Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1824-07-24
From ne Richmond Enqsirsr, jay 20.

,At,e 10 Governor jefferson, the origl
J nal of which, written obviously with
his own hand, is preserved in the Coun
ell Chamber. request you to publish
i and to call the particula lar attention OF
your readers to the last paragraph.
The Marquis. {as every body knows,
,yas the continental officer, to whom the
defence of Virginia against Arnold's
invasion, was committed; and, as he was
charged with the duties SO be was
cloathed with all the powers, incident
10 an independent command in chief,
in this ssate. ltappears, from the date
ofthe letter, thatit was written shortly
after he was detached from the main ar
nv by Gen. Washington. on this impor-
.ant service; &, from its contents, that it
was written after he had assumed his
command.
wish this letter published for two
sessons--
The first is, that / think it well cal.
culated to increase (if that be possible)
,be Just veneration entertained by the
whole American people. for the charac-
ter Of La Favet.e. What the affair
was, to which the last paragraph re-
lates. it is nov perhaps impossible so
ascertain. since the papers which ex-
blamed it were doubtless returned, a
grseably o hisrequest 10 the postscript.
But The passage suffi aiently evinces,
how accurately this EXCELLENT officer,
though bred under q military govern.
ment, comprehended the nature o.
government of laws--Aow well he un-
derstood the general spiris and genius
Of our Neutrality-suspicious. he rendered
The principles of civil liberty, which he
came hiiher to defend--aDd how deli
cstely cautious he was, not to overs,ep
the Just bounds Of mi,i'sry authority.
In short, The letter. in my opinion,
proves at once his early wisdom and
bis exemplary ,irtoe. and though GER
tsinly no sdditioual proof 81 his merit
is wanting, vet every new instance Of
il that can be Brought to light. will q
doubt not} be "a gra'efui TO he hearts
OF all my countrymen as to mine.
The other reason Is, that hope the
public vii! not fail to m,rk the con.
trast between the sentiments temper
and conduct, of this then youthful
French policeman, and those Of cer-
tain nativs born American general. who
had attained TO the full ms'utity Of his
age, who had been Judge of a court of
law,--snd who sinned against know.
ledge-that general, | mean, who once
forbad the officers o0dsr his command
to WELD obedience to any direct orders
of the War Department. and who more
than once has disregarded * condemned
orders given TO himself: who not only
look upon him to proclaim martial law
within our Own territory. but, IN mere
wantonness of military power, arrested
and imprisoned judge for daring TO
issue writ OF hGbeGs corpus. which he
was bound by MS solemn oath Of offi"e
and the most sacred of his duties, ne
YER to deny: VINO told the Governor OF
Georgia, with every sggravation of
insolence and contumely. that he had
no right to issue any military order to
the militia of the state. while He was
in the field: who, without the least ne
eessity (sccording to his owr state If
facts,) subjected to military execution,
two Engiishmen whom he took prison
srs in an lDdisn nation, stand pirates
forsooth who collected an army OF
volunteers, aud appointed the Ulcers
by his own authority: who, WITHOUT or
dsrs, if not directly contrary TO orders.
levied actual was against Span: WHO
Imprisoned an accredited Spanish Com
missioner and then menared and in
suited the judge. who va oily endesvor-
ed TO extend TO the prisoDer the protec-
ton ofthe law of nations aud the law
ofthe land: VINO, elf it had been the
last act of his lie, y would have paDish
ed the ring leaders of the Hartford
convention: and who is deliberately of
opinion, that those ring leaders, 'h"'
citizens Of the United States, we're, for
spch conduct, liable TO military arrest /,
trial and spunlshmeDt; and that they
would l,hat is ought TOY have been con
victsd and seatenced. under the proVi-
slons of the sct os Congress for the pu-
nisament of spies, by an independent
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Il Presume) a
court martial, independent of the laws,
the constitution and the government.
sod dependent on their commanding
general alone.
Copy of letter from the Marquis La Fayette,
TO Governor Jefferson, dated Williamsburg,
March IL, 1881.
Sir: From a conversation with the
L