Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1828-11-18

recently mdue Oh d l6tLCE Ol NIL COHOiSOiA
to Mr.. Giles, of Virginia, dated the 25th
December, 1926, impressed our readers
with the conclusiveness ofthe proof which
it exhibited of the deliberate intention OF
Mr.. Giles, in his publications of the last
year, to deceive the publick, as well res
pecting the history of events in lSo7-o
%, as concerning the true political char
acter of Mr.. Adams.
1t should be recollected that MIR. Giles
having IN has possession this Letter OF MIR.
Jefferson, recently published, secreted and
suppressed it, whilst he published letter
of Mr.. Jefferson, upon other points, dat
ed on the very day following (28th Dec.
1929 which he supposed he might WELD
to some advantage against MIR. Adams.
Yes, he suppressed this letter, showing
Mr.. Jefferson's opinion of the merit OF
Mr.. Adams, and he suppressed, wilfully
or heedlessly, other facts, if not other
documents, the publication Of which
would have put to shame his studied
libels on the patriotism of MIR. Adams.
1t is melancholy to behold one, who
has been, in his time, useful publick
man, thus abandoning himself to the guild
ance of passion, and of irrational and
ungoyernable hate.
Since the publication of our exposition,
on the authority of Adams, of the circum-
stances attending his indirect commune
cations with Mr.. Jefferson, in 1903, Mr..
Giles has come out in the Richmond
Enquirer, and denies having either written
letters to, or received letters from, Mr..
Adams, at that period. We are sorry to
be obliged to say it, because we would
willingly avoid the declaration of truth
which it must be painful to receive; but
as the alternative to charge of deliberate
faIsehood, we are obliged to declare that
the memory of Mr.. Giles has altogether
deserted him.
But, before we proceed any further, let
us quote, from his letter in the Enquirer
of Saturday last, the following extracts, to
which we wish to direct the attention of
our readers. Assuming that Mr.. Adams
is responsible for the explanatory remarks
which accompanied our republication Of
the letter of Mr.. Jefferson, Mr.. Giles
says:
Mr.. Adams positively asserts that Mr..
Giles, and several other members of Con-
gress, during this session of 1853,
wrote to him confidential letters, inform
ing him of the various measures proposed
as re-enforcements or substitutes for the
embargo, and soliciting his opinions upon
hn c1hIo1f hn fhacn IofforC
with frankness and in confidence /! When
/ first saw this unequivocal assertion of
Mr.. Adams, unattended by any mental
reservation whatever-and when there
was not the slightest trace upon my menu
ory of the recollection of any such cores
pondence, / was struck with wonder and
amazement, as well as with other mingled
emotions, and | put my memory up to its
best efforts, in trying to trace some such
recollection but found no vestage there
of-and l now assert that do not believe
that any such correspondence ever took
place. If Mr.. Adams should be in pos
session of such confidential letters from
me, I now call most earnestly upon him
to exhibit them to the publick. l am
told Mr.. Adams is peculiarly methodical
in his business, and careful in the preser-
walton of all letters addressed to him. He
certainly must have retained mine upon a
subject then so interesting to the nation,
if he ever received them. / beg him, if
in possession of any such confidential let
tiers from me, or of letter of any kind, to
abandon all scruples imposed by the con-
fidence asserted, and forthwith to publish
them. If he should do SO, it will afford
demonstration, that one important charac-
teristick transaction of my life has entire
ly escaped my recollection, leaving not
the shadow of shade behind. Ipretend
not to any infallibility of memory, but l
deem it next to an impossibility, that the
impression of any such transaction, if
once made, should ever have been COM
pletely eradicated from it.
" As to Mr.. Adams confidential letters
to me, written, as he says, "as the solicit
ed advice of friend to friend" / have no
more recollection of them, than of those
said by him to have been written by my
self; nor do | believe that any such letters
ever were written. | am myself careful
in the preservation of all letters of interest
addressed to me-and have no recolec-
ton of ever having seen any such letters
in my bureau. l have now, | believe,
several able and eloquent letters from Mr..
Adams father, written after his retire.