The Kentucke Gazette

An address to Valerius.

SIR,

If any person differs from me in sentiments in things not essential to the happiness of mankind, I lay it down as a rule always to treat them mildly. Notwithstanding we differ in things essential, I shall as far as possible exercise charity: I therefore suppose the piece in the public paper No. 12, Vol. 2, is not your real sentiments, I hope you think as I do, and wrote that piece to see what reception it would meet with, or to give an opportunity of exposing such principles; if this is not the case, in charity I must next suppose you are delirious. One would scarcely think that any one who had the real exercise of his reason would venture to publish such a piece. If this is the case I hope on better information you'll lay down your pen or publicly acknowledge your fault. If you do not lay down your pen, we may conclude the error is in the heart: if this be the case charity forbids mildness, common love to mankind demands severity. You would be for living without Law, for if we had held no Election, and the Convention had not sat, the Law would expire in a short time, and this would be destructive to mankind. If any one did out to the world that they should not obey any Law, except they personally voted for it, this would be pernicious doctrine; this or very near this you did, you hold out to the world, that delinquency will justify the most unnatural Rebellion or barbarity; you hold out to the world that people may live without paying taxes; if you expect other people will pay our debts and we never repay them, this is a very rogueish principle. If the expense is not paid we will have no Law; and this would prove ruinous; and this you call American principles. If you had held out in the public papers such principles at the time of our contest with Great Britain after we had Laws of our own. it would have led you immediately to the gallows. It is our great loss that we cannot exercise legal severity upon this occasion, as the transgression is not against the Laws of Virginia; but he that sinneth without Law shall be judged without Law. If you go one step further you may expect to be found out Do you think Patriots will see the hearts blood of their Country truck at in the public papers and not resent it P. Supposing any one in any of the United States, (where they have Constitutions framed and Laws enacted was to exclaim against an Election and to hold out in the public papers that delinquency would justify Rebellion, and say every thing in his power falsely and artfully in order to irritate, delude and exasperate the minds of people, and to excite them to rebel; would it not be the highest pitch of high treason? Notwithstanding we are now in the same situation that all America was in, before they formed their Constitutions, yet the nature of the crime is still the same. I cannot show the district can let you pass with impunity. What you have already done, it is an unparalleled bad example. I leave it to the world to judge if you are not a greater enemy to our country than any indian could be, and if an Indian was found lurking in this country would it not be an act of justice to slip a bullet through him whether my design in writing is the good of mankind or not, let future experience proclaim. I shall not trouble the world with that thread bare worn out story that is always in the mouth of every one that is endeavouring to avail himself and injure the public.

A LAYMAN.