The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1822-08-16

consent 10 make the call | never aske.,
any member Ia make the call though I
told several members, who s;.o..c To- me ON
the subject there, and elsewhere, that il
was my icssh the documents should be- com
municated to the House. The Presidents
message 10 the House of the 9TH of NAV.
which Mr.. Russell had seen before he left
the city, had informed the House of nv d.
sire that the letter should be communicated.
together with communication from me re-
speeding it.
The truth is, that my desire for the com
munication of Mr.. Russel's letter TO the
HOUSE had commenced on the same day
that his own had ceased. Mr.. Russell.
from the 2Gth of January TO the 22d of A
pril, had been interchangeable in his exertions
to bring this letter before Congress and the
public. lie had procured the original
draughi OF IL from Mendon he had pro-
cured the call for it from the House he
hid endured the toll of rewriting, with his
own hand, ut least once, a letter of seven
folio sheets of paper he had brought, and
delivered II with his own hand, al the De
partment. Al the moilent OF fruiton his
hPi'1iit ihll9 nlIiIs lIOuDlS vi consequent
ees to himself as we'll as TO others, seem to
flash across his mind. He leaves the pa
per--For what For communication 10
the House, in answer to their cali ? No!
TO put it IN the power Of the person Who
" might consider himstlft The most Liable 10 be
"G0tcted by has publication, for the "pre-
"vious examination and consent Of the AD-
VERSE PARTY" He seems to invite OBJ
lection To lis being communicated. He is
quite indifferent whether il be communica-
ted or not, and, II not communicated, he
desires that II may be returned TO him.
but to make It's terrors irresistible, he has
double and treble charged il with crinina-
ton OF violated instructions and to vouch
ilIs charges, has twice armed himself with
official copies from the Department, of the
cancelled part Of the Instructions of sth A .
pril, 1918
had never wished for the commnnica-
ton TO the House or 10 the public of the
letter. until had seen ii. The effect of its
perusal upon my mind was certainly differ
eni from what Mr.. Russell appears 10 have
anticipated. | saw at once what il was
ana what It meant. also saw, in great
measure, what its writer was, which had
never seen before, and the discovery ofthe
original letter, two day s after, disclosed him
to me in his glory. In the private relation,
between us, remembered what lac had
been TO me, and what had been 10 him
Tor more than twelve years before, until.
and including that very morning. saw
llat he was now to be-, in substance and in
intent, my accusrr, and thet of the col
leagues VITA whom | had acted before the
Honse, ofwhich he was member. and be-
lore the nation. In the original he had been a
secret accuser, under the mask of self-yin-
dlcatlon. In the duplicate he had laid aside
the mask, though not the professions of I'M
ie'ghed respect; and to al the secret dis
colorlngs OF the conduct and opinions of his
colleagues, had added the new and direct
charge of wanton am wiIful relation OF
Their instructions as updtrstord bg Them
Setres. 10 have sbrgnh from these char
scs would, IN my estimation, have been e.
4ulValent 10 an. admission of their truth
FRO have suppressed them, after the prying
curiosity, which had long been stimulated
to see this mysterious aud fearful letter
would have been impossible. No honora-
hle course was left me but that of meeting
Inc ADVERSE PARTY on the scene which he
himself had selected for his operations
and knew that little more would be ne
cessary for my own yindication, and that
OF my colleagues, in the minds ofall inpar-
tldl men, than from the materials furnished
by Mr. Russell himself, to expose 10 the
House II once the character of the accilsa-
llon and OF The accuser, did, therefore,
desire that both the letters Of Mr.. Russell,
andnt remarks upon them, should br com
m'mcated to the House but even then, if
Mr.. Russell, instead ofafecting indifference,
had fairly acknowledged his error and re-
gneStcl that the papers might not be COM
mnucatcd, would have Joined him in that
request TO the President.
Both the letters were communicated to
the House; both were strictly within the
call of their resolution, which was for /" a.
" ny leiter which may have been yeccircd
" from Jonathan Russell, in cOnformity with
the maleatI0ns contained in his letter of
" Path December, 1914" remarked up
on both; and II that has proved a NORTH
cation t. Mr.. Russell, he should rccoIlect
that ne Brought it upon himself. 1t was
il iHIi; ihat there was ann difference be-
tween item To remark spon. lie should
also remember, that if the original alone
had been communicated, he would have
been deprs ed OF the benefit of those cor
= rect'onS Of The copy IN possession, uhicA
" appeared to him proper to exhibit his cast
: n'oSt adtantageo"Siy before tAs tribunal of
he pltJiic"
Mr.. Russell is mistaken in snpposing that
attach any Importance 10 his protest, as
adding authorization to his professions, or
proving his sincerity. What difference
can there be between the word of a man,
with or without protest, who, after writing
the word duplicate upon letter written
and signed by himself, to be communicated
as pubic document to legislative BODY.