The Kentucky Gazette

From the Virginia Independent Chronicle, of December 13th, 1788.

To the AUTHOR of a piece published in the KENTUCKY GAZETTE, under the signature of a FARMER.

SIR,

NOTWITHSTANDING the style of humility in which you are pleased to address the publick, we cannot help doing justice to your abilities, and discovering an able intrigue and specious art under the plausible appearance of a simple relation of facts. By this pretended detail it is implied, that the scheme of a separate Government in Kentucky originated from the apprehension excited by Col. Logan's intelligence relative to the hostility of the Indians...... Under this idea we are led to suppose that all who were concerned in supporting it were actuated by the same motives. and in pursuit of the same object. However this may in lead the opinions of persons here, those whose situations afforded them an opportunity of information on the subject, must know the fact to be otherwise.

Permit me to ask you Sir, was there no overtures or intentions of calling together the "wisdom" (as you are pleased to call it, tho you might with more propriety have said the Aristocracy machination) of the District? Will not the judicious and discerning public be disposed to doubt the credibility of a public meeting being instantaneously animated by the same spirit and conducted on the same principles.

While there was a prospect of trade through the Mississippi, I was myself in favor of a separation- and had no objection to the establishment of a detached government provided it was constructed on free liberal and democratical principles and sufficient resources appeared for the necessary arrangement of finances.

Although you have very artfully concealed it from the publick, you cannot deny that, that Wisdom was collected in a very extraordinary and novel manner -….... Was there not several twenty two Grievances (a great number after they had drawn us a victim of their- cried slyly only two or three votes, and rejected from the information if Col. Logan but, which was well adopted to the views and intentions of the party. and calculated to excite the apprehensions of the people. This was the properest crisis and very wisely pitched upon to propose a separate, but contrary to their expectations it appeared to be the prevailing opinion that the rudeness wa worse than ohe Grievance ; notwithstanding the unprecedented recipitatemanner of the election th-y apprehended from the number present that the oniy trulty few would not nav: formed a mojor ty on the decision; In consequence of which they pro,ojed the plan of another Convention, with a redudlion in the number of deputies ran tach county: which was agreed upon.

though I was not present at those deliberations. I had at rhat time no ayprehenion of their corequence, but in the interin news arriving of jeveral of our veff-ls which had attemoted to trade on the M Gilippi,) being jeized by the Spaniaras and their corgues confi cated. - Iwas jtruck with thedan- ger of attemptiig a rew etablibment in our weak and confiied fituation di valted of the refources in f me megjure, effeniial to its exiftence. I according- by avowed my fentimenes on the fubject to a very diguified charnier, wls with more p.ulcnce concealedhis: ana (as I wis informed was ujual with the par- ty) at diferent times drouped words which led mary to believe they were a- gaingt the meajure, which they were ,robably now convinced was far fram being agieerble to the general opinion of the people, by whick means added p the duceet rediction of the num ber of dejuties, the wiell and trutt elt men were elecied apreeable to their wifbes; and after the pro, er foims of deliberation agreed on the expediency of a j=parate government, and rejolved on the eicction of a third Convention.

From a retroipetive view of feveral corcunifances in the conduct of tnes bu- jinis; and from a fiom periuafion that the meajure yvas reatly unaccepcaole to a mgjority of the peoule; I determined for the frft tine to take an adive part in ofpaing the separation; aid rife. qubent to the eledien tf Dejutics to the the third convenr n who vere of- pare tiv d jpojed to puijue the fame fy- Mem: I advijed the jeople to draw up infeudions to poflponetheirprotoials to the leg flature for a jeparalion till fome future period, which they approved of; but from the suddiennefs wo th which the meeting was held after thre eletiion,ma my who were dijpofed thereto had not an oprortunitv of figning them but the names of thoje who did amounted tofe- veral kundreds; and I have been_ pafi- tively affured exceeded the nunber of ihofe who voted at their eletlion. but what was the refult? Isit not well known, that they not only totally rejed- ed the infiructionofihe people; but ex- punged every thing fron theirjournals that carried the leaft appearance of op pufition --was this agreeable io the principles of a free democracy? was this oheving the vcice of their contitu ents as they had led them to believe they would? But I will not eylarge-.Deli- cacy bids me throw a veil over this . jeft, which indeed will net bear the iight.

But I mut beg leave ir to compli ment you on your candour inavowing principles perfealy correjponuent with this conduct. . You fay " the opnion of the whole convention hallbemy opinion and I will abide n nd jupport it," I beliere if the good people of Kentucky were all of the fane meek an. pliable dijpafition the leaders of the party would not have round it nereffory to be at jo much pains in dijguifing their views. -- Again with great Jagacity you objerve that if we were even to take a wrong tep we might wheel atout and get right. Ths is an argument I muft own I ne. ver thought of: On the jame principles we had better rent our garments as the ancient Jews did in times of publ cca- lamity;) - -for why?becaifethe Tay- lors can mend them again -lou then proceed in the common place ihile of aniltocratic advocates to recommend us for the sake of unanimity to relin- quifb our opinions, and let the enlight- ened ones decide for us but pray fir if the people had been in favor of the jcheme as you infinuate in other pla ces, where was the nereffity of theje hignflying argumerts to perjuadeus thnt they ure not capable of judging for themfelyes.

But I will now guit this curious paragraph aid advert to another fart wrhich more immediately coucerns my o wa feclings -That I was the beaver of e he petition allued to is well known: ... . that I even made the original draft of it the requgft of my cmflicuents I nes er enied.-- I thank you for the was "ingn aufly fiaught with much honer ou sntended me by faying it injurious ) ufl uds's - -But notw th- ftanding von n udefty, it is an ho- nor you might s rore properiy claisn -.-- -It is only in the minds uf fuh withragard to vour own_ compofition; accomplibd genufes ti t the ideas of ingertity and fa fbuol ar? conmected it was thofe Pancipes of . wenuity --. Tuu wili give me leave to suppaje ded you to affert thit I had cn ulared the Pe ition with mich privacy .... Perhaps you will tell us fome ot her time that it wis with much priva.y I read it before a public Auditory af- ter divine fervice, when it wzs hindsd to me for that purzofe - It was no doubt the fame in cnuity that irduced you to fay that I lily tole away wish it to Richmond -.- tut how that could be; after informing my friends of my intended departure, and receiving sun dry tetrers for this city- I leave for fo ingenious a Gentleman to expiain, it would appear from vour polite lan- guage that you confider every one in the li ht of a thief who attemots to remove fo much as one tone from that towring fabrick which has at leaft roje in the ideal views of your party.

But iili fr although yon co ceive the people at large to be inadeguite to the deciion of Knotty and intricate point: of ate policy you ollow them in other ciges to be poffe ed of much penetration and leave ilein to fi d ont the falfbrods" you ablude to without fo much as intancing a.e.- - Was not this fir carrying vour candour and li- beralty too far? may not fome of them pfibly uppofe it was out oi your pover.

If your publiontion liad only been read in that difrid where your mge- nhus chai.der is known I wrould think it umecelfary to paint out a fur- ther piece or your inrenuity in foying thnt I "declared in Convention that I had no hand in the matter but merely to be the bearer of the petition Ec... Stand forth fir and jty upon your ho- nor' if you porjejs auy) that this is a candid reprejentation of the fart. -De- my if you can, that I only faid it was a petition I had no hand in further than at the pointed requeft of my con- flituents except taking it to Richmond ..--which I had done voluntarily, for though I neyer asked a man to lign it, and it contained june jaits which fell not urder my immediate notice but were fuggefied to me by otlers, Nes from the credibility of the fubycribers and had neither that time nor ever fince any doubt of their tru:h.

But I will quit this jubje&t, and once more take the liberiy of making a fewad- ditional remarks on the conduct of the aritocratic party -It was found an inte- resting fchem previous to the fifth e- bection to circud e reports that the other parts had generar y ceme into the mea- jure-.in order that the oppoition in each particular county might be lulled by an apprehenfion of the inefficency of theirexertions --that the partifans of the feparation might again be chojen--- nor were they at all iparing of the fe vereft and mot infl matory reledtions on she very Legiflature under wlje fane- tion they aled under fo well conduc- ted a line of polirical finelle it was no wonder they o jar carried their points.

In yours fir a very fudden change to become all at once un advocate for the poor - yon obyerve that their nojes have been heid io the grinftone of oppref fon" this Is very extraordinary in deed to complain of their prefene bur- dens at a time when you wifh by the e- reFtion of a liew and expenfive govern ment to oj prefs them with a doubleload : .. it juis me in mind of a driver jo feeing his ajs nearly finking under his load out of pity to the poor animal-.- mounts and gires him thle jiur to keep up his jpirits.

Befure I finifb our correfpondence I mull beg leave to ask you a few gneli- ons exyrefive of the general jcope of the preceeding addrejs--- Has not the popular ofinion aiways been evaded by every poffivle means ?--lave giot the written infirudlions of the people been abfolutely rrjeSed?--Has any gentle- man ever yet to.d his conflituents pre. vious to his lettion that if they chofe him he uouid confider th m in favor of the jeparation? -Have not fome of the maft elerated charaters befere the lafl eleftlon been. heard to lay they were againit the meajure becauie they wvere lea to bolieve the people wore a- gainf it?-A motion being afterwards made in the Convention for taking the poyuslar opinion did not the fame perjons oppoge it? -Is not the unegual divifion of our landel jroperty natuially calcuia- ted to promote an arifiocrocy?---- Does not every circum/tonce and occur. rence prove the ariflocratic spirit to be predominant? Is there not a jeries of of prrcedents to recur to injpport of it if the defived cheme bould fucceed? --Is there a necefity at prejent to risk any thing if not is it not madnes to risk every thing? Has there not been frequent overtures and even an actual atteinpt made to rjurp a government i dependent of the general Union?-. whick it is obrions niufl have proved on.r.'erucion?-Wlil not an acqui. tiori oy the prefent objeft be confidered by many as an iniermediate ep to the en.ved fituation of Rhode Ifland or Venomt .Are there not fome a- mong us fighing lofbine forth in the aflinguthed character of a Shays? Ithere are may their fate le simibiar

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