Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1823-08-22

and fnal!y it was a " long agony."-aIr Craw-
ford dared To call IL glorious and lust cause
&c. on the Cd of July '9G, in the federal town
OF Augusta therefore Mr.. Graz (ord was a
republican ia July '98. If Inference is to con
Wet a man of crime, surely Inference precisely
similar and doubly strong, because supported
by the positive testimony of living witnesses
who we're on the spot at the very time, ought
IN favor of life, and in tender mercy to human
frailtv, 10 save him from punishment
Before close this head il may not be amiss
To expose Il method of reasoning, which is
fraught with the most uncomfortable Injustice
and iliberalily. In the multiplied attacks To
which, unfortunately, public characters are
subject, 1t not unreque0tiy happens, and we
should be wanting IN candOur tn deny il, that
their defence Is often undertaken by friends,
who lusheir zeal for the Cause aud in the
warmth of discussion, extend their arguments
absolutely farther than Is necessary, and often
beyond what can be fairly supported This
may be unfortunately the case la the present
vIndcation. Now, Upon one Of these weak
aud assalIabe points their enemies never fail
To come down with The full force of their ex
qusiie wit, and irrefuiable reasoning and over
booking the main subject, insist upon com
piete triumph, because they have gained Il
petty advantage in some perfectly immaterial
more shocking and absurd, demand that the
indit idual whose cause is thus naptly or inu-
dciOusy advocated, shall be answerahe for
all the ndiscretinns his friends aud shall fall
upon one of their slightest alterations. This
is radically unjust aud uncharitable, aud for
the honor of lair argument and that candid
anu solid investigation, which leads to truth,
the object 50 much desired in all controversies,
IL ought to be dscOuntenanced. In a govern
ment like ours, where public opinion only
requires TO he honestly enlightened, TO be
correctly regulated, it behovcs the friends of
faithful political instruction to discourage a
practice sn undignified and unsound.
NOW when the foregoing charge was made
against Mr.. Crawford, supported only by an
inference found in mouldy document that
had been slumberiug unnoticed and forgotten
Tor a quarter ola century, and rake ed up from
the dusty bed of some tma-frittered file, not
so much to prove fact, as TO Try an expert
ment, because Doctor Abbot, wlthon examin
ing the political events of that day and their
bearing upon the circumstance, their particular
dates as connected with the transaction, the
pecnilar cause and nature of the meeting the
expressed object in the address itself the
noble feelings that produced it, and which
SCARED above the duh scrutiny of language
ITS manly spirit that, influenced by common
cause, uid not stop To inquire into the critical
import of words aud the courteous and con
ciliatory temper which, in discussing, under
strong excitement, question involving the
love OF country, dlsdains cavil on the force
ot sentences, with reference To the character o
parties: without recollecting the consistent
character Mr.. Craw ford had ever maintained
and was always able To support, hastily con
celYed aud publicly expressed the belief thai
the instrument was Il forgery, IN the change
ofthe word gOrerament' into that Of" admin
'strdhOn; :" And behold all the strong reasoning
and PoS'flre nnimpeacHed testimony in favor o.
Mr.. CraW ford mnst yield to this unfoundt d
suggestion. Can any thing be more unfair
can any argument be more illogical