The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-07-17

" II. Clay" which purports to supply - the
omission of materia. circumstances. in rela-
ton to late transaction in the House OF
Representatives" and to set fully and &C.
curateiy' before the public Fiat matte,
which the writer more than inSinuates to
have been hdrftaUy and incorrectfu retire
scented. in the fragment of a speech dedica-
ted to my constituents. When this publ
cation first appeared, l was content 10 let
It pass without notice. The facts Gas be.
ieVed) were too notorious to be dstortet.-
ne very circumstance that the Speaker OF
the Hcuse OF Representatives should feel
himself reduced to n defence of his decisi-
ons in the public prints seemed to me, of it,
SET, enough TO satisfy all rejecting men,
that there must be something wrong at bot
tom and my ambition did not aspire to
the honor OF news paper contest with any
man, however high his dignity in the state.
was therefore content to let the matter
rest where 1t stood. But my friends have
urged me not to permit this publication
although 1T derives its sole claim to conside-
ration from its official Charact er-to pass uu-
noticed lest the public mind, so habituareL
to AUTHORITY, should be mislet by it.
In Difference to their Judgement, / enter
on this task, with reluctance, the evidence
OF which will be .ound in the cold and slug
glsh manner Ill which it is executed
brings charge against his neighbor, to a.
void the, error which he reprehentis. There
is something repugnant to- our natural sense
OF justice to behold any man, however high
his station-or great his claims to know
iedge--leProving in another that falling, of
which he himself, in his own person, affords
a. striking example. We would not endure
even from Solom OH hinself--a king and the
wisest ct mankind-a reproof to the mean
est OF his subjects, because he did not con-
hne himself to single WIFE This repug-
nance will BE heightened when the exam
pie IS exhibited i'll the very act of rebuke ::
and we reach the last stage Of disgust. wien
we discover that the accused is Innocent of
the charge laid at his door-the accuser a.
lone guilty.
But will close my " predatory remarks
and proceed 10 specify some Of the instances
of omission OF material circumstances, or Of
lnIa irhess OF statement on the part of Mr..
Clay.
1t was not '' in the commencement of his
observations that Mr.. r. was called to or
Ger by Mi. Wright" Mr.. Randolph had
been speaking some timc-had read seve-
raj extracts from the correspondence of orr
government with its agent at Paris. and had
advanced considerably into the case of the
new Or!ean3, Packet, when he was inter
ruptcd by Mr. Wright. The Speakers de-
cision that Nh. Z. had right to proceed,
In as much as he had declared his intention
10 submit motion-----s,nd his permitting
'naE gentleman to proceed, according to his
own statement, " for at least one hour, are
facts ccrclusive of the point of order.
1t does not become me to question the is-
norahce, pleaded by the Speaker, of the
case on which his friend Dr. Rs5b decided,
whist acting as his substitute in the chair %
Although the circumstance is certainly an
extraordinary one, shall not insinuate a
doubt that the Speaker was so disengaged,
or engaged, whilst out of the chair, that he
did not observe an occurrence, which at
tracted the general attention of the house &
OF the Spectators. This transaction took
place ON the 10Th Of May. Mr.. Clay's pub
lication bears date the 18th Of June I cam
not sufficiently admire his want of that dan
gerous quality, curiosity. manifested by his
rctraining for three weeks from making him
self acquainted with tbc decision of DR..
Bibb who lodges next door to him and under
the same roof.
will not say what was the case upon
which that gentleman" DR.. Bib whilst
lie was so kind as 70 represent me, was
" called upon to decidc'-Mr. Clay's letter,
1st column. Again" 1t results that =" be-
tween the decisions of Mr.. BIB and mine,
certainly between my own, there existed
hO uiSN' = panty w nat NO - QiScTEIlGN-
cV' proved to exist between an unknown
and q known decision The train of rea-
soninS which lends TO Te8uifs like this is a
rev and invaluable discovery in logic.
1t far surpassss the old method of rea-
| soning from the known to the unknown.
and is even an improvement upon the mo-
dern practice Of reasoning to things unknown
from things more unknown: ignotusn TER
ignotiUS.
Mr.. Gibbs decision, or the repetition Of
the call to order by Mr.. Calhoun, was sub
stantially the, same with that Of the Speak
er, on the interruption by Mr.. Wright.--
And as Mr.. Clay may not have "Ierticu-
larly directed his attention to this point"
also-l beg leave to inform him that the
diScrIiancy," between himself and DIR.
Bbb, may be found in the recorded vote Of
the latter gentleman on the journals of tbs.
house, affirming the Speaker 20 have deci-
ded contrary to order. But what reaso1-
able man will, for a moment, attach any
blame TO the Speaker, for ignorance &C the
diScrchancy" which existed between DR.
Bibb's and his own decision, when he ap-
pears unconscious Of his " discrepancy"
with himself. That he should forget his
own repeated decisions, ON former occasi-
ons, is not so much to be wondered at, as
that he should appear irsensible to the
manifest fact, that twice within the space
of an hour he should have reversed his own
opinion. Yet such unquestionably was the
case.
On the subject of those former decisions
will refer members of the house to the de-