Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1822-08-03

may oC oQuaiiutiCh away @ho az oiS wis
dare 10 prevent it, OF call the laithless of
hcer 10 account
But Brutus, it would seem, is not only
charged with the defence Of the Secre-
tary of the Treasury, but also OF the de-
fence of the good name, fame, and repu-
tation of Judge Thomas. That Judge
Thomas has retained such an advocate,
l confess I am unwilling to believe. 1t
his character have been assailed, and
his reputation attempted to be injured,
can hardly suppose he would trust tor
his defence TO a mere attempt by ano-
tier, to excite the pred JUDGES OF the
people against his assailant. BY such
a course he may put down his supposed
adversary, but surely he cannot clear up
his own conduct with those who believe
it to have been improper-No; rather
to have believed him to have retained
Bl utea, would sooner suspect Brutus
for being like one ofthose busy, meddle-
some, and, at the same time, desperate
sort of men, who are occasionally found
thrusting themselves into decent compa-
| ny for the purpose OF riling The pockets
OF their companions to fill their own;
| would sooner suspect him for trying to
bring hinselfinlo notice by turning iackey
| or bully for those who have standing.
But suppose Brutus has been retained
by him, and that, like other counsel, he
is speaking from the testimony furnished
by the Judge, he surely will not be be-
nehlted by the employment of false
evidence against his neighbor"-He
surely cannot be exalted by slanderoas-
iy humbling me. If to The good stand
ing of Judge Thomas it be necessary
that defence of his public conduct
should be made, will the enlightened
and virtuous people of this state receive
an attack upon me in lieu ofthat de-
fence j.? II l am really the unzVorthy SER
want that Brutus represents me to be,
does that make Judge Thomas the more
worthy ?--But, fellow citizens have
assaulted Judge Thomas !? l questioned
the propriely Of an act in which he and
the Secretary OF the Treasury were mu-
tually concerned. Congress also ques-
toned its propriety, and passed two reso.
lutions upon the subject, calling for in-
formation. They were responded to by
the Secretary Of the Treasury, in such
manner as TO show that Judge Thomas
had been hired by the Secretary to per-
form a duty which he 1.-THE Secretary
was by law required to have performed,
and that he Judge Thomas) received as
compensation, therefor, the sum of
one Mou8aud and ten doliars--and not
merely his expenses, as Brutus asserts
sum which (for the time that 1t was
necessary for him to have been engaged
in this service) was equal to THIR-
TEEN DOLLARS per day. This is
an estimate founded upon the statements
Of Judge Thomas himself. By his own
showing, seventy-six days was ample
time within which to perform this SER
vice, and, for that time, his compensa-
ton was equal to Sl3 per day. If this
sum were necessary to bear his expen-
ses, then confess he must have lived
freely.
After the Secretary had made his re-
port to Congress, the subject was re-
terred to a committee, and it is true that
majority OF one only of the committee
agreed to make the report which has
been so largely circulated amongst you.
Mr.. Lowndes, of South Carolina, and Mr..
Golden, of New-York, who were on the
COMMITTEE thought as did, that the en-
ploynent was clearly in violation of law,
and if it should become hractice thus
to employ members, that it would be of
most dangerous tendency. And those
who have read the report Of the COM
mittee must have perceived that, even
there, il is not denied that the case may
come within the law. But there was no
final decision made of this question by
Congress. And why? Because Mr..
M'Lane, who drafted the report, left
Washington in i'll health on the same
morning it was made to the house, and
did not return for some weeks thereafter.
Upon his return, being still in i'll health,
he found Mr.. Lowndes also unable to at.
tend to business, who did not again be-
come able to attend during the session.
Under these circumstances, and at the
Pressing solicitation Of Mr.. M'Lane, the
house thought it better not to act upon
the subject Till the nert session. 1t there
fore lies over to the mex, session, and
will then be deliberately examined, and
passed upon by the house.
But l repeat the question-have at
tackled Judge Thomas Did single
word escape my lips in Congress which
was disrespectful to his private character,
or criminatory of his motives in perform
ing this service? No: spoke only Of
the act, and that too on the part of the