Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1823-12-30
RICHMOND. DECEMBER so. i8gs.
FOR THE ENQUIRER.
fo"r arguments JaStJicatire Of IHr. Cunning
hum.

the younger Cunningham, has produced in
some degree, the effect intended II has turn
ed public attention from the ,cyiiers To the Uub
asher of the letters and the real offence of
having written them is more than half merg
tu ~ the imputed crime of their publications
The writer of this believed, with all Others. for
several months, that the young man had done
wrong; out, ON getting an opportunity of read
ing The entire correspondence, he has disco
vered, or thinks ne has discovered. four argu-
menIs justfcatve of his conduct and he will
here set them down, without art or coIoring
just as they occurred to his own mind, that
all ingenious readers may Judge of their va
lidily.
FIRST ARsuMENT.-ThGt Mr.. adams taught
Mr.. Cunningham The art of uioiating The
sdnchty q p1rate confidence.
The facts are these:
10 letter from Mr.. Adams To Mr.. Cum
nlngham, dated October 10Th, 500, the for
mer enclosed 10 the latter the copy of a let
ter from Gen. Washington, dated Feb. Goth.
1877, highly encomiasiIc upon Mr.. Jshn o.
Adams, then minister at onr of the petty
courts Of Europe. ii charact, riZed him as the
ahiest ot all the diplomatic corps, aud advised
MIR. Adams, then just elected President not
To withhold merited promotion from Young
minister oil such promising talents merely he
cause ne was his own son. This letter was in
answer TO one from Mr. Adams tn Gen. Wash
ington, lew days before the retirement OF
'ht 'atier rom Office, covering political essay
written by MIR. John Quincy, and soliciting
for him an Office of more Importance than the
little embassy which he then filed. The re-
tIring President did not comply with the re-
quest OF the letter but he returned an answer.
| Tue ehcomlastIc one IN question, highly com
pllmenfary 10 Mr.. Adams the father, Mrs A.
Dams the mother, aud young John The son :
snch as Is usually returned by men in power,
Ia soften the action ola rejected petition This
answer, therefore, was extracted from General
Washington, was strictly confidential in IFS
nature, and the more, BECAUSE it disparaged
the whole hndy of American ministers then
abroad. lt may have been marked conf
denhdt j. but the omission of that word is not
understood to vary the obligations al honor in
the intercourse of gentIemet CoBspirators
externally impress il upon the front of their
| correspondence; gentlemen hardly ever. Men
OF honor rely upon each oiher To know what
- conhdPn'ia m It's nature, aud To do what ho-
nor requires, without being bid. The answer
"i ten Washington WAS confidential anon its
iace, and would never have been written by
! hlm, II he could have understand that his des-
crni la the grave, was TO release Mr. Adams
rom the seal OF secrecy, and lei nut his words
I" give pain and modification To his old and
faithful ministers, and io make breach in ms
own exalted character for prudent reserve in
| speech and action. Yet within f-.r short
years after the death of Ger Washington.
while all his old friends were vet alive, a copy
OF thIs letter without request, without excuse,
Wihont necessity, WAS comm Ifnicated 10 Mr.
Cunningham and communicated NOT only
without any Injunction 10 keep il secret, but
WIN an oblIque Invitation 10 publish it, and a
nlnt, To consider who We're the ambassadors
referred Ia, by way of giving point To the en-
| cOmium on his son, and aggravAtion To the
d'sparagement of them. Mr.. Cunningham.
however, did not feel disposed, upon an euui-
vocal intimacy, TO expose the private letter oil
Washington. In fact, he thought some parts
oil IL ought never 10 be published (undoubted-
W those parts which related to the old anbas.
sailors y and To this effect he wrote To MIR
Adams on the 22d of the same month, Oct
1908. Mr. Adams replied on the 7,h of Nov
and the paragraph of his letter, relating 70 tbi,
point, is too significant OLA Conscious mpro
pretty, not to merit a literal Transcription. Il
is as follows
- lhe letter of Gen Washington would have re-
NAMED IN obscuri'y forever, as iAI ~ know, rs
has done for twelve years past, had not mean zen
geance been hurled a the smbjrcI of H. foI no olle
oiienco than his sterling integrity"
i, This answer neither gives permission, MOI
denies IT, il shews Mr.. Adams's conscious.
ness that il ought not to be- published, vet
: gives puerile excuse for having il published
Ii is evidently calculated lu seduce Mr. Gun
nIDgbam into the publication, and al the same
time to reserve To Mr.. Adams the means al
throwing the Odium Of hr transaction of his
own shoulders, by special pleading upoa his
own words, and shelving that thew imported
no permission 10 print the letter. Certain it
IS, that MI. Cunningham so understood it, and
moi heIng willing 10 he the dupe Of an artlhce
he again wrote To Mir. adams on the 18th ol
Nov. expressing himself in the following sig
uifcant terms, showing At once That he com
pretended the drift Of the old gentleman and
was determined not TO he caught in the trar
laid fpr hm
g To ny eiisr NJ the ID all hnvr not bspn f.
vorcd win answer indeed MY expectations oC Ar
answer were not conjer; fnr ~ case Of your dsin-
clintiion 10 further Disclosure concerning Pirke,
irg tie most dsiicsfe and ineligible intin,atpn a.
u could be gwen IN sHeHce and FROM that too (si
isHce) Hgl mfr your ASSENT ,rGosr prnposjtirr
10 my letter which Won would MT fuor with Joar or
This brought ont the old gentleman. II
convinced him that the letter must remain in
the confidence to which it was committed, or
that he himself must meet the responsibility
Of giving it 10 the public His rgOtism wnud
not permit him to hesitate. He was too im.
patient 10 baZon the praises Of his son, and tr
relieve himself from The 0dium of appointing
him 10 so many Offices. Accordingly on ih,
2Jih OF Nov. be wrote as follows
&" The iener Of President Washington concernin,
Job" Quincy AIams, is ~ your discretiop IN MIX,
what use Of u you please. Al the c0rns,unic alton
concerning The other gentrnier, made, or 10 b,
pnde, confdc 10 your sacred confidence"
Upon receiving tnis express permission Mr.
Cunningham published the letter u wen
through all the newspapers fayorable 10 IN,