Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1829-02-26

dence BY which to MAINTAIN II. Yet YOU cal
upon me TO name the persons affected BY tht
ensrgei charge 10 your IS innate deeply stig
mat's'ag upon those persons; and yeu permi
yourselves 10 remind me, that nv seese OF
justice and seyf restecf obhge me to disclose ali
mat 90 possess. Ny sense of justice TO YOU
gentlemen induces me 10 re mark, that 4 leave
your set respect 20 the moral influences of youi
own minds, sithoui presuming 10 measure il
oy the dIctation OF mine.
suppose, then, that in compliance with youS
cal', should nsme enc, two or theee persons
as intended 20 be included in the charge SUP
pose heithet OF these persons TO be one Of you.
you. however, have given them notice. tha, !
nave noevidence sgainst them, by which The
ehsrge IS proyeabir in y court Of law--snd yo,,
know that ], as we'll as yourselves, am ancna
DE 10 The la~s OF the land. Does your self
respect convince you that the persons so named.
iig"iity, would furnish the evidence sgains;
themselves. which they have been notified Ina,
do mol passessi Are you sure that the car
respoodsnce winch uouId prove their guilt may
no, 10 Tue lapse ct rs years have been commit
Yea 10 The flames! In these DAYS OF failer and
" ueAcherous memories, may they not have
forgotten that any such correspondence ever
eAstsu' And have you any guarantee To offer.
thai should rot be called by ssnmnns mare
imperative than yours. 10 produce IN the TEN
PIE oiJusi'ce the proof. which you say have
not, or be branded for a foul and m.l;voan,
sianderer OF spotless and prosecuted virtue, Is
1t not besides imaginable that persons may err.
ut, who, though twenty-five years since driven
IN the desperation OF disappointment. to The
mediation and preparation OF measures teodng
10 the dissolution OF the Union, perceived sf,es
wards the error of their ways, and would nov
gaiiy wesh out from their own memories ,he;,
participation m projects, upon which the stamp
o, idei Ole rePro5atlon has pssu Is II not possi
Die that some Of The ccnspiratoss have been
caissd 10 account before higher than an ear,bl,
raounai Tor all the good and evil Of their lives;
ana whose reputation might aow suffer need
iessiy by the eisclosurs Of their nameai I pu,
'aese cases 10 You, gentlemen, as possible, to
saO" YOU that neither ny sense OF Justice nor
my seh respect does require of me 10 disclose
the names ut persons, tor whom you have and
can have no right to speak
These conslderstions app.sr indeed IN me
soforc'bie, that t is not without surprise. thu,
sm compelled to believe they had escsped
your Observation. cannot believe of any of
you that winch l an sure never entered the
hearts OF some ofIou, that you should have &c
'eIsea 'he Pseseht moment, foe tie purpose Of
drawing me itf9a controversy not ouiy with
yourselves, out with others, you know no,
whom-oi daring me TO the announcement, OF
names which i@enty years since declined com.
muting to the ear OF confidential friendshn. and
to the production OF evidence which. tbou.b
perfectly satisfactory 10 my owo mind. and
per!ectiycompe(e nt for tie foundation az M
ne AID patriotic public conduct. WAS adequate
10 Court OF law neither 10 the conyjction of
the gmiiy, nor 70 the just ,fcation ostl, accu-
ser, ana SO explicitly pronounced by myself.
fou say that you have no design nor wish to
produce an effect on any political party OF ques
"oh "na'eVer--nor TO enter into any vidication
on the measures publicly adopted and avowed
oy tue persons against whom The above charge
mas neeo made. But con you believe that this
SUBJECT would be discussed between YOU AMI
me- ssyod propose, when calling upon me fer
Q statement, with The avowed intention OF rets
ting 1t, and not produce an effect on any oofieaf
fa-ty or quesaon? With regard % the public
measures OF those times and the succeedins
winch YOU declare 10 have had your sanction
ano appreciation, u needs no disclosure now.
tha' q radical and irrecobsahle difference oi
opinion between most OF yourselves and me
existed. And can You suppose that in discIos
ing names and stating facts, known perhaps
only 10 myself ] could consent to separate
them for those public measures, which YOU 50
cordially approved and which I 40 deepIy
llmenedf Must your own defence agains,
these Charges forever rest exclusively upon a
solemn proies,ation against the natural infer
ence from the irresistible tendency of action 10
the secret intent of the actor! That statesman
who believes in human virtue should De slow
to draw this inference against such roIemn rs
seTvaiions. readily admit: but for the reguls
ton OF the conduct OF human life, the rules of
evidence are widely different, from those, which
receive or exclude testimony in court OF law
Even there. you know, that violent presumption
Is Equivalent, ~ cases efiectng life itself, to
positive proof, and IN succession Of political
measures through a series Of years, all tending
to the same sesul, there IS an internal evidence
against which mere denial, however solemn
Can scarcely clam the credeuce even of the
Charity that belirveth all things
Let me add that the statement authorized by
me, as published in the National intel lgencer.
Was made. not only without the intention, but
~ithout The most distant imagination of offend.
ing you or OF inJurIng any one Of you.--i3ut, on
the contrary, for the purpose expressly ois-
aVo~n9 charge which was before the public.
SANCTIONED with the name OF the late Mr.. JET
fefson, impatlng to certain citizens Of Massa.
ohusetts. reasonable negotiations with the
British government during The war, and er.
pressly stating that no had received information
o. this from me. On the publication of this
letter. deemed it indispensable due to myself.
and to all the citizens of Massachusetts. NOT
only 10 deny having ever given such information.
but all knowledge Of such a fact And the
more se,because that letter had been published
though without my knowledge, yet waa well
assured from motives of justice and kindness
70 me. 1t contained declaration by Mr.. JET.
ierson himself. frank, explicit. and true. oil
tae character OF the motives of my conduct in
all he cfnne NJ no anil. -