Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-01-21
From the National MrelGgencer.
HARTFORD CONTENTION.

HARTFORD CONTENTION.
The convocation Of the assembly of indi
viduals, generally known by the above
name. which has inst Terminated its sitting,
was the result of factious spirit, seeking to
redress imaginary grievances in a manner
which must. in its maturity have been as
contrary to the constitution as to the lsw.
II has been uniformly said bv those who
knew the principal confedera'es in this
scheme. who could properly appreciate the
value OF their menaces, that it would end a.
bortvely> 1t has so terminated.
The states of Vermont and New Hamp.
shire, to their honor be it ever remembered,
refused to give their sanction to any such
proceeding. The persons who assembled
represented nothing more than the feder.
amSts IN the Legislatures of three states,
who chose them they were in fact eau
Gus of leading federalists. The acts of this
convention, then, possess precisely the same
validity, and are entitled to the same res<
pect, among their own party, as the pro-
ceedings OF the caucus of either party in the
Congress of the United States, which selects
and recommends to their constituents, AN
tecedent to an election. certain candidates
the United States.
1t would be idle for such caucus to
claim tor its recommendations the respect
OF the party opposed to it /; it would be lust
as idle FOR the instigators of the Hartford
Convention to expect for their acts or pro.
ceedings any other respect than that which
is due 20 those of any pol isical committee of
the same number OF members
At the seat OF the general government,
where these proceedings were intended to
nave the chief effect, they have produced
wonderfully little perturbation. Mentioned
but once on the foor of Congress, that we
rccoiiect, and then only loosely, the Mem
oers Of Congress have scarcely thought of
the Convention, and never spoke of them,
except, perchancc, having exhausted all
other topics OF Conversation. some one, more
inquisifive than the rest, has asked, what
news from Hartford The fellow iaborer
OF the Boston editors, In CUR neighboraood,
mas, TO be sure, thrown out occasional al!u.
sions and mysterious hints regarding the
Convention but zine out of ten even of his
patrons, we are confident, however they
may respec. the characters Of some men of
the Convention. looked upon the whole pro-
ccanre, from the beginning, with distrust
ana dislike bordering on contempt
Ifihe nature and object of the Conven.
ton we're not such as to secure it our res
pect, we do not conceive that their procee>
dings establish any claim to il.
The sittings IF this Convention we're held
with closed doors. a circumstance which
conceals from US the nature of the debates
wh'ch leo 70 the results we have published
It is more than probable, however, tina, the
a..
factious spirit which generated the Con
vention those men who have filled she
Boston prints with all that is hateful to mo,
raniy ahd repusnantto humanity, with a
view to exasperate dcut.sd people to f..
tal extremities that these men were cons
tro!led by the more sober judgment and
philosophy OF temper Of the representatives
from Connectlut, Certain it is, that the
proceedings are tempered with more mod>
Grafton tsan was TO have been expected
from tue contemporaneous exposi.ioas, in
the Eastern papers, of the views and obiec,b
OF the Con vention. a separation from the
union. SO far from being openly recommea-
ded, is the subject only of remote allusion.
II the object of calling the e invention reals
iy was 10 propose separation frou the union,
they appear to DC determined 10 effect it,
. peaceabIy, if they can"
hut, IT is minated in some OF the Dapers
OF the party. that the moderation of the tone
OF the Convention ought to SECURE respect to
its proceedings. This we deny. The whole
history Of the Convention is a libel upon the
patriotism OF the party who have found that
II is not so easy TO get up civil war, as
some Of them at least, most wickedly hoped,
the merit Of the failure is not theirs, but
that Of the body CT the people by whom
such projects were discoJnteHanced. So far
from doing honor 10 the Conventionsts. their
report will stand as a record agaiast them
their share in the transaction. the very mcRe
ton Of which in after days will cover hem
with shame confusion. The best construct, n
the future historian can put upon their conV
maybe thus expressed -" Finding the
on their condust, may be thus expressed: -
government much pressed by the enemy,
and the was losing its popularity in some
degree in the East, through defect Of vigor
Ia its prosecution ; with the view to excite
still greater dScontents among the people,
in the hope they might thereof avail them
selves, and vault into the seats of power,
the Federal Party contrived Meeting of
the head-men of their party in three of the
states, which was holden at Hartford, being
preceded by much affectation of solemnity
and religious ceremony. After remaining
in conclave for three weeks, and perceiying
the futility of the purpose for which they
assembled, they dispersed, not, however,
before publishing sort Of party manifesto.
Neither the manifesto or their subsequent
sfforfc redaafped the 80, Cro,o