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TaPett* L, Vast Alsjj, E/julre,
Sir,
1 SHALL not attempt to vie with
in the low arts of fcurrillity and a
n jfe. I have too much rcfpc£i for pro
priety; for the delicacy of the public ear,
and for my own dignity, to call you an
ihfidious rafeal, a corrupt villain, or a da
stardly calumniator, but perhaps 1 may,
with all imaginable case, grove you such.
I shall not tell you how much you are con
temned by all honed men, nor in what a
despicable point of view you stand with
the community in general, but perhaps of
this you may be toon fcnfrble, unlefj a
sense of (hame, that lad hope of expiring'"
virtue, may be entirely, extinguished.
In the Auguda Chronicle of the 12th
ifift. in a publication fubferibed by your
name, you have thought proper to make
a free use of my name and reputation.—
You there represent me an apoltate Preach
er, an apostate Politician, and one who
has been disgraced in a court of justice.
These are grievous charges, and, if true,
I acknowledge I deserve the execration of
the community. As to the firft, I here
by declare that I ant> nor, nor ever have
been a preacher, much less in apnflate
Preacher, in any religious focitjty what
ever ; But what has religion to do with .
our ccnted ? And of what consequence is
1': to the public whether 1 am, or ever
save been a preacher or not ?
But your fecund charge is of a na-.
lure, in which the community may feel
' i*felf interelled—lt relates to*#he affairs
* 'ok tins world, and I shall therefore take
Notice of it. You fay I am an apoflate
Politician. To ellablilh this politico,
‘ /on mud prove that I once supported a
certain set of political opinions; that I
have since dlfcarded those opinions, and
now support a <vuorJe set. Every change
ts Trot apodacy—-it mud be a change tor
th tnuor/e, to deserve that hardi appellati
on. But I (hall not put it upon that iflue.
f deny that my political principles have
undergone a change at all. My opinions
rgfpeiting government are the fame novs
r]iat they were seven years pad, whenHji
fettled permanently in this (late. 1
toy man to prorje any inconsistency
my political conduft. 1 have had once
.the honor of being in t,he legislature, I
bn that occasion I afted with inte
grity and indeptndetice, nor have I heard
•fiat the contrary has been suggested. My
opinion of men may have changed, but my
political principles remain unchanged.
To what, fir, do you allude, when
you date that I have been disgraced in a
court of judice ? Have I ever been pre-__
fented by a grand jury for negleft of uu
as an officer of court ? Have / ever
been-obliged to beg adinifiion to, and sup.
plicate a>grand inquest tofpare me in their
prefen tbjeuts for mal-praftice in office ?
Or to what do you allude ? If you have
any allusion to my condufl towards Mr.
f><»k, I do here prated, that 1 never
doubted one moment of the fairnefs and
propriety of my conduft towards this
man. If an hod Ihould rife up against
me on this account, I would dill fold my
arms in tranquility, and smile at a midak.
cn world. 1 know lam right, and that
In every stage of that business, I have aid
ed with proper motives. I believe I
have received uniformly the approbation
of my friends, and all the impartial who
know the circumstances of that case. If
there are any who have doubts on this fub
jeft, I have in my pofleffion the mod ample
documents (to which they may have rc-
Course for fatisfaftion) and which will
fandiou my agency in the whole of that
sffarr.
■ I thought the reason, why I did not
attend court on the lad day of the term,
was perfeftly understood by every body
about Wafhingron. My call on you, had,
b yyour means, become public. It was
supposed the civil authority was about to
Interfere ; for that reason, and that alone,
by the advice of my friends, I did not*”
go out on that day ; nor did I change my
room, as you have meanb > suggested.
Having thus attended to your base at
tempt to injure me, and your mean fub
terfuge to hide your cowardice, I now in
form you, that it was not on account of
your private character, or general con
dutt, that I thought you entitled to my
notice, for any insult you could give me.
It was becauie you have, by accident,
become the Solicitor-General (the ojfice
you have disgraced) and because, from a
combination of circumstances, 1 thought
it proper to teach others, through you,
that I was not to be injured with impu
nity. "
As a proof of your baseness of charac
ter, uegleft of duty, and corruption in
office, I give to the public the following
affidavits, and perhaps take my leave of
you forever. You have made your retreat
into the Temple of Cowardice*; it (halite
to you an inviolable fan&uary.
C. TAIT.
Liberty June 24,1802.
GEORGIA, Oglethorpe County.
CHARLES STEWART being duly
sworn, doth depose and fay, that some
-short time previous to the superior court
for this county, held in September 1800,
William Patman was committed to the
jail of this county, by William Strother
Esq. under a charge of Healing a sum of
money from Samuel Patton, (he thinks
thirty-seven dollars;) that some short
time after such commitment, and before
'•'the futingof said court, said Patman was
admitted to bail by the juttices of the in
ferior court. The deponent further faith,
that at the superior court aforefaid, said
Patman appeared, as did also the prose
cutor and witnesses, and that the depo
nent having custody of the warrant and
recognizances, returned them to the fo
liciidr-general. Van Alen, in person ;
and also faithj that previous to making
such return, he was requeued by Mid
dleton Brooks', one of Patman’s securi
ties, to make the return privately through
the window of the tourt-houfe, at .the
judge’s right hand, where he, Brooks,
told the deponent. Van Alen said he
would be fitting ready to receive
The deponent also faith, that after some
hesitation on his own part as to the pro
priety of it, he did go according to
Brooks’s direflion, in company with said .
Brooks, to the window appointed, and
found the solicitor-general there, to whom,
by the alfiitance ot Brooks in lifting up
the deponent, he made the return through
said window. And he finally faith that
the reason given him by Brooks for will
ing the return made in this private man
ner, was, that the thing had been made
up, and all charges paid.
CHARLES STEWART.
Sworn to before m, this
16th March, 1801. *
William Strother, j. p.
addition to the foregoing the fold
Stewart being after wards * fur-
HHBLorn, doth fay, that at
return mentioned in iSfc
another to make, for a#af-
Iwit andftittery, which he made ih open
court in the usual manner to the folicitor
general, dircdly after making that above
mentioned in the manner as mentioned.
CHARLES STEWART,
Sworn to this 1 g th March ,
1801, before me ,
Samuel Shannon, j. p.
GEORGIA, Oglithorpe County.
PERSONALLY appeared before me,
Middleton Brooks, and made oath that
some time in the year 1800, William
Patman was taken with a Hate’s warrant
for theft, and was bound to appear before
the superior court, September term, and
this deponent became bail for his appear
ance by entering into a bond, which he
complied with by delivering the body of
said Patman ; And after some conversati
on between Peter Van Alen, Samuel Pat
ton and the above Patman, he the said
Van Alen said to them, the offence was
trifling, and if they (meaning the parties
* bound) would give him five dollars,
and go to Stewart's, who was in poflcffi
on of the bond, and other papers, and
bring them to the back window of the
court-house, he would give them up to
them; which was done. This deponent
further faith, that when Stewart came to the
window with the papers, your deponent
was obliged to lift him up to the window,
where Van Alen flood to receive them,
which he took in his pofl’effion, and then
returned back the bond —and fuither this
deponent faith not.
MIDDLETON BROOKS.
Sworn to before me , this
igth March, 1801.
Wm. Strother, j. p.
From the North. Carolina Mtffenger.
The conduct of Mr. Burr in the fup
prefiion of the Hiflory of Mr. Adams’s
Adminiflration, not being likely to un
dergo a complete devclopement for some
time, owing to his abfencc from home,
we can only at present give our readers
a few extra&s from the ** Narrative”
lately publiflied in New-York—They
follow :
“ Mr. Wood, the writer of the fup
preflfed hiflory, and Mr. Barr have long
been intimate. When the latter firlt
heard that the former was about to write
v a hiflory of the adminiflration of Mr.
Adams, he exprefled a desire to fee him
on the fubjeft. Accordingly an inter
view was had, but for what particular
purpofc, is not precisely afeertained. It
is, however, known, and ailerted as true.
that Mr. fiorr furnilhcd Mr. Wood with
materials for writing his own biography,
which is a maftcr piece of the hyperbolic,
and exhibits in Mr. Burr, to whom the
biography of himfell was submitted by
Mr. Wood for infpcffiqp, no common
degree of vanity. His revolutionary ser
vices, which were so trifling as toefcape
the notice of the writers of the different
histories of the (American) revolution
now extant, were so represented by Mr.
Wood, as to dazzle the reader with the
brilliancy of his exploits. The painting
was undoubtedly fine, but it no
charafferiftic of the original. ’'
“On the 4th or sth of December,
1801, Mr. Burr, after the projeff ot
the new Philadelphia Bank was complet
ed, returned to New. York. The hifto
ry was then ready for sale, and was to
have been issued to the public the follow
ing week. One of the firft enquiries was
about it, and Mr. Wood was requested
by Mr. Burr to bring a copy of it to his
house, that he might peruse the charafter
of himfelf, previous to the publication of
the hiftory. The request was complied
with, and Mr. Burr either dilcovered,
or pretended to have difeovered, some
errors in the biography refpeffing dates.
He very sagaciously felicitated hitofelfon
the difeovery before the hiftory was giv
en to the public; desired Mr. Wood to
leave the copy with him, and promised
(after efte errors of date were correffed)
to defray the expence of printing a new
(beet of his life and exploits. These er
rors would have made Mr. Burr about
! 50, whereas, he stated, he was not more
than 45 years of age. Viewing matters
prospectively, it was deemed of some
consequence to correct the mifdate. 4 To
one who is looking forward to the Prefi
dcncy, to gain, at the age of fifty, five
years on the fide of youth, is no inconsi
derable acquisition,
“According to promise, Mr. Wood
waited on Mr. Burr the following morn,
ing, to receive the copy with the correc
tions : some evil genius, however, had
prompted Mr. Burr to read the volume
throughout, and more errors were difeo
vered. These wove enumerated to Mr,
Wood with great apparent candor and
sincerity. It was objfeffed, that the cha
faffers of Mr. Hamilton, C. C. Pinck
ney, Jonathan Dayton and General Wafli
ington, were not accurately delineated;
and it was added with great tenderness ,
that the book contained many libellous
passages. He therefore enquired whether
an agreement could not be made with
Barlals *and Ward [the bookfeliers for
whom Mr. Wood wrote it] to suppress
it? He conceived that the cha rafter of
Mr. Hamilton was misrepresented, mean
ing that where ehcomium was bestowed
upon him it was unmerited; that Mr. C.
C. Pinckney, who was reprffented by
Mr. Wood as a person of less integrity
than Mr. Hamilton, was 2 man oi purer
principle than any other in the Union.
Upon General Washington, undeserving
eulogiums, he said, had been lavi(bed;
and that during his, Prcfidcncy he had
evinced himfelf a jierfon poffefled of un
bounded vanity, without talents either
as a soldier or scholar. Continuing his
criticifins, Mr. Wood, he observed, had
wholly mistaken the character of the then
Hon. Jonathan Dayton. The character
given by Mr. Wood of Mr. Adams he
it was a bad one, and he thought
it repr\ffentative of the ex-president. Mr.
Eurrreferved his critical remarks on the
cha rafter given by Mr. Wood of Mr. ;
Jefferfon to the last. This he did not |
think exaffly ciefcriptive of that illuftrions ■
person. He observed that Mr. Jefferfon
was not a man of genius ; he was a plod
ding, mechanical person, of little aftivity
of mind, and poflelTed of a judgment not
very diferiminative. Mr. Jefferfon, he
said, had also another very great failing;
he courted and was fond of popularity !
He suggested to Mr. Wood the proprie
ty of writing his charaffer anew, and
promised to furnifh him with faffs rela
tive to Mr. Jefferfon which were little
known to the public, and which would
be found exceedingly interesting! Re
fpeffing the libellous passages contained
in the hiftory, Mr. Burr was mure: He
did not even condescend to mention one
of them. His foul Teemed abforhed in
difpofmg of certain charaffers, as Buona
parte disposes of petty nations, to grati
fy his ambition, and to exalt his own.”
“ Byway of fupcrinducemcnt, he stat
ed that faffs would transpire in Congress
in the coarse of tenor twelve days, which
would aftoniib the nation, and convince
Mr. Wood that the notions he had en
tertained of the various charaffers was
erroneous.”
[The circumstantial account is conti
nued, until a bargain is made, and a
writing signed by Mr, Wood, binding
'I
' , * *■ I
I
him not to poblltli nor caufc to b e „,
lilhed aay fart of the ut Pprt !H hiC
It had been previously enjoined onl7’
not to mention the name of Mr 3'°*
as connected with the suppression. Th’rJ?
the agency of Mr. Wood, Messrs. B a s
lass and Ward are induced to give be j
for the suppression of the publication f
which they are paid one thousand d o h ais ° r
and the whole edition of 1250 cop i e5
removed from Mr. Ward’s book-ft or ! 1
the house of Mr. Wra. P. Van Nefs 1
between four and five o’clock in
morning.} r 06
,“lt is fearful (fays the Narrative) t 0
refled upon what our condition would i„
all probability be, were Mr. Burr at the
head of our government. If Mr. Adams
could do so much, how much more could
Mr. Burr, effeft ? It cannot be concealed
that he is a man of defperare fortune •
bold, enterprising, ambitious and in!
triguing j thrilling for military glory and
Buonapartian fame. A man ot no fixed
principle, no consistency cf charafter, 0 f
contraded views as a politician, of bound,
less vanity, and Uillcfs of the public
good : one who is pursuing with an appe,
tire keen as death, and a hand Heady as
time, pcojedi disputable to himfclf,
and injurious to the country.”
PROPOSALS
for carrying the Mails of the Unlui
States, on the Jollovomg Pqf}.Roais t
'will be received at the General Pofi.
Office in WaJhingtOHy until the twenty,
ffilji day sf July next incluft ve.
IN GEORGIA.
48, From Washington by Burroughs’s,
EPxington, Athens and Clarklburg, to
Jackson c. h. once a week—Leave Walh.
ington every Wedriefday at 6 a. m. and
arrive at Jackson c. h. on Thursday by 6
p. M. —Leave Jackson c. h. every Friday
at 6 a. m. and arrive at Walhington on
Saturday by 6 p. m.
NOTES.
1. The Post-Master General may ex.
pedite the mails and alter the times of ar
rival and departure at any time during
the continuance of the contrad, he previ
oafly stipulating an adequate compcnfati
on for extra expence that may be oc
cafioncd thereby.
2. Fifteen minutes shall be allowed for
opening and doling the mail at all officci
where no particular time is fpscified,
3. For minutes delay (un
avoidable accidents excepted) in arriving
after the times , preferibed in any contract,
the contraftor ijiall forfeit one dollar; and
if the delay continue until the departure
of any depending mail, whereby the mails
destined for such depending mail, lose a
trip, an additional forfeiture of five dol
lars (hall be incurfed.
4. Newspapers as well as letters are to
be tent in the mail; and if any person
making proposals, desires to carry news.
papers other than those conveyed in the
mail, for his own emolument, he must
state his proposals, for what sum he will
carry it with that emolument, and for
what sum without that emolument.
5. Should any person making proposals,
desire an alteration of the times of arri
val and departure above fpecificd, lie muH
Hate in his proposals the alterations defi
ed, and the difference they will make in
the terms of his contra ft*
6. Persons making proposals are desir
ed to Bate their prices by' the year. r lhofe
j who cot:traft will receive their pay quar
j terly, ia the months of February, May
| August and November, one month alter
the expiration of each quarter.
/. No other than a free white person
(hail be employed to convey the mail.
8. Where the proposer intends to con
vey the mail in the body of a stage car *
riage, lie is desired to state it in his p r0 *
petals.
9. The Post-Master General reserves to
himfdf the right of declaring any con
tract at an end whenever three failures
happen, which amount to the loss of l
trip each,
10. The contracts for the above routes
are to he in operation on the firft day
Oftober next; thole for the firft twenty?
four routes are to continue in force foront
year from that time, and those numbetw
fiom 29 to 48 are to continue until the
31st day of March, 1803.
GIDEON GRANGER,
Pafl.MaJler General,
General Pojl-Offiee ,
IViajhington ci/y,
June 2, ISO 2.
—*
gCJ- ONE thousand bufliek
of CHARCOAL is wanted at
Good Aie.
OSWELL EVE Si Co.