The Litchfield County post., 1827-02-23
FOR THE COUNTY POST.


o1R-lt is as common in argument,as in
war, tor man who is conscious of his own
weakness,to assail with his utmost strength,
his antagonist in some unimportant and I'M
guarded point, and if he is thus able to OBJ
tain trifing and inconsiderable advantage.
to magnify it into an important and deci-
siye triumph. This truth is strikingly ex-
emplifed by the author of a communication
published in the Post of the 9th inst, which
processes to be an answer to a communica-
ton which addressed to you few weeks
since, ON the subject of Mr.. Sterling's
claims to seat in the next Congress. 1t
appears this writer is not the man whom
supposed him to be, but a very different
sort of a person. Now this has no connec-
ton with the principal subject of dispute
between this writer and myself, yet it occu-
pies the most prominent place in his COM
munication, and in his exultation at my
error, he has almost forgotten the contrc-
versy in which he first took up his PEN
He accuses me of having made an entirely
unfounded assertions" when / intimated
that had in my possession evidence, ten
ding to indemnity him with certain ere
spectacle gentleman and near relative of
Mr. Merwin." He tells me " no such ev-
idence can exist, because the fact is not So"
| have rarely witnessed more extraordi-
nary single leap from premises to concfu-
sion, than this. had thought, that our
faith on most subjects, rests upon the ba-
sis of presumptive evidence alone, which
implies {" e1 u tcrmini, as the lawyers say"
that we may possibly be mistaken. I am
by no means disposed to admit, that IN
tended to prefer false charge against the
aforesaid gentleman, or that drew my
bow at venture. But enough of this un-
profitable subject. I am surprised that
this writer should deny that he intended
an imputation on the moral character of
Mr.. Sterling. He says he merely assert
ed that Mr.. Sterling had "cllanged his poll
tics" If he meant to convey the idea that
he had innocently done this, that becoming
sensible of having labored under an honest
error, he had the candour and the fearless
independence publicly to renounce it, why
is this stated in an article of protested hos
tility to him? Why is the statement clothed
in abusive language? This writer's subter-
fuge is paltry indeed. But let us examine
what this mighty charge against Mr.. Stcr-
ling amounts to. We can most of us re-
member when the republicans of this state
constituted but feeble minority when
they were entirely excluded from all parti-
cipation in the offices of our state govern
menf. They are now the majority. What
occasioned this revolution Did sudden
Eruption of republicans from another state,
a northern horde of 'sdimmikrats" from
Yarmouth" push the federalists from their
stools? If the cause of this revolution ORR
ginated at home-if public opinion in its
conquering march was the only enemy
which the federalists had to encounter.
then the republican party must owe its pre-
sent ascendancy to accessions of strength
and numbers which it derived from the dis
affected among the federal party: and
vast proportion of the electors of this state
as well as Mr.. Sterling, must have I" chan
ged their politics." Now shall we impute
sinister motives TO a majority of those
electors Does such a disregard Of truth
and sincerity pervade the population ofour
state, the progeny of the pilgrims Or
shall we denounce the men who constitute
the sinews of our party! But is there any
peculiar reason why we should doubt the
sincerity of Mr.. Sterling's political profess
sionsl His career for considerable length