The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1828-12-01
POLITICAL.
From the sichnond Eaqairc1
TO THE PUBLIC.

To THE PUBLIC.
There are few duties more %psinful 10 n man
Of bo.ar. inaa that IT being forced into n ae~s'
paper vinaicailon of character.
None eau regret more than do, the Necessity
xhi-h con,els me TO nrake this appeal to The
Pub &c. There arc siust,ns. bsvyver, IN which
feelings OF regret and delicsoy, must weld 10
higher considerations Such is NJ. case. The
duty which | awe m, ffiouds and any country
aud III. tate continued attempts to fui down my
character aud reputation. MAXI u proper ihsi
shosld give 10 the Fublic the explanation ana
esnieacr which oil bc ieuud NJ tins address. !
shall 40 thIs IN a lee words a pessIbln. and en-
deavor 10 place the subject go tho lighi ! ih'nk II
ought To stand.
have been charged bg Mr.. sioanf'a
uen,b.r of Congress from OHIO, win having
nf,m,.,d nun ~ Dec. 1870. in " sustain the
ADMINISTRATOR OF Mr Adams. provided he
would elee, rue Speaker of tn II lnse of Repre-
sentatiyes. 4 wtil be barne ~ mind. that this
was. (as hs ~asserts) IN the Hal of the House.
on the n,raiue of the fist meeting ofhe N
Congress, sad IA the nomeai 81 6~aiioAing for
Spsdk,r,
Before | slbnt the evidence which will &C.
conpany this Address, ! viii otter very briefly
~ ne general ~tenatks, upon the extreme i'm.
probability aud folly of the charse, taken 10
coaneeiisn with the time and circumstances
undcr shlci, It IL pretended the declaration was
made.
IL must occur 10 every intelligent mind, rs
upraIy impossiblc, that | could be either 10
faoiitl or drprased, as 10 ACT IN The manner
charged. without soae adequate ol1ect or mp-
tive. Wv enemies have said, thai Il wa 10
graft, my ambition, in reaching The Chair OF
the Hais. o, keprescniatives Lei us pause
for a ~ ln,eut and see whether tins could have
been SO. IL IS important IN the first place Ia
~ H.. 80
~ rela,ion 10 Mr.. Adams aud the new Admins
%tTntion.
in the Presidential contest of Ella had
hnen the Jealous aud devoted friend al MIR.
Crawford. had taken no part nj that time be
tween Nh. Adams and Urnefal Jackson. The
friend of Crawford i%pending the election in The
House OF representatives had determined to
I'D lete 10 hin TO the last moment, and not to
vote heiseen The other Candidates, 10 his, 40
ope was more aecidei than myself Ton proof
al this. | refer to lhr following extract from an
article published IN the Enquirer IN January
lslj and based upon n Letter of IN ne TO he
r. liors. " The friends Of NJ. Graz ford hduf
heid 6ui ono lone Ne nail our flag 10 he maa
oad sink rih me hip Mr. Crawford Is GUT,
aotH aud his Guead' dre IN good pir,h. heper
uar d N IN surround d aud upheLi ~ more udr0i
or dxiuettSled Jaetds q graHi thai he mag
Dei triumph. Task II for me pace and proSpcri
tn Of my Country 1t l. due 10 eandor however
10 ,at, that II WE had been forced IN the Ills
elsrs~ of our high duty 10 surrender tlf. Cav
ford. aud vote 'etwerh the other c ndldatck, |
.hauld have tnen been IA 'avor of Nj Adam
| declared Il atthe umt 4 since ~ | brlieve did
tnauy nf nv COLLEAGUES vino NOW act with me
The strong reason Tor this preference was a he
Iteitnat VI Adams principles ca ne nearer 10
tlos. of Virginia. inan Cen Jackson's That
neYt to II. Crawford he vas the most hvora
bic 20 n limited construction OF the Constitution
and against enlarging the powers ofthe General
government by eonslrnetion-- How deeply We
thould have then erree, II We had Ia the last ex
tremity voted lor sir. Adams IN preference 10
Cen. Jnckson. tune has fully developed. aud it Is
unnecessary now 10 discuss. Virginia herself
Whatever her preference NAV have been, has re-
cenJs given the strongest aud best evidence OF
bpr opnion, as 10 the merits amt cha acter Of
these Two Distinguished individuals. Ga the 9th
oil February. 1898. Mr. Adams was elected by
tHe House Of Representatives, and on the 4th oil
March following. the DAY after the adjournment
O, the 18Th Cengrc,s) delivered his inaugural
speech.
With the gencrai character of that Speech, !
was greatly dissatisfied. considered he lhco-
~ laid down by il. Tor eorstruing the couslIfn.
tinn. rs loose, eqs,~oea aud dangerous. these
opinions erprcsscd on NY return home IN tbs
Spring aud Fall ottllI year. AZ my personal aud
political friends ~ell knew, some of wnom
couid and e,n authorised to uame. | did not
IA ,,atc 10 declare, that if,l,asr doctrines were to
T. followed up in his LIS Message To Congress
and maie the basis of the admmtstrai.an |
shuuid hr compelled not oaly 10 oppose them,
but ihat | was well satisfied Virginia would her
self be found most strongly IN the opposition. |
event 10 Washington Ia Deeealher, 1928. with
these opinions and entertaining (as iir. BreDt.
states ~ his lottery tears that | should he com
pe'' a, ~ vtndiea,ioi of my own principles aud
ssose d the State, to bel in tue opposition.
St5nding then, in this relation 20 The Admins.
%trntion. aud cherishing principles dear TO my.
fflf aud 10 Virginia ptlnoiples upon which ! had
fi Is years acted. and which were ia truth the
nurse IT any political ttandtug which I nigh
have acquired aha, would have been ,he coz.
di'ion IN which I might have been placed III
couid sav, succeeded ie reaching the Speaker 3
chair, under a formal p,edge TO support &c
measures Of the ADMINISTRATION, right or
wrong.
VINO is there, that does net see, that ,ucrita.
BILE exposure aud run, must have been the consc
quence. whether the pledge was redeemed or not
ancr NV Election.
The haseness OF such an ATTEMPT Nhoih in
the motives aud the manner OF going about it)
conld only be eqnalled by its folly.
But is there any man, SO blind. or so deep
ry stained with party, ms not 10 see. TINT stu
ated as | then was Gf ambition was my OBJ
icc,) there were Tar nohl"r objects within
NV reach. and more solid reputation tu be
gained. ny following the path Of duty and ho-
NOR, ,nan could be chtained by such a weak
aud wretelied eentrivance, and one too,
IL which ! mus moi only have been de.
iected aud exposed, but IN which noihingwus
10 be gaiued
Let it he supposed hawevor. that | was
prepared to bargain aud pledge myself Cor OF.
See, and whiting to reach the CHAIR OF the
House OF Representatives, by eny means in
my power. who that knows me can believe,
tiiai I woold have l,een So stupid us 10 have
acted in the manner pretended, at "a mo.
nIent when oniy one solitary volt could
have been obtained and even that vote doubt
fol?
III had been prepared 10 barter myself and