Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1828-04-30

yes'S since'' ana oy way OF enabling those you a.
dress 10 form some opiuioD of this cou etionette
add, at would, indeed, be subject of en- snec,
laioo TO imagine the feelings of plain pianter fra
Virginia, Kentucky Tennessee who heinz Jonn,.
nsh'ng,on. TO protect the property and liberty
hrs fellow citizens, is informed upon his arrival Nh.
he must be cautious not TO accost Mr. A hef,,o M
D. and that should he past on either of the bipb dip
ntares out OF due order, If it we're not regarded as
mortal offence, would stamp him as destitnt.
zation. and go nigh to exclude him from soc;e,r
| Really, gentlemen this is most notable instance y
your iairress, and OF your endeavor 40 rescue nh,
question from The controui Of prejudicen II Lapnen
unio tunaely for Sou, however, that Mr. Nile, IN hi
invauab!e Register has preserved a CON, of Ills 49,,
Use on court precedence and court etioueite and
should be glad, If every of tiose psn p,u,ers ron
speak OF could read it, They would then know how 10
estimate your pretensions 10 be their guides md in
structors That treatise as you cand,dlS eli :, 80 .
private letter TO MIR. Tompkins the V;co pa;
dent, and which MIR. adams himself chose r., rrhi,.,
Ia OF ITS having been alluded to by cor
respondent IN the Richmond Enquirer The ie,,er ;s
now before me and may be found in the eIst vol NJ
Mes Register pa. 327. Ii thus begins Dear Sir
III mas been suggested 10 the that some of the Nom,
bers OF the Scnate entertaining the opipon Tia, , m
nai VISIT IN person by oard due from each or The
"teads of the Executive Departments NJ tho ,,,
mencement OF every session of Congress to every
senator at his arrival at the of government, have
considcred the omission on my part TO nav sph v;s;,
'as The Withholding from them of proner N, rir f -
poet or even, as iGpl, ing pre,enson 10 exacI suc
ia foTmality from them DiscIai,u,np ey.rv such
p'e'shsion and every such claim my part, take
the liberty of submitting you the FOLLOWING exnIa
nation OF the motives which have governed INV con
nuct III relation to this biectn
lie teu states that he had awa,s considered this ne
government Tor The transaction of business and
'nal no ceremonial for the mode or order of inter
changing visits between the persons be,o,g;no IN liz
respective departments in il had been established =
NC "'"se" MAD oeen a senator, and Judging BY his
men, had supposed that 1.-The change
ana order OF Ss 'ons entirely optional on bo sides
and That no ruie Of etiquette whatsoever existed which
required mat either party should pay the first ui. or
oecd any visit To the other. lie then states that in
,"e winter OF iSlI-l8, Two members Of the Senate,
Su Called al iis Office and informed him hat .here
was minute Of rule agreed upon not officially but
privately by the members of The Senate of tie FIST
That The senators OF the u States paid the first
VISIT TO no person except the PRESIDENT To which lie
.'"eu mat he h1d never seen or heard of the rule
'hat ne could have objection &c any rule that the,
s"o"'" prescribe for themselves, but that they did
mean he presumed TO prescribe that other persons
must VISIT them; 10 which the members assented -
That he had since that time acted in the same way
towards The members OF u'at body, as tow rds those
me fionse OF Repr esentaiives neither conceving
e's duty TO pay 10 any member first visits and moi
once imagining shat FIRST visit due from any
member 10 Inn" After then protesting peculiar re-
spect Tor the Senate, apd indicating the course pur-
SUED ov Mrs. A. who seems TO have acted the
saue principles, he concludes with saying that he
thought "a candid explanation Of the motives of his
conduct particularly due To those members of the
Senate who, II had been Infatuated him. mad thought
that conduct cxceptionab!e.n
This letter which you call teatse on etiquette in
'oe same sense that would call Luther and Calvin
writers OH popery, and the rights of mani traa-
Use on monarchy. written by Mr.. Adams in Dec
1919, not only 10 justify himself with the Senate for
iis refusal 10 comply with the etiquette which tlley
had prescribed, but also, il is understood,
10 dePrccae the resentment OF of the Senator'S
iad'es, who refused TO accept Mrs. AS invitations be-
cause, in:soo'h she had nor nude them Erst riSu
" nat would the plain planters HON GU pray in aid
say TO this, do you think?
Tins letter beng of private and personal charac-
Ter, was io' published hut vas occasionally spoken
oil ~ whispers. and was turned To good account
ny The misrepresentation aud ready Ingenuity of
party. a little fiacns having occurred soon after
wards hetsecn Two foreign Ministers as they were
leaving, the Presidents House, aud winch was i,upro
perry supposed TO have originated in question of Ell.
Gncite, correspondent OF The Enquirer in seeking to
a'ue lis readers with account of the affair thought
III occasion 10 speak Of tins letter of Mr. Adams
as he lad heard it represented Upon seeing which,
MIR. Adams IN self Defence sent the letter se the
Nanona! IDieigeucer for publication. II Mr.. A
dams hso had a more unfavorabe opinion of human
nature, or could have anticipated that unreenting,
Incorporating n,aey oence OF party which he has
since expsr fenced, he would not have written tins
subject. lie would have to that lie would have
been nisrep'eseDed. But the contents of the letter
itself seems 10 be unexccpiiSnabe The truth is,
there is any tendency srsocratic spirit in this
nation, VI is in ihe Senate OF the United Staies. Many
OF It's members have affected consider ihemselves
immediate representatives of tho people, for proof of
which, refer 60 the ttne when they insisted On recef
wing seven dollars day. land actually received it for
one session. while The members OF the other House
ceived hu six-to their styling themselves ''uoSf
honoT6Lfc," while the repres snatives honora-
bles" merely -and 10 the petensiops OF first visits,
which they communicated to MIR. Adams, and which
they have partially succeeded IN giving The force {
us7ge. ] presume he thought With you that "pre-
Posterous and silly these ohseIvsnces really are
they are no longer rifes when they miDgling
IN The tastes and marking The deneauor OF these 10
whom adventurous causes may give power to control
the bablts OF the country; they palpaGiy betray in
c'iaa'0n TO destroy the simplicity of manners,
wmoh III great degree depends the purity OF
rails ard Of course the permanency of political in
ssituiions And you that hs letter is at vari
ance with every thing you state concerning IT, If you
arc sincere IN the piece OF solemn morazing have
Just quoted, / see not how you withhold from him
the need Of your appreciation and praise.
| X is but decent TO suppose, gentlemen, that a par
Of you had never this letter of MIR. Adams, bu
that II had not been read and not remembered
by another portion, requires rather more charity thar
is possessed or will be affected by