Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1823-08-26
RICHMOND, AUGUST 90, i8e3.
FOR THE ENoUfRER.
TO TIE PEOPLE or PfRGivY.3
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION-No. 8.
Mr. CRAWEnRD

the Enquirer has introduced my first number
present other defences or rather excuses for
that address which it becomes necessary TO
notice These may be reduced 10 the follow
ing heads:
1. That the address was voted before the
alien and spdition laws had been sanctioned
by John Adams and before their passage was
known in Georgia consequently that the ad
dress cannot he construed imply ing AN APP
probation of those laws, and therefore CON
iains no proof of Mr.. Crawfortis federalism
Q. That gentlemen of the most respectable
character have declared they were in the
constant habit of assUciating with him at the
very period when his politics were said TO be
oil federal cast, np to the present time that
they ersr found him 10 be "A democrat df the
true jefferson school and that this c,idcuce is
tn tie believed la preference to the eGgue and
uncertain testimony oforded By The address.
s. Thaiin an assembly composed Of all par
FieS as was that AT Augusta, it is prepUsteruus
tu suppose than address would in every
particular meet the views of each individual {;
consequently that although Mr. Crawford as
chairman might have drawn the address, il
does not follow that he approved of every
part Of it, hut we may infer that he threw in
Or saCtionrd its federal features merely by
way ol compromise, cOnCtliaiion and uiluniAnitg
auth his general needing
With regard ~ the first i shall shew, here
after, that as il relates To the allen and sediiiun
laws themselves IL is "a mere disinernuous g.
yasion of the charge. Bat the case demands
deeper and Sravrr consideration. This de
fence takes if for granted that the Augusta
Address is only far chargeahle with fedtr-
alisN 1t may he supposed TO have approx
ed the alien and srditiOn laws that if Mr.. C's
friends can Withdraw these two laws from
she sanction of The address, they extract the
two pusou !anSs of this political serpent and
render II harmless as proof of Mr.. Craw
ford's federalism. This calculation shews an
cUilrr ignorance OF the political history of the
year '96. With regard 10 the correctness of
what | am about Ia state, appeal 10 the re
collection, of thnse who are old enough Ia re-
member the transactions of that year ; and
Tor the satisfaction of the younger, appeal
10 the files ol the newspapers of that day.
which are tn hc found in every city. Upon
This authority affirm that if the alien and
sedI'i"n laws had never been passed, and If
the Augusta Address is 10 be considered as
referring merely TO the war measures of Mr.
Adams against i'raHce, thai address would
si'li have afforded not rGgne and uncertain but
dueci dhd cOnclastre proof of Mr.. Crawford's
fcderGhSm This is the position which un
dr'take To make good in the FIRST place and
| viii thrn prnterd to Slew how far the
address may I've fairly considered as sanction
ihg the alien and seditiOn laws themselves.
To prove my first position il " i'll he neces-
sary tO go m0Ie deeply into the politics of the
year 1893 than | thought il necessary 10 do in
my first number and more deeply than, for
the sake oGpeace, should now be disposed
~ 5", had not the unfoundpd assertions of
sir Crawfprd's advocates rendered it nrcessa-
ry tn open afrtsh those wounds which hu
nlani!y may suppose have already bled
enough
1t will be remembered that when tha French
revolution first broke out, the people of the
u. States, OF all parties with very rrw per
spnai eXcepiOas) were enthusiastic, for its
success. But this union OF sentiment among
as was not of long duration. The mOnarchs
Of Europe, frightened at the cry of Liberty
which threatened their thrones combined and
took up arms toressI aud crush that rrvulu
ton and the French exaspcrated 10 madness
at such lawless interference with their right
ofstIf government, were driven To rxcessrs
which gave cuunteuance 10 the cause of their
enemies and detached from them many of
Their earlier admirers in this country. The
'ederalisfs in q few years fOrsoOk them {;
adopted the catise of their enemies ; and
Taught from them and learned To echo back
all the topics Of abuse with which il became
inshiOnabe Ia Tevile the revolution of France
Our iederalists were taught by the despOts Of
Eur"pe 10 brand France with the nama ofhe
terrible republic, 10 speak 0f her ferocioUS (TeH
~, her btO0dShed, mdsSdcreS and desOidiion.-
These very terms are found in Dir. Craw (urd's
address and that which have stated and
which we all know to lave been precisely the
course OffederaI feeling in this country, with
regard To the French revolution, is admitted
by him in Tire address To have been as precise
iy his course ufCpcling.
The republicans of this country, on the other
hand were net so ready to fUrsake the cause
OF revolutionary France They remembered
with grateful hearts that it was by the aid of
France they had succeeded in their own revO-
in'ion. They saw the people of France oh
Sfucted IN the exercise of their great right of
sen government by foreign tyranis. They
imputed to this foreign interference the con-
'in'iancc Of those intestine distractions which
c"n'uIsed that unhappy country and charged
sPun the combined powers, as the efficient
rause, those very acts OF cruelty with which
thry reproached the French
mus the parties were divided before the
ane" and sedition laws were thought Of; and
we U'isiOn WAS irTCcOnCilable and bitter IN
,"e extreme. There luminosity displayed itself
",t'eTy form IN which animosity can be dis.
P'a}'d, short Of actual blows. The parties
a""'gned each others motives and the most
up Curious epiibets were mutually applied.
ne Ted erals's accused The republicans as
u'aorganlzers of their own government, French
"'tD' Jacobins they declared that there WAS
party IN the country which was engaged in
= IaHorous correspondence with France two
Tue'al membrrs of Congress, 90 the floor Of
Wv Holse Of Representatives, accused the
;3',IoF ni the most prominent republican paper
w ue Union, with being IN French poy and
0 u affirmed that they had in their hands tie
oFend9. fbe cfoee ,.htrL ,.,r,,fd .,.I,t. tl,,,,,