Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1829-03-05


sons, aho, from the relations they sustained "a
TIER party, NAV sppfehend that the public
SlIi Apply TO them charges Of this vague des
cHphon, may JON IN such numbers as they shall
thlnS 1T, 10 demand an explanation OF charges
winch Will probably sif' CT some Of them sll.-
The night, upon the immutsble principles oI
justice, " cotnmeRsus ate with the injury. ana
should be adopted TO its Character.
AZ sins who can DOUBT that the public repu.
ta,ion ~ high misdel men who have embark led
in the same cause aud maintained consnun,on
OF principles. is common property, which
all who are interested are bound 10 yindtca,e
~ occasion nay nire-the present for the
absent be living Tor the desd---tbe son for the
tsther.
u any responsible individual at wash;nS,on
should declare himself to be in possess,on ~
Gnequivoosl evidence tha, the leaders az GER.
ts;n States in our eonfederaoy, ser- nov ma
turing pho, for The sparstion of the States
might not the members Of Congress. nav
there from the States thus accused ,ns;s,
upon a disclosure Of evidence and nanse,,
Woud they be diverted from their purpose bv
sn evasiop Of the question, on the ground tina,
as the ibeiler had not named any ind,v,snsl,
so there was no one entitled 10 make this A.
msndf or would they be satisfied with nis.v
excuPston OF themseiveR This canno. be
imagined, They would contend for the honor
OF Their absent friends. OF their party, and of
lhef states. These were among our motive,
Tor making this cali We feel all interest ia
all these particulars, and especially in the
unsni'ied good nAme OF friends and associates
"ho' venerable for eminsn, talents, virtues
ana puohc services, have gone down 10 The
grave unconscious OF any impuiseion on tier
character.
Mr. Adams admits our RICH, to make sey.rsl
W the inquiries which have been made Jointly.
lhaugh IN passage en- inebi for It's eouiyoca.
ton, he expresses doubt whether We can
come within The terms of hrs charges On
this remarkable passage we submit one more
observation. AS Mr.. Adams de lares that he
well kness from sae2mpocai ev. dance the exs.
tenee OF such lreasonoble deslgns he mus, have
known, whether tie parties who addressed
Min We're engaged IN those deslgns.-why
then resort 10 the extraordinary sub,erfu.e.
thsty the stgeers OF sr-i iette, were NOT lead.
ers then the chsTges did no. refer 10 them,
abeFe IS taea no right the part OF M.
ADAMS TO prescribe to the injured parties. tand
MI are M l5ed who may be comprehended in
MS vague ex2tessonsJ the precise form in which
they saooia IN Ike their de mand. 4 nd his re fasal
10 answer th2i which we have ~ .de ~ ike that
OF one who having fred random shot among
scro~d, should protest against answering 10
she compliant 0i any whom he had actuslly
wounded, because they could not proye that
his aim was directed az then.
AnothefPeSso1 assigned oy Mr.. Adams for
his refusal TO name the indisiduais whom he
inseaded 10 accuse, IS that il might expose
him 10 legal prosecution He certainly had
not much 10 spprehend in this respect from
any OF The undersigned. AS he had originally
announced that he had no legal evidence ia
prove his charge, and The undersigned had
nevertheless called on hun 70 produce such as
he did possess, he must have been sufficiently
assured that sheir purpose was not 10 sesort 20
court o. Justee, but to The tribonsl OF public
opinion, and thar they had virtually preciuded
the'nseive from any other resort.
Or. Adams suggests another objection TO
naming the parties accused, on account Of the
probable loss OF evidence. and the forge,ful.
ness OF witnesses, after the lapse Of twenty
years
He undoubtedly now Possesses all the ey;.
dence that ne had In October iasi. when he
pubhshed bis statement. If he then made mi.
grave charge against certain Of his fellow citl
Gems, with the knowledge that there was no
evidence BY which il could be substsnti.ted.
where wss his senss Of justice1 If he made II
'without inqauing, and without regarding whe.
thsF he had any such evidence or NOT. intend
ing IT called upon TO shield himself from re.
sponsibility By suggesting this loss Of docu
msnss aud proofs, where was then bis self re-
spect'
But did 1t never occur TO MFR. Adams. thu,
the party accused might also in this long Isp,e
OF time have lost the proof, Ut their innoeencei
Ids has kn0Dn fer fEenly years past thar he had
made Mis sesres denugctahs1 Of his anc,en.
political friends; and he must have sntcin.,ed
the possibility thst |, might at some time be
made public, he tad hot even determined in
his own msd to publish il himself. He has
therefore had ample opportunity and the most
powerful motives, that might serve TO ius,ify his
conduct on that occasion. On the other hand.
the parties accused. and especially those yene
rabe patriots who during this long interval
have descended to the grave, UNCONSCIOUS Of
guilt, ana iguoraDt that they were even su.psc-
ted, have ioSeseen no necessity, and had no
motive whslever. TO preserve any memorial Of
their innocsnce. Weventure TO make this az
peal to the conscience Of Mr.. Adams himseltl
Mr. Adams in one passage sppesis TO the
feelings Of the undersigned. ard intimaies his
surprise that they should have selected the
present moment for making their demand
tie old them but justice IN supposina that this
consideration had it's influence on their minds.
Their oaiy fear was ,ha. their appeal nigh,
be considered " an attack on an eminent mao,
when The public favor seemed TO have desert
ed. But the undersigned had no choice. Thei,
acouser mad selected bis own time for bringing
this subject before the world; and they were
compelled to follow him with their defence, OF
consent that the seal should be set TO their own
regulations. and Oh those of their deceased
friends forever We said With truth, that i,
was not our design nor wish to produce an ef
tect on any pnliticsI parlY or question. w