5501. MONROE (James), Slanderous attack on.—[further continued].
You will have seen,
among numerous addresses [to the President]
and answers, one from Lancaster in Pennsylvania,
and its answer; the latter travelling out
of the topics of the address altogether, to
mention you in a most injurious manner. Your
feelings have no doubt been much irritated by
it, as in truth it had all the characters necessary
to produce irritation. What notice you should
take of it, is difficult to say. But there is one
step in which two or three with whom I have
spoken concur with me, that feeble as the hand
is from which this shaft is thrown, yet with a
great mass of our citizens, strangers to the leading
traits of the character from which it came,
it will have considerable effect; and that in
order to replace yourself on the high ground
you are entitled to, it is absolutely necessary
that you should reappear on the public theatre,
and take an independent stand, from which you
can be seen and known to your fellow citizens.
The House of Representatives appears the only
place which can answer this end, as the proceedings
of the other House are too obscure.
Cabell has said he would give way to you,
should you choose to come in, and I really
think it would be expedient for yourself as well
as the public, that you should not wait until
another election, but come to the next session.
No interval should be admitted between this last
attack of enmity and your reappearance with
the approving voice of your constituents, and
your taking a commanding attitude. * * *
If this be done, I should think it best that you
take no notice at all of the answer.—
To James Monroe. Washington ed. iv, 242.
Ford ed., vii, 257.
(Pa.,
May. 1798)
