Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-01-19
RICHMOND, JANUARY 10.
FOR The ENQUIRER.
TO ALGERNON SIDNEY.

+,
ana speak OF your volunteer communications
to The Secretary Estate, in the terms. which
TO my Deliberate Judgment and unbiased feel
ing, appear most applicable. In discussing
stheir contents you will excuse me for beginning
where .yon have terminated. Your logic does
not sppeayto he Of such rigorous entertainment,
4 as TO deny this privilege. l wish, sir, be-
tore j commence amy thing like argument,
TO relieve my mind from those nnfouDdeJ and
uucharitable Impressions, which the latter end
OF your incubratious seems intend ed, I Ger tainy
. calcuiated,) to engender. I wish, sir, to sub
siitute tho dictates of common sense, for what
appears TO me strange rhapsody, nnwarranted
by the times aud events, and likely TO produce
in understandings not well fortified, alarming
apprebeDsiODs, dlstrust III the constituted au-
tliorities, aud to reud the nation. into parties
and factions, characterized by those violences.
which usually attend their origin. You talk of
ne,o struggle for liberty to rkich the people of
tbs country, at no distant day are to be called"
Does Algernon Sidney really believe all this 7
Does he indeed anticipate those appalling
events, in which he Processes to be so wei
s prepared to take share Does he mean 10
tell the Executive, that they have designed,
and are carrying on "A systematic usnrpatioD of
THE liberties of this country1 Who will be per-
suade toiisten TO bis idle prophecies Not enc,
venture TO affirm, who is capable. OF giving
the subject u fair examination. Woe betde
the unhappy victim of ambition, who should
attempt a realization of Algeruon Sidneys
fosebodings. he would soon be made to feel
that the days of monarchcal degeneracy have
hot yet arrived in the United States. He would
make himself Il beacon of political ambition,
warning Others, for the future, to steer from
the wreck of bis life and fortune. / admit
what Is Obvious, that the people of the United
States, more especially the Inhabitants oflarge
cities, have dsterioiated from the PRINCIPLES
and practices of 10. 1 fad myself welded TO
those principles by nature and by reflection,
but that III the prime oflife have hereby
become AN old fashioned fellow. j am power
fniiy attached 10 those principles because they
raise the dignity of human nature, and because
they are the most favorable to individual as
we'll as public Happiness The falling off from
these, L ascribe to tue natural progress of ma
ions, accelerated among ms, by the fatal policy
ofbanks, ~ perhaps one or two other prac tees
which II would. at this time, be cut Of place To
discuss aud examine with the mnuteness,
which The great Importance of the subjects
merits and from an ADLER pen than mine Here
would he found HE canges of that = sguinting
at monarchy OF which Algernon Sidney so
pathencaliy complains and iamepts. Here
would be seen ,he repngnance ofluxury and
aVarice with patriotism and we all know that
patriotism is one Of the frmest pillars of a
Tepdblic. eau any one doubt of the luxury
and avarice heightened and fomented bv
Hanhlhg DO not me very scenes passing under
sur eyes, resulting from The attractions OF
banks, indicate that the spirit OF the people had
experienced some changer
But TO return from this DEPRESSION, which
was entered into purely Tor the editication of
Aigernon Sidney wish TO put him in the
pain OF arriving at the true causes of things
Like great part of mankind when a fact
exists, he Is wiling TO accept any cause that
mas tue sembiauce OF plansibIity. Who that
acceptable OF a sound aud impartial reflection
can JOIN Aigernon Sidney, in apprehendin.
danger of usnrpatiOn of the executive branch
OF ihe government, guarded as il is by SO many
Admirable restrictions The fact is that the
legislative branch, in all The constitutions of
the United States, federal and state has a
most decided predominapcy. Nothing, then.
can endaiiger the liberties of the u. States but
frlf NJ
Sess all the political aud physical power of the
Iaiion, and II they are wise they will watch
'aiiy preserve it III their hands. While they
remain virtuons aud true to themselves. il will
alwaysbe easy to put dewu few disconnected
ana perhaps disappointed. individuals and to
doom them by their fiat, 10 perpetual privacy
90 much Tor Algernon Sidneys prognostics.
shall now step backwards a little, TO the
Fartofhis essay Which bears upon our relations
with Spain; which touches OFT the executive
measures and their. compliciiy towards Major
Csnerof 1ndrew Jackson, commander Of the
dIcisioa Of the SOUTH as Algermon calls him in
his seriatm style. In your second address
to the Secretary, you begin with show OF
much candor asd' fairness. You say yon fer.
Vently wisi, that the Secretary's representation
OF the Florida transactions may be correct but
from the evidence which you have seen, You
are inclined TO regard II as "A rhetorical exag.
Sefatiop. You then go on, in the same spirit,
10 take for granted, all the injuries we have
sustained, by The violation on the part of Spain
OF her treaty, STIMULATING the restraint of the
FLORIDA SavageS from hosnlities against the
pnden states. !Bthe same tone, you a Unit The
s!amefu combination of the directing agents
OF Spain IN Florida, with the Negro aud Indian
enemies of the United States and lastly YOU
admit that Gen. Jackson had authority 10 act
As he did yet say you, :" all those wrongs
Combined, do not furnish justifabe canse of
war against Spain or her dependencies, without
previous representation OF them TO her gov
ernment, without formal demand of redress
In fnr he l,Ju
refusal, or unreasonable delay on her part. TO
comply with spch demand" Passing by Ifor
the pr esenD the consideration of these transac-
tons. with view to ascertain whether war
mas Deen waged against Spain in fact, an i'm.
pOrtaDt enquiry, which you take for granted,
proceed 10 the examination of your argument
aDont previous application to Spain for re
dress and security. You apply to Vdtiel for
support he passages quoted are before the
pnDlic, VINO Will discern that they are not so
authoritative and uuequiyocal" as youwould
nave them. You even admit exceptions to the
general principles contained inthem. Common
sense dictates such exceptions as imdIspensa.
pie Tor otherwise, want of public faith would
100 often hold out tempting prospects of adj.
vantage. over those who were Scrupulously
attached to its observance. If You had
searched Vaitel little more diligently. Won
might have fOnad number of instances in
Wpich he recommends an immediate resort to
iOrce. shall content myself with one or two
eNaihpieS'-book 1th, chdp.4, sec 43. a just
sen neiehce does not violate the treaty OF
peace u Is natural right, not to be Tenouuc.
e@ ahd u promising to live in peace, we
promise no more than not to attack without
cdu'e,s ana 10 abstain from injuries and violence
Bnt there are two ways OF defeiidipr ourselves
or our properties; sometimes the yiolencs
admits Of no other remedy than force. and
then the use oft Is entirely lawful. On other
occasions, there ate miider ways Of obtaining
separation for the damage and injury; anu the
last should always be preferred. Such is the
conduct that should be observed by nItions
DESTROYS of maintaining peace, when the sub.
Jecls Of both sides have broke out int some
-. L.. IL. Il