Virginia statesman. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1828-1829, 1828-08-06
TO GEN. ANDREW JACKSON

IL Q4A4N. AAFDAeA w VhOhOO4N'
! OIR,-It may appear Presumptuous in
/ SSme, humble private citizen, deyot-
ed to a profession which necessarily cir
cumscribes my operations withina limited
sphere, and scarcely known perhaps be-
yond the immediate vicinity In which | live,
thus publicly to address a fortunate and
successful military chieftain," whose
fame has resounded throughout the union,
and who IS now an ispirant to the most ex-
alled station in the civilized world. But,
sir. the time was, and that not very far dis
tant, when you would have thought It the
extreme of arrogance and folly to dream In
your most selfcomplacent moments, ofthe
possibility Of attaining, by any efforts or a
chievements of yours, distinction so ele-
vated. And much as circumstances may
Ihaye changed with you, lido not admit any
right possessed by YOU, any more than a
nv other citizen, directly or indirectly, IN
yindicating yourself, or in the attempt to
diminish the effects Of your own judlciOus
and unfortunate conduct, to cast unbound
ed imputations upon the actions and mo
hyes ofothers My reputation, sir, hum
bic, and unaspiring as | am, Is as dear to
me as yours can be TO yourself or to your
Isycophants. And / assure you, l am too
much of republican to submit 10 the idea,
that any man, however great or powerful,
should be permitted to assail my charac-
/ ter without calling forth from me at least a
decided and fearless effort to protect It and
sustainit. The necessity OF resorlng to
| this course is, however, as unexpected by
me, as it probably will be by You. Until a
very short time since, | had hoped that the
present canvass for the presidency might
| have passed by without my name being
brought before the public IN conneXlon
whit And had II not so happened, that,
acting upon the principle avowed by your
SELF. and SO much eulogised byyour friends
ofnaither seeking nor declining office, had
yielded to the solicitations Of my friends,
/ and permitted myself to be announced,
contrary TO my wishes, as a candidate for
elector in this district, should never pro-
/ badly have been assailed IN public print
/ In such a manner as TO call forth a reply
( from me. I felt well convinced that am
/ indebted 20 this little circumstance for the
consequence Won have attempted to give
me, and for the scurrlIous manner IN which
/ I have been assailed, regard therefore,
not only TO my own reputation, but to the
/ feelings Of those kind friends who have
nominated me as the organ for expressing
thcir wishes, prompts me to submit Il
few PLAIN remarks IN own my yindIcation.
have been charged in public print
published, sir, as | shall presently show,
( with your sanction, and by your authority,
with hypocrucaliy refusing to eXhlbityour
| bank book, at the very moment that knew
/ it had been exhibited, and that too with
ma coRaiCaaCe. 1t is vain, sir, for YOU to
attempt to cast the responsibility Of this
I publication on the irresponsible youth who
/ is ostensibly the editor Of the paper in
which it appeared. Did 1t come from
I him alone, it would be far beneath my
/ slightest nouce. Every part ofthe article
carries with it evidence of your agency IN
Its composition. It's very probable that IN
/ this instance, as you have been accustomed
/ to DO In others, you NAV have awaited your
self of the assistance of some clerk more
accustomed TO the use of the pen than
yourself, but as references are made TO
your private transactions, to written con-
1 tracts of old date, only to be found in your
own possession, aud even to your iRteR-
tons and designs at the date Of the occur
/ rences, which took place in the infancy of
thc editor of the Republican, am fully au-
thoused IN regarding you as its real author.
No man who peruses it, can for a moment
doubt that it was written at your suggestion
aud approved and sanctioned byyou. II,
IN thus holding YOU responsible for 1t, /
haze done y0u iajastiCe, have onIyto say
Ia your own language. 'tte gentleman can
. crpIaiR." If, indeed, the article does not
contain what YOU are ready to vouch for q,
adhere to m all It's details, YOU owe 1t to
truth, to Justice aud TO your own honor,
promptly and unequlvocally to dlsclaIm a.
contradict. 1t will not do, in the present
state of the controversy, to wrap Yourself
'up in the mantle Of imaginary dignity, and
to suffer your starlings to cry out, unre-
proved. in whatever language Of insoience
. 81 yuigarity may be most familiar to them.
No, sir, YOU very readily came forth from
the retreat Of your freside, at the call of
Garter Beverly, when you thought you
+ might iuiure a conspicuous rival. You
(. cannot, therefore, consistently, shrink from
the public gaze, when called out to yindi-
cate your own reputation.
In the article in the Republican find
the following pathetic aud eloquent sen