Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-07-09


apprehendec danger.
| May Mr.. Leigh, himself, never, sc
cond time, experience like INCONSISTENCY
when deprived of the friend, towards
whom his affection has been turned in
to bitterness, and may he, above all
find no other friend, like himself, t
proclaim it, to the world, for his NOR
LITIGATION and reproach; or who shall
torture it, into a crime, in order to dis
colour his motives, and to impute tc
him design to overthrow, with jaco
binical violence, the constitution Of his
native State. ~
| Mr.. Leigh had a right to know the
opinions Of Mr.. Mercer on every sub.
ject of common or personal interest
but he mistakes, if he supposes, that he
ever heard Mr. M. publicly express
not often, as he AYERS, but, at any time.
whatever, any opinion of the freehold
qualification of suffrage. Mr.. Mer-
Ger both voted for, and supported
! with zeal, as the files of the Enquirer
may possibly testify, the convention
bill, which passed the House of Dele
gates, and was rejected by the senate,
in 1914. 1t was, also, proposed, but
the question was not discussed, so far, as
Mr.. NJ. can remember,by any man, to ex-
tend the powers of the limited conven-
ton, then contemplated, to an enlarge
ment ofthis right; and MIR. Mercer may
have voted against this extension. If
Mr.. Leigh will examine that vote,
which he can conveniently do, he will
probably find some of the most decided
opponents Of a convention on the side
of this particular enlargement of the
powers of the convention. Their mo-
tives, do not require an exposition from
me: nor is this fit occasion to enter
farther, upon this question; which, ne
yer having been pfthe least importance
to the friends. or foes of convention,
few weeks will put de6nitively to rest.
Of what consequence are Mr.. MERGERS
opinions, past, present, or to come, up
on this question, except as regards
himself. If any importance could
have been attached to them by others,
/ Mr.. Leigh has ascertained, and pro-
claimed, if he did not occasion, its to.
tai humiliation. Of as little conse-
quence, except to Mr. MERGERS charac.
ter, is the charge, for which the UNI
chartered banks are conjured up from
the grave, to bear testimony against his
"steadiness or safety" as public man.
Unwilling witnesses they would prove,
if all that Mr.. Leigh has averred of
Mr.. MERGERS career in relation to
them, were true: but impartial enough,
if their biography be correctly given.
AS to those banks, it is afaet, notori-
GUS in Loudoun, where two of them
existed, that Mr.. M. neither subscribed
to their stock, nor approved Of their un-
authorised establishment, as it is
that he dissuaded his friends, from par
ticipating in them. After they had been
established, and an attempt was made,
in the House of Delegates, to stamp
criminal character on a proceeding,
which had received the sanction Of ma
nv Of the best, and some of the wisest
men in the Commonwealth, Mr.. M.
vindicated the moral worth of the par
ties to them, and earnestly, and jealous
ly, as became representative of Lou
doun, demonstrated against the uncon-
stitutional means, by which it was, at
first proposed to crush them. He call
ed those means, he well remembers, alb
surd and monstrous. So far he has
preserved his consistency. He still
thinks they were unconstitutional, as
did a sounder lawyer than himself, Mr..
Dodridge Of Brooke, with whom, Mr..
Leigh himself need not be ashamed to
be drawn in comparison. The violence
depicted in one of Mr.. Leigh's essays,
was on the side of the friends of the
proposed bill, which, after many modi-
ications, retained, still, form which
Mr.. NJ. could not approve. Mr.. Ms re
port on the policy of multiplying the
banks of the Common wealth; on the
expediency and justice ofputting down
(for so he recommended) all uncharter-
ed banks; and the necessity of prompt
ly enforcing the resumption Of specie
payments by them all, is, fortunately
for him, spread on the journal of the
House of Delegates.
Mr.. Leigh was willing, in his first
essay,to consider this, the only act of
MIR. Ms public life. Let it be so re-
garded. The report is probably defec-
tive, in many particulars. The SUBJ
jects of it are not free from intrinsic
difficulties, to say nothing of those ex-
traneous ones, which every where en-
compass them. Among the merits of
Mr.. Leigh, intellectual & moral, and he
had not a friend, by whom, they were,
once, more highly appreciated, than
by Mr.. M. the latter never very highly
estimated, though he, by no means con-
temned, his requirements in political
economy. He and the intelligent and