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

they arc two fold It's intimated that tic act
Of Offering thi, sentiment to the society, was an
appeal to the decision of that respectable assoei i'd
ton, Oh the principle which it involved. cen
Tess myself not deeply vcrsed, sir, IN the com
monf or customary law, which regulates pro-
ceedings inter pocula, and yet am not SO isn"-
rant Of it. as to be misied by this suggestIon.-
When honored by an invitation to furnish TOAST
for this occasion, am perfectly sure did not
err in supposins that it was my own oplnions'no'
those OF another which I was invited to express;
and. seeing the general terms Of that invitation,
that was quite correct in believing there were
no articles Of political faith, with which these
sentiments were required to square, could not
suppose that the Society intended to sit III Ju'g-
nent on the various opinions which Its Invitations
would elicit. In the simplicity OF my heart. |
did believe that this sentiment would 60 to the
tpubic. for what it was worth, self-sustained and
unaided even by its author but least OF all, invo-
king for it the high sanction of those to whom II
was addressed. # it had not assumed an inter
rosative form,and most unhappily concluded with
! q question: question to, for the dec''''n y
those ,cho Uere there present. this might, perhaps
have been its lot 1t was this unfortunate inter
rogatorv which subjected it to the torture. VIII
any man venture to assert that he believes thIsF
I would deal gravely with any Suggestion,
whchj ceived (if it did receive) the attention oil
the respectable persons who were convened on
that 6casion; and in this spirit, would venture
til assert, with cofidence, that The Individual by
| whom that suggestion was made. must have been
alone in the error of which he was the victim.
if the records of the evening had not casually al
forded. suppose, one other evidence OF SIM
liar misfortune. 1t cannot be, however. mat
this msconceptiOn was general. That festive
board was surrounded By those, who could not
have been msled by the inerrogative form IN
which the sentiment was proposed, by those
who would recognize in this form VI stating
the proposition. legitimate figure OF speech.
which, far from proposing an inqulry Tor the
decision of others. served merely to express
with more life and spirit, and with greater earnest
ness and intensity, the conviction OF its author
nay, the very commentary before me, which pro-
fesses to have originated in this msconceptlon,
itself abounds with instances Of the use OF this
particular figure, for the same purpose to which
it is applied in the toast The fact of having
proposed political question to the consideration
of the Penn Society, will no longer, therefore.
trust, be imputed to me on this ground.
address myself for moment. to the remain
ing suggestion which was offered in justification
of this proceeding, and make the following ex-
tract,from the remarks before me:''If this inquiry
be directed to the condition of Pennsylvania alone.
it is Susceptible of ready answer. Ifit seek in
the conduct and example Of William Penn. a
sanction for proceedings, which are contemplated
elsewhere, we who are here present, are obliged
to demur to the analogy. Taking up the question,
alphabetically in this latter sense, and apologies
ing, &c. propose to give it moments conside-
ration"
1t is thus conceded, that the whole foundation
of this harrangue, was an hypothesis of the speak
| rs, hot hvU
hypothesis to be true, by ascribing to the author
of the toast, an object which could only be con-
ljecturaIly imputed to him. that it was made to
furnish an occasion for those censures, of which
it was the theme. ''demur," sir. to this gra-
tuitous imputation of motives. deny the right
of any man. to 90 beyond the plain and obvious
import of the terms in which nv sentiments are
expressed, to seek, in the wanderings of his own
imagination, for an Interpretation, or a motive,
which may furnish an apology for defamation
The suggestion, that this toast was offered with
view to appeal to .'Pennsy lvania "in relation to
course of policy pursued by the General Go
vernment. or that of Georgia, affirm to be more
than gratutous. 1t cannot be that any man can
ingeniously inpute to another the folly of carry
ing such an appeal to such TRIBUNAL political
inquiry presented for Judgment at the festive
board-a question Of the rights of Georgia. ad-
dressed exclusively to citizens Of Pennsylvania
the policy of the administration, submitted to the
decision of those. who for aught knew, were for
the most part distinguished as its political oppo-
nents No, sir, fear it is impossible to believe
that such all opinion could have been really enter
tanned. fear we cannot resist the conclusion,
that the occasion was availed of, to denounce GER
tain political measures. and would have been
equally used. whatever had been the form Of the
sentiment which it censured.
1t is not my purpose to discuss those measures.
on this occasion. The task is not difficult to vim
dictate those rights, and that policy, the former
are asserted by Georgia, and the latter pursued
by the General Government, on any. and on eve
ry occasion, where they are arraigned, when the
opportunity of defence is afforded; but if una
voidabIy absent from the discussion. WOULD not
voluntarily select that forum, in which he who
presented my appeal. would superadd to this Of
flee. the ADDITIONAL functions of accuser and Judge.
Speaking. however. as a citizen of Georgia.
will say. that that State, faithful in the perfor-
nance Of her duties to the Union, and combining
hersnlf IN tho IN nf hor