office, he gives
too much reason to suppose, that he himself has no idea of any other
motive in conducting politicks. But how can the landholder ascertain, that
"Mr. Martin thought" the office mentioned "destined for a different
character?" Was the landholder present at the destination? If so, it was
natural for him, knowing there was a combination against Mr. Martin
(however remote this gentleman was from discovering it) to suppose his
accidental opposition to the complotters, proceeded from a discovery of
the plot. Surely the landholder must have some reason for his conjecture
respecting the motives of Mr. Martin's conduct, or to be subject to the
charge of publishing calumny, knowing it to be such. If then, this great
statesman was in a secret, which has been long impenetrable, he is now
entitled to the honor of giving the public the most important information
they have received, concerning the origin of the new constitution, and
having candidly informed them who is not, he ought to inform who is to
fill that office, and all others of the new federal government. It may
then, in some measure be ascertained, what individuals have supported the
constitution on principles of patriotism, and who under this guise have
been only squabbling for office. Perhaps we shall find that the landholder
is to have the contract for supplying the standing army under the new
government, and that many others, who have recurred to abuse on this
occasion, have some such happy prospects; indeed the landholder puts it
beyond a doubt, if we can believe him, that it was determined in the privy
council of this federal convention, that however Mr. Martin might advocate
the new constitution, he should not have the office mentioned; for if this
was not the case, how can the landholder so roundly assert that Mr. Martin
could have no prospect by a contrary conduct of gaining the office, and so
remarkably sanguine is the landholder, that the members of the privy
council would be senators of the new Congress, in which case the elections
would undoubtedly be made according to the conventional list of
nominations, as that he ventures to predict, though Mr. Martin was to
double his efforts, he would fail in his object. Thus whilst this blazing
star of federalism is taking great pains to hold up Mr. Gerry and Mr.
Mason, as having held private meetings "to aggrandize old Massachusetts
and the antient dominion" he has confessed enough to shew that his private