243 



agreed upon by the majority of the Ghent mission. His services 

 to the nation are sufficiently distinguished to enable him to dispense 

 with the assistance of unjust aspersions upon others. 



77. Mr. Floyd s Letter. 



From the Richmond Enquirer of 27th August, 1822. 

 To the Editors of the Enquirer : 



XEW-BERNE, VIRGINIA, AUGUST 14, 1822, 



Gentlemen : I am induced to write to you, impelled by the nu 

 merous editorial remarks which have issued from different parts of 

 the Union, relating to the controversy between Messrs. Russell and 

 Adams, involving me in a greater or less degree ; but more parti 

 cularly from the unwarrantable assertions of Mr. Adams through 

 out his rejoinder. 



On entering into public life, I formed a plan from which I de 

 termined never to depart, unless for the strongest reasons ; and 

 I assure you, it is with pain arid regret, I now deviate from that 

 plan. When any thing occurs in my public conduct, if it concerns 

 myself alone, I have been content to rest my claims to justice upon 

 the decision of those with whom I act, entirely regardless whether 

 the newspapers, or reporters to newspapers, either misunderstand 

 me, misrepresent me, or do not hear me. 



In the commencement of this affair, I was not a little surprised 

 to see the editorial remarks of the Weekly Register in concluding 

 the publication of the President s message with the letters of Mr. 

 Russell and Mr. Adams, subjecting mo. to imputations of &quot; elec 

 tioneering views&quot; and the &quot; getting up&quot; this business : my surprise 

 was not lessened to find any thing in my course, liable to such im 

 putations, as I have always felt the most perfect confidence in the 

 correctness of my course : though 1 have too high an opinion of 

 the correctness and integrity of the Weekly Register to believe 

 these remarks were intended for any other purpose, than to give 

 an honest opinion of the transaction as it appeared to him. 



With these feelings, as soon as I recovered from a severe illness, 

 under which I was labouring when the Register was received, I 

 wrote a statement of the whole matter, to the editor of that paper, 

 whose independent republican course has impressed me with the 

 most favourable sentiments of his rectitude and ability ; but, think 

 ing there would be an end to the affair very soon, and that the op 

 portunities might offer elsewhere, of doing myself justice, I yield 

 ed to the suggestion of a friend in withholding it : nor, do I think 

 the necessity would now exist, had the whole of the debate been 

 published, which took place in the House of Representatives upon 

 *hc adoption of Mr, Fuller* resolution, making the final rail upon 



