Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-05-24
For THE CoSsTlTrTIoNAL WIG

rtas,,orn - CON ..ss.. .ss.sss TO bill
Of complaint fled agains, him by Z. ~. o. ,.e
CITY of Richmond and State Of Virginia: MS
respondent, saving TO himself the beneht OF
exceptions TO the many errors and i,npf''s'
,ions contained in The compliments bill, lot
answer thereto, or 10 so much thereof as he
is advised is material for him TO answer, an
swere,h and saws: he admits The writing OF me
letter to the "Hon. G.. w. Campbell, Esq
mentioned in the complainant's bill, but denies
the conclusion drawn thereltom; and he pieds
cs himself to prove thar the complainant II
nothing more nor less shan a"secrete emissa'
~ Of the Hartford consenIion, who, IKE N"e
midnight assassin, would not hesitate to plu' &c
his roinard into the heart OF man a"a
rifle him Of his goods, the turpi.nde OF when
act, however, Iooses all its horrors when COM
pared with tie blow herein aimed at the cha
recter Of the respondent"
This respondent, greatly deplores the neces-
si,y of using such harsh expressions towards
the complainant, as it has ever-been both con-
trary TO his practice, and abhorten' TO MS
nature, to indulge in abusive language, even
when speaking Of his bi'terest enemies; o"'
when the extent Of the provoca,ion is duly
weighed, he is persuaded he will stand Jus'itird
before the whole world, for any Thing he may
allegation in tho complainan,s bill, is that the
respondent, With others, Lnlawtuiiy conle+ere
ting and combining, threatened tina, he would
consume by FIRE, in his agency house, ore otlas
Dinsmore, agent TO the Choctaw Indians. II
cannot for one moment be credited that the
complainant himself could have placed The
smal,s' T., lance upon SD insignificant matter,
wien Il comes 10 be contraste6 with multi ude
Of The still more energetic measures, for i'ich
the respondent has received the unbounded ap-
plause Of ell the great men OF The nation,
and Of all the presses Joined in holy alliance
against The present odious, Unconstitutional
and latitudinarian administration. Have they
no, over and over again justified, nay, lauded
this respondent TO the skies, for waging war
with foreign power, shooting mili,iamen tor
nut serving as long as he chose 10 require, exc
cu.ing men contrary 10 the decision Of the til.
bunal appointed by himself TO try them, de-
ciaring martial law. >uspendirg the writ OF
habeas corpus, imprisoning and biac kguarding
Judges, il su,ing the Governor Of Georgia and
der wing TO the State the right Of self defence,
besides many other most wholesome and consu-
tu,ional measures too numerous 10 specify! II
he Sc cannot be SAFELY relied on as presidents.
10 jns iy any art that IL, hrI;.-,sa ,h.
~ eNan can, in future, take single step
without sublecting his conduct 10 the ca,ils Of
the fastidious OF perhaps himself TO the penal
Ties of The law -preccdcnts can never be again
considered as establishing any principle oflaw,
equity or morality; society must revert 10 its
original elements, and the most lamen able
state OF anarchy and confusion, take place of
ihit admirable system Of law, order s liberty,
which has ever prevailed wherever The au'ho-
iii, Of this respondent has been exercised The
next, and by much the most serious charge in
the comp 'ainan,'s bill, is that the respondent
has been guilty OF assassinatEg The English
language, the mother tongue of the people OF
these U. States. Blu: this respondent hatters
himstlf that he has bern district attorney, and
Judge Of the supreme court Of Tennessee 10
little purpose, If he has vet 20 learn, tina. 10
constitute the crime Of assassination every
thing depends upon The quo amino with which
the deed SO charged has Seen perpe,ratcd; aud
the complainant himself has in autlousy adj
mil,ed, that many strongly contend, thar all :hc
acts upon which he has put so uncharitable a
constructions, were ignorAntly comm:,ted-the
many being always right, The respondent
claims the full benefit OF this unguarded adj
mission, but he utterly denies the Justice Of the
compliments conclusion ,herefrom, viz. that
his ia ne should be erased from the lis, Of pre-
to refu,e proposition, which is stamped on
its face with the evidence Of ITS ab,urdity, The
respondent would refer 10 the very able, eIo~
quent and unanswerahle argument Oft the Hon:
John Randolph Of Roanoke, delivered on hlis
and various other relevant topics, in his d. serv-
eddy celebrated speech upon the subject Of re-
trenchment. tits there JUS ~ m ain aimed by this
enlightened statesman & truly consistent pol,ti
clan, that learning is not only not necessary in
Presilen' of the u States, bu, iha, it is posi-
lively injurious and a decided hindrapce to The
proper execution Of the du,irs of nj, Office.
And i, may be faiIly inf, FRED, that in his opin,
ion Purdy, the famous rider Of Eclipse, would
ma Ike a better Presiden, than any other man in
The Upior,his filendW. r. j. perhaps only ex-
cepted! Learning. according TO the dic.um Of
the illusrious author of the sptech on retrcrch-
mem (who BY the way seems 10 BIZ particular
~ anxious to effect retrrnch ment Of this art-
cie) is an appendage TO the character of a
worse than useless, serving bvt to
clog the free and independent exercis. of The
faculties of the unlettered man by which he is