Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-05-30

:" first county dat voted in tac distsici, nor
had ne any opportunity of knowing the
" ground, or caiirovertins the allegations n.
" the opposition until after the close OF the
" election for his county. In TIE other three
" counties composing the district, the caudi-
" dates and their pretenslons 10 public conf
" dence, together with the character of Mr.
= Nelson's political course, was fairly and
fully before the public.-I am one Of his
constituents, who, upon principle, am not
avcrSe TO competition i'll our pcpuiar cleo
tons; an open, manly, virtuous opposition,
" where an examination Of public men and
public measures may eniighteu the road To
public confidence and whence the rude Gle
ments of our republican institutions may be
- shapen into better form. or NAV he shielded
" from the deadly influence OF apathy Il cor
ruption.-Vhen more able and virtuous
representative ran be offered 70 the people
L am one of those always ready To receive
" him-but let him not be seated on the real
or supposed ,bcrrailons OF his prede cessor
" IN Office, without giving time to the people
TO examine the fitness of the first. or hear
the defence of the last l was not willing
10 cruelty the real or supposed offender i'm
the hrst instance, and TO examine into tue
Justice of the punishment afterwards I
tcel, IN this case, no other interest but that
winch deeply concerns every freeholder an
my district, ready aud willing to select the
most enlightened and most honest man we
can obtain, to represent ourrights aud main.
tain onr claims in the general government
The object of this communication evil
IDENTITY Is, 10 create an impression. that
my opposition to Mr. Nelson, IN the Con-
gressional District composed of The ,oun
ties Of Aibemarle, Amherst, Fhvanna
and lson, was long premeditated, but
carefully kept secret, until after the o.
penlng of the polls for the first election,
IN tile District Ehis is NOT the fact. i'm
relation to myself, and tlie following cir
ccumsiances viii .Dcontestibly prove that
II is not 4 fact IN relation 10 Others. to
whom il is applied During the last SEES
sim u! t.s General ssembly ofihis Com
monwe.iith, Twas coaiined several weeks
WIN severe ll.u"ss. which continued nm
~ some time at or the close of our public
iiabours. JustaS had recovered enough,
lictatn, ana vas preparing To return home.
encountered the further misfortune of a
fractured arm, which detained me in this
C:ty until Friday, The 4,h of April at
winch time my anSl"fy to paw some al
tention 10 my private affairs. and nv wish
10 explain 20 the people of my county. The
reasons O! my determination 10 withdraw
from their service: prompted me (rathei
premalurely,) To return. On nv retrrn
10 my lodgings from the Beli-Tavern.
wliither l-had gone on Tuesday or We'd
nesday preceding my departure for the
purpose of securing 4 seat in the ensuing
stage, came with a friend BY the Posi-,
Ohice, where received a letter Of bust
ness, from friend in Albemarle 1t
contained, however, the following iniima-
non mat ms neighbours had determined
To vote for me for Congress. NOT with an
expectation that could be elected bnt
merely to express their Instrumentation of
the conduct of the present incumbent.
but, tlatItl were there, and world saw the
word, might be elected i'm every county
III the District. These are very nearly
me words; am sure they contain the
substance OF this communication. 1T is
easy TO conceive how flatteling such an
animation must have been TO one i'm nv
situation, and how irresistibly 7 must
have been drawn into such reflections 40
1t was naturally calculated to produce
Two or three ofmy friends too. TO whom
had sheWn this letter, urged me 10 as
pre- to the honor which it seemed to place
within my reach.
determined on nothing-brt returned
10 Charlottesville, the seat of Justice of
NY o@n county, merely prepared t. re-
ceive and weigh such propositions as
might be made TO me on this subject
Sunnry conversations, in relation TO il.
took place on the Sunday preceding the
(Nonday,) on which The election did fake
place. But | finally came TO the defer
mination, about o'clock in the morninr
that would not, under any circumsfa1-
ces, become candidate. No other in
ctdeht, having any bearing on this sub
lcci, occurred, until about the opening of
me polls at which time was Informed
that a-poh would certainly be opened for
me, and that should be publicly called
on 10 say, whether would represent the
District, IT elected. With this short no
tee, OF only few minutes, and derived
(as was) of the opportunity of taking
counsel from nv friends, luckily adon7
ted the course which my judgment did
then, now does, q will Ct am sure. always
approve. bowed with Difference TO tie
supremacy. of the people, acknowledge
ed myself the servant of the District. and
bound to perform, TO the best of nv
knowledge and ability, any duties which
ii mignt choose TO assign to met is
proper here to remark, that this notifica-
ton, and this call were made by other
persons, than those with whom | had had
conversations in the morning; that tliey
lived some distance from The court-bouse
had just arrived, and had no knowledoe
OF my Benign the county, until aftertl
arrival. This statement is made i'm order
TO shew that there could not have been
any thing like concert between them. &,
the persons with whom | had had con
veFsatlons in the morning. I did sun
pose that this declaration would be salts
factory, and that | should be required TO
do nothing more. But solicitations. e.
quaily urgent, were made, that shouia
fake a seat on the bench this also did
but without any prospect Of beinp elect,