Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1816-07-03

| the newspapers. consent to sign and
inscribe them with a nc va7'iefur.
1t is no business of mine 20 examine here
the merits of the complaints that you think
you have right TO make on the violation
OF the orecy of correspondence, or to ex-
plain the means by which your letters may
have fallen into the hands of government
but ask you, if a person has any right to
complain of the neglect of ordinary rules,
when he may himself be suspected of hav-
ing broken through them if the govern
ment is bound to respect the correspon
dence of a man, when there is reason to
believe he regards not the repose Of go
vernment of man. whom it may in
some sort accuse of having violated the
laws OF hospitality. would ask you, if, IN
such an eX'gency, it has not the same right
as every private iIdYidual--the natural
right of defence if it is in FACT, more to
be blamed than one, who, when his life is
attacked, employs in defence the same
weapons as his aggressor, although such as
are prob bited in ordinary cases s-The
government ought at once to be the pro-
tector of law, and the support CT morals
but 1t cannot commit a greater outrage up
on them tn an in suborning a domestic, and
engaging hun by a base reward TO violate
his duty towards his master. But, in truth,
the fruit of this crime has been nothing
more than the discovery of some private
letters, written, perhaps, with some indis-
cretion, lnasmuch as the news which they
transmitted was not we'll ascertained but
which ought not to give umbrage to go
vernment, as they did not expose it to any
danger, considering that there was no
mention OF any thing that was not the SUBJ
Ject OF public conversation, and probably
repeated in all the letters addressed to En-
gland.
But did you not add to these public re-
ports by your own private sentiments
Did you not even suffer to appear want
or respect fer the person OF the king in
saying, for example, "Lord Wellington.
seeing he could no longer support the idol
he had raised" &c. Do you not admit
that this last expression could only have
been employed in degrading sense, and in
a sort OF irony injurious to his majesty.
A First, the king of France is not my
king secondly, l may make use of the
same expressions in speaking of the king
OF England, without any off nee or crime,
supposing an ironlcal idea were attached
to them thirdly, will not enter into any
discussion on private letters intercepted IN
the manner have reprobated. | wrote
what thought, not what did. auRot
be prosecuted for my credulity but may
reproach myself with having written anec-
dotes compromising other persons on mere
reports without having asceytained their
truth (; and further repeat that these let
tcrs were addressed to my brother and
lord Grey, whom l considered as my most
Intimate friend, and the most d screet of
men. TO prove that wAs not here for the
purpose OF exerting myself against the go
vernment, it will be sufficient to read enc
OF the paragraphs of my letter of the 28tn
OF December last, conceived Ill these
terms -" seldom go out to appear in a
ny public society, and tits full six weeks
since nave been any where but IN the SO
ciety of my best friends" And thes.
three letters. taken together, cannot but
prove the truth of my preceding answers;
that is to say, that ] was Indignant at the
| intraction of the convention that ! wished
publicity to the discussions of parli ,ment,
III order TO instruct the people on the con-
tnent ; and that thought a throne plant
ed on foreign bayonets stood in great dan
ger OF falling, inasmucb as 1t did not take
its natural basis in system of cemency
and respect for good faith. As an En-
glishman, had right to express myself
thus, particularly under actual circumstan-
ceS, when the re- establishment of the king
was our own work.
NS' S'@'i IL " OCIiNNSh itlfL these GX-
pressons were suggested to you by sim
pie idea of foresight, when in your letter
of the 28,h of last December, you "bIame
your government for its fear Of com)rDn,is-
ing the cause Of the Bourhons, and that of
legitimacy in general :" and that in another
passage, little below, you speak Of one of
your own friends who had exhausted your
patience, because (say you) he is become
legitimate maniac First will not IN.
swer French functionary ON the subject
OF my observations on the English govern
ment Secondly, had right to call an
Englishman, who adopted the right of le-
gltiInacy, either fool, a maniac, or q trai.
tor, because he outrages the very principle
under which the house of Brunswick reiens
in England. Thirdly, am delighted at
having TINS opportunity Of repairing pub
liciy, as have already done in private,
the wrong thus offered to this friend.
Your answer does not embrace the whole
| question put to you, and which had for
ITS object not only your observation on the
cause OF legitimacy in general, but also
those that applied to the cause of the Bour
bons 10 particular '-I have already ex
planned myself on my politics and my de-
termination not to enter into any discussion
on detached passages, of which the sense,
considered separately, and by other per-
sons, than those to whom they were address
sed, might receive an Interpretation differ
ent from my meaning.
But at least there re some PASSAGES. { t.
sense Of which IL Is iulposeibfp fo s,iet,Lo