Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1828-11-06

the 26th to the injury Of MIR. Adams, he Aaa an
ms pocket the letter of the 25th, generating Mr.
Adams from the very accusations then preferrng a.
gans him by Mr.. Giles and commencing his conduct
In the warmest terms! is of compound trea-
cherry, injustice and meanncss without parallel in
the conduct of public men In Virginia, and however
Virginia may dislike MIR. Adams and Mr.. Adams Ad-
mnisration, confident That Mr.. Giles conduct
has met with but one sentiment of exccrion; Il feel
ing enhanced by the preposterous and ridiculous pre-
tence, that IN supprcssing letter and publishing
the oher he was actuaed by tender regard for Mr..
Jeiiersons reputation! Fudge! The Lord deliver
Mir. Jefferson reputation from his Exccncncy's keep
ing.
We have kept the reader too long from Mr. Jeflcr-
son Rando!phs nervous and manly letter; but we
were exceedingly DESTROYS TO fix the prominent ,;-
lures of the transaction in the public mind Mr. Ran
dolphs explanation of Mr. JefersDns alluson to the
War, as meaning the War of restrictive measures,
and not the War of 1912, completely satisfactory,
and while reconcile the chronology Of the letter Of
the 25th, with that of Mr. Adams exposition it de-
privcs his Excellcncy Gov Giles of the foundation of
his hypothesis Of MIR. Jehersons waning intellect
To the Editors Of tie ENQUIRER.
| GBSTLEnEN: III your paper of the I'D over tho
signature of''Wm. b. Giles" l find my name us,i
III 4 manner unexpected a. it has been unmeritcd
and ulcourteous.
On the 18th of Octohcr, Judge Stuart addressed a
letter to Inc, wishing copy of one written by Mr.
Jefferson to MIR. Giles; requesting it rs an act Of
Justice, due to Mr.. Adams to remove certain false
Impressions entertained by the public of the cstnia
ton in which no was held by Mr.. Jefferson. | saw
then, as see now, no improprcty III my furnishing
the copy called for end particularly bore honor
able testimony the character Of an DdiYidual; and
! ne he If Icf-
| terson. But it seems that in complying with this
request have been false to his memory and false
to my country, because there irur0tive OK
prcssons in this letter, and because it an evidence
of the patriotism and integrity Of an individual stan
ding himh in the estimation OF large portion of bis
felowctzens. Mr.. Jefferson uses the expression
OF 1.-The wal then going on. and again nt tho close OF
| the war" Having myself heard the substance Of
this letter from his lips so ocli and its hay;uo
been so long familiar to me- had not, perhaps, sui
ccutly advertcl to the literal construction, whic!
would be applied TO these words by persons to whom
the subject would be new. II the first expression
he ulludrs to the wuged by the bchreran:s on
our commerce. and the of restrictive measures on
our part. In the latter he speaks ofthe actual war
which was about to take place ana which the whole
language OF his correspondence OF that Gay shcvs
that he believed to be immediate, and incyitable--
How otherwise is the Inconsistency OF these exnrcs-
sons with the following to be accounted for, IL saw
the necessity of abandoning it. end instead of efac
tlng our purpose by this peaceful weapon, we must
hgic it out. If the first expressions are to be taken
literally old not fguratively. great, indeed must
have beer the wane of mind, and Of memory, which
had become inadequate to detect the striking incon
sstencies of short letter; copying too from the
rough draft as he always did and revising carefully
every thing before it passed from his hands AS ar
additional evidence that those words were used tou
ratvcy, and not literally, quote from letter of his
dated january 90, 1909, to Mr.. Monroe when the
events herc spoken ofwcre III their actual trast the
ioiioWig expression: our peace and prosperity may
be reviTed" This taken literally would likewise
suppose the actual existence Of war; for peace ia
BE- revived must first have been lost and It's oppo-
site condition war, in existcuco and yet presume it
is not intended to be isinuacd, that this faulty en-
lsed liz 1909.
This letter to Mr.. g. is dated on the c5th pccn1i-
ber 1925: on the Goth the next day after NIGHT OF
rcposc, Mr.. Giles finds him in the full viror of j;
faculties, and upon this expression IN that letter VIZ
~: Mr. Glless letter found engaged IN what
could not lay aside until this day. assumes the exis-
tence of mental distress and embarrassing business
for four days previous to tile 18th which assu1np
ton Is utterly destitute of all foundation in fact and
wholly erroneous. Upon this assumption he very
plausby, and most lunaney and consc ratcly apol-
ogiSes for the alterations of Nr. JcFrsoas memory
and the fauty of his intellect at that ''untortunatc
moment do rncst solenuly Dir. Giles and
| have documents N my possession abundantly to
prove st, that his occupations for previous to the
2ah entirely of public nature and not at nil
calculated to produce unpleasant embarrassment
and mental Distress; and when Mr.. q. shall have
persed the result Of his lnbors for those -four DAYS
he Will admit that it was not less Fortunate effort Q?
his intellect than that Of the 26th which he is pleased
to commend SO highly. Mr.. Giles evidently uludc;
by this unpleasant embarrassment SC. to Nh JEFF
ersons pecniary difficulties. Lean assure him that
he felt these but in the abstract md in articl
patton for his family: The weight of his pecuniary
embnrrasslncnts hung ever uPonmy shoulders, never
upon his
Mr. Giles SAYS that stFs good opinion" ..t,r Icf
tcrson entertained of Mr.. Adams. perhaps for
some time before and certainly never after his mos
sage to Congress in Dec. 1926"
(See Mr. Us lotter of Jan. 81 1926l "I have never
entertained FOR mr. Adams any but sentiments OF es-
TEEN and respect: end if we have not thought nike
upon political subjects yet doubted tic homes
! ty of his opinions"
i Mr. Giles felt himself impcllcd by his duty to the
public to publish in September, 1927, Mr.. JcIcrspn's
letter OF December 20, 1895. The only material
sentence which he has omitted in his publication is
the first which now give, viz: Il wrote you letter