Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-09-26

KiCIIMOND, SEPTEMBER .e6. Is90.


~ III EDlIOhS OF THE ENQUIRER
From the length Of time which has elapsed
since the publication of my first number i'm
the Enquirer OF the dth ultimo. in reply TO a
NiR6IEiAN, did not expect TO see the discus.
on Oi that subject revived between us. had
supposed that lie had became con WINGED of the
correctness OF the view which had been taken
OF DE Wit ClintOn's political opinions, his
uii" ambition d intrigue sc. But am agreeably
disappointed in That expectation; az l. in COM
mon Win the people OF the Ancient Dominion,
shall! gam much valuable information from the
y edndor and crperience'' OF the above writer,
by the accuracy with which he retraces
records and facts"
l am Infinitely obliged TO a Virginian for
the data he has furnished to assist my "bold,
hut not experienced mind, in forming some
idea OF the length OF time which opinions must
he IN calculation, before they become " ortho-
dox. but a. his own c0nd0r and experience
cannot drimiliveiy fix the perod, he will ex.
cuse me ~ tenaci"nsiy adhere 10 my former
notion OH that subject. l had hoped, that the
. candor aud experience" of onr friend, a
Nirginan, alias New Yorker, won't, not have
permitted HIM TO falliuto suci a giiring error,
Tor coHceive u TO i,e not +" how tun.. bnt the
souiijuess IN opinion and doctrne which con.
stitutcs orthodoxy.
A Virginiau says: " From about the year
i'92 TO hat OF 1898, every republican IN
AMI out Of Congress- and every republican
press M that stale, were loud aud iucessant in
heir complaints a.ain. federai men aud friierdt
measures, as being hostile Ia he liberties of the
psopie Aud The stamp and whiskpy taN,' The
Increase at the navy aud The Bauk OF the
United States, were then our greatest cripv-
tnccs; ami FINALLY OccasiOned the overthrow
OF tue Federal part, in lSOO. Dmiin. that pc.
ROD aud Tor year: after, not single republican.
was 10 he found, who d0rPd to Gdrocaie the ir-
introduction ni those anti rPpujicnR measures"
astie caudo- andexperience OF A Nir.tnian
nave not permitted him 10 notice the diTercnt
circumstances which gave riseio The measures
.; 'ioo anu similar ones IN 1872, shall assist
ms memory with some data that may aid his
lhqu RES. The stamp act, the uhi>kcy tax,
me alien act, The scditiOn act. the standing ar
my and The increase Of the navy, were intro
dnced during the JedcrGL reign Of terror and
persecution OF the I'd president of the Uni,ed
states, john Adams who IN enc OF his nubiic
addresses, declared, thai the finger of Uearen
pointed Ia irar ruth France Some drpreda-
tons had hcem committed on our commerce
by The crnizers Of France, trihug in their ma.
inre, (whilst il was almost swept iIom the
ocean 10y those of Great BruaIn) aud the
idilnIe OF the famous y Y. Z negociatiou,
convinced the Teak minds of the federal party,
that 'htfe must be II war with the French re-
rhunc Under this il'msy preteXt, without
'oruidi declaration OF war by the competent
authorities, the administration and It's friends
weHt on 10 raise all army. equip d navy, lay
ana Collect all excise tor their support, with a
view OF repe!lin- an mdgindry invasion of our
country by the Gdliic army. But such AN IN
Vdsioo, L dare say, never entered tie brain OF
tile most ambitious man OF that rapubIic MANY
pohticians loudly declared, that The admins
iration intended TO aggrandize itself in the
government. and that the army and navy were
the instruments 10 facilitate this object. These
Doin measures, however, alan med the repub-
means: They stepped forward M the ma esIy
OF Their political strength 10 save the adtiou
froai Tie impending rain and have uniformly
maintained that OyfhOd0r 0yiHion thai stand
ing armies ~ time of peace, are hostile TO tie
HOeTiies Of the people,. These measures. there
ioie, oi tee federal party, 'ccre tiea OHr great
Is. grievances, because no adequate cause en-
isted TO CAL them irIo action.
Bui how different was our situation, i'm 1912
Inc mud. pacific policy OF the republican adj
miniStraiions, could not shield Us from inlmiy
ine iirOaus upon our commerce, tie attacks
upon our public vessels, the repeated insults
anu the deSrddati9n5 ofour national character,
which had been heaped npan us Ivy c. Britain,
at iera ih reused the spirit of the nation The
president informed Congress, that longer for
Dearince womb be cO.yardicc, and a formal
uecIaiatloh o. war was announced Ivy the pro-
per tribunal To support This declaration, II
became necessary D raise All aTmv,' increase the
navy, anu resort 10 "a stamp and wiiIskey tax
70 give these preparations energy ana effect.
oar country was artaally invaded. Fire and
sword devastated our frontiers from Maine 10
georgia, ami rom the St LawIeDce 10 line
Gnif OF Mexico. Our republic was endanger.
e" ny The uplitted arm of our ancient task
masisTs Would Il Nirginian have tameiy snb-
hlied TO The infection OF the blow know
no longer contend, that" in reiracing these facts
ana records. we find that which was federalism
int1VS, became epublicaniSm in 1872 because
tue ooject 10 which these preparations were 10
De applied. was too nOtoriOusly obviouS to ask
Tue particular attention OF the most superficial
observer 10 The subject. Thus 10 is IT N.r-
gIiian will lay aside his puysionS & preindices'
ne VIII beitrre 0nrSeiUcS yet consistent aud
Wnat was .IcttoR in i79S. was real i'll lSi2 ....
Inus nue.. for orthodoxy
ne same writer saws 10 entered tho m.
htlcaI arena with all the zeal OF republican
partisan but time aud experience has enabled
him 10 view things through d cooler medium -
He has, | Suppose, followed the examine NJ
his friend De Wit Clinton. whose zeal Tor re.
publlcaniSm has also cOOiPd with his experience;
anu from tile elasticity Of ,rhose mind it does
NOT require the understanding of Locke to
tell That he can lend IL in any manner 10 srit
ihe purposes OF hts vIle ambition and iTtriyne
which will ultimately sink il in the estimation
OF the nation, without the help Of an AIcii
nedeS.'
Ia The next paragraph. a Virgiuian says: "I
shall now proceed TO answer by way of coHrtesy
thank him tor his civiliiy some of the inter
rogatores OF Cnriins while AT the same time
protest against our right TO demand or require
an account Of The conduct of the governor of
any other independent state-cxcept our own"
Aud at the same time insist upon 0gr right TO
JHdse, whether the administration of the state
governments is conducted consistently with
me principles OS lbs great federal ASSOCIATION.
further insist, that 1T the course at auy gov
eruor ~ not IN unison with our excellent re-
Psbican institutions, we are uaqucSiionably
tue peers ct any and every public officer,
tho1gil he may belong TO any iHdepfadem state,
other than our own.
A Virginian dcniestIlat many Of the appoint
IN nts OF Gov. CIntou were made from The
federal ranks. &" 'fhey are all made tsayS he
by council OF fire, with equal powers to nom
t1ate and appoim. And II this council have
made few federal appointments. il - ns more
than Gov. fompkius aud his council did be-
fore. Although ihIs charge is denied, yet
truth OF The assertion. 1t seems also that the
federal appointments by Gov. Tompkins (Which
by The bye, is no eNfenuaIion Of the course ct
Gov. CilntOn) of the mayor Of New York, the