to prove it, do not themselves believe it.
In the nature of things it is impossible for any
man to prove the negative. that he did no. re-
ceive a bride. What thenis to be done Is
there such thing as honesty in the world
And what can an honest man oppose to such a
naked accusation Will whole life passed
in the ways of virtue, serve to vindicate his
! innocence? Let then my unprincipled accu-
sers examine my whole life, private as
we'll as public let them search diligently
and if they can find one dishonest act, single
departure from truth, one instance Of decep-
ton, then my fellow citizens, re ject as unwor-
thy of your notice, all the statements and rea-
sonings which have heretofore addressed to
YOU.
The herd oflibelsers, your pretended friends,
but worst enemies, have the andacity to call