JB/169/249/001

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Feb.15.1796— Sir —
Altered thus for
the Herald, by a
Friend who took
charge of it —
"Having in several
"Newspapers observed
"a variety of paragraphs
expressive of
"censure on suspicion
"I apply myself to
"your experienced
"candour and impartiality
for the
admission of —
Having, from a species of inadvertence but too natural
to us all, inserted so many expressions of censure, I call upon
your justice to admit a word or two of defense in regard to the conduct
of a man some thousands of miles off, Mr Benjamin Vaughan,
of whose paper, dissuading an invasion of this Country, so much
has been said of late. The bare statement of the fact, had it been
thus stated (and no man either has contested or can contest the
truth of it) would have been sufficient, I will not say to preclude
all censure, but to establish in behalf of that gentleman an incontrovertible
title to public gratitude & applause. Understanding the
enemy to be meditating an invasion, he risks his character, he
exposes himself to the consequences that have ensued, to dissuade
them from it. He had communication with the enemy — Be it so — but to what purpose? To the purpose of injuring
his Country? — No — but of rendering to it the very highest
service which it is in the power of a good subject to render, to
his own or to any country.

It is a bad sign when a man holds communication with the
enemy — So any one might say, & with reason, who knew thus
much of the matter & no more. But why a bad sign? Because
it looks as if the object of the communication were, the same
with that of the enemy, to do mischief to the Country — But
where is the badness of the sign, when no sooner do we know of the
communication than we know the object & the sole object of it;
& that that object neither was, is, or could be, any other than to save
the Country instead of injuring it.
By —

Identifier: | JB/169/249/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 169.
Date_1	1796-02-15	Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	169	Main Headings
Folio number	249	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles
Category	copy/fair copy sheet	Number of Pages	4
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering
Penner		Watermarks
Marginals		Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number	57069
Box Contents