It is true you have been
abused, but it has been and still is, the fate of him who was
supposed out of the reach of all slander. It is indeed the lot, in
some degree, of every man amongst us who has the sense or fortitude
to speak and act rationally, and such men must continue so to speak
and act if we are saved from anarchy.
On July 20th, Thomas Corbin wrote to Hamilton deploring the political
conditions in Virginia created by Thomas Jefferson, in which these
significant passages occur:--
Calumny and misrepresentation are the only weapons made use of by
the faction of Virginia. By a dexterous management of these they
have brought into popular disrepute, and even into popular odium,
some of the wisest and best characters in the United States.
War is waged by this faction against every candidate who possesses
the union of requisites. Independent fortune, independent
principles, talents, and integrity are denounced as badges of
aristocracy; but if you add to these good manners and a decent
appearance, his political death is decreed without the benefit of a
hearing.
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