Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-06-12
.SssstetotrD aGaUt0.
FRIDAY MORNING, JUNE IL; 1899.

woned affected style Of Johnsunan rotundity, as.
sumcs much credit FOR its silence upon DR.. Watkins
case, while was not vet before judicial tribunal.
we entirely approve lis sentiments ON this subject,
and we wish that the worthy editor had displayed
equal hhcrai'y in his general reflections upon the
case Having stated the he is pleased to say:
En- r,'o disce These frauds were lcretracd under the
noses OF IL. late administration, Than eighteen months
before th'y were put OF Office and vet they passed ehcr
uiu'ced ~ unheetcd by these viian and honest guardians
OF the public interests !c THAI month slap>cs
''r ,ne'r seceSss come to power and the POPULATION
unveiled, and the EcG,ra,or BROUGHT before the tribuna!
JsC 10 answer for MS dolmauences He escape under
the detect oil law, aud have with him Synpahc those
whose CONSCIOUSNESS OF similar dcnqrencics would place them
III P'i dcRoto, bu an Zorro coc'eio he Is guilty, and will
stand as perpetual monument for co point her slow
unmoving hnser att Taking the allegations for confessed
IS wa" ms general demurrer before us that we have INDUCED
in these remarks the that trying him setting
tins side the Potomac, he would DC favored with lodging
the Pcnucntary.
This is Iibcrality and forbearancc, with ven,
geance' Er uno disco: in ether words, what Wat
kns has done, that all have done according to the
most Christian logic Of the Advocate! Can the Ad-
VCcate in truth, mean what lie says: Did lie mean
to say, that 'becausc Or. Watkins was deaGlter,
ergo, ali who held Office under the late adminstra-
ton, or all that have been removed by Gen. Jackson
are equally criminal? Does he mean, that Watkins
guilt whatever be its degree. is vicarous and in
wolves the guilt of all oicc-holGcrs whatsoever, or
that It either has reflected or can or ought or will
reflect suspicion or Crminaty upon any man or nlen
having no agency III It's preparation? Did Con.
Prcstons or Mr.. Bakers dIlapidation of the State
Treasury, reflect discrcdit or crimnaiity upon the
other Officers ofthe State Government or OUGHT it
so to have done' And if Watkins and others of G.
quaiy unsuspected previous character have abused
the trust reposcd in tilcn ought it to enure to the
defamation and injury Of men who had no official
conneXion With, controul over tlcm and their acts
Wehave been alive from the first to the insidous
and mhuman efforts making TO give political dircc
ton and Influence to the case of Or. Watkins, but
we never did in1gine that paper possessed of so
honoulablc reputation the Charlottesville Advo-
cae--guidcd generally with so much more fairness
and good feeling than characterize the mass Of
It's CONDUCTORS, and whose Editor we understand to
bea gentleman '',inctured with humane letters would
lend It's countcnance to an attempt equally unfoundcd
in good sense and reason, and malignant in purpose
We have seen Duff Green broadly assuming tho
ground that the guilt Of the entire Administration
must be inferred from the guilt of Watkins and his
echo IN this city iasinuaiing what he wanted Green's
ruitan bodness to assert-but we did not expect the
sound soqse and rePutcd generosity of the Editor of
the Advocate 70 participate in purpose as void of
logical support oflbcrality. live were disposed
to appreciate either the understanding or the good
feeling ofthe Advocate too highly, tho circumstance
ought at least to give credit to tie sincerity of our
surprise at his course.
Nor. IS 1t a fair deduction, against the purity or
vigilance Of the late Administration, it is no arru
ment either to prove their want of industry in dcec.
ting, or their want of duty in exposing DR.. Watkins
frauds, that the discovery of these frauds was not
made until Gen. Jackson came into the Administra-
ton Suspicion must preccdc Investigation, and is
very sufficient for the non-detcction of Wat
kins practices by the late Administrations that they
we're not suspected 10 exist. Had such suspicion
existed and had tho Administration felt every desire
70 skrccn and to save Hatkins-lad they even DOS
scsscd these feelings warmly, as to be willing to
sacrifice their public duty their indulgence
SeJshacsc, that principle which their enemies impu-
ted to them as the Of al their actions. and
conccding them for the sake Of argument TO be cap
able Of 10 higher and Dober principle Of action
sclfenes itself must have led them to the exposure
aud punishment Of Watkins, as a matter of NECESSARY
aic;y and protection 70 themselves as they could
no, hut know, that The dctcctou by their SUCCESSORS
would reflect discrcdt upon 'her Vigilance or at any
rates he used to effect that object. Assigning then
tho worst possible motives to the late Adulinisrn-
tom reasoning upon their conduct as their enc
mics always took pleasure in reasoning upon IT, by
attrjuing the basost motives which could have pro-
duced the effect, IL is yet a gefdi from The prcna-
sc that they wanted either the honesty or the vigil
lance, ,olay open Watkins conductto the public cyo.
Having confidence in DR.. Watkins, no Investigation
Of thc state of lis accounts instituted nor do we
understand that the flcc Of The books themselves
showed the diversion Of the public money to his pri-
yoto u-c.
Whrn Gen. jackson came into Office hc entered
f Of suspicion "lcli feigucd, against lis prcdc-
and their assistants; and whether his suspicion
real or fcgncd only, having protested TO enter
t"rlgni', il was incumbent bim, to proceed MS if
were genuine. We feel os much real satisfaction