Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1825-07-15
CONVENTION.
FOR THE ENG UIR Err.

entirely exempt from personality. Nor was il |
possible perhaps, with such temper 10 preserve |
the very thin partition which, in the best regulated
minds, separates reason and truth from passion and
prejudice.
J Such as they are, since Mr. BENJAMIN Watkins
Leigh lays a claim, which no body will now dis
pue, TO these extraordinary productions, they may |
be thought, by those who know him, to merit the |
notice OF &c a Freeman of 1885, whom Mr.
Leigh, with what decorum the public will deter
NINE, declares 10 he Mr. Mercer, already known, |
the author OF the late Loudoun Resolutions and |
Address.
In reply to the greater part of Mr. Leieh's last |
observations upon that Address, the reader is res
pecfully referred to prior essay OF g A Freeman
of 1925" Some notice of the original remarks |
in the two last papers of MIR. Leigh; a supply of |
two designed omissions, in the late g Free
man Of 1925" and review of the recent varia- |
tons, in and manner, of the first structures of
+" Mason of 49, are all that 6. Freemsn'' now
proposes; and for this, he soicits the public inciu-
gence, without being unmndiul that protracted
personal controversy, however wantonly produc- |
ed, by OF the parties Is apt 10 terminate to
the prejudice OF both.
Reversing Mr.. Leigh's order, the &c Frocman''
will begin, where this gentleman ended; with his |
argument In the outset, the concession is due to
him, that arguments, and those the most coaent
may be conveyed IN language which hasty critcism
might pronounce defamation. To answer such
arguments, besides, 20 dencuncing them, it is not
bad expedent to pervert their meaning though the
far better practice, where they really unan-
swerable, is to take farther notice of them and
Tor this eypedient course, since Mr.. Leigh has an
nounced himself, there exists, now, living authori-
| ~, as well as very striking example.
But MIR. Leigh is certainly in error, when he
supposes, as he tells us, that his two first ESSAYS
presentedbut three topics for public consideration
There were nearer thirty; since The most impress
sive OF his arguments and the far greater part
OF his 20 SATIRE touched no one of his enumerated
subjects II will be utterly impossible for A
Freeman to confine his desultory remarks, which
are altogether defensive, to these specified particu-
lars, 10 promise his reader should he fortunately
have one, discourse so methodcal. But he will
endeavor to keep his purpose better.
Had the Loudoun Address been moderate,
calm and innocent, the most ingenious efforts
=" TO dislort ii - MIR. Leigh saws; chad been vain
Il" and all explanation idle.'' In this well turned
period, there is, unfortunately, more harmony than
truth The first OF these tests, it is believed the
address has successfully withsood, since the invi-
tation which it gave, has been widely accepted.
But is Mr.. Leigh, an eminent lawyer, now to
learn, that innocence of intention neither furnishes
an effec,uai security from invidious criticism, nor
always precludes the necessity OF explanation,
| The explanation moreover, is worse than .sidle
1t separates every material sentence from its con-
" text, and, in ore instance single word MIR.
Leigh mistakes; 1T does 80, in more than one; and
so did the candid criticism which the explanation
was designed TO disappoint.
| The term alarmist is applied, in the Loudoun
Address, not to all, Mr.. Leigh asserts, but, ex-
pressly, to &c one class of the opponents Of
convention. 1t is employed in sense, neither
designedn nor calculated to wound the Just feelings
or to derogate from the good character OF any man.
Some of the best men in the commonwealth are
] fearful of danger from convention. Among
/ no atttlD Of A., oil
his constituents in Essex county ito name whom
where he is known at all, and few men are better
known in Virginia, is no little praise-I mean the
author of the Lectures on Female Educaton
man who never merited, and, by singular good
fortune, had enemy. Alarmed them
selves, by the force of sympathy, these amiable
gentlemen dtuse abroad, what others, not less wise
and patriotic than themselves, deem unfornded
aarm--they are " alarmists."
| The other offensive word, which charges the au-
thors of the direct and often repeated averment,
that no ttoo friends of convention conrur in all,
or any Of the proposed amendments Of the con-
s6tt'0, tor the assertion is frequently carried as
far, with presumptuously" saying so implies,
and was doubtless, designed 10 express some dis
satisfaction, the part Of the committee The
expression is applied, however, to individual, in
particulars of course, to those, only whom it fits
and in the employment of it, certainly no mem
Der OF the committee thought Of the gentleman who
has modestly taken it especially to himself; and
who, from his subsequent acknowledgement, strictly
merits il.
AS the vindication of the Loudoun address, by
&c A freeman of 1926" omitted no important
sentence that it contained, aud the entire address
comprized but few short paragraphs, to read the
context was very easy task, of which it was be-
lieved, if left to the reader, he would not COM
plain MIR. Leigh has disappointed this expecta-
ton: and, in relation to him, it was unreasonable
to expect it
The address is further charged with " suggesting
4" that diStJust OF the General Assembly, is en-
60 tertained by many of the friends of conven-
&c TONI and with I" Uindtcdting and iustifying
4" that dishust." Nov, it is remarkable, that
neither the Loudoun Address, nor the prior resou-
tons from which it sprung, expressed any such
distrtIsf; and they purpo,ely forebore any COM
ment, on the recent conduct OF the Senate, the
ground work of that, which had been so no,orioue-
y expressed elsewhere. Can the address be said
TO suggest, that winch is already knOiCn And
it now seems, that the Shenandoah address was
known TO Mr.. Leigh, when he, so kindly turned
TO Mr.. Mercer the author of the proposed Staun-
ton meeting.
But this proposition wa. not then, allied
TO the genius Of organized association high
sounding phrase, which, il not designed to convey
mere personal reproacb, is without any pertinent
meaning whatever, since The Shenandoah address
proposed association Of the friends of a conven
ton, TO form Constitution Without Legislative |
Intervention. Was II justification, even a
yindication Of this disirust Of the Genera Assem-
bly,, 10 supersede the meeting proposed to be held
at Stanton, in October next, by prior one for
purpose more limited
The Shenandoah Committee cou.d bear iestimo-
ny, that both persuasion and argument were used,
and successfully, The result now proves, 10 re-
commend the propriety, well policy, OF this
substitution.