Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1822-08-03
REPLY TO BRUTUS,
TO THE PEOPLE OF ILLINOIS.

FELLOW CITIZENS,
The conduct of public men is the
proper subject of fir investigation, but
when il is investigated unfairly the in
jury done TO the Individuals IS not greater
than that done to the public; for where
the people select an individual to repre-
sent them, they have such an interest 10
him, as to make foul attack upon his
character and conduct, virtually, an al
tack upon themselves.
To the honest individual, life and re-
hutation are of equal value. He, there
fore, who, behind a false name, makes a
stab at such mans reputation, is no
bette: than the man who conceals him
self in the dark, and secretly commits
murder. Nay he is worse. If he take
life, there is an end to all suffering, but
if he destroy the character only of the
individual assailed, he leaves the injured
party to drag out life of misery.
have been led to these reflections
from the attack made upon me in the
sIlinois Gazette at this late period,
when 1t is almost impossible to answer
it, in series of essays, over the sigma
ture of " Bruius."
The writer processes to be " an open,
candid, honest man, and republican.
In his first number he says
"My inquiry will be confined to the
official conduct and character of yourself
alone, leaving others to future occasion
and other examiners, and while investi
gate your public department with that
severe scrutiny which every citizen has
an undoubted right to exercise, | shall
not descend to personal invective, nor
attempt, under the mask of an anony-
nous publication, to disclose circum-
stances which are not already of public
notoriety."
Here we have a fair promise ofcandid
investigation, Of an honorable elevation
above personal invective, and the dis
closure of no facts not already of public
notoriety. Has Brutus fulfilled his pro-
mise? Scarcely had the ink run out OF
his pen, which gave impress to this pro-
mise, before he proceeds to compare me
to a "shallow pated tool-a designing
knave-a demagobue, and hypocrite. I"
Whether this be personal invective,"
or fair and candid investigation, shall
leave for you to determine.
In his second number he says the Re-
preventative of the people " should act
like an honest man and gentleman"
and then proceeds to prove that have
done neither, Disclaiming all counte-
nance to "political juggling and in
trigue," but intending to deal in facts, I"
he offers in evidence, in support of this
charge, the allegation that was against
reducing the price of the public land
from TWO Dollars TO ONE Dollar and
Twenty-Five Cents per acre. This sub
ject was acted upon three years ago-and
previous to my last election. My con-
duct was then fully investigated, and APP
proved by the people, But how does
this matter stand? Let the Journal of
Congress speak for itself, and then there
will be no Misunderstanding on the sub
ject. When the bill to abolish the Gre
dit System was before the House, on the
10th of April, 1920, | offered the follow
ing amendment
"Sec. 2. .And be it further enacted,
That, from and after the first day of July
next, credit shall not be allowed for the
purchase money on the sale of any of the
lands sold at public sale, but every pur-
chaser of land, which may be sold there
after at public sale, shall, on the day OF
Z purchase, make complete payment there
Of; and if any person, being the highest
bidder, at public sale, for tract of land,
shall fail to make payment therefor, on
the day on which the same was purchas-
ed, the tract shall be again offered at
public sale on the next day of sale, and
such person shall not be capable of be-
coming the purchaser ofthat or any other
tract of land at such public sale. And
from and after the period aforesaid,
whenever the purchaser of any Of the
public land at private sale shall, at the
time of making such purchase, make
complete payment therefor, the Price
shall be one dollar and twenty-five cents
fer acre.-Provided, however, that this
provision shall not be construed so as to
prevent the purchase upon credit as
heretofore, at hrivate SALE"
In this amendment ! had the earnest
support of Mr.. Clay, whose devotion to
western interests imagine will not be
doubted by Brutus, and also of large
majority Of the western members. He,
as well as other western members, con-