Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-01-17
VIRGINIENSIs.
COMMUNICATED

10 CHAPMAN JOHNSON, Esq. Chairman of the
Committee Of the adams ConventiOn
SIR: Believing, and having reason TO think the
pubic believes, that you intended 10 include me
amongst the anonymous men, uncharitably denoun-
ced by you, In the subioined sentence of your Re-
port to the Adams Convention, to wit But when
such charges are seriously made and reiterated by
men, holding high stations in the government and
exercising some influence over public opinion
they cannot De zoo strongly co7lden.ned' | feel
most reluctant, but indispensable dutv imposed
upon me- 10 call upoIi you Sir TO state exDlicitlv to
the pubic, through the Enquirer and Wing, whe-
ther you did, or did not, intend to apply your alu
SONS to me amongst others? The expression, such
charges, IS presumed 10 alude 10 the foUov-inu
iinPuiations, printed in italics, intcrspersed a
Inongst other uutoundsd Suggestions
IL may not he unworthy of notice as one of the moan r.
-,eh tn. public mln has been Prci4dieed inGaed a
o, az 20 Tt.eLea1 people AaVe 5se
PTe'iaentS to congress- gyaveiy yte
eeun not PsrhsP, with rhetorical pfopriely
expression Pasisd by the will of In ref
srenee to duties ejoned by the THIS tra S
oeen torn from IFS contert Ss.feypTeted aud sd rs ~
authority upon Srhea, As President charged r,i6 RE- ~
e'y that drPTe,enatUs OS ob 10 the I nj,
constituents On another oceasi"u incautiouy takn. y f
granted that every would pnderstand that TN hh obi
soh oi an oath was derived FROM Hraveu-he has again
perhaps without mach felicity II phrase, mad, am og1n.
@ Sywed reference to has oath of Office, imposing an
n IoVe an human law Ind thI sretce forti,,ed
lo public avoeai, Of The odioUs doctrine that his po
fs;I,r - II ''ese hsi been the tauHts aud the
been deemed unworthy u this public notice Bat h. 80,
reiterated nv mep hol
gh stations ia TIE gOVeTnmeL, and exercising some I Ky
over Phe ophlon they cannot be too sG0ngfg condemned
. You Wal please TO observe, Sir, that these most
aisrePutable charges, are made without specifca
uons,-agalnst men without designations -dec;-
ded without proOi;-the unknown condemned viii,
out hearing, and the Offences pronounced TO be.
oil 50 high character; that g they cannot be too
strongly condemned" One inevitable conse
quence OF attempting TO excite the public indiana
hoi' ny these unwarTdntabic means, if successful
would necessarily leave it to direct its own ven
seahce against the unknown, denounced culDrits.
without any guide more certain, than chance or
conjecture: think You cannot but perceive, at
one or he external injustice and cruelty of this
Ihode OF proceeding, and that you VIII readily adj
nut: you nave thereby imposed upon yourself an
indispensable Obligation both to the public and 10
all VINO may come within the coniectural sphere of
your combinations, to designate each by name. I'm
that way, only you may afford each OF fine deuo,Inc
ed an opportunity OF attempting TO defend himself
before the public, after bis condemnation by an
eXtraJudicial tribunal, without a tiial;-and At the
same Tune, relieve the public from The hazard nj
directing the vengeance OF their excited indiona-
tion against other victims than those intended for
immOlatiOn. "
Your obi. scr't,