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

Il
Loudoun address, not to all, as Mr..
Leigh asserts, but, expressly, to one
class" of the opponents of convention.
1t is employed in sense, neither de-
signed 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 them, need name the author
of can address to his constituents,
in Essex county; to 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 Lee
lures on Female Education;-a man
who never merited, and, by singular
good fortune, never had an enemy.
Alarmed. themselves, by the force OF
sympathy, these amiable gentlemen
diffuse abroad, what others, not less
wise and patriotic than themselves,
deem unfouuded alarm-they are ga
"larmists."
The other offensive word, which
charges the authors of the direct and
often repeated averment, that no f,co
friends of a contention concur in oil, or
any of The proposed amendments Of the
constitution, for the assertion is fire.
quen1ly carried as far, with "presump-
tuously" saying so, implies, and was
doubtless, designed to express some
dissatisfaction, on the part OF the COM
mittee. The expression is applied,
however, to no individual, in particu-
lar; of course, to those, only, whom 1t
fits: and in the employment OF 1t, GER
tainly no member of the committee
thought of the gentleman who has mo-
destly taken it especially to himself;
and who, from his subsequent acknow-
ledgment, strictly merits it.
As the vindication of the Loudoun
address, by I" A Freeman Of 1925,
omitted no important sentence that 1t
contained, and the entire address COM
priced but few short paragraphs, to
read the context was very easy task,
of which it was believed, if left to the
reader, he would not complain. MIR.
Leigh has disappointed this expecta-
ton: and, in relation to him, it was un-
reasonable to expect it
The address is further charged with
=" suggesting that a distrust OF the Gene
" raj Assembly, is entertained by many
" of the friends of convention;" and
with "rindicating and juSJying that dis
&" trust" Now, it is remarkable, that
neither the Loudoun address, nor the
prior resolutions from which it sprung,
expressed any such distrust; and they
purposely forebore any comment, on
the recent conduct OF the Senate, the
ground work of that, which had been
SO VIGOROUSLY expressed elsewhere
Can the address be said TO suggest, that
which is already knopn9 And it now
seems, that the Shenandoah address
was known to Mr.. Leigh, when he, so
kindly, turned to MIR. Mercer as the au-
thor of the proposed Stanton meet
ing.
But this proposition" was not, then
Sailed to the genius oforganized asso'
ciation.' A high sounding phrase.
which, if not designed to convey a
mere personal reproach, is without any
pertinent meaning whatever, since the
Shenandoah address proposed an
association of the friends Of con-
vention, TO form a Constitution ,cith'
ont Legislative Intervention. Was it a
justification, or even vindication oil
this distrust of the General Assembly,
to supersede the meeting proposed to
be held at Staunton, in October next
by prior one, for purpose more Ii
mited!
The Shenandoah Committee could
bear testimony, that both persuasion
and argument were used, and success
fully, as the result now proves, to re-
commend the propriety, as well as po-
icy, of this substitution.
After all, when has it become Grim.
inal for the people, or any part of them,
both to feel and to express distrust OF
their public servants? Is this another
sample of the republicanism of this
distinguished opponent Of a Conven-
ton; who both apprehends, and does
not apprehend that MIR. Mercer, who
is not Of his school, it seems, shall have
the chief hond in framing constitution
for himself and his posterity! May not
the future conduct of the General As
sembly, by justifying the public dis
trust, augment the public discomfort!
The best vindication Of the last General
Assembly, and the only justification is
to be yet furnished by their successors.
If a majority of the people are for a
Convention, rely on it, they will soon
er or later have one. If against 1t,
promptly enable them to decide, and
to make that decision known.
Mr.Leigh charges his adversaries with
most absurd exposition Of, the Bill OF