The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1823-10-03
From the Boston Patriot.


Remarks on the Correspondence betmeen
The lion. joins ADAMS, late President otHe
United States, and the iate Wm. CUNNING
HAM, Esq. No. A..
That President Adams, whatever might
have been his dissatisfaction with the dis
tinguishcd republicans of his day, was at
the time of his retirement from public life,
decidedly hostile To the leading fedrralists
and the measures they had connsrllcd,
is abundantiy evident from the letters be-
fore us.
But this fact is certainly not new. From
the day of the publication Of liamiiton's
celebrated philippe, not only differences of
opinion on questions of the first Importance
were known To have existed in the cabinet,
but ii was apparent that great personal
| irritation bad been excited, which would
probably prove fatal to The party in power
| The previous dismissal of Mr. Pickering
Was not a measure 10 be nattentisely mott
crd and although the precise cause of the
| presidents dissatisfaction with this officer
might not have been accurately known, the
fact that he WAS dissatisfied, aud Cor causes
of no ordinary character, was notorious as
the dismissal itself
Sentiments of the same trner as those
expressed in the present letters, dressed,
| indeed in 4 garb better suited for the pub
lie eye, were published by the tx President
in the Patriot of 1909 and the letter of
| Mr.. Hamilton above alluded to was imme-
d tc.N reprinted by hisfiends, as renew
1 "a their part of the hostility he had ORR
! ginaIly commenced. 10 *
What then was the evidence before The
| public II was proved that dssention and
dissatisfaction existed in the cabinet nearly
from the commt ncement of Mr.. Adams's
administration. On his part it was point
to5prevent a war with France, aud for that
purpose not only To send a respectable
embassy, but to include in it distinguish
ed citizen from the republican ranks bile
on the other hand the members of his
! counsel were streuuously opposed to this
object, and angrily indignant at the means
II he had yielded TO their wishes, t" a
connection with Great Britain more init
mate and alarming" would have been the
consequence. An army of fifty thousand
! men and ten thousand horse" would have
given scope to the military genius ola man,
| who, whatever was the cha,actp of his
intentions, held opinions and urged poll
| Teal measures decidedly hostile to all the
doctrines ef republicans. On which side
! the American people arranged themselves
in this controversy, admits now no dispute.
ConfouHdiug all distinctions in the ranks of
the party IN power, Y identifying the pres
! dent with the administration of which he
was the head, they accomplished a re,olu-
tlon in the government, which forever de-
| siroyed the influence of an encroaching
aristocracy.
But the letters now published c0rrobo-
rate another position which has long been
maintained by the republican party. II is
thls-The great body Of the people, under
whatever party banner they have from time
To time been arraycd, entertain no mpor-
tant differences of opinion on leading mea-
surcs of national policy. The source of
animosty and the cause of most of our
dissentions have been in the extravagant
notions entertained and enforced by those,
who, IN times passed, claimed the direction
of public opinion. When Mr.. Adams dis
scented from his cabinet, who were of
this class, he incurred tn ir implacable hos
tilitv; and every where he exhibits them in
array not against himself only, but the
great body of the people, who, in the poin-
ted language ofhis successor are all rcpub-
icans and all federalisis.
Mr.. Adams in these letters bears equal
testimony against the intemperance of the
leaders of both political parties. If under
the management of one, Democracy is
Love lace, under the other, JuNroIsM is
an " Oligarchy as dcspotic as the thirty
"tyrants of Athens" " An absolute oil
"sarchy, from which this nation has more
" to fear than any other source"
Speaking of work about to be issued
by men whom he had ranked in this class,
he says :-' There will be So many little
passions and weak prejudices, so lit,e
candor and sincerity in it, that the dniiest
" reader will see through it. The Cincin.
"natti and Essex Juntos, and there is one
oftheSe IN erery state, will cry it up but
" The louder they ertol It, the less influence ii
" ,eiU hare acith the nation" The four
" federal presses he says page 66l are I'M
der the mprimatur of an oligarchy of
purse proud SPECTATORS" And again at
page Cd" | have seen nothing in the |