Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-02-17

anu nao no occasion 10 cxculpate himself
rom charge conveyed in the terms used by Mr. IA.
ans. The othrr objection is still more decisive. =
Ntet allowing to this Pronunciation all the weight
'nst can DO supposed to derive from the personal or
c ooa.acsr oil the accuscr, VIC trust there are
iew citzcns OF Massachusetts, who would be content
10 owe their political reputation to his estimation of
~ ana condecend to solicit his certificate 20 acuut
'"sn OF inc snsplc'on Unreasonable practices.
Mr. Adams nextobjccts, that we make our applca.
ton Us INC representatives of great and powerful
party, winch, at the time referred to- commanded ne
IN says devoted majority i'm tho legislature ofths
E,onmonwcaih; and he denies right to represent
'a' party. have already stated the objections TO
Joint application by all, who mrllt be Included in
TINS remuneration, and to u separate inquiry by each
aviouai; aud some of tho reasons which WI, thourht
!usuica the course which we have pursued. We GER
diG not arrogatc to ourselves the title Of "lcad-
ers and Mr.. Adams may cnjoy undisturbcd nil N.
advantage which that circumstance can give him in
THIS controversy. But freely avowed such close
'onucai coneSion with all who could probably have
been included under that appcation as to render us
responsible tor all their political measures that were
known to us and we, therefore, must have been ci
ter their dupcs, or the associates in their guilt, In
either case, interested and as yyc nnprrIcpJ
entitled, TO make this demand of Mr.. Adams.
As to the suggestion, that no spoke only of .,ccro,
leaders OF the federal party and not of the party itself
we certainly intended 10 deny oir knowledge and be-
lici that any such plot had been contrvcd by onv n,r
~ Whatever in this State and il is explicitly so stated
IN our letter. This language would include any nun
her, whether large or small who might be SUPPOSED
l." nave eaSued together, Tor the purpose suggested
0y Mr. Adams There seems, therefore, to be but
little ground for this technical objection .llat we do
not take the issue rendered by his charge.
But we wish to examine little further this listi,,c-
ton which Mr. Adams relics upon between a political
party and It's leaders From the nature of represcn
tatve government, it results, chat in conduc,ino
the business Of their Legislative and popular os
senibles, some individuals will be found to take
more active and conspicuous part than the rest
and will be regarded essentially int,ueacinu pnbl
opinion, whilst they are generally themselves merely
iupelled by its force. But this influence in what.
ever degree 1t may exist is temporary and is
possessed by constant succession of different pc-
sons Those who possess il for the time being. are
called lenders, and, in the of ten years they
must amount to very numerous class. Their mca-
sureS ana political objects naS necessarily he idcn-
tined with those OF their whole party To DENY this
Is to pronounce sentence Of condemnation upon nonu
lar government For admitting it to be TRUE. that The
people may be casionaly SURPRISED and rnislc6 no
those who abuse their confidence into measures re-
pugnant to their int crest aud duty, still If the major
ty ofthem can, for ten years together be duped and
lea hoodwinked to the very precipice of treason Lv
their pertidious guides, without participating in their
secret designs or being prvy to their existence they
show themselves unfit for self government It is not
conceivable, that the federal party which, at That
time constituted the great majority of Massachusetts
VIII feel themselves indebted to the President of the
United States, for compliment paid 10 their LOYALTY
at tine expense OF their character for intelligence and
Independence.
1t is IN the above sense only, that free people
can recognize any individuals leaders, and in this
sense. every man. who is conscious of tnvinc, ,o,,
ed influence and consideration with his party MAY
well deem mselfincluded i'll every opprobriuus and
lndscIminate impeachment of the motives of the len
ders OF that party But it would be arrogance to sup
pose himself alone intended when the terms Of 81 ,
accusation imply confederacy of Inany And while
on tn" hand, ould hetray both sclfsluess and
SOtiSn 70 conhne his demand OF excupation To him,
sell; so on the other IL is impossible to mite in n
application all who might Justly be considered nc ~;
associates II follows then that any persons Wiz
from the relations they sustained to their mart, na,
apprchend that the public viii apply to them crges
vi inns vague description, may join in such r,nbers
as they shall think fit, to demand an EXPLANATION &c
charges which will probably affect some oftbc, and
may affect them all. The right, upon the nuut.blc
PrcpIes OF JUSTICE Is commensurate with the injury
and Should be adapted to its character.
Again. who can doubt that the public rcnuto,iop 81
iiSh nlihued non VINO have embarked in the same
cause and maintained communion of princinles ;s n
common property, which all who are interested orn
oound to indicate as occasion may require-the nrr
sent Tor the abscn-thc living fer tue dead the SON
for the father -N '0''
iiaHy responsible individual at Washington should
Cccare himself to be IN possession of uncquivocal cvi-
dence hat the leaders ofcerain states in our confe5
eracy, were now maturing plot for the senaration of
the states, might not the members of Congress- now
'ere' from the states thus accused insist upon dis
closure Of evidence and nameye Would thcv be ii
veftcd from their purpose by evasion of the oucs
tlon oil the ground that the libeller had not named
any Individuals. so there entitled to make
tiis demand! or would they be satisfied with misty
eycupation OF themselves This cannot be ir,og;n,
ed They would contend for the honor of their absent
friends, OF their party, and of their states. These
were among our motives for making this call. We
feel an interest in all these particulars and especially
IN the unsulhed good name of friends and associates
who venerable for eminent talents, virtue and public
services, have gone to the grave unconscious of
an imputaton on their characters.
Mr. Adams admits our right to make severaIy. the
inquiries which have been mado jointly though in
passage eminent for It's cQuivocaton, he expresses
doubt whether we can come within the terms Of his
charges. On this remarkable passage VIC submit ono
more observation. As Mr.. Adams declares that he
oeH hncto from uequuoeo oyiencu the existence of
such reasonable designs, he must have known wLe-
TIER the parties who addressed him were cnpancd
in those designs Why then resort TO the extraoTdi
~ subterugo, that if the sgncrs Of that letter we're
not leaders, then the charges did not refer to them.
fbcre IS then no right on the part of Mr. Adnmsto
prescribe 10 the injured parties, (oud oil arc injured
who may be comprchonded in his vague cxprcssonsl
the precise form IN which they should make their de-
mand. And his refusal to answer that which we have
made, is ike that of, who bnvinO