Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1829-04-24

has since received, from the government, or PEG.
pie OF the U. S. In his first disclosures" then,
MIR. a. is to be considered as party Offering his
| own testimony, in his own cause, and interested
10 the extent Of both fame and fortune, in making
his testimony 6eliered. And are the characters
or memories, of many Of tho wisest and worthiest
\ men of whom our country can boast, TO be dis
graced. or even subjected to suspicion. by the eff
I gGF declarations Of party, or witness carrying
bis testimony to market!
II NOT, the question arises, whether Mr.. AS re.
cent repetition ofthe same charges. are entitled
10 more credit, than his first disclosures. They
are, ON The contrary, even more suspicious than
his originaisecret representations. For though
nc mas, now, less to gain from the confirmation
oil those charges than when they were first malc.
he has, nevertheless. incomparably more TO lose.
from their REPUTATION or reputed talsity. When
he first dvulged his secret TO Messrs. Giles and
Jefferson, he undoubtedly supposed, that he should
by that act. expose himself to nothing more than
the chance OF failing TO obtain credit and conf
dence, where he had ncrer, before, enjoyed either,
and to the possible disappointment Of hopes, which,
tp,thouf the experiment Of his disclosure, he could
never have INDUCED. He clearly expected. that.
even in the most unfavorable event, he should
only be left in stdtu quo. He certainly believed
his secret TO be securely lodged, where TO public
search could reach it; and could. therefore, be
der no apprehensions Of public exposure.
But when Of late, and to his amazement, the
portentous secret burst from its concealment in
to the light OF day, he was instantly transformed
from secret accuser, into party publicly ac
cused. He was al once put upon tho defensive
and reduced to the alternative Of either persist
inc in his accusation, of submitting to the stg-
ina OF the blacklist ingratitude, perfidy and cal
umny, towards one OF the great political parties
oil the country, and the basest hypocricy and deceit
towards the other-to the alternative in brief Of
Of maintaing publicly, what he had declared in
secret, or of bearing through life burihen OF in
fanny, too heavy for mortal strength or hardihood.
Under such circumstances, not to persist in his
former statements, would be in elect 10 plead
guity-it would be, TO sink at once, and with veD
geance from "glory" TO "gloom"-from "the SUBJ
lime to the ridculous"-I had almost said from
"1Opaz' to Ebony" Can MIRA. fatter himself that
upon such authority as this the people Of the U.
,. Will pronounce sentence against their confiden-
tisl and long tried agents-,he living and the dead'
It's particularly worthy Of observation, that
Mr. AS disclosure against the federal party, in
the form in which he has chosen 10 present them
to the public, are, even If untrue, absolutely inc
pabe Of duec disproof or positve contradiction
This remark is equally applicable TO oil the state.
ments, which have been published on this subject
under his name or avowed sanction.
aHeh.,b walden, that doth guide nj, .slOr,
Tosei III safety"
Thus, although he has implicated in his project
an important, and as he represents it, formida-
BILE part Of the federal party, yetas he has stu.
d!onsly avoided, except in single instance,
(tnich did not require at, the mention of any
Individual, bynume. he has secured to himself the
very convenient resource of exculpatng, in detail,
every one whom it may he hazardous to accuse or
prudent to conceal-whiie he repeats the accmsa.
ton against them collectively So economical, in
deed, has he been Of this resource, that when Iii.
rcc.ly and civly inquired ofby number ofmost
respectable gentlemen in Massachusetts,. interest.
ed IN tie enquiry, to declare scho were the con-
spirators he had denounced, he takes exceptions
to the form OF the interrogaores pleads 10 the
disability OF the enquiries-demurs specially-al-
leges naisjoinder Of parties Preserves"
and protests" like any special pleader; and, at
length. utterly refuses to make any direct answer.
10 the naming Of names he appears to feel as
strong repugnance, as .afadge lPildjire herself:
"Never ask folks names-t's the maist uncivil
thing may be. Ifye dinna ken their names, We
ken there can be ma mair sPeered about it," 1.-The,
who can thus palter, and tamper, and sport with
the lame OF his fellow men, allowed to turn their
Characters and memories into commodity for
his own profit, Mr.. A. is chespIy provided with
capital stock. on which he may traffic, TO his
life's end.
AS regards Mr.. Tracy whom, only of the whole
fedora! party, MIR. a. has vouchsaied to name, il
may be proper TO stale that he has now been in
his grave Tor twenty-five years. Thc"other mem
Der OF Congress-" who is alleged TO have been pre-
sent at one Of the conversations, between Mr.. Il.
and Mr.. A. happens also to be dead and is hitherto
nameless. Whether there is any deep philosophy in
MIR. AS apparent preference o. dead SI anonymous
10 living and known, authority, which might con-
front him, cannot presume to determine-But
as "dead men," according to the proyerb, 'sieN
no tales" so, on .he other hand, they can contra-
Diet none.
How remarkable is It, also. that even if Mr.
Tracy's alleged communication to AR. a. could
be, and actually were, directly iisproved, safe
retreat is still provided for Mr.. AS veracity.
For in naming his informant. he speaks only
from the -" best OF his recollection" and is
"not perfectly CERTAIN" from ,rhonl he received
his information. Indeed! And il he is not perfect
~ cerain--if his recollection be- az he confesses
uncertain. why is not the " other" member OF
congress also named!-Or rather, why. "contrary
TO his won't" has Mr. A. venured, while in such
uncertainty, to inpIicae any particular individual
in so grave charge--and especially one, reposing
in the dust! Is i. decent, jusi, that the memory
Of man, who while in life. was long invested
with high public trusts and who enjoyed, to The
end Of his days, the esteem and confidence of the
greatest and best men OF the nation, should be as
sailed, or subjected TO suspicion, upon the bare
authority Of vague and doubtful recollection, or
conjecture? If so, the best security for poslhu.
nous fame Is speedy oblivion
MIR. Tracy, it IS well knnwn, was a man Of un.
usual tact and address, in all situations, and a mos,
acute judge of the characters of men. Few per-
sons better understood, or moro in.uyely perceiv-
ed, not only the marked pecuiiaTiiies but the nj
Ger and less obvious features OF the human char
acter. He was also early and we'll acquainted
with Mr.. A. and was not ignorant OF the strength,
and obdurscy Of his personal resentmenis and an
upaihes. lie knew, moreover, what many per-
haPs, at that time did no.-the terms, on which
Mr.. A. stood with Gen. Hamilton. The brilliant
aud exalted character OF that great man had long
been, 70 the house Of Brantree. an object Of deep
jealousy, and resentment " Under him" Mr.. A.
had telt his genius rebuked," and of all mankind
lnot excepting even Mr.. Ames, or Col. Pickering
most odious. In the hereditary and cherished an
tpathies OF Mr.. A., Gen. III. il is believed had