Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1825-02-01
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TUESDAY MORNING. FEBRUARY /. 1925
"SCENES AT WESTINGHOUSE


"SCENES AT WASHINGTON"
II Is Zone of the arts of able EDITORS" TO APP
pear at tunes in their own columns in an assuin-
cd dress, and as we have occasionally practised
tins disguise, we are the more apt TO suspect,
and perhaps TO detect it in others. Our neigh
Dor OF the Enquirer, III his Saturdays paper,
has, under the signature of Belisarius, embodied
all the runors which continually reach us from
Washington, and in borrowed name, INDUCED
in an acrmony aud maleS ocnce, which, as Mr..
Ritchie, his systematic aud characteristic p,'u-
dence, would never have suffered him to indulge.
The address of the execution however, has by
no means correspondcd with the cunning of the
design. 1t as impossible for Mr. Rltchie to
disguise his style, ii is for the ostrich 10 con-
ceal his uncouth figure by lodging his head in
the sand. The eternal repetition of notes of
Interrogation, the angles OF his style, more nu
merous and abrupt than those of the brick bat
his atlectation of the Socratic mode of reasoning
are so many witnesses TO establish his personal
identity, beyond doubt or dispute. If any man
doubts, let him take the trouble to count the
number of questions asked by Belisarius, and
ask himself if any other writer but Mr. Richie,
would have asked nine and-thirty, III the brief
space of two columns. That gentleman will
pardon us for unmaskng hn--for strip him of
his fictitious character OF correspondent, Il cool
and impartial observer of events, and exhibit
Besarius In his true character of Thomas
RitChie, the personal and inveterate encmy of
John Quincy Adams, whom he has pursued
with Tancor and malice. unworthy OF a ciyiiz-
ed man, and unparalleled, except in the infamous
! pages OF the w ashington City Gazette, and what
merit shall we discover in his rcproof, or what
sting in his satire? Whenever Mir. Ritchic
knows his own sentiments IL be at issue with
/ npI hn i;,
and'gres circulation IN the character of a cor
respondent, Ia what his tbiiual caution re-
strains hun aa editor nom fathuriug. Why
does he sccctthls course in the present instance,
! because lac fears To have il known that he is a
partHan OF jackson, after Crawiurd-he knows
That independent of the original friends of Adams
powerful tor their numbers i'll msny parts Of the
State the great body of AIR. Craw lords friends,
are disposed To- unite on him as against jackson
without hesitation. He knows that this, their set
tied determination, springing from the relative
Character OF the two individuals is not to be shll-
Gu; aud he is determined on his part never vnlun-
tanly, TO throw himself into minority. With
these observations on the identity OF Mr. Ritchic
and BelisarIus, we will bestow fey remarks
upon Eelisarus himself.
| II appears from him, to use his own language
that Mr.. Clay has gone over 70 MIR. Adams
''horse, foot and draguons"--and that zone of
The terms OF paci:cation is, that Adam. is to be-
President and Clay Secretary OF Statcn
That Mr.. Clay has recently aud decidedly
determined upon supporting MIR. Adams in pre-
terence To Gen. jackson, we have been for
some weeks, well apprsed That he would
have preferred Mr.. Crawford TO either, we have
| never doubted. But is it not true, that cir
cuWstances, hls bad state of health, the poverty
ot his Electoral votes, and the decide! hostility
OF tour-ttth. of the Union to his elevation have
| long made II apparent, that Mr. Crawiord's
| prospects were absolutely hopeless? Is it not
true, that many Of ms Congressional friends
after their arrival in Washington and after their
previous doubts had been satisfied BY personal
| observation, declared that they could not con
sclentously aid IN clccting a gentleman to the
| Presidency, whose precarous state of health
would renderI necessary tuf him todeyoIve duty
and responsibility, on his m!uis,crs:-HEle foolish
and idle declarations of adherence 10 Mr. Craw-
ford, used iii the City OF Richmond, and by a
few members OF Congress, who were willing 10
reap little popularity by their pretended de-
| votion 10 INN, dying Ill the last tronol''-tlc.
&c. (all equally nonscnslcaD were ridiculed i'm
Washington, by all men Of Intelligence, and
whose opportunities of observation were equal
to their intelligence. Ii was obvious that the
real contest for the Presidency, was confined
TO Adams and Jackson, between whom lie vast
majority OF the people atB.e United States were
divided. In this state of things, Henry Clay
with his usual bold and fearless independence
comes forward, and Representative of the
people, declares that of the two, he prefers JOHN
Qnlncy Adams. lie declares that all chance
oil ccctug MIR. Crawford is in his opnion lost
that he with others, Is forced to make sClec-
ton between Mr.. Adams and Gen. Jackson
that whatever objections, personal or political
lie may have to the former, they cannot yyciri,
against his settled adherence to seeing a mere
military leader President Of tic Z. STATE. and
he avOws iIIs resolution 20 support Mr.. Adams
as President. He throws himself with his ac-
customcd franllncss on the opinion of the Re-
publIc--( ;hat opinion which however il NAV at
liTst1 be agitatcd by the arts OF dernagorucs
and the frauds of politicians, is sure at last to
be settled by good sense) and appeals TO the re-
lIectlng part OF the nation for lis lustification
" q say that it was nobiy and disintcrestedly
Gonc by Henry Clay, and that in thus saciifc-
ing his personal hostility to Mr.. Adams to the
good OF his country, and conserving to en-
counter the possible alienation Of the affections
OF the west, for the same great motive he de-
serves anew, the gratitude aud admiration Of
all rejecting men. We say further, that his
conduct will be sustained by the sane and dis
Greet portion of the American population, and
that when the immediate excitement of the cleo
ton has passed away, and with the exception
OF thc Partzans Of Jackson no man will dis
approve il, but he only, whose capacity is foo
| humble to reach conception of the high mo-
tives which have governed Mr. CLAW.
rs 10 the consideration which it is alleged has
been offered and promised Mr.. CLAW il is false
and malicious. Mr.. Clay wishes no scat i'm the
Presidents cabinci-he rejected overtures to