The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1813-04-23
DOMESTIC.
From the Political PROSPECT.
Printed in Abingdon
TO DANIEL SHEFFEY, ESQ.

A plain blunt man takes the liberty Of adj
dressing you. One equally ignorant OF po-
litical chicanery, and unskilled in the arts
of sophistry, and who cannot look upon him
who resorts to either, but as dishonest po-
litician and a dishonest reasoner. The man
who prefers the night to day, &C who sSulks
in the bye paths when the great road is
open, Justly attracts animadversion and at
hxes suspicion TO his character. Thus he
who attempts to persuade by influencing the
passions, and 70 vindcate himself by sophis
try, is trina facic engaged in defence Of 2
bad Gauss, and cndeavouring to conceal bis
conscious turpitude. From our known and
acknowledged talents, / cannos, for a nao-
ynent, believe that you yourself are convinc-
ed by the show OF argument IN your cifcu-
lar---and from your undisguised prostitution
Of character. in defiance of ali morality and
religion, cannot suppose that you are wri-
thing under the fortunes OF conscience,
which | am convinced can never awake )
when you Disgrace those talents by the
shinly yelled absurdities with which you
would convince your constituents. They
must then have their origin either in the
weakness of the cause which you advocate,
OF in the sovereign contempt which you Ell
terrain for the understandings OF your con-
stituents. Since the commencement otyour
public career nothing has been necessary
20 convince me of your political depravity !;
h.:t K required the han,.leee avnwal of that
aboninaSle principle, Z" that submission to
wrong is preferable TO resistance" on which
the argument of your circular is reared, 70
eyince that you had drop'd the mask of vir
tGeaud dismissed even its sc mblanCs--Ih his
Is the cardinal tenet q your political creed
~ MS is the soul Of your opposition to the
war, and uroa the establishment OF this,
If
III shall not attempt to discuss the propri-
ETY. Of the war that subject has been pre-
sented to the nation in every possible point
Of view thar learning, talents and ingenuity
could devise--Every grade Of genius has
been exercised upon it from the high, ma
jestic and generahzinS mind Of Lowndes, tc
your own peca'iar talent Of polsmc cunning
and logical qubbling, in which q county
court education has given yop distinguish
ed e-eminolCe. / will merely observe,
that reiterated o2trages on the Hmeric0a
Hag---that repeated murders of american
ctizens--that the daily impressment and
imprisonment OF EH'erieen seamen, at
length reused that Hmer!san blood which
warmed the friends Of Washington. ana
which has not. as you suppose, degencrated
or been corrupted by the factious compost
tons with which the political empires Of
your party have dosed the ration. The
citi2eus of this district called with an uudi-
yided voice for war. You the Representa-
tive of their sentiments--the organ through
which they spoke, were decidedly adverse
10 IL, not because, (as you say in your circu
iar) eve had not well-feuudcd cause of
complaint against the British government
which it ought 20 have re0ressed, but be-
cause there was probability that the evils
attendant on the way, would be greater
shan these We theu suffered" that is, (when
the propositionis simplifed, which is mask
ed under these Words that we should sub
init to the lash, lest resistance should irri-
tate g. Brltaip to use it more severelu-
that we sh0sld crouch ike The cnastwed
spaniel, instead of rising in our might and
shaking Of oppression like the dew drops
from the lions mane' THAT we Mould com
posedly see orr honor furnished and our
character egradet---because forsoo,h.
there IS some trouble requisite 20 Daintain
them. and honor and charscter cannot brj,,,.
dollars and cents into orr pos kcts---lt
needed no the open avowat Of your abb or
fepce Of abstract principles. 70 inform us
TIA, yO0 we're dvs..tu.e Of principle, but YOU
eve the hrsi man on record cxceDt faistaf
who has oheHLy declared, that as hooor can
BOT set isy--stsunch wound, OF put mo
gsy IN ysur pgasa--ycu would nave nose o.
There was a Sing, Mr. Shefsy, when the