Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-06-18

s"P"oie anu S"hty III offences 50 bcinous and dis
lnonoraoie-6eeve, because the weight of drec
testimony, aud of crcun,s,, noes, is clearly ayains
MN. VIII never consent that any individual, IL
MS standing, his talents, his influence his friends
DC as nigh, as powerful, or as numerous as the,
may, shall be defended by eoiyccfures which destroy
INC reputation OF Others, standing almost high
| and quite as fair as he or any other individual
whatever. will therefore give the grounds upor
which defend MIR. Randolph from the imputatior
oil faiSnhood, If, indeed, any man so little under
stands ms character, as to have imputed fasehood
to him-grounds which, whilst they exonerate him
from all olamc, more grave than that of mere mis-.
take, leave, also the reputation of Mcssrs. Webster
Macarthur, Livinsst on and Taylor spotless and ua-
suicd.
These grounds are entirely simple aud -un sophs-
luc"'eu. ihey require neither ingenuity to inagina
'hem' or snoticty To defend. They !
inc ony means OF renewing the difficulty, and of
conciiinS the conflicting and opposite sentiments OF
the parties and whilst admit them, as extremely
probable, cherish them as excupatory of all tho
distinguished gentlemen involved.
For reasons which have stated above, I cannot
ociicvc that as Mr.. Floyd and Others suggest, any
conversation passed among the members of the
committee, denoting feeling so uufricndly to the
Secretary of the Treasury-so base unjust and in,
famous III itsef-so destructive of the very object
they may be supposed to have had in view--as the
determination expressed implied, of refusing 10
mr. Crawford an opportunity of filing his defence
believe, that such an intention was exhibited in the
oftcioi deliberations of the committee, a Mr.. Ran
dopbs letter more than imp-ies. But do believe
that when in his letter to his constituents, Mr.. RAN
doph says, ut was at my instance, and not with
out considerable resistance the part of a MAORI
~ oil the committee, that the Secretary had the
opportunity given him, to file his answer to tho
accusation of Mr.. Edwards"--fhal he c1s aauoui,c-
ing hts o,cn secret suspicious.
He was appraised that all of the Committee en-
cept MIR. Floyd and himself-that Messrs. Webster,
Livingston, Owen, Taylor, ana Macarthur, were
hostile to Mr.. Crawfords prctensions the Prcsi-
dcncy 1t was not perhaps very charitable, but NJ
least, 1t was not unnatura to ascribe those gen
| tlemen, a reluctance tn afford Mr.. Crawford an
opportunity of vindcation-A viudication which
from the character OF the accuscr ana the nature
his charges, was likely to he complete and triumph
ant, and which it WAS more than probable, would
sfronSthe the claims of its author tl the Prescu-
cy, in the eyes ofthe Naton-We willnot sa V, tina
Judging from HIMSELF Mr.. Randolph would have
admitted these ungenerous suspcions-thougt tina
might not be, very Improbable conjecture-but
that judging from human nature its Selfishness and
general imperfection, that such suspicion was
natural and almost inevitable. The manner i'm
which the present Presidential Canvass has been
coniucted-thc unccasing efforts of all the parties,
todestroy the confidence of the Nation in the o.
theirs, ana to promote itself ON their run5-The
bitter aud cxaSperatcd feelings which those causes
a
ton, and among the members of Congress, all sup
port the idea that Mr. Randolph did imbibc suspi-
cions of the fairness and impartiality of majority
oil the Committee, and that these suspicious were
embodied III his letter to his Constituents, and in
shape which called for, and received the reprchen-
SION OF that majority. Injulging these illiberal
suspicious against the upgghincss of his associates
from believing their minds be as strongly biased
against Crawford, as his own was against CLAW
Adams or Jacksonville converted every incident
that occurred, with hypochondriac facility into
food tor his experimentation their not openly
opposing giving MIR. Crawford an opportunity of
vndcation, to their pusillanimty, or their secret
consciousness OF baScnesS-mistook his suspicious
for convictions and announced them at last to his
Constituents, and to his Country, as facts. Such
we believe was the process which conducted Mr..
Randolph from hypothesis, to demonstrations, and
ms suspicious from the secrecy of his own breast,
to the publicity of Newspaper. This view of
| the transaction it confirmed by his known prone
ness to suspicion-no other can be adopted which,
exonerates all the parties from any inputat ton 1t
is further supported by certain observations which
| MIR. Randolph is related to have made before he
left Washington, but which do not feel au,horiz-
ed to repeat nor can inded, remember them with
sufficient accuracy, to attempt il.
1t appears to me that there can he but one oplec
ton to the admission Of this mode OF accouue t.,
the discrepancy between Mr.. Ranuo,ph's accoun, o
the proceedings of the committee and tnaI of Mr.
Webster and the rest. 1t is the improbabIIty urged
by some of his friends, of john noiphs being mis-
| taken. When this is seriously advanced an ob-
Jection 1t will he time enough to Meet tin
mean time, say for mys self. that not only think
that he has been very widely mistaken tins case
but that his life has exhibited him be- equally liza
bic with the rest of his fellow mortals that in
frmity.
| Having stated my own impressions of the origi
of this misunderstanding and heinz avcrse to tn
labor of reading long essays myself will not I'M
pose that burden upon others, but defer exami
nation of Galatians reasoning and Conclusions t,
future number. METELLUS CLIMBER.
Mr.. Clay and Tie National Batetligencer.
| Mr. Clay's Congressional friends have pub
lished since the adjournment of Congress, Cir
cular, calculated and intended, to keep his par
tizans steady in their allegiance, and furnishing
] arguments to keep up each others hopes an.