Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1816-05-04
ID O NJ r. s TIC.
JUDGE RANDOLPH'S CoMMUNICA.
TIONS.
PUBLISHED BY THO.1EqS WELLS.
WITH EXPLANATION &c
NorrowAr, March 10, 1916.

fo"iHeS tavern, that, my visit to Not'ouay
January court last, was for the purpose of M
hTSneing against James Robertsons election to
The Senate; and also that, e my heartoould be
lad eHe;, 20 the pCrl c-vics; I should 5ecn n
be orc OF the damdest rascals who eycr live.
1t IS duty which perhaps owe to myself and
my friends to ask you, whether you have upon
that road, or any where else made use of those
eSpressions,or any others of similar import And
it you have made use of such or similar express
SONS, whether you are now disposed to retract
them
My Friend Cap. Benjamin Ii Jones, who
hands you thus note, will receive your answer
. PETER RANDOLPH.
THoMAs WELLS ESQ. Nottoway Court. House,
Favour of Cap. Ben amin Jones.
NorrowAT, March 10, 1876
Iconsder you among the last men upon The
face OF this earth 10 whom am responsible for
any OF my opinions, or conduct. But for my
own purposes, think proper 20 say something
about my trip To Nottoway January Court
last. ANXIOUS as was for he election of Mr..
Taylor IN preference to James Robertson, AZ this
time ofmy life should hardly put myself to the
trouble "frdlng from Richmond to Nouoway
Court House and back again IN spell of most
Indictment weather for the purpose If aiding the
eecton OF the one, or opposing The other. Nor
had The folly TO suppose should have any ma
teral influence upon such an occasion in COun-
~, IN VIII ch have not resided for upwards of
Three Years, and n which ! do not even own a
freehold Had you looked into the records of
The Nottow'y office, you would probably have
round, that an execution was, at that time. in
the hands of The Lunenburg sheriff for several
hundred dollars against me, as security to Maj
james Rec, returnable to the then succeeding
Nottoway February Court. The known uncer-
taln'y of finding Major r. ce at any other than a
Court day, de,etm ned me TO go 10 NOttoway
January Court, before knew an election was to
be had on that day
very much doubt whether YOU knew the
mean ng of the word Intrigue At the time your
aHuse applied 1t to my conduct. fyou did, and
could believe you had any candour left to
your shattered principles, would put it TO
yourself now to say, whether YOU do lot feel
yourself Convicted OF having uttered malignant
lie, Tor the base purpose of injuring my repu;a
ton, in stating that my BUSINESS to Nottowal
was to intrigue against James Robertson's cleo
hop
You asserted, that if my heart could be LAID
opento public view should be seen to be oHe o.
the damdest rascals who ever lived
enquIred whether even the NAL gnitv of youI
temper aided by your regard esSness of truth hac
| enabled you TO fabrlcale a.y thing bearing the
semblance of fact to support such a charge
against me The answer received was thai
you had stated no fact 60 establish the assertion
but merely connected it with your other asser
ton, that to intrigue against James Robertsons
election was the object of my trip to Nottoway
a far as / know or believe, you are the very
hrs man. in this commonwealth who has ever
beled his own heart in making such charge as
this against me. You know it was base false.
hood at the time you werc utteringit. You also
knew that an assertion Ike that against me, the
truth of which depended exclusively upon the
weight OF your mean character, would not be be.
lived by any respectable man acquainted with us
both But the falsehood of charge, against q
reputable man, furnishes no check to the impul-
ses OF mahgn,ty envy and depraviy
How long has it been since you have bee me
the spoless, public spirited honorable man, 20
emnently qualified as a censor of other peoples
morals How long has it been since you belong.
ed to Il tribe of Bl"ck leg Gamblers Can III
enumerate the days,t weeks The months or even
the years during winch you were engaged IN hat
lawless, profiigate pursuit DO you really think
that the base eminence to VIII ch you attained in
that art, now entities you to belief, whenever
your foul SANDER may assail man who has been
| always esteemed honest Can you believe that
upon the question, whether your assertion is to
be dlsbeleved, or reputable mans character in
jured, the public will forget, that so many years
ofyour life have been spent in plundering the
infatuated aud unguarded, and for which the laws
then N force would have denounced YOU as z
yagab nd, The laws now existing punish you as q
iGiOIg ana all honorable Iie CLASS the
basest mean est of mankind
Your apology for this detestable part of your
life may be hat, you have not been an habitual
Gambler for several years. once hoped, and
persuaded myself into the belief for a short time
that radical change had tak,n place in your
principles. was mistaken. Your bosom is too
congenal to The growth of bad principles, for any
thing short of Divine agency, TO exterpae such
as have once taken root there. II does not now
suit your purposes 20 be Gambler Your I'M
principled ambition has de ermned you 20 be.
come great IN spite of your vices and unex.
ampled ignorance. One Of the principal means
you find necessary for the purpose is to vilify and
SANDER every honorable man who will not he
forced, or seduced into any other opinion of YOU
than that you are a staggering Bragadocio, as
destitute Of information as Of honor.
Among those acquainted with W both your
mahgni'y and envy towards me will recoil upon
yourself. dare say might with proprieiv.
have treated you with the same contempt which
Judge Tucker treated the Black leg. BsiIv for
slandering his character; or with which judge
peterborough treated the Black leg John Meal
who slandered him. These two Gamblers re-.
sembled YOU in their ambition for power and pro.
motion. They resembled you in deceiying many
respectable people into the belief that tbSv DE-
served both Baily obtained very cons,,leralle
vote for Congress at err his Islander against judo
Tucker, and was at last arrested as 4 vapab.,3l
MCali was very ne1r representing me CSurt n
Hanover, and was at last arrested AID tried e.,
br, sfing open and robbing the public tres urv
What your end will be I ann not adj 10 ne, no
have cCndescended 10 take this much no &C
OF you, for my own justification aod the prat.fi.
C"uon o. ieehngs perhaps peculiar To mys,I.
considering how much below me is the level
men a.t