Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-11-08

gudSe, the OPINION which oueht TO DC
entertained OF such conduct. II The pub
LEGATION were made for party purposes
as is plainly enough confessed in the
preface, il viii assuredly recoil upon its
authors. There IS good sense and good
feeling enough in New Eng land 10 pro-
dure powerful re-eactl9n ia favor of
any man assailed Dy treaehery. We do
not use too strong Ia guage; as the let
ters themselves will Stew. o. the 5ih
J nuary, 1910, Mr. Cunningham (,he IA
ther) wraie "a President A az request
ing his permission o make public part
Of these letters, and intmating that il he
heard nothing ire him, he should con-
srne lis silence as consent. On the
very next day Mr. Adams replies
"TAe cores poudence and conversa-
ton u.ser nave passed between US, have
been 9ndcr the e0nhdenlia seal OF Sc
rre,y aud friendship Any violation of
j. VIII be a breach OF honor aud o. plight
ianh. IshaH neOer release you from,
u, it u were in my ho7gerj but i Is Dot.
A!lcr all the permission that | could
GIVE, your conscience ought TO restrain
YOH' CuAlu do WSll release fDh iioiu
ar Obligations Of obedience to the
Decalogue."
The son finds this letter, as well as the
whole series, among his fathers papers,
AID unblushlHgiy publishes them 10 the
wor j
N + is this all. THESE communica-
tions rom President Ada Is, " made I'M
der the confidential Seal ol secrecy and
| friendship" were 40, voluntarily made,
bot were sohCltcd IN and again by
Mr.. Cunningham -gderaliy wofmed
uot--Dy importantly AID tar most abiect
| tlatery. II any regard were lad 10 he
memory of the deceased NJ Eanplng-
ham, his pa.f, = Least of tbe eorrespon.
| dcpce sbOuId nses been suppressed.
b.; the letters ar Published, how
eNer ,'eHrop ~; and ., 10 doubt has
been 81 9tsied OF their Authenticity, our
reader, vii ieel a natural curiosity to
know wha' hey contain. We shall give
brief analysis of them, without stop
ping to express Juc own OPT in. They
contain aaer al vere li.Ie that was not
previously known. TIE character OF
Ptesldep, A9ams Is vel. understood, and
will probably be but little affected by
the publ ion OF the presen, volume.
The fist eight letters were written be-
tween re 28.h of November, 1903, and
the Is n OF March, 1904. The series
begins abruptly, and he first letter re-
fers to previous one that is no, publish
ed. Ia The third letter Mr.. Cunning
ham ieiorms Mr.. Adams that he has
been for some llme collecting ttrials
Tor full view OF the character and con-
duct OF Mr.. Jefferson, and he requests
Mr.. Adams to communicate to him such
lacts as might lie within his knowledge.
Mr., A dams replies that he knows very
little OF Nj. J ff'efson; aud that his per-
sonal interviews with him had never
been frequent, and that ,heir letters pos
sessed no great interest. He adds, how
ever,
There are some anecdotes in his
memory known only to him and nc;
bat they would a0t be believed, or at
least they would be said not to be be-
iicvd, and would be imputed to envy,
revenge, or vanity"
He then expire SIS IN strong language
his sense Of the iauits oil Mr.. ] fcrson,
and his fears for their effect upon the
prosperity Of the country.
In his sixth Ietterlhe remarks that,
IL a family which has been high in
Office, and splendid in wealth, falls into
decay from proi1igdcy, folly, vice, or