Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-10-24

refuge of gentlemen who would Justify men IN
place at the expence of those who out Of IL.
Such is the fascination OF power that it compes its
worshippers to sacrifice at its shrine the memory
OF the dead and the fame of the living.
There other points in your Essay on which
we win briefly touch. If, as you now intimate,
the opinion in Virginia is firmly fixed that there
mast be decisive change in that opinion and in
the councils OF the State, /" before You look for
any variabeness or shadow ofturning in the opinions
OF the Enquirer" it would seem that you take I'M
necessary trouble TO write many long numbers
on the subject. g. Your object you say, wa,
to prove yourselves right TO prove the Editors
OF the Enquirer wrong" But aswe hav been direct
! !y at issue on the subject, how can you prove
one oil these oposilions without the other remains
TO be explained by some new combination OF di.
plomatic sophistry. Whilst we freely acquit you
gentlemen, OF the vanity of supposing that YOU
could convince us of error, in repeating discus
sion which you ought not soon to have forgot
ten, we can no leading motive for its reneDnl
IN the style you have adopted. You disclam the
idea OF defending the administration in what you
have said. Did you not tel. us, only the other
day, that the money appropriated 10 the Dismal
Swamp Canal '' was the first occasion on which
the general government had done any thing
Tor the particular benefit of Virginia. /? "As
p" long the President was from Virginia il used
frequently TO be said, that she had nothing to
expect al the hands of the Gen. Gov, the per-
- son filling the Executive Chair always feeling
repugnance to doing any thing that might be
construed into fay 10 his particular state The
=" remark was Just the state from which
6 the President is taken, always will, during his
- term OF service, be very likely be the step
! dausiner OF the Union. IL we not mistaken,
- Massachusetts, if not New England generally,
begins TO entertain the same opinion" In your
papers OF the loth 18Th have you not most
warmly defended Mr.. Adams recommendation of
a National =. University and of g I.ish, Houses
OF the Skies" DO you no; seek to fortify his
opinion by appeals to The recomme nGaons OF
w Washington, Jefferson s. Madison But, we do
not deny you the right TO defend the la,itudnarian
principles OF this or of any other atninistr alton
And after doing It by the most subtle sophislry
we do not dispute your right To deny, in the same
column, that you have done So You see no sin
committed In defending the administration by per-
sons holding your political sentiments nor in op-
posing its leading principles by persons holding our
opinion-.
| But IT is olr misfortune 10 belong to this
Questionable class to prefer permanent urin-
c,pieS, that calculated TO perpeiuate the
| freedom OF our institutions, 10 the sewgaws
and bauoes OF political empyTicks that promise but
partial or temporary good. We trust that the
bait OF local interests, arfully prepared for our pa
| late, will not 6 decoy' u from the true faith -
| them
selves in their Entertainments upon the const.
! ton, by promising great local advantages 10 parti-
| cular sections OF country, you have commended
with your usual ability. We admire the tact YOU
displayed in seizing on the payment of the
$i50,000 to the Dismal Swamp Company, to RI
dicule the aniient and principles Of VIRGINIA
! The Old School republicans owe YOU their specia
acknowledgements, for your Kindness in endea-
vourng to persuade them that they had better sur
render their conscientious opinions for the sake of
| a promised road or canal. Since New Eoolan5
has become the step -daugher of the Union, instead
OF Virginia presume that the President delica-
cy will prevent him from showing any special ia.
vor to those states; the South and the West then
are to enjoy the bounty &c munificence" 10
use your own expresson) of the federal govern
ment. Virginia, are given to understand, so
long neglected" is now TO be remunerated for all
the cruel negiects she has experienced at the hand.
OF her Do you think, gentlemen, that the
government has any pecuii-r love for this old
state, whose sons you say are so unyielding, so
jealous, watchlul' IF they have, and YOU are
sincere in your ardent professions of iliai attach
ment to her, we trust that you will endeayour to
serve her in this that you will tell them what YOU
know, and may safely ell them Z" in sober earnest
ness, tina. the present tariffs oppressive to our
| agriculture, which languIshes under The ac-
cumulation of burdens imposed for the avovy-
ed purpose OF encouraging the spinners and
weavers of New England- of this new. but
overgTown steP-daughter, whom yon represent
as beginning to pout alre. dy, lest she may
not get her PORTION of &c munificent'' -" ia
vors." Do, gentlemen, from your personal
| knowledge, point out the onerous regulation, in
the commercial code under which our only sea-
port town has been nearly destroyed; our agricul-
tural staples cut of from foreign markets or so on
| pressed by duties, SC. SC to amount almost
I . Oh e
service like this, would entle you 10 our thanks
We not who is the President nor whence
| he comes, ii he will claim for the government no
more power than has been expressly given to it,
will refrain from all refined schemes to better our
conditions, whether will or not in a word
will let alone in all our domestic relations
and be honest and faithful to the constitution in
! the exercise of" undoubted'' powers. We shoud
perhaps, care very little even about doctrines of
etiquette and precedence IN rank, So long as
/ they confined to the ten miles square
| Nor should grumble much at the expenditure
of few thousands year in fine furniture, gold
| spoons, metallic chairs, billiard tables and such
like trumpery. The occasional appointment of a
favorite foreign minister with the understanding
that he had only to write note or two DO moth
ing for the good of the country and after pocket
| ing some $4,000 of the public money, come
| home again, would be only piece of =" munifi-
cence" or }" favor done TO some old friend in
requiial of good service in the last election, in
Congress, or in some other way. The motive we
should not understand; and the money to IL, 00O,-
600 of people, you know would be a mere frac-
ton of cent TO each We know, gentlemen
that you have nothing to do with such matters as
these, although they are daily passing under your
noses, and that too, since you "have learnt to
think for yourselves" And aye, "to speak what
you think" II we not fearful of ,respassing
i Il