Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-07-10
From The Shfnt Of Seyenty-sir.

4 IL.
omission Of material crcumstances In relation
~ Iats transaction in the House of Repre-
sentatiyes,'' and to set fully and accurately
before the public thar matter, which the wri-
ter more thar insinuates to nave been faTfldHy
ard incorrectly represented, In the fragment
of speech, dedicated to my constituents
When this publication first appeared, was
content to let it pass without notice. The
fact. Gas belissed) were too notorious to be
distorted The very circumstance that the
Speaker Of the House of Representatives
should feel himself reduced to defence OF
his decisions In the public prints, seemed to
me. Of itself enough 10 satisfy all rejecting
men, that there must be something wrong at
bottom and nay 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 it stood But my friends have urged
me not TO permit this observation-disclosures
;t derives IT'S sole claim to consideration from
its official character--to pass unnotlced; lest
the public mind, so habituated to AUTHORITY,
should be misled.
In Difference to their Judgment, enter on
this task, with a reluctance, the evidence OF
which will be found in the cold and sluggish
manner In which tits executed
OF all men it especially behoves him who
brings charge against his neighbor, to avoid
the error which he reprehends. There Is
something rcpugnant to our natural sense OF
Justice to behold any man, however nigh his
station-or great his claims to knowledge
reproying in another that falling, Of which he
himself, in his own person, affords striking
example. We would not endure even from
Solomon himself-a king and the wisest oil
nankind--a reproof to the meanest OF his sub
iects, because he did not copine himself to a
single wife. This repugnance will be height
ened when the example is exhibited In the
very act of rebuke; and we reach the last
stage of disgust, when we discover that the
accused is innocent of the charge laid at his
door-the acccuser alone guilty.
Hut 7 will close my predatory remarks
md nroceed to specify some of the instances
of emission of material circumstances, or
ofuafairness of statement Oh the part OF Mr.
Clay.
Itswas not " in the commencement OF his OBJ
servations that Mr. r. was called to order by
Mr.. Wright."-Mr. Randolph had been speak
in0 some time-aad read several extracts from
the correspondence of our government with
ire agent at Paris, and had advanced consider
.hlv into the case of the New-Orleans packet,
when he was interrupted by Mr. Wright
TIE Speakers decision that Mr. X. had
RIGHT to proceed, inasmuch as ne had declar-
cd his intention TO submit a mouon--and MS
permitting that gentleman to proceeds &C
cording to his own statement, " tor at least one
hour" are facts conclusive OF the point OF
order
II does not become me to question the ig-
norance, pleaded by the Speaker, of" the case
ON which his friend Dr.. Bib decided, whilst
actino as his substitute in the chair" Altho'
me circumstance is certainly an extraordinary
one. I shsll 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 attracted the general
attention of the house and of the SPECTATORS
This transaction took place on the goth OF
Nav. Mr. Clay's publication bears date the
l7tb Of June. | cannot sufficiently admire
his want of that dangerous quality, curiosity,
manifested by his refraining for three weeks
from making himself acquainted with the de-
cision Of DIR. Bibb, who lodges next door to
him and under the same root.
will not say what was the case upon
which that gentleman" DR.. Bibb whilst
he was SO kind as TO represent me, was called
upon to decide"-M Mr., Clay letter, lst column.
Again" Itresults that between the decisions
of Mr.. Bib and mine, certainly between my
own, there existed no discrepancy What
No "discrehancy" proved to exist between
an unknown and known decision! The train
of reasoning which leads to results like tins
is a new and invaluable discovery in logic
Il far surpasses the old method of reasoning
from the known TO the unknown, and is even
an Improvement upon the modern practice o.
reasoning to things Unknown from things more
unknown ignofum per ignotiHs.
Dr. Bibb's decision, on the repetition otthe
call 20 order by Mr. Calhoun, was substantl-