Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-06-06
RICHM oMD, JUME 6.
TO the Editors of the Gnquirey.

which it comes, (however dignifed that may be
induce me to notice. hope MIR. Bartlett will not
consider me as dissenting from him at all as to the
little importance which, he says, 4" he has at
tached 10 his speech;'' for, hardly any one could
have attached less to the speech itself than did.
IL was not 1, but others, who happened to hnd in
II, Gas they fain supposedly some materials for the
gfauhcation oil their prejudices against me, who
gave the speech an Importance which it certainly
never possessed in my estimation, and which the
speaker, with fully a. much truth as modesty, has
now disclaimed for himself. | beg leave also, to
say, that in the letter written by me to friend and
constituent in Amherst, (Which received publici-
ty that was not de signej for il by mel my object
was not to answer Mr.. Bartlett's speech, which 4
had thought sufficiently answered itself, but de
tend myself against certain charges oil serious and
even criminal character, which had been made
against me, under the ostensble sanction Of that
speech. In the g temper and spirit of those charg-
es, which were given in an extract, literally tram
scrbed from the letter OF my correspondent, not
cepdng the complimentary ePithets at which the
gentleman seems to be so much offended, and in
the unreserved frankness with which an honest
! representative communes with his consiiu-
ents; the public, am sure, will recognize am
pie apology for the q" temper and spirit in which
my letter may have been written, il there
had been nothing in the insinuations and innuen-
dos of the gentleman's speech to "justify"it.
But, the gentleman not only complains of the
temper and spirit' of my letter, but of the scene
and time OF its appearance. Now, as the motive
Tor writing the letter, was to defend myself against
certain charges the letter could not of course, be
written, until the charges were known to have
been made; and nothing seems TO be more natural
and proper than to answer charges before those, to
whom, and among whom, they made The
gentleman, however, would have it believed, that,
in not " meeting him on the field which, he says,
had myself chosen" and " in exhibiting my
frOtOesS by flourish of drum aud trumpet more than
an hundred miles distant" l was influenced by
some strange and unaccountable terror OF his pre-
sence Pretending TO no Pr0,ceSs myself, this
boast can excite no other feeling than one OF mirth
in my bosom. The gentleman's prowess, it is true,
has been exhibited OH one or two memorable
occasions, which, dare say, still fresh in the
recollection OF the public, and how tar the resem-
blance between those specimens Of it, and that of
his namesake, Mr.. ichabod Crane, in his rivalship
with Abraham Van Brunt, and his with the
gailoping Hessian, would 20, in the estimation of
genealogists, TO establish Kindred between them,
If not an identity, Qor the mysterious circumstan-
ces attending the disappearance of lchabod Crane
render 1t doubtful whether he is not still in exist
ence) Ileave it TO some future Diedrick Knicker-
booker, who seems to be the favorite historian Of
the gentleman from New Hampshire, to deter
mine.
As to the period of CESSATION and abour that pre-
| coded the birth of the gentleman's letter, and
| mine, and which he seems to have thought il ma
terial to discuss with great minuteness if the gen.
tleman's statement were precisely reversed,
doubt not that il would be fully as correct In
stead Of devoting 90 small portion OF the fetc
hours only that can now be diverted from other
engagements" it is notorious that the gentleman
totally abandoned his Other engagements in the
House for several days after the arrival of the En-
quIrer containing my letter, and scds confined
aoith his reply from the best information OBJ.
tain, one toeek at least How many accoucheurs
we're in attendance, or who they were, am not
able to say. though it sufficiently appears from
certain references in the letter. that the obstetrics
OF the State Department, well the statistics
OF the treasury, were put in requisition. The pub
lie will perhaps feel more interest in the character
of the offspring, and will doubtless be surprised to
learn that it is ahytrdous production, proceeding
from an Unnatural alliance between Amherst and
New Hampshire; for. the moment it was known in
Amherst that had dared vindicaon OF myself,
a communication was despatched TO Mr.. Bartlett
calling upon him for" aid and comfort, which he
has afforded with as much promptitude as the ma
ture OF the admitted.
The gentleman, with a cruel joy, seems 10 ex-
ult in the aggravation of my dyspeptc symptoms
occasoned by the swallowing OF his lees can
not ind II in my heart to be cruel, and assure
the gentleman have seen soith pity the melan-
choly indications OF the jdi,dice and the spleen,
which " returning the chalce to his own lips has
produced upon him. As to the lecture which the
gentleman is pleased to read me ON manners, |
will only say,
sc For mine o,cn part,
shall DC glad to learn Of noble men,"
and TO be instructed in what " becomes" me, by
those who know what becomes themselves.
But to be done with badinage, which, however,
may accord with the deserts Of the gentle man,
feel not to be respectful to the tribunal before
which he has summoned me, will proceed to no.
tee some of the gravcr matter contained in his let
ter Notwithstanding the humble estimate he
processes to put upon his speech, he at least
10 have thought il worthy OF republication, and has
accordingly introduced a large por,ron OF IL into
his letter. Although there is not remark in
that extract affecting the correctness of the views
previously submitted by me, which do not COLI
slider oPen TO the most satisfactory reply, shall
forJear 10 notice auy other parts OF than those 10
winch he has directed attention by his own COM
mentsfytoI. after having been worn down by iabo-
rious service vi SIN months III " asIngtoB, Cannot
consent TO give up the time winch had hopc q
would be sacred to repose domestic engage
ments, even for the honOtr OF . controversy with
the gentleman from Now Hampshire
lhe gentleman refers to part vi iiis extract,
lin which he has undertaken to embody some re-
marks made ny me for the purpose OF correcting
him,) 10 shew that instead of " setting him right in
his misconceptions OF me- had collected myself,
IN breath, Of Two errors involving, millions ia a.
mount" Now, how Is this matter? The extract
shews, (even taking IL for authority y that the gem
teman made me to say that Z" from three or four
millions in Jefferson's Administration, our expendi-
lures have increased in fourth of a century, 10
twenty-five millions" ] said no such thing, aud
therefore to correct the gentleman. There
were two material errors III his staiement.--He
made me TO speak Of the Wh0ie expenditures OF the
government, when had, in fact, spoken OF the or.
binary current expenditures only, as conradistin-
guiShed from payments OH account OF the public
debt, and he then made me TO say that those
expenditures under the present admInisf alton
were tweDty-fiv millions when had stated that
they were thirteen millions. This appears IRON
the geDtleman's own evidence, and prove, not
withstanding his bold, no less than &" self compla-
cent assertion to the contrary that did set him