Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1826-05-30
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TUESDAY MORNING. MAY 30. Log

apprehension of the reader as it has ours will be loo
ed upon us one of the singular events of the day.
Mr. Forsyth Representative from GEORGIA on the
floor of Congress, reflected with much severity on the
conduct of Ridge, Secretary TO the Creek delegation al
Washington. Ridge indicated himself ,hrourb ,be
Nat Journal, not having the privilege of replying TO
Mr. Forsyth, the floor of Congress- where he was al,
tackled. OF the merits Of Ridge, or the justice or in
justice of the attack made Oil him BY Mr. FORSYTH xo
know nothing, and shall therefore express no opinion
but from Ridges reply, the temper of the vndica,iop
seems at least. 10 be upon level with the dignity of
The attack II was this reply which drew forth Mr.
lattnaPs letter to the Secretary of War, to which
we specially invite tie attention of the Reader
Mr. fattnall complains, chat the Nat Journal in
winch the offensive article FIRST published is regard
cd by The public, the leading administration paper .,
Mr. Tattna therefore, holds the Executive responsible
Tor whatever appears in that paper offensive TO the
Georgia Deiegaon!-he will not look 10 the propric or
OF that paper for responsibility but TO the President of
the u States and the Heads of Department. The in
ference from This is with the public (if they are dsn
genuous enough 10 derive an inference from such nre
mises) that the Nat Journal not merely the organ of
the administration, in publishing its acts but edited bv
't-tha nothing published in ill., but with the sanction
Ridges reply the members of the Government had in
1act invited the indgnities TO the Georgia Deeration
of Which Mr.. Tatnall complains. This is a further
specimen of the bcray, extended to the administra
ton, BY those opposed 10 it. Not satisfied with con
dcmnng all IFS acts, they now TO be made rospon,
bic for the acts of private individuals over whom ,o
have controul.
Mt. lattDall compains-esThat these inlirnit;es
hpp ,lTar
and by persons, who derived consequence from b;no
recognized by the Government o6icial persons u
'An'io' ior our iVes, perceive the propriety OF
'he remark That these indignities (which are nc
where speciied) were offered under he enc of ,be
""0e'""'c"e. Were they more under its eye than
the thousand other ndignities which have been Of
ereu 10 private and official persons in Washing
ton during the session of congress- by members Of that
oou9 were they more under its eye, than the ndig-
mites offered TO Ridge and Van By one of the Ceorr,
i'eieea'ioa itseiE The Government never supposed
" W.T. at'hai Tor 1t we presume, that possessed the
power or had The right, 70 prevent Mr.. Forsyth from
attacking Ridge the floor of Congress Then ,vI
should II IntcrPose ITS authority, if possessed by IT,
10 screen Mr. Forsyth from the consequences Of his
ac': i'iuSe though foreigner free man. in w ash.
nGlon on the business of his country, and entitled to
the protection and privileges of laws. Was he 10
De debaTrcd the privilege of defending himself when
assaed' Was the freedom of the prees to be
lest the sensibiy of the Georgia Delegation should he
wounded? The expression uniey the enc Of the corsrn
cnt" will apply equally the Intellgenccr the Pie
nix Gazette, and the Telegraph as 10 the Nat Jonr
na and IT by II; MIR. TanaIl means that the Greeks
oeing IN Washington on business with the government
have for tie time yielded all right TO protect themselves
when injured, the government ought also to have ex
tended its censorship TO those papers BY no otbo,
means, could it have prevented Ridge from rcpIvin "a
ir Forsyth, or protected the sensitive feelings of the
Georgia Delegation from insult real or supposed Yet
we will venture 10 say, that if the Secretary Of Wa,
had attempted 10 this censorship and had ,e
q"ed the various editors in The District TO SUPPRESS all
reply from Ridge should never have heard the last
OF IT. MIR. Forsyth and Mr.. Tattna would have been
among The first to complain and properly TO COMPLAIN
of This high handed attack upon the freedom Of tle
Press, and TO sound the alarm for the security of our
Liberties In that case, the government would not have
been rePToachcd for encouraging the centiousness Of
tie Press but with the much more heinous design Of
destroying its freedom and with it the freedom Of the
country.
Fhe whole affair then amounts 10 this: That in the
opinion Of Mr. aunall and his colleagues Ridge ouo
first attacked whether right wrongs is nothing TO the
PurPose) being Indian by no means entitled to de-
fend brnselfbut that having ayaiIcd himself Of his
supposed right 10 defence through tie papers, tho Adj
mnistration is censurabe for not having prevented
him, though ignorant Of his design by infringing ,l,e
liberty of the Press Whether the means be most nm
constitutional, the addressing the complaint of Ridge.
behaviour TO the Secretary Of War rnost extraordinary
The complaint itself most whimsical we leave 10 tbo
reader 70 determine. We think all three co,nic-fq-
ellis dcsccnsus .4ce,ni.
! Jactson Meeting in Phjiadcipbia.-Tbe guoudo0,
friends Of Mr. Calhoun in Philadepbia--tbe earliest
agators in tie last Presidential eIecton-thc first ttea
to bring into The contest party feeliug-tlie
first afterwards TO drop their for one, whom they
thought strouger-these gentlemen The first again