The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1814-03-26

ter ;he injury has been insic ed, TO arrest
c sequences. would have become az un-
recess ny, as it is to me, at least, uBp!eas-
ant.
But. before ] attract the public notice 10
the probable views OF Messrs. Rice and
POWELL. and of the federalists of the lower
III use, allow roe tn call its attention, apart
from the Legislature to the feelings with
winch these measures were certainly regar-
ded by the author Of this public attack upon
those gentlemen.
And first, of the letter and its enclosure
he says--"lt is true, the style of Gen. Arm
strong's and Col Swf>'s letters have given
! cDencc 10 al farties. They should, at
feasf, have assigned some reagor for tteir
ohiaion /; and as they had nor 5ee,, consuh
ed on the utility of the Fort ss.aseeuce :
ga'nss an insurrection Of sh,ves, .hey might
hdpe obstaiae9 from any mtiinotinns of a
nature cafcafoted 20 SoonnS th- feeiiags and
dcgrade the Character Of orr stare" Nov,
Sir, except that do deny the power of eli
| ther or both these gentlemen to degrade the
character of Virginia or that there is eli,
Their honor in Offering an unprovox ed insult
or di h1nar but in submission to it, aver
that the above we're precisely the views Ia
Ken OF this correspondence by the select
Committee If the House of Delegates. tn
which it was referred, and Of which Col
Cargi!l. Mr.. Selten & Mr.. Thweatt were
members; as we'll as by Gen. Pegran. MI
Mercer, and Mr.. Baker If Cumberland.
who afterwards sustained The report of that
committee in ths House. 1t un.ierwentno
other amendmert there, but that Of insert
ing she word unanim ously," in the r.solu-
ton snhJo'ned to it. This, il is true, was
ADOPTED on the motion of a federalist, bat
| TINS motion WAS made ar tire special and
earnest request of Mr.. Thweatt, ard &C
ceptcd without a symptom Of reluctance, by
the whole house. So far, the Federalists
contributed 70 "the adoption of this re
| port, which is said ~ "have been a ccus,;.e
o., IRE Gcfirral Government ;" although
the a'thor Of this declaration is, it seems, an
exclusive friend of the government, and has
Va" liner objection t. the construction put
upon the letter of Gen. Armstrong, exceDt
ina, he chuses TO reserve il for his own
Criticism and to exclude from the same
qualification, not only the federaii,ts, but
ms own political friends. He does, indeed,
sueloin, that these gentlemen surely did
nor Hfend To insult the sta.e," vet, as ne i .
constrained to say, that the language Of
heir letters was calculated 10 svound he,.
I/e"tlngs, and To deeTaGe her character"
the gent'eness of his succeeding exclama
ton. is more wonderful than characteristic
OF his usual temper--for DIR. Rice and
Mr.. Powell, and the federslists, en- masse.
OF the lower honse, who had neither said
nor written in their official character, one
little calculated to :" embarrass the Admi~
lnistration," irritats the States" sca.,er
g fears among the People" or " defeat the
Loan" arc roundly charged by him, witt,
all these secret, and, as nc thinks, unworthy.
II not base Infections.
y ow TO- his views OF the other r,eas,re
EOur delegation In Congress he eel,s 4t;e
Puhic, are now called upon" (Iio: sa,elY
oy the rejection of the measurc) "to exert
themselves to use the best coustis ufionoI
eTerfi2ns to make provisions for cover ng
cur constitutional ella ms. IRE ". States
are bound TO thu the e.rheHses of tte nj
TIA called our within the purvicw IF the
IonSutunoi, to repel invasinn.' Itjshout
monHea !trg Ser1ons intention 70 dIsckGrgs
fn's Gnfy' ne attachment Of fhe teohie 10
me Ont1n IS efceted and even he hazuer
me ONF9n oUsr he militia ~ tycakened.
iAey nave sight To call ont the militia
7uhsn they fLeose 10 zee ft--.bu, when so
called cut, OF called when the emergency
IS so urgent as not to ADM. of appealing to
tnem. 1t is their duty to pay the mii;ti7-
"ach are clearly the Laz, end tEe Pro
fhets."
Setting aside what is TOO obvio2s TO re-
qulrc distinct notice, that the style OF
these remarks is much better, and the au-
thorities relSd IL to support them are much
more imposing than any thing which the
rejected preamble and resolutions furnish.
mere Is IN the Argument Itself, no sort of
q btfence between them and this author.
IL 70 true, they do not extend The power of
the Federai Government over tie militia,
qnite SO tar as he does but then, they as
ign no precise IiRits to that anthor;tv. be-
cause THIS was no part of their purpose. As
respects the Administrations cf the u States.
their language, to say the lsast Of r., ia as
respectful; aud consequence, the House of
Del gates by whom ttcy werc uCanimcusIy
adopted, 2Bd the seven mcn bers of the
= naIe who concurred in the same Opinion,
OF them, even DIR. Rice and Mr.. Powell, RS
well as the federalists Of the Lower House
would seem tobe entitled to the same iuduk-
gerce tor constituting very small part of
so large majority Of the whole General
Assembly. 'Dhich the author Of this unproyo-
KID att,cs upon them, very properly eX
! tends to Mr. Poindexter and six others &
certainly. presume, claims for himself.
havng done vita the consistency ofthis
impartial essayist. wbo,i seems, writes on
~ TO correct past or 70 prevent f1.ure mis-
repre- sensations of very IMPORTANT" public
measures, permit me to approach, more
near'y the subjects Of his aniinadversion,
Inc Jealous, think able, and believe
sole Supporter in the Senate, Of the pream.
Die and revolution. relative TO Fort powha-
tan, vas M. PoindeXter, at whnse instance
thev wsro Eret cntnu,tttAd . .a..s..,.I -.