Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-08-08

more extraordinary, and the moro worthy to be
specially remarked, inasmuoh as tho persons prn-
cipally Interested arc known to be of your most
confidential friends, and believed to be partaSors of
your most secret councils; who were in habits Of
daily intercourse and consultation with you, aud
whose devotion TO your wishes authorized tho he
lief that they would do nothing of Importance
against your appreciation. OF the principal offend
or no notice is taken, IL there was such per-
son on the stage of action. All the rest engaged,
or supposed to have been engaged in the intended
assault, completely cxculpatcd, and u virtual
amnesty given them, while the words of your
letter appear guurdcdiy arranged to convey u de-
nunciation Of ''the penalties OF the law" and dis
mission from Office against those who were armed
in my defence.
IL should be observed that your dcnunciaton of
the penalties of the law and your Judgment of ac-
quittal i'll the District of Columbia, are not idle
words All the uries who might be called TO try
such offences, must be selected under YOUR own
eye, and by officer who holds his office at YOUR
Will; III addition to this, you hold the hardening
power i'll your own hands. Whoever has paid at.
tenion to State trials, cannot be inscnsible to the
OBJECT ofthcse powers. l am therefore now met
with an unsought oifer of personal protection
while carry public prosecution, in which the
witnesses might offer threatened with the
privation of the ofsubsisenco for their fami-
lies, and with tho addition of tho penalties
of the law as punishment for their generous SER
vices in my defence. How can understand such
Il communication expressing desire for a free
impartial, and untrammced investigation oftrutl
before tribunal of Justice? IL is any thinp else
rather than this. If it had been your sole intcn-
ton, i'll writing this letter, to deter the scrutiny it
purports TO acquiesco in, it could not have been
more cticctually framed for its object for YOU had
| Judged rightly iii surprising that would much ra-
Their suffer all the detrmont arising from the inpu-
tation cast upon me by your proceeding, than OK
pose to injury men who had offered to risk their
| livcs for mine. But you have left me choice in
an appeal To tribunal of criminal jurisdiction At
the Same moment i'll which you seemingly invited
public attention to "whaf proofs (I) should
| be able 10 bring in support of the charges" YOU
closed the door we'll against the witnesses as
against the effect of their testimony Instead OF
accepting my aid for the purpose of Justice, you
| have proclaimed the acquittal of the guilty, and
LETT nothing for to do but to aid YOU in the ar
| raignment and punishment of the innocent To
give the moro effect to your purpose, you allegc
that you have already made inquiries (secretly of
course,) and from the information thus received,
declare my statements to he ''unlounded in fact;'
and not only dcnounco the evidence on which
relied ''vague and false" without having heard
1T, but to complete this of proceeding in a
manner most injurious to my character and feelings
you hdVo oven descended from your high station
to offer me personal taunt. Such is the close OF
the last scene of the political relation between You
and me.
You will perceive that have carefully abstained
from introducing into this discussion any matter to
which you have not invited public attention in your
letter of the 9TH instant and your document of the
l1th and winch is not necessary to my defence
against the charges therein made. l have there
fore left vast field wholly unexplored all of which
was fairly at my disposal, if could have recon.
ced my feelings, even under such circumstances
of injury, TO do any thing which might resemble
an aggressive controversy with the Chief Magis.
| trate. Self defence is, however, one of those sa.
cred reserved rights which, it is conceded in all
communities, men has never submitted to the en-
tire control of socicy it is this right alone claim
to have exerted in the foregoing remarks. If
| have used it with what any one may consider an
undue freedom, it will be cause of regret to me:
but having, from the beginning of my official con.
nexion until it was dissolved by you devoted all the
faculties OF my mind to the public service, with no
other view than to promote the public interest and
the character ofthc Government and consequently
the fame of it's chief officer, have not considered
as laboring under obligations which could not be
paid, nor you as having any right to inhct injuries
by way of adjusting such n balance. With the ex
copton of station, therefore, I felt no restraint
which would not be required in any other ca SO
ana II station can be construed to confer privileges
OIL TINS nature, those who claim them ought to re
member that the established courtesies of republi
can society, at least, protect the inferior member
from the unjust effects of such Il privilege by i'm
posing corresponding restraints on the superior
But 1t should always be kept In view, wherever this
correspondence may lead to, that it has been for
ccd upon me In manner which has left me M
choice but to suffer the effects of your cruel nus
tice, or to use some of the means which crowd into
my service to avert the intended wrongs / have
already dLverted to the manner in which our Off
cial connexiGn has been maintained on nv part
The documents beforc me show how that relation
has been maintained on your part. 1t commenced
in suspicion, and continued under brooding. but
restrained hostility; was marked its close
by wanton and desperate design, tostered in tho
breast of your most devoted and mCst confidential
TREND to assail my life and, failing in this, it il
now terminated with still more unreient;n9 ant
injurious purpose ofdestroying my reputation, aut
ro6bng my children of their only hope Of bequest.
L have the honor to be, respectfully,
Your obcdicnt servant
5. D.:iINGIIAM