Petition of Virginia Citizens to James Monroe

The undersigned, Citizens of Virginia, beg leave respectfully to invite the attention of your Excellency to the situation of William Scott, an unfortunate young man, a native of their state, who was some time since,1 in the circuit court of the United States, convicted of the crime of forgery. Were the case of this unhappy young man one of ordinary character your memorialists would be far from lending their names to any exertion for his releif; but such is not believed to be the case of Wm Scott; it is known that his famely are not only2 correct but highly respectable,3 than his parents, none are more deserving the simpathetick regard of the virtuous & the good. He has intermarried into a respectable famely—is the husband of a most amiable lady who is now surrounded by a promising little group the offspring of mutual love. With such inducements to a different cource it will easily be believed that this young man did not freely & voluntarily become the assasin of his own happiness, as well as that of those to whom he was bound by the tenderest and dearest ties which are know to the human heart. The history of this young mans melencholy fall is now pretty well developed—rash—and inexperienced as he was, he casually fell into the company of individuals wearing4 the exteriors of gentlemen by whom he was introduced to that fatal spoiler of happiness and virtue, the card table: infatuated with play, he soon became the child of delusion, and the wretched victim of those arts, and stratagems, which are employed by the experienced vilian, to accomplish, without so eminently indangering his own personal safety, the wicked purposes of his heart. Thus, as it is confidently believed, was this once respectable young man led on step by step to the abess of wretchedness and degradation.

From all that your memorialists have been able to learn on that subject, they are enclined to believe that this very unfortunate young man has not only become sufficiently sensable of the great anormity of the conduct into which he has been led; but that his compunctions have been such as to have answered, probably, all the objects for which this discription of chastisement was designed, at least so far as they regart the subject of punishment: The publick demand may, possably, be considered in a good degree satisfied, by the apprehention, conviction, & punishment of the principal offender, he who was the moveing cause to the commission of the crime, as well as the operative instrument in the destruction of the individual for whom your memorrialists now respectfully interscede

Should the merciful interposition of your Excellency, restore to his famely and friends, this unfortunately deluded, thoug now penitent young man, your memorialists do confidently hope that you will not only give to his weeping partner and helpless offspring a husband—& a father—to a worthy famely a son & a brother—but that you will give to the community a reformed citizen—to Virginia a son who will never again disgrace the land of his nativity; but who may yet find in some section of our extended union an assilem—a home where happiness may again dain to dwell—where those hearts that are now waste and desolate may be healed of their wounds, become subject to the safe influence of honorable and correct principles; and raised, in happy unison, to the throne of omnipotence tremblingly breathe forth their humble thanks for the deliverance they have experienced, and devoutly imploring the divine benedictions upon the benevolent awthor of that change to which they owe all their happiness—and all their prospective hopes.