Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-11-25

Iy impressed with belief OF its justice. to bs!
tate in making it the judge of mine. Aou S
therefore, to seek an opportunity. "the onIv We
which the circumstances have left open 70 m Sae
of explaining, through your columns, nv a,a"
in the transaction, and Of justifyng the sSa
which adopted.
Z With the preparatory arrangements | had >,
thing to do. A short time before the d,v 10,
meeting, one of the toasts was handed TO mo -. "
wa, requested to communicate it with fen
troductory remarks. After seine refect;on w.
declined the office, aud returned it to the w..
mittee. Ii was then. as l understood. shouua'
one or two other persons. and excited urea, d.
appreciation. and not a little warmth of fce COL
No one doubted its inhammaterv tendency -,
much apprehension was entertained that il wo",.
produce disrespeciful comments upon its auha'
and mar the social eBjoyments Of the eyep;n'
II was therefore brought 10 me again, not bec,":.
of difficulty in finding other hands to present,
tut being myself free from indignant persOpj
feeling, | was strongly urged 20 make the cnn,
muncation. together with some observations :,
reDivto what WAS regarded as the PLAIN imOor
of the toast. The ilra Of supprcssi.lg il was sn,
ses;ed: but the committee deemed sach COM,
highly disrespectful to the author. A silent 70
ceDtion MAS .pOkcn If: bat that. it was ,ho,ob,
would involve an adoption OF principles which =,
large portion of the assembly and the commune
would unequivocalif condemn 4 commence.
on the subject. which stoUld abstain from no;
snnai discUnriesy to the GWh0r. could not. IL ~.
believed, cause dissatisfaction TO the most fas,;E
Gus, while 1t would prevent any ebulIition offas
ing at what was regarded as an unduubted ind;c
ATTY offered to the assembly. The last branch If
this double alternative was chosen. as calculated
at once to avoid disrespect towards one stsn,nS
somewhat in the relation Of guest-to sustain
an adherence to principle-and to preserve ,bo
tranquility and harmony Of the festive board II
was not for moment supposed that any topic Of
general interest and concern which mich barnen
| to be selected bv "an absent individual" should
on that account be- bapishcd from conversation,
So numerous. indeed, were the favors received
on the OCCASION. that it would have been diff, uIt
| to fiud subject Of discourse that would not in.
terfere with this novel principle of refined cour
| tesv. Many Of the toasts of absent individuals
had direct alusion to the occasion which had al.
led the society together According to the rul.
proposed, they would have prescribed a meIau.
choly silence upon the very object of the meet.
ing, which was necessarily the principal topic of
| remark. While it is freely admitted that no cna
any - articles of political faith" Of the society," it
cannot be conceded that the society was bound 10
surrender its judgm emf. or yield its neral prn.
ciples, at the pleasure of any one who should In.
duIge ,hem with an intimation OF his own.
There is no doubt that the subject. reluctantly
discussed by myself, would have been carefully
avoided. Notwithstanding the hint to the con,
trary) but for the Introduction of il m the man.
ner that has been stated. 1t was an unwelcome
and gloomy suest-one not at all calculated to
respond to the joyous feelings Of the OCCASION
and could have found place only through The
| supposed Introduction of an individual whose ab.
sence would relieve him from witnessing the ef.
fects it was calculated to produce. Tie appeal
of 9 defenceless' man for protection. is always
persuasive-somctimes irresistible. Bu' it loses
its effect. and assumes the opposite of serious
character, wnen the attack is purely imaginary,
and the call for protection altogether superfluous
There was, so far as knew. no difference Of
opinion as to the meaning of the toast. IT, at tho
time referred to. or since, any one in his senses
has been able (unassisted by the recent common.
tary) TO impute to II harmless Specification, I
have not had the good fortune to discover so in.
genious person. The naked toast itself was
believed to admit fairly no other construction
than the one which regarded it as broad chal-
lenge of denial, to the assertion of principles
known to be revolving to the great hody Of those
to whom it was communicated.
So much for the construction Of the toast pre-.
viously to the meeting, and the motives and man.
ner of receiving it. proceed to show that the
persons to whom it was sent were entirely just-
fled both in the Interpretation and reception. |
do not mean, ut his time. to say that such "as
the meaning Of its author. He has dlsavowedt.
At least such is the effect TO be gathered from
the g observations" which YOU have published.
Flowing, as they profess to have done, from
" feeling" and put together " in haste" great
precision of language is not to be looked for; and
an express denial may not perhaps be used. Yet
such is the fair import of the address. Ny P-
siion is. that the toast, unconnccted with the late
commentary, and coupled. If YOU please. with the
situation of the author as TO the State of Georgia
and the General Government-and with the
known sentiments of Pennsylvania-didno' and
could not carry with it the Interpretation now
claimed for it. The belief. therefore. entertain
ed by those who saw it. arose from its own lmpef'
tectlOns. and not from their want Of courtesy or
clear-sighted less from willingness
to avail themselves Of the occasion to denouncc
certain political measures" and least OF all toa