Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-10-19

whatever To make Whether, indecd, a, The loot
OF The account any merilurious balance will be
! discovered, in his favor. the sequel q; this cxpa-
nation will best determine.
That have done Mr.. Rives wrong is GER
| tain; ana hasten, with the utmost chceriulncss,
10 acknowledge il. But the extent OF that wrong
| is tar less than Mr. Rives would have The public
believe. 1t consists in having charged that ger
/ licnan with misquoiing Adam Smith by an alto
ration Of 80 words In this | was wrong, and ]
! shall presently show in what manner was uE-
I Willingly misled. In every oler particular rela-
| ting 10 the offence of Mr. Rives, ! was right ard
| mol one word, under The circumstances do | ic,
called upon 10 rcract
| Those who took the trouble TO read my former
communication, or who will be al the pains of re-
! rcrusing ii, will observe, that the charges pre-
terTcd against The Hon. Senator, involved three
distinct literary offences:
!. That he he'd, generally. mi<rcprescn'si The
views and opinions of Adam Smith, with regard
10 the restrictive system, for the purpose OF Civ
ing the sanction OF great authority 10 his own
faacics.
,. That, for this purpose he had willny and
knowingly. gaibed The text OF that distinguished
author, seeking In extract from il sense which
he knew 10 BIZ wholly al war with the true
meaning, and with declaration Of that meaning
following in the very next sentence Of the garbled
paragraph.
3 That he had misquoted and made two scfa-
rate alterations OF woIds, the NOR. etc ;trally 10
accomplish his purpose.
Now. the Two first ot these charges, ce.ibc-
racly Ieiieraie
The third! | Withdraw, ami rcerc, that II was
made give Mr. Riyes thr full benefit OF an en-
tire cyculpalion, from the charge o, having mis-
quoted Tie l-moiS of Smith: and So far - the Sc
verify Of my language may have been tempered
b. the impu,ation of This latter offence, regret il
extremely. Bnl from this reiraction, am sorry
10 say, Mr. Riyc> can derive but little benefit,
by 4 recurrence TO the letter of MIR. Rres ii
will he perceived that the gr0romcl OF his com
plant is. that ! charged him with mSquoting The
following passage from "IEe VAIN ot NntohS,'
while myself in the very act OF prcierrin3 the
charge miSquotcd and ial>illed the text
"By means OF such regulations, indeed par
" tcular manufacture may sometimes be ac-
"quired sooner than it could have been other
wise, and 0flcra certain time, may hc made al
home aS cheap or cheaper than in The foreign
% county, Wealth Of Nations, book IL. chap
icr2
The words i!alicised are those which was led
TO suppose Mr. Rives had al,crcd in the manner
he has stated in his letter
Now, repeat Oor have no disposition to be
charv Of Acknowledgements. J that in this charged
the Senator wrongfnllv The text, as he has gwen
il. is the text of Smith Bu, i, is violated text,
a text a. false and deceptive in lis purpose and
effect, as il the alterations had been made, which
supposed. lie madc re rcrj0i alteration; ms
icd ~ ano'icr, Idid; and here the account is
cancelled between lis. In all the rest that have
said done or insnuatcd, there is not one syllable
that !ccl disposed 10 modify or Ieirac;.
So far. then Mir Rives stands charged, and as
| shall show hereafter. fully convicted Of having
knowingly, wiliu!ly and deliberately perverted,
garhled and miSrcpresenied the text OF Smith. 10
sustain 4 defence of the pr,.active system which
never entered into the mind Of that able, honest
and clcar-headcd writer.
II is due however. 10 the public, before pro-
ccc. with The task which an unneniional error
has imposed upon me, that should explain the
manner in which was lei into these verbal mis-
takes The explanation, trus will acquit me
of all intentional wrong while il will show, that
| however cifectual may be the balm OF this ac-
| acknowledgements la the flesh wound which has eX-
traccd these indignant croans from Mr.. Rlves
il can Ito nothing 10 remove the fatal shalt which
| quive,S in a vital part. and which no skill o ms
nor humanity OF mine, can ever successfully eI-
! tract.
| Ny offence consists in having taken al second
ii"n. an,! without sufficient nhsnrvaio". what
| ought 10 have obtained irom the original source.
| Upon reading that portion ol Mr.. lilves speech
| in which the aarbling and misrepresentation oil
Sfnitn UcGHTIpl. WAS IUlN SdllsllCil I'M
Of tho author had been abused, and tina, hc had
! never made any such admissions as the Hon.
| Senator pretended. Not having the Wealth OF
Nations Immediately al hand, had recourse 10
| rCo1pcr'S T'0itic0i E,coronu" where wei! remcm
hcred TO have seen the passage ci;rd ~ Mr.. Rivcs,
followed by others which utterly pnrgcd j, ot the
vicious sense in which it appeared in thc speech
| Entertaining no donb, from the known character
and fidelity Of the letter writer and mslcd by the
| NH. rl-s (ubich will hp \ n
| parent on examination Ia every eye.) into the ne
| lief that the transcription from Smith had been
literal, from the beginning 10 the end OF an appa-
rent quotation, | adopted them in my remarks
| Nor was H. until my attention was called To the
subject, that | observed, on recurring 10 prior
page OF Cooper that the quotations from Smith
neither proIessed. nor were designed 10 be given
as literal but with such verbal alterations anu
additions as tended to render them contormable TO
the general plan OF the former writer. This has
| led Inc 10 examine MCullochs edition OF che
| JJsaiM 0f Nnfioas," where ! discovered the va
riations pointed ont By Mr. Rives, consisting OF
substitution Of the word ''priap." for some
times" and ''oiier hneM If time. Tor the words
s'aftcr Il ccyiaiH hmc.' together with some other
quite imma;erial additions 10 passages not cited
| hy Mr. Rives which, in no wise qualify, or al
feet their meaning. Ny copy OF "Cooper's Po-
liiical Economy" have placed in the po,s.ssio ion
of the Editors Of this paper, in order that they
may verify what say, and cxcupaie me from
any Intentional wrong i'll the particulars OF which
Mr.. Rives complains.
Having made these explanations and conccs-
sion,, from which desire that Mr. Rivcs may
derive every advantage 10 which he is entitled
| will now proceed 10 consider how they modify
the offence with which charged him
Ii is true. then, that the Hon. Senator is guilt
less Of having changed the two words in his quo
iaiion. With these exceptions, rctcralc every
worl have said, and now charge him again
| with having willuy mi>reprcscrted, .alhled and
abused the text Of the author he fuoed-nay,
| with having torn from its immediate context
passage fol the purpose OF producing an impre>-
sion which he knew the very next sentence would
have utterly repealed.
In continuation Of this heg leave again 10
call attention to Mr. Rvess speech
"Anotlcr" says Mr. Riycs "very important
and. in its practical consequences, mos, tfrhfM
| crccpt;oa 10 the general principle of free trade
thonen not formally stated by Adam Smith
among the several limitations upon the doctrine
which he cnumeraeS results directly from egIi-
cit admissions and statements made by him. The
argument he urges in favor Of The general policy
of liberal and unres,rained commercial inter-
course with foreign countries is founded on the
hypothesis, that the articles We get from them
will come cheaper To as than we can make them
ourselves. IN St1H CHNcA, He cOllteplS
neral effect Of commercial restrictions, with 4
view 10 promote domestic promotion, is To divert
industry from a more 10 a less advantageous en-
ploymcnt, and 10 diminish the exchangeab!e va
!ue al the annual produce of the country. Blu,
ne adds this important qualification and adnis-
sion; :" and then Mr.. Rives gives book and chap
Ter of this isolated sentence from Smith:
by means of such regulations, indeed par
ticular manufacture may sometimes be acquired
sooner than il could have been otherwise, and af-
Ter certain lime may be made al home as cheap
or cheaper than in The foreign country Hcait
Of Natioas b. ~, Oh. >.
''Here then Immediately adds the Hon Sc
mater lis an ecpcit declaration by the great ora
Gle ofthe free trade school, contrary 10 what is so
constantly asserted BY them Gas 10 the necessary
and inevitable effect OF protective duties TO raise
the price OF the projected artcies) that paricu-
lar branches ofioiustry may sometimes be intro
duced with advantage into country by means