Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-06-14

We behold with pleasure that the able
and independent journals of the state, be-
gin TO speak out with boldness, which
proves the reign of the monopolist to be
over. Even in Richmond, an able daily
paper has been established, and it is said
is well supported, which has already
produced change in the tone of the En-
quirer itself. lis columns, it seems, are
at last opened to free discussion, and the
Editor will soon perceive, if be has not
done it already, that neither the course
he has pursued, nor the candidate under
whose banner he has arrayed himself,
can bear a free and manly discussion.
His candidate wants all that Virginia add
mires-candor, frankness, genius, pub
| lie services, and uniform course. With
the former monopoly, Mr.. Richie might
| impose such candidate on the state for
The highest office in the nation. but il
| cannot be practicable in the present state
OF the press IN Virginia. Where he
formerly insinuated, he must now rea-
son; and where he might suppress, he
is now compelled to publish. Ii will
not do 10 publish DR.. Abbou's letter de-
Tending Mr. Crawford against the charge
of federalism, without publishing the
Augusta address of'9S, on which it was
founded, nor TO pronounce that defence
a " triumphant vindication," which was
no vindication at all / doubt not that
Mr.. Richie himself will ere long be
compelled to acknowledge that Mr..
Crawtord's political character requires
| further vindicaion, and will feel that in
dignation which man of proper spirit
must experience at The imposition which
has been attempted on the people, under
the very eye OF Mr.. Crawford, by repre-
senting the obnoxious parts of the ad-
dress to be an Interpolation, which are
now acknowledged to be genuine.
The fact of Mr.. Crawtord's federal
ism in 'o8 is now fully established; and
if have erred in surprising that such a
fact would have peculiar influence up
on the minds of the people OF Virginia,
they were certainly much less scandal
lized by the imputalen than by Mr..
Ritchie's attempt to persuade them that
the charge was untrue. Those who are
acquainted with the Virginian character,
and the political history of that state, will
not easily believe that the bold and tri-
umphant stand, which she made in 1913,
against the policy and principles which
Mr.. Crawford then approved, can be so
lightly regarded by the men of the pre-
sent day as to consent that ii shall be
blotled out Of her history, and hereafter
be considered as moro parlizan contest
between inc and ours.
| Did the Virginia patriots of '98, '99
and 1900, denounce the measures of the
administration of that period, and by
their speeches and public resolutions
disseminate their doctrine and intuse
heir principles into the minds of the
patriotic men of the other states, merely
for the sake of change Of men wv as
not her opposition to Mr.. Adams ad-
ministration founded on an essential diff
ference upon the fundamental prlnci-
plies of government If not, then was
every thing done by her leading men in
that day mere hypocritical clamor an
afectation of being governed by princi-
pie, while they were in fact influenced
only by the msst sordid motives of self.
ishness and unhallowed ambition; bu,
believing, as ! do, that their views were
honorable and patriotic, and that their
success was no less honorable to the
state which had nourshed them than it
was propitious to the great interests of
our country, was constrained to believe
tina, the people of Virginia would always
contemplate the part she acted in the
scene with an honorable pride, and that
whatever other states might do, she
would be among the last that would con-
sent under any circumstances to give
her vote to ali avowed advocate of the
political heresies of '98 in their worst
form. The fact Of Mr.. Crawlord's fede-
ralism had become recently known: it
was presented to the public in a manner
that could not admit of rational doubt !:
it was according to my understanding
calculated to produce very decided eff
feet on the minds of all unhiedged re-
publicans, and it was introduced into my
communication as very material to the
subject ! was examining but if for this
am justly chargeable with malignily
and rancour," there is an end of free dis
cussionon this topic. May mot in fairness
say to the writer who has made this
charge, that republican Editor, who
would prefer, to all other distinguished
citizens of the United States, man for
President, who was at the age of thirty a
| nuhlic and nnfnrinus advocate for the