Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-10-14
From ne ..aiionai Journal.

ders'gned Justice Of the Peace, of said coun-
Try, aud solemnly swore, on the holy evan
ge'isf, 10 the truth Of this, her deposition, in
the words following:
Ihe public notice is solicited with such ex-
traordinary perseverance TO my private affairs,
that can no longer remain either insensibie
or silent under the gross and malignant GA
iunn'es aimed, through my sides, against my
most ievered benefactors. l feel also, that
there IS some measure of justice due to my
sell, though thel dsparagement Of my hum
DIE slate probably entered no further into the
views at these calumuiators, than as It might
duplicate the responsibility ofpersons equal
" distinguished for exalted station and moral
excellence. That the feelings Of a desola,e
woman, who has endured the extremity Of
distress, without having brought upon herself
the shadow of obloquy, eithes foF the causes
or the consequences OF her misfortunes, should
have been outraged, by the inhuman and un-
sparlng exposure OF her private affairs to the
RUE hsnuiing ut newspaper controversy; TO
Tue vulgar magnity, ur awkward apologies
OF Whatever partisan may chance to have his
Zeal enlisted in political quarrel to which
she Is an utter stranger; and all merely for the
purpose ofseeking pretext tn malign pub
Tic character, was matter of no little surprise
ana disgust To one, not at all versed 10 the
mazes OF politics and having little experience of
that oticious and impertinent zeal, degenerat.
ing into virulent rdncour, which usually cha
racterises the subaitero partisaas Of faction
Dut tnat an act ot the most pure and disnte-
rested benevolence, in the private life of
statesman, should have been per, ert..d in the
theme OF widespread obloqny and vile re.
proach publicly maintained with ceaseless
industry and invincible obs,inacy, against all
reason ana probability; and now affecting 10
uer'se ad'entitIors consequences from respon-
sibe names brought forwaId implicitly to avow
or openly to justify the anonymous calum.
MES which had before flowed in couious
streams frOlA undivulged and secret sources
exceeds all could have imagined of the de-
pra''ty OF parly-spirit, or rather of that vu-
gar malevoience and envy by which The coar-
ser instruments of party animated 10 ASA: !
whatever OF excellence or reputation NAV
STAND IN the way Of their political Or persDna!
views and interests. ~,
mad, oesiddes, some strange misapprehen-
SONS OF facts and circumstances have prevail
ed, as web among the professed friends and
defenders, as the determined foes OF the nr;o.
cipal object of attack and that il is incumbent
on me 10 correct some Of The iDadyer,encies
OF the one, whilst Il contradict such of th.
iaisehoods of the other, as fall within the
scope Of my own personal knowledge. Az
ter this preliminary explanation of my motives
and inducements for offering nv ies,to,ony
to the fublir, shall strictly c6nGne mvs.I
TO the simple duties of a faithful witness
Inc mistakes OF writer in the National
Journal of Tuesday last, (whose good inten.
uons l.haVe no reason TO question: demand
my hrst notice. Amongst other misapprehen.
SONS ana exagseratIons which as they relat,
10 matters merely personal and private. are mn,
IN hn .,l,.. 4
that, IN tile extremity of my affairs, an annea
had been made to the charity OF the ,,.blic
in subscription paper drawn up by Mr A
lexandpr Kerr.
Now,t u true enough that, from circum
stances with which the public has no concern
winch nave been greatly misunderstood b,
Inc wr'er In question, was left most desc
late 'n that peculiar situation Of a wifi. ,vbict
gives to every external Cause OF care and an
lety so deieterious an Influence. l,rp. C,u
ily, consisting of my own children. and IN.
orphans of deceased sister. were nm ~,
hands; all depending on my exertons e.,
their subsistence. In order to provide I;y.
ho0d Tor this helpless aud buribepsome fam
u y,l look house Ut Mr.. Alexander Kerr. n
the yearly rent Of $3.50; with view to ope,
" m'i''ners SHOP, and to exc out my scant,
ana precaIious income by taking a few boar,
| m
stances defeated all my honest endeayours I,
prosper IN either branch of nv business :
very dull season succeeded my outset and !,
the ensuing summer and autumn nv Who'll,
family was afflicted with Sickness thu. exucn
ces OF which, and of our ordinary mamie
nance consumed all our scanty means. ane
produced the most serious Distress I necrs
sa'"y Tell IN arrear to my land lord, two quar-
ters rent, SlsJ for which was visited viii
y 'e6ai distress, after having been distresse,
ny the most ImpOrtunate demands uros,
with all imaginable barshness and r,gour-
urged, indeed, so haIshy, and with 90 Iit,l
consideration Of my sex or misfortuoes ,b.,
| experienced II degree of relief. when m, ta.
OF exacIioD was transferred from the cr.Ji
tor To the regular minister of the law: frnn
whom had not to spprehend the shocl
OF abrupt IotrusIons into my sick chsmbe
which had experienced at the hands of I'M
creditor ID person. All this is true. and more
Tor al the 'ins the summary execution 9th,
law was mus enforced against me, my new
porn in'on' was scarce month old. But
with all this accumulal0n nf misery and holm
lessness, ii is not true that | had evsr rc,nr,
ed TO the expedient of a charitable s,l,scrio
ton : and if Mr.. Kerr, as sJcprs,ed hy th,
writer in question, did intend IN ,,,L. mao,
himself any such benevolent oiiic. H., had hi,
his light under bushel, for no rsv-orit eve
penetrated the gloom of my distress. No
was it necessary TO have invoked bis hnmani
~ to aid me IN any such way for INV sftua
ton had been delicately Anticipated by con
siderate and kind friends, who minisie,ed 1,
my more pressing necessities; and of MIR. Ker
neither asked nor expected any favor, bu
the negative one Of mercy or forbearance
some little relaxation OF the penal rigours will
which the Iaw mad armed him.
| SO much fer the misapprchensions, of one