Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1821-07-06

STATE SOFcrelSntieS from tue Iurtner assaults oil
the supreme court of the United States.
FLETCHER OF SALTOUN.
FOR THE ENQUIRER.
To the Members Of The Mutual Assurance
Society against fire on buildings ofthe State
Of Virginia.
Prompted by the request and the advice of
several gentlemen, whom | know to be las
had always been) sincere, Jealous and uniform
in their attachment to the principles of your
institution, addressed you few days ago,
through the medium of several newspapers of
this city, under the signature of g a Friend"
which signature was not assumed under the
influence OF any improper motive, as all will
readily believe when informed thatthe printers
were authorised TO give my name to any per-
son who might demand it. The object of the
address. then considered, and yet do regard,
as far, honorable and praiseworthy, and it
was of course can0idly avowed sit was, to
stimulate all persons concerned, to unite in de-
mandng the speedy call of general meeting;
for the purpose of looking into the matters
contained in the report of your late commit
tee of investigations, believed by them to be of
ritGt importance TO your society--of ascertain
ing also the state and condition of your funds,
and of revising and amending the constitution,
rules and regulations of your society. In that
entertained, and communicated also some in
formation had acquired, while acting as a
member OF the said committee, on certain to-
pics of very great importance to your society,
and | adycrtCd TO Il Few ma Xims and rules of
conduct, believed to be as applicable 10 the
ludcious, faithful and wise administration of
your affairs, as to the correct and proper ma
nagement of our political concerns; but Your
principal agcn! was not SO much as once nam
ed, norVas there single accusation denounced
against him in the whole address. Not an o.
pinion was advanced which cannot be defend
ed, nor a fact stated which cannot be proved
nor rule of conduct or maxim adverted to
rs proper 10 be regarded in relation TO the af-
fairs of your society, the correctness of which
can he doubted by any good or wise man in
the whole community. To what, then, in the
address, could any just or honorable man OBJ
.lect Ii the conduct of your principal agent
from the period OF his appointment to the pre-
sent day, had been in all respects unexception-
able--if, indeed, the society had been, as some
pretend, under high obligations to him for acts
of liberality, and for the peculiar proprety
with which he had acquitted himself on all
occasions, would he not have rcjoiced at the
prospect of having General meeting speedily
called, that from that body he might receive
the high praise and the ample reward Justly
uuc W SOOu COnuuCL ana UueIl-
ty, as their principal agent? Yes; and had
his merit been such, he would unquestionably
have been foremost and ioudest in demanding
the prompt call of general meeting. He
would certainly have been most Jealous in
making such Il demand, especially when he
knolcs that he is suspected of having impudent-
ly suppressed the publication OF the resolution
of the general meeting referred TO in the adj
dress. and OF having substituted in place of it,
the " damper" therein also mentioned, without
doubt designed to preUent a general meeting
and more especially as heknocs that the report
prepared by your committee Of investigation,
and subscribed not by myse,f dlone, but 6y Col.
James Clarke and Capt. Benjamin Sheppard
also, (the only other acting members of the
| committee does present his official conduct in
| a point of view, far different from that in which
it has been contemplated by his particular
friends; but am now fully persuaded that the
principal agent is anxious TO postpone n full
enquiry into his conduct TO as late period as
| possible.-lndeed, il ought not to be matter
Of surprise, that the pleasure and profit which
have resulted from Il sir gears career an the
| management Of the concerns Of the society," almost
| entirely an has Oi0R ICdy, should render such an
investigation, and all its advocates, extremely
| obnoxious to the principal agent. Had if been
possible that my mind could foran instant have
been IN suspense on this subject, all doubts
would surely have been removed, by The tame
and miserable production which appeared in the
| Enquirer of Tuesday last, under the signature
of . James Rawlings, y. AZ. NJ. A. Sy."-a
! piece evidently from the pen of some wretch
ed hircling having rather more talent, but per-
haps neither more of heart nor of principle
than James Rawlings. | sincerely regret the
necessity seemingly imposed on me, ofcOndes-
cending for one moment to notice 50 vile and
scandaoiIs production, tecmins with the
most wantOu, unprovOked and calumnious a
buse, altogether the offspring of motives and
of passions mean aud base beyond the powcl
of the English language to describe.
! ] like others it is true, have in these DAYS oil
general adversely encountered my misfOrtunes
and 60 the last farthing of money, or cent:
worth Ofmy property, have cheerfuly dcvot
ed my all to the payment of every demand a
| gainst me whether the claim were for a deb
due on my own account, or due from me as
security. But what has this to do with tn,
question whether a general meeting of you
society should be called or not, and why ha
the writer for James Rawlings adyertcd to thi
circumstance A just and discerning pub
lie viii give neither of them much credit 70
the dclicacy Of sentiment, or libcrality of dis.
position, with which they have delighted Il
dwell on this topic and it will be far-ver
far from rendering any real service TO tn
cause Of the principal agent. The writer ia
James Rawlings has asked great many ian
pOrtGnfg questions concerning the motives whic
have induced me to take an interest in In
welfare of your sOcicty--sIch as whether al
a member Of the society" or busy " intci
meddleT," for many bad purposes, which
.shall not condescend to epumerate--y anne