The Wilmington Centinel

              w iiininsjlon v^cntiriclj and general advertiser miscellany prejudices or for pafiion ; but v*at can be fald to extenuate dcl-b.ratv and coniuoua lander '/ fcrthofe who are guilty of it know it to bs fach it would l,ave been more juil to have acknowledged but that would iruftrate their intentions that mr machine aded upon principle and wauld not countenance thofe who avow in conduft wha they conceal under fpecious pretences that their own aggra*difemem is the fprin of all their actions what power have i afliimed ?— of whamifurpa tioos have 1 been guilty ?— what boa or profit have i fought or obtained either for myfslr o cona^ioni ?— whofe ex or whofe afs have i taken ?— whofe light have 1 invaded ?— as a profeffiooal man have i opprcflr.i the widow or the orphan ? nave i tak.n advantage of the dilrcfica of my fellow citizen to accumulate wealth ?— have i earicbed myfdr by the fpoilsof the public or by private peculation r have i even foliated your votes that lmisj'it be your r*prefentarive ? [ have indeed f law years been obliged to encounter an hoft of enemies—ambi tion avarice and pcifecution have b;en let loofc upon mr what has been die confajupnee of this formidable conciliati on ? has malice been bit to ru one ftigma upon me either in pubhc or private life ? has ii^ratitudc with all his induf try and in his zeaj to obliterate r z debts he was unwillin to ducharje iclt the fiigbteft ftais on iny character ? ° h any one perfao baa an accufi i a again ft ne bt him pro duce it in open d..y and avow it like a man a generous mind difdains the infidions arts of a coward and the concealed attack of an aflafiin j might bequahfc d in fayinp t!iat my accufcrs have confdtsd their own beam ai\d in attainting to draw uy character have very fairly drawn ii»cir own among thofe who have had ar opportunity of forming any judgment of ray charade , i hav no enemks but fueh as arc the enemies of virtue ; and a.noiij m » friend 1 can boall the firft characters in theftate thi ii novainboaft it is ths honeft efful o of confeioos refhr-ide indignant of ingratitude and undefetv^d reproach : and ji$|y proud of frisaulhip which would do!io.-iour tot!ie moit exxted characters 1o the charge of ujurpuig u^on your rights you are told vhk amounts to the fame thin ;) tha oeitiier n»e«..r my coi neftions are t di£fmre to you in yiechoice of a msntber ' this s i iiuidions ini i li'r ni * '■. 4 ajg - ' .'- ' *"*--•. hc»v far ths charge i*tr«e,maft he left to yawifelves to determine but admitting the facts i beg leave toaflc a flmpie qucftion which perhaps wu carry it own anf-.vcr with it whether if you tiuftrecdv your political ru.eoj conduit fron any which ts n-ic appears highly improper will y u receive it from mo and my connections or froai the gentlemen who have ftarttd the op pofition nothing will fo effectually contrarflft what has been thrown cut on triii occafion as a tiinpse narrative of fadls almoft .« foon as 1 was informed that a third candidate was propofed for ip»e town though then bufied in the hurry of a court i fepa rauiy propofed tc two or throe gentlemen who i conceived were in favour ot mr mack-nzie that to avoid a cblhinj of inte reds and to obtain a reprtfentamve whowou be agreeable to a majoiiry of the votes that mr jones and mr mackenzie with a few f their iti'puhve niends hould meet and number their feveral adber^nts and that whoever appeared to have the weakeft intereil houid decline in favour oi the other this wdi uniformly proved ami afru\vard upon application by mr mackenzie himfeif rur i fooa touivd that this apparent acqui^fc«!ic«i in my propocil wa not real and that time was onjy wanted to pervert and bring over ihcfe who had engaged to vot j for mr jones this was cen*iimcd loon afterwards by mr mackwi.zu refuf.ng upm mr jones'i application to adopt that expedient the graod ftroke of policy to effeel the pur pjfc of the oppofirion vv s tliii — t poii.iveanci warm affertion bearing all the jfpearume of truth that mr jones had no chance of fuccecdmg and that the conteft would he between major walker and m mackenzie the revcrfe of this is the fa£t but if mr jones intereil is fo weak why is fo much trouble taken to convince us of it ? it cannot injure mr mackenzie j but hould bedecure it certainly vvouid as many of mr jones's voters if he were out of ths quy;1ion would un doubtedly vi t-5 for major walker i gladly embrace this opportunity to declare that i never have endeavoured to influence thu vott of any elector not even any of thofe whom i efteem as my firraeft friends ; nor did 1 mention mr jones's intention to more than two or three of my friends who cafually fell in my way had 1 been more difengaged from bulmcis it is probable that 1 fhould have acquainted others with it this might have been attended wi":h good eonfequen ces asene of the gentlemen who oppofe mr jones gives as b'i reafon for o doing lout be was not confultcd in the bulhi ft in plain language it amounts to this i will oppofe mr jones not that i have any real objection t him but becaufc h and mr maclaine have had the prefumption to prepefe him lor a member without paying th=tt refpea to my opinion which my ration and importance in the town demands it is unlucky that we were not earlier apprifed bow very neceitary it is in all public matters to pay .* pi c^y deference to a gwt man may it not beaiked who is nuw theperfqn who'didatcs and ufutps ? my own opinion is that mr jones would at any time have been a proper choice for the town as arty one that oilers ; and under all the circumtfances ttev!ir>j the prefent contention is greatly fuperior a3 tar a i am a we to form ajudgment from a eonfiderable degree of intimacy he hasat leaftas much unler ft and ing and is poffefledof as much information as cither of his oppnoents ; and there i one trait in his characler which i fcftetm his temper is candid and free from duplicity but agreeably to m ki;e\vn principle 1 think ever mac fljould vote as his judgment ftull direft ah i intended by this addrefs was to remove the eife&s of any grcfs and very unjuftifiabi mifrcprefentations j toexprefs my contempt for thole who have meanly and unjuftiy attempted to vilify my character ; to con vince them that they are not concealed j and to make my grate ful acknowledgements to the electors of wilmingron for th unreftrved confidence with which they have repeatedly honour edme * a maclaine uummgtintjulyi i7 gg to the eledors of the town of wil imngton f\ok fomeytars paft.i have been honoured with yoarcon hdence and u»iolicitcd you have tiuilcd nu wit.i your beft mtereiis 1 hough i hjvs been oppjfed by difierent perfons and un^cr different pretences by your uniform conduit in my favour oppoiitiwa had at ian c^aicd and its cxillcnce bunted to be no more i he public hufinefs intericred fj much with rny profeftional duty a wtil as with my private interru that 1 was induced to tkuine all further thoughts ot accepting a feat in tuc lejjiflackjie j lut the approaching convention bcin iixed at a ti.ne tavour ab!e to my private purfuits a bare intimation was efficient to er.fure me your unanimous fusvages to tlie molt important of all trufts ; yet »» 1 knew that a continuancs in office would b incompatibk with my profeffional concerns it became n t . cefiary to look forward to a pi^err^refcntative for the town of wilmington in cafe mr poles fliould decnac the trait se veral gentlemen who would o her wife be well qujiincd and pro bably cccptableto you are under legal cr conlluutional ojla bllitks some time ago i took the libcityof fu^geiung to mr jones that u mr po.ts ihouli dechnc which j then had fjme reafon to bdievc the former might probably be acct-pubi under ths pret'umption i h c vj fince undcriiood that air jones raad l.ia intention known ana cond.tionaily oiftrcd his services to be sold cheap for cafh or produce qpwo valuable plantations x at the white marfh bladen county containing 900 acres the pro perty of the late robert rvwan efq deceafed for further particulars ao ply to h j richards or archibald m acl aine wilmington july i4 t i7 88 20 to be rented the h 0 u s e where the late mrs lyon refided inquire of a macla1ne june 25 17 - to be let a convenient dwelling house with a wafh-houfe yard and garden for terms apply to william hooper jun wilmington july 16 20 — as to major walker whatever may be his merirs in etlier refoe&s sj a perfon folding a public iuiice die emoluments of which may depend upon ins own vote and his two iniiueiicc in t he afuaibly 1 look upon him altogether ai improper ior a member of aflcmbty as a colled or of public money or a clttk of a court ; for thoush a fcavai-cihcer i nee within the letter wiio is cxprti'sly excluded hipie wiioars not accuiiomed to rcafon uponthefubjeft of jovemowat an apt to think lightly d fu.ti a cirtumft-r.ee as a matter of little confluence } but wden they are acquaint a with the cai'c oi mr coor thiiuvai oth'cer oi port beaufort they ma pcflibly be of a ditfertnt opinion ' th%t gentle man was a member of the fenate in the firft afierobly held under the prefect government ; and owing to feme contention between the two iioufts hedcaped being ex ■ eluded with the ddejutcs to congrels he lias jour.d mean to hold hu election cvtr lince and fubfequc-nt to that ; . nd whillt he was a member in the general alfembiy he has held five dif ferent efiiccs mod of them ot profit and three or four of then at one tin ej in two of them he was a receiver of pubic mo nies at one ailcoibly his feat was unfjmfefrfuljy difputcd n account f feme of thofe office dua io:i ot i-3 t::ree dirk rent l ills were imroducjrfj ruic i com mons all tending directly or indl eltfte naval officers from fca in the legiilaum knd dcxt rityefmr coer although the bj k>ns with out eppofnioa they were rtrje^fl been the coiifequence of having an invh bkt^ifla tur ! almoit every feflion mr v ka new b 11 to reg^hfrtjk duty cfuui,i kneoftbcn calculated hi own gj fcolumtnts of 1 s o±ce m k h th:it o2l^l bootiicr ulc than t i-y a tax fjhf trade i'^^lu ablha\cn«t hitherto prcfumfii jsete with my advice or epinion in the choice of a metnl^torwilmington it it pro iv.ble i fhould have continued filent had i not diicovcred fenetfaing with refpea to the enfuing eledhon which it is not tz{y to account for in a fatisfaclory manner net only as there , is na oppcfition which appears to be very inconnftent with pro fations but as i underlland i am myfelf the object ef it — i'uriiv>the t-rm of the lafi wilminggjltefaperior court mr 3hnts having been explicit it became j it known that mr joaei w.b a candidate for the reprelenft^98pp£tfs i fuwured hit intiniku — and tliat a coniiderable niamff uf the elector l)^d agreed to fupport him 1 he very gentleman to whom this ss communlcatul by ms jones propufed mr mackenzie and p;rfu.ided the latter to declare hinifidf or fuffer himfelf to be declared a candidate for the reprefoitadon had this gentle n n's name been mentioned at an earlier period inftead of cp pofing i certainly fhould have fupported him ; but fo far froi conceiving that he would accept of the tr«ft i believed that it yo\i)d as he had formerly done decline it 1 did not then confidcr that his fi:ua-ion with relpecl to his private affairs materially changed whatever motives influenced the gen uemen who fit-ft patronized mr macker.rie it is afionifhingto tonfider that they mould thus endeavour to create a division viuciiwlu give ihs orily chance to th.it candidate whom they profefs to oppefe in all events that they fhould oppofe the man with whom they iw in terms af intimacy and afferent fr'iaid i iy h fo as to leave the oni opening iorkbn wijosrs they ackoow d?e to be altogciher unproper is not a little myrterious — - * there isf.metbingin this more than natural y if philofophy could f nd it out it will not however be very difficult the gentlemen have faved me the trouble of conjecture they havs v ery honeflly avowed as a nafon that mr mackenzie will be e-ecud that the people would o kr.ger bear mr mac/aine's i j llr a:kr.i some apology ra i^h be made for attachments for a tphe journals of the x l fi ft aiiembly are now rea dy to be delivered at the superior court office john huske clerk wilmington july j6 20 — hp h e adminiilrators of the late x mr swann requelt thofe who are indebted to the store in wilming ton kept by mr james mills to call upon mr isaac bernard who is authorifed to fettle and receive the debts and to give difcharges wilmington july 16 20 — blanks of various kinds forfale by the printers hereof vol i t h..b numb 2i wednesday july 23 1788