stice, (because you could not
in conscience take the oath;[L]) that a short time before the election, in
1778, you engaged yourself to the constitutional party, to serve in Council
for the County, and to the party in the opposition, to serve in Assembly
for the City; and being chosen in both instances, you hesitated above six
weeks, (though often pressed to a resolution,) before you determined to
accept your seat in Council;--depriving, during this time, the City of a
vote in Assembly, while an important point was debated concerning the
contested Chester election; and voluntarily advocating the question in
favor of the constitutional party; that on the fate of this trial depended
your hopes of succeeding to the President's chair; that a determination in
favour of that party gave them a decided majority, and that you instantly
accepted your seat in Council.--To which you replied, and in recapitulating
my arguments, endeavoured to justify your conduct; but conscious of having
failed in the capital points, you closed your remarks with some warm
expressions, which conveyed the idea of a threat; of which I desired an
explanation. After working up your passions to a degree little short of
frenzy, you expressed yourself in the following terms: I mean this,--"If
the publications traducing my public and private character are continued, I
mean to apply to the law; but if this will not do me that justice, which in
some instances it cannot do,--I know I have the affections and command of
the fighting men of this state; and if necessary, I will make use of that
influence, and call forth that force,--and if bloodshed should be the
consequence be it on your own heads."

Such violent and unwarrantable expressions from the first magistrate of
the state, and in the presence of the whole bench of justices, created the
highest indignation, and were severely reprobated by several gentlemen
present; which induced you afterwards to endeavour to soften your
expressions and meaning.

But if it was singular or absurd, "to expect a President of the State to
enter into the violence of party on _my_ side of the question," let me
oppose to this, the _treachery_ of your conduct in deserting the party to
which you was at first from ("_conscientious_" principles) attached, and
yet, as President, enter into all the violence of party on the other side
of the question.

Again, "upon our return to Philadelphia," you say, "I became the open and
avowed pat