Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-10-05

X.
Now,it is true enough that, from circum-
stances with which the public has no concern
anu winch have been greatly misunderstood by
the writer I'm question, was left, most disoate,
III mat peculiar situation of a wife which gives
10 every external cause of care and anxiety SO
deleterious an influence. large family, con-
ss'ing oil my own children, and the orphans of a
deceased sister, were on my hands; all depend
ing on my exertions for their subsistence. In
order TO provide livelihood for this .helrless
and burthensome family, took house of Mr..
| alexander Kerr, at the yearly rent of $3.50,
win view to open milliner's shop, and to
exc out my scanty and precarious income by
taking few boarders.-A combination of un-
fortunate circumstances defeated all nv honest
ehdeavours to prosper in either branch of nv
business A very dull season succeeded nv
outset; and in thecnsuing summer and autumn
my whole family was afflicted with sickness the
expenses OF which, and of our ordinary main
tcnance, consumed all our scanty means, and
produced the most serious distress. l necessa-
riiy fell IN arrear to my land lord, two quarters
rent 8 IS for which was visited with legal
distress; after having been distressed by the
| most importunate demands, urged with all ina
g'nable harshness and rigour-urged, indeed,
SO harshiy, and with SO little consideration ofmy
sex or rnIstortunes, that experienced degree
OIL relief, when the task of exaction was trans
fcrrcd IRON the creditor to the regular minister
| oil the law from whom had not to apprehend
the shock of abrupt intrusions into nv sicls-
chamber, which had experienced at the hands
OF the creditor in person. All this is true; and
| more for at the time the summary execution
OF the law was thus enforced against me- my
newborn infant was scarce 4 month old. But
with all tins accumulation of misery and help
iessness, II Is not true that had ever resorted
to the eXpedient of charitable subscript;on !.
and 1T Mr.. Kerr, as suggested by the writer in
| injn toll. g
benevolent Office, he has hid his light under n
hashel, for no ray of it ever penetrated the
gloom OF my distress. Nor was il necessary To
| have invoked his humanity 10 aid me IN any
such way; for my situation had been delicatelv
anticipated by considerable and kind friends,
who m'nlstercd TO my more pressing necessi-
ties; and ofMr Kerr. / neither asked nor
expected any favour, but the negative one of
| mercy or forbearaDcc: some little relaxation of
the penal rigours with which the law had armed
him.
| SO much for the misapprehensions of one,
who, with seeming good intent, has informed
died IN this odious controversy. But as TO the
uneeling and inhuman authors and abcttors of
the misrepresentation with which it was oriei-
nally commenced, and has ever since been nro
secuted | shall pass by all anonymous Islander
! and talsehood, to what is said under the respon-
sibility of a known name.
Then | solernnly aver. that the '.statoDz575r f,s
ii. Kerr" i'll the Washington Gazette of the
| I 18th inst. is absolutely untrue in the following
particulars:
First. 1t is not true that his being unable to
get me out of the house, or any refusal on my
| part TO leave it, entered in any degree whatso-
ever. into his motives for distraining my pro-
perry, as he asserts. The only conceivable
foundation for his assertion Isl that lust before
my confinement, lie came, abruptly and without
notice, into nv ROOM and said if I could not paw
fhp / mn IaaV tho no
definite demand of possession nor was there a
| mother word said ON the subject; but he pro-
ceeded, without further notice, TO distrain, in
less than month after my confinement Now,
if Mr.. Kerr meant only TO assert that he was
induced To distrain by my permitted continu-
| ance in the house, and by my utter inability to
leave il during the intermediate time | have
| nothing to say against the fact of his being ac-
tuated by such motive.
| Secondly. Mr.. Kerr next undertakes 10 as
| sign the notices of Mrs. Adams for interfering
in my behalf and II suits his turn to depreci.
| at and malign the motives of that unofrendiup
refined, aud benefcient lady as if she had
acted the interested and sordid part of running
in debt to me, ''aS q miiiiaer,n and then, with
assumed beDevolence, 'Spointing mn Distress -
and surreptitionsly enlistng Mr.. Kerr's SYM
pathies in my behalf, for the paltry purpose of
getting Indulgence for me, that L might extend
| il to her. In his Introductory address to the
Editor Of the Washington Gazette, he utters
sheer, well betting a man oflis breeding, man
ners, and moral feeling: and just in the style to
/ be expected from the hacker and certilier of
| the slaDderOus trash contained in the publica-
lions of himself or his associates, this subject.
| He there says, II knew nothing Of the Conaeri-
on between Mr. "A. and This i00n,a1,, nor was ii
my business to inquire. He admitted in Bank,
that Mrs. a. owed her an account Sc-Aod
in his '.stutemenp' he says, ''she haUing an ac-
count with Mrs. A., as niitiner, got her TO in
teffere, which she did by note, painting the
distress of this woTnan.n 1t is not for me to
| speak, in terms of just Reproduction and con-
tempt, of imputatoDs so unmaBly, improbable,
and absurd; my business is now simply with
the ftcts: yet, in confederation of the testmo
ny shall offer, may be permitted TO remark
the popabe contradiction in which Mr.. Kerr
has here involved himself. He processes, in
his Introductory address, entire ignorance ''of
| the cOnaeEion' between MIR. a. and myself
that is, presume, he at loss to divine why,
or under what inducements, Mr.. A. bad been
prevailed upon to assist me: and yet in his
| ''SotemeRt," and in his letter TO Mr.. A. he pro-
fcsses to have understood and known, most dis
tinctIy, that it had been owing entirely to the
interposition and entreatics of Mrs a.; and he
even processes TO know all the particulars 81
minutely & authenticity, as 20 beable to assign
Mrs. AS specific motives for interfering.
Now, aver the whole statement Of Mr.. Kerr
in this respect, to be utterly false and malicious
had n is frue. occastonaIIV done work fol