Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-08-13

In those foundations which build upon
The centre Is not big enough to bear
school boys top
"And do stand outlets how 70 sl,v him.
BE Il by gins, by snares, by sub,ilty ""'
Sleeping, or waking, Ills NO mater how,
90 lie oe dead" (Shak)
differences drawn from circumstances s,,u., ma.
carry the very strongest convection 10 Tho Md -
Tho senses may deceive us, bu, facts canuot n.
And heucc II rs That in instances p,c.,.r ,ei;
ance Ia placed upon circumstantial Testimony Ilun
| upon more direct and positive proof lf n witness
oep"se 10 conversation heard between several indi-
vdnas' IN winch II rs agreed unite ,her efforts for
Tue accompaniment oi - particular uiac, the, q NAV
exist coseht reasons producing ouh, of the truth or
ms statement although asserted IN the most posi,iye
manner anu upon oath. IL the proposed oil ,c DE oi
An extraordinary nature, tr IL seems 10 reu,,re ,lc-
gree OF condo and bsseness in The we
might ra''onally harbour suspicion that the witness
| mad moi correctly understood the conversation and
ageemen, had intentionally ni,sI epresenieJ things
| or had fabricated the whole matter Bu, when we
see The act Itself performed, the production of their
Jc'"' aoors, we are at once satisfied Of con,biua-
| ''on, without waiting for more to NAL p,oor
Let us apply the premises TO the extraordinary
course pursued by Messrs. Adams, Calhoun. and
NJ Lean 90 declining participation in tho celebra-
no" OF our National bn'h-day. This singular note
contains Oh its face the evidence of i,s be;np the
work Of their united efforts Ia the nature of things
there must have been previous meeting "a ,rcviovs
co"su''a'on ana W evious agreement 10 pursue this
particular course IL would be doing g,ea Injustice To
tins worthy trio, To suppose thai they had ,k.n this
resolution hastily and without full thought and ebr-
ration The facts Disclosed IN relation 10 Ninan Ell
! wards the construction which would be nlnced unon
the Unprecedented act about TO be ne, formed by
them, ,nns, al this meeting, have reyolved in their
minds, and been suj ecs Of free and friendly discus
SON. mat Edwards had denied The authorship o {
A. b. To the President to procure his mission 10 Mex
ico, that he had upon several occasions denied II in
the most solemn manner, that he had also. for the
purpose OF advancing his own promotion, been mean
enough insincereiy 10 compliment Mr.. Crawford in
the presence OF some Of hs friends, that he had con-
vced himself OF p'evaricaiion, of lying, and of per-
Jury thai Inns character WAS thus stamped with ndel-
il'e disgrace, could not have escaped the recoI-c-
lion of these very prudent officers that partic ua,
conjunc,ure. II the charges against MIR. Crawford
bad been sustained, still Edwards by his prevarca-
lion and lies, must have fastened infamy upon hin,
self if conuafy TO all probability, contrary TO any
calculation which any man possessing u mode rate
share Ut common sense could make, ii contrary 10
Jusiite, the report oi the select committee should he
reversed AT The next session of Congress, and the
Secretary should he pronounced, by the Representa-
t'vcs OF The People, guilty of official mismanag cement
yea, imagine the very worst, that Nj, era uford
should be dismissed and disgraced-will Edwards he
the less villain The testimony conviciine the de-
posed Minister would stand unmpeHrhcd und no
| subsequent proceedings in cat of Congress can
change his DOOM repeal the sentence OF disgrace
pronounced against him by an Indignant, uaion-
Whether Mr.. Crawford had managed the treasnrv
"ones or nor, whether the report OF the COMMITTEE
was bnal, and conclusive of the matter or whether
the whole affair WAS 10 he re-exanned aud tsrussc,
ane" u Is imniateTiai what disposition may he made
oil hese questions, This Alliance OF D,gnirar;es could
"ot be ignoranI iha' independent Of these Edwards
was totally unworthy 10 lie tho associate of Gentle
men his they know, aud Ia addition, i, must h.ye
o. CURED 10 them what construction would mos, proba-
ny attach 10 their conduct III ihey had taken mn
eXcep'snu To The exclusion Of This worthless ,b,,,c
ter, The festival OF hbcriy would have been in,er
raped, and NO honest man would ever have imagined
that Their duty or their patriotism required them In
iotgo the pleasure Of celebrating The Anniversary oT
our National Independence, because IL is des;r.I,ie
by lie committee OF arrangements, that all the snb-
scribe,s shon!d be of responsibility aud uu,ar
USteIi teIyutaOu. NO nd
have dreamed Of connecting tie exclusion of FL
wards and the Attendance oil ilcse gentlemen 10 such
- way as To have any hearing upon the report, uuoo
Crawford, or upon The next Presidency
hut, unless we can suppose absnrdifv, and he.
heve ~ the en!nr absence oil thought and reflection
in the discharge Of done deliberately and mon
consultations Cannot he d. med, mat il mus have
suggested Itself 10 these co-workers, tht the no,e
announcing their withdrawal from the public dinner
| ing men ih,t they were friendly TO Edwards and
inui'ca 10 Crawford lai they desired To sus,.,, II,
| former and blast the Latter.
They have then with their eyes open, willingly and
~iii"ily, upon mature deliberaOn, ndopted and mr.
sued such course Of conduct would cer,a;nIy
orally he explained into attachment for Edwarjs .nJ
hostility I" Crawford and when the omission OF n mr. nj
leas' its publication obviously their tlutv nj a.
best policy. From these circumstances iberclore
we are justified III nering the facts of love for oae
enn,ns 10 The other, and in accommodating our re-
marks TO The existence OF snch facts In The en-.
degree dot Edwards is sustained, in the same mo
portion that tho opinion is inculcaled. Iha, he
cbs ses are NOT yet finally related, IN the very
| raiio will CrawIords official corduct heco,,a 80.
ciors aud questionable. IL any success have attend
cd The effort 10 uphold The aecuser aud keen hin, il,
euuD'enaGce, that very success would have been the
rue measure OF the injury inflicted upon The accused
IL was an experiment, which The official i,nio f, mo-,
deem 100 coniempble, TOO disgracaiuI TO atemn,.
Thanks To tie virtue aud discernDiea of an eni,a,
ened people, i, has utterly failed They were sem
puous TO avoid'an net which would seem disr.
fuI and uuriendy 10 Edwards but had mo eur LII
cacy OF feeling for Mr.. Crawford if,he onlv ohcr,
was 10 prevent any construction unfsyorable TO Ed
wsrds, to prevent any Thing which would I.v. a..
appearance oil p'Tiy-iseing ~ the Controversy he
tween him and the Secretary, then n private viii,
drawai OF their subscriptions would have oI,,.;s,
.hsir purpose certainly the simple fact Of absence
would have prevented any oiisconsisuctioa of thsr
presence.
But, instead of simply wishing 10 prevent an infer.
enoe, hcy NUS have designedio produce an eaec,
ny ,ne nnnence VI 'neu gren' "amcs.-Why bIazon
10 the world ~ such manner md in such LANGUAGE
their determination not TO grace the d,n.r,,,',s
with their presence Why Tell The world !, ,ras
Weomp'"Oie WIN .he'f dufy AS public SERVANTS p
u Is quite probable That, but for the euts,;ons pu
LEGATION of their note, ninety nine IL a.
community would have slept in prolound ,gnor, ne
OF The whole affair but for themselves, we meyer
should have known, unless by accidenf. thai tLsv
preferred, on the 4h Of July the sociev ri ns,;ar
william, 10 that OF gentlemen OF unexcen,;oo sorai
Character but for themselves, heir esiins and ,;,L
ing wouid never have beeu the Cause af ,ut,c H..
irseuon ana controversy, or become matter of ma
iionsi concernmeDl. Besides The o,aocas, d ~" r.
,""ing MI Crawford, their Unparalleled nnL,,c,,;on
oea's i've stamp OF 'a'sehood upou Is face II regret
70 use such language, when speaking of men IA eleva
ed saiiOus, but sacred regard 10 1,uth ,s,sa, I,
in their short note they have Ia,,,,ed - ,, " 81
cu'ofng to me actual state Of things bey ,ve rourd
" asserted that NDian Edwards Is uoo. ,,ai La,as.
the House OF Representatives sceu,,,g r., 80, 'l y
Nj tIawiOrd - the person accused and sSr,;go
ed The Character and conduct Of Mr.. EJcs,is
beng before the nation, upon the rennr, 81 , .,,
mnlee of The House Of Reptcscn,.,;Ie. y, CUM
acted upon by the house, we should conS,1t.. !, :;