Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-05-14

ANS as the means of furthering your designs up
on the Presidency to his exclusion, and thaa
uour rule was two edged sword, which. II hon
estly borne. would cut upon both sldes," 1t
was soon carefully withheld, and finally gave.
way to much more comprehensive scheme OF
reform.
1t was next declared that those in office who,
in violence Of onpositon. had offended you in one
particular. n need not name it, should meet with
condign punishment. Indeed you intimated IN
your private conversation with my husband, that
those who had passed that Rubicon had sealed
their destruction. But the misfortune attending
this rule was. that there we're none in office upon
whom it couM operate Has the charge alluded
to been fixed upon any individual OF the muiu'
tude of those who have been reformed away
Was it ever even whispered in regard to my un-
fortunate husband? You know that 1t was not
But boldly declare that such rule IS alto
gether unworthy of the Presidential office OF
magnanimous nation What! WELD the Pnbhc
vengeance for your private wrongs! hurl from
the armory of the nation the bolt of destruction
on YOUR private foes! Was the power, dignity.
and wealth of the Union concentered In your per-
son to be so misused: Had foreign Prince or
Minister committed like offence, with the same
propriety might YOU have made 1t cause OF pub
lie quarrel and sent from the ocean and the land
hecatombs of appcaslng ghosts:
The whole circumference OF your rUte at length
expanded itself full to the public view; the reign
of terror was unfoded, and principle unPrece-
dented even in the annals of tyranny, like des-
troying angel ranged through the land, blowing
the breath ofpestilence and famine into the habl-
tations of your enemies. Your enemies, sir? no:
your political opponents You call them your enc
IL thar no
of opinion without enmity? Do you believe that
ecery man who voted for Mr.. ADAMS, and who
had not received from you some personal injury,
preferred him because he hated you? Think you,
sir, that there is no medium between idolatry and
hate? 1t not because you think there is no such
medium, but because your elerated ambition will
allow of none. This makes you look upon all
those whe voted against you, as your bitter foes.
| most firmly believe that, saving those whom you
had personally made your enemies. every honest
man, in giving his suffrage to Mr.. ADAMS, obey
ed the dictates of his judgment, and that many
did so in violence to their warmer feelings to-
wards you.
My husband, Sir, never was your enemy. In
the Overlooking patriotism of his heart, he gave
you the full measure of his love for your military
services He preferred Mr. ADAMS for the Pre-
sidency, because he thought him qualified, and
you unqualified, for the station. He would have
been traitor to his country, he would have had
. even my scorn. and have deserved yours. had he
| supported you under such circumstances. He
used no means to oppose you. He did pa
trlot's duty, in patriots way. For this he is
proscribed-punishcG Oh, how punished. My
heart bleeds as write, Cruel Sir! Did he com.
nit any offence worthy of punishment against
God, or against his country. or even against you!
Blush while you read this question; speak not,
but let the crimson negative mantle on your
cheek! No, sir, on the contrary, it was one of
the best acts of his life. When he barred his bo-
som to the hostile bayonets of his enemies, he
was not more in the line Of his duty, than when
he voted against you; and had he fallen martyr
on the field of fight, he would not more have de-
served monument, than he now deserves for
having been worse than martyred in support of
the dearest privilege and chartered right of Anne
rican freemen. Careless as you are about the
effects of your conduct, it would be idle to in
form you of the depth and quality of that misery
which you have worked in the bosom of my fami-
y. Else would | tell tale that would provoke
sympathy in any thing that had a heart, or gen.
tie drops OF pity from every eye not accustomed
to look upon scenes of human cruelty g with
composure." Besides, you were appraised of our
povert..-; you knew the dependence of eight little
children for food and raimtlt upon my husbands
salary. You knew that, advanced in years as he
was, without the means to prosecute any regular
business, and without friends able to assist him.
the world would be to him barren heath. an in
hospltable wild. You were able, therefore. to
anticipate the heart-rending scene which You may
now realize as the sole work Of your hand. The
sickness and debility of my husband no,v caH up
on me to uindicG'e his and his chiIdren's wrongs.
The natural tmidi,y Of my sex vanishes before
the necessity of my situation; and a spirit, Sir,
as proud as yours, although in a female bosom,
demands justice. AT your hands ask it. Re-
turn to him what you have rraelv torn from his
possession; give back to his chid ZEN their former
means OF securing their food and raiment: show
that you can relent and that your rule has had at
least one exception.
The severity practised by you in this instance
is heightened. because accompanied by breach of
your faith, soienniy pledgeato my husband He
called upon you, told you frankly that he had
not voted for you. What was your reply? 1t
was in substance, this 'sthat every citizen of the
United States had right to express his political