The Recorder

GEORGE HAY. AND CALLENDER.

I had got thus far, when it became desirable to have a translation of one of the Dutch newspapers, in which some pieces were intended to have been republished: The title page of the newspaper was hardly legible: and I stepped down to Mr. Darmstadt's store, to obtain assistance in reading, or decyphering the Dutch text. While attempting to read the title of the paper to his book-keeper. I felt a violent stroke on my forehead: The Blow was repeated three or four times. An immediate effusion of blood was so violent, that, for some seconds, it was impossible for me to distinguish who my adversary was. The cowardly villain, (it was George Hay) came behind my back. Without a moment's warning he struck me over the forehead. I had, hitherto considered that high crowned hats were a mere species of foppery. But it was this kind of a hat which saved my life. In less than half a minute the strokes were repeated several times, with a large bludgeon, which had been, undoubtedly, prepared for the purpose. As soon as it was possible to recollect myself from the surprise of three, or perhaps, of six strokes, I endeavoured to collar the ruffian. He started back, with a view to keep out of a grasp, and at the same time repeated his blows as fast as possible. Upon this, I threw myself on the ground, and took hold of a bundle, or package of some sort, which chanced to be lying at the door of Mr. Darmstadt's store, to shield me from his blows. By the time, for the whole scene passed in about two minutes, a number of people were gathering, George Hay immediately disappeared. The enormity of this man's action is too evident to admit of exaggeration. I had avoided a quarrel with the female friend and protege of Mr. Edmund Randolph's daughter, as long as it was possible, to do so. I had borne her, and manfully, told Narto his face, that I was going to publish concerning him. Hay had, at that time, a bludgeon in his hand. The readers of this paper have seen the publication. It was temperate and guarded. It was my conception, that the man, (I beg the reader's pardon for degrading this respectful appellation) the man, I say, had a very prompt opportunity of exhibiting his courage and of exerting his vengeance. The dastard slunk off, because he saw that I was ready to meet him, face to face. He watched, as it seems, for eight days, till he had leisure to give me, a blow behind my back! He well knew, that face to face I did not value him a shilling. He, therefore, came behind my back. He struck me through a strong coarse hat. Through that hat, he cut my forehead. There can be no doubt but that George Hay designed to commit murder. The poltroon was aware, that it was beyond his power to contradict the detail which has been printed concerning him in last week's paper. He fears, also, that I am in possession, of the most unanswerable, of the most blasting, of the most damnatory documents concerning his behaviour in Dr. Read's business. The wretched, theoretical, and almost practical, assassin, conceived, that, by knocking out my brains, he would extinguish the source of information. He has almost crippled my left hand. George Hay had the meanness to aim his bludgeon at a finger, which, two days ago, had been accidentally cut. The democratic bludgeon was aimed at a lame finger, and the citizens of Virginia are extremely welcome to repose whatever confidence they may think proper in this precious member of the executive council. The citizens of Virginia will contemplate, with peculiar complacency, this admirable specimen of democratic brutality. One for all, by occasionally censuring republican character we do not wish to injure, in the smallest degree, the predominancy of republican principles. Notwithstanding the dictionaries of falsehood that have been published against the writer of this paragraph, he has never trimmed, or equivocated, for a moment. The person who attacked the writer of this paragraph, was chosen, last week, by the Assembly, as a member of the executive council. It is a peculiar feature in the political character, or at least, in the police character of the commonwealth of Virginia, that a man may get himself hanged for almost any crime but that of murder. By the inestimable constitution of this state, a person may cut the throats of his father and mother. He may procure a personal pardon from the governor, in a court of justice; he may produce this pardon; and, in consequence of the pardon, he may laugh, as Skelton Jones at present laughs, at the very name and existence of Virginian jurisprudence. If the citizens of Richmond; if the subscribers to the Recorder; if the citizens of the United States, are entirely convinced that the truth, or falsehood of a paragraph, are to be decided by the bludgeon; if they are convinced, that all sorts of personal and political trials are but a farce, we should be glad to ask them, as long as reason can be supposed to be in the question, whether such a common blackguard, whether such a premeditated assassin, as George Hay, was proper to have been selected by the Jefferson majority of the Assembly, as a member of the executive council. In plain English, the democrats are as entirely disposed to tyrannize, and to trample, as their federal predecessors were before them. The writer of this article is extremely ready to acknowledge, that he was completely deceived, in his conception of the principles of that party. His skull, cut to the bone, his eyes, almost extinguished in an effusion of blood, his left arm, whereon a finger was attempted to be mutilated; all these casualties announce what sort of treatment he was to have expected from the republican party. George Hay was afraid that I had the most impressive, the most inexorable, the most extinguishing facts, concerning his professional character. He well knew that Mr. Wickham had repeatedly, and in the face of the whole court, compelled him to acknowledge his extreme unacquaintance with the laws and usages of chancery. George Hay, as an honest man, and as a professional character, shall be completely overhauled in the progression of this paper. George Hay was aware of all this. But, instead of acting sensibly, and of making a hush about the matter, he wanted to determine it by a bludgeon. At the same time, he very well knew, as some of his predecessors in challenges and defiances had known before him, that, to come into the office of the Recorder, and to give such challenges, might be a service of danger. There is always a possibility that an advertised assault might possibly meet with a resistance. If the cowardly, if the most honorable member of the executive council had given me two minutes warning, I should have cared very little indeed about the cowardice, the behind-his-back ruffian. He knew very well that, face to face, I was very willing to give an account of this creature; and now he goes home to his respectable wife, and plumes himself upon his heroism in striking me before I had leisure to take him by the throat.

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