Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-03-25
the Senate. and that II was 50 approved is

manifest from the following facts: Il
On the 18th February, 1919, MIR. For
svth, a member ofthe select committee, re.
signed his seat in the senate, and of course.
was no longera member of the committee
and on the same day, resolution was Of
tered in the senate, proposing that another
member should be added to the committee
in the place of MI. Forsyth. On this ques-
ton discussion took place; and it was ex-
pressly and repeatedly stated, that the re-
manning members of the committee were
equally divided; that, unless the vacancy
was filed. no report could be made to the
senate. The nature of the report to be
made, and the additional evidence procu-
red, was also fully disclosed.
The members Of the committee opposed
to the report, particularly Mr.. King, stated
to the senate that his object was that the
committee should be discharged; and, that
the senate's refusing to add another mem.
Der to the committee would be equivalent
to discharglng the committee; and, with
this understanding, 10 try the principle land
take the sense Of the senate in discharging
the committee. Mr.. Eaton moved the post
ponement of the resolution before the Sc
nate TO day beyond the session, and on
this question the yeas and nays were CALI
ed; i6 members voted IN favor OF the post
ponement, and FL against it,
Thus it appears that the select commits
tee Of the senate was appointed by the
unanimous voice of that body; that they
were with the same unanimity vested with
powers to send forpersons and papers, and
specially instructed to make the investiga-
ton; and that, after the investigation had
been made, the facts disclosed, and the SUBJ
stance OF the report, then prepared, were
made known to the senate.
That body, by strong majority, refu-
sed to release them, and held them to dis
charge of their duty; so that il is not the
committee alone, but the Senate of the u
nited States, that should be considered, as
they really are, responsible for this tran
saction, not, fortunately, to a military chief:
tain or subalterns in the army, but 10 the
American people.
kis not the fact, as stated by the author
of the Structures, that Gen. Jackson was
charged in the report, with acting from
mercenary motives and views Of specula-
ton in Florida lands. No such charge was
made; neither can such acharge be fairly
inferred from any part OF the report.
The words selected by the writer, and
which are tortured into such charge, are
these THE tendency of these measures
OF the commanding general seems to ha We
been to involve the nation in a war without
her consent, and for reasons ofhis own. UNI
connected with his military functions
In these observations there is no charge
OF the nature complained OF, either express
ssed Or implied, nor was any such designed;
and il must have been extreme sens'bility
on this subject could have induced the au-
thor 10 have drawn such an inference. The
plain and Obvious meaning of these words
are, that Gen. Jackson, as military officer,
had no right to Judge Of what was cause of
war with a neutral, and his attempting to
reason and act on this. subject was an usur-
patton the civil powers OF the government
and of course, unconnected with his militia
ry functions.
But, since so much anriety has been dis
covered on this branch of the subject, and
so much pains taken to refute charge ne
yer made on Gen. Jackson but by the author
of the Structures it may not be amiss to state
that, had The committee been disposed to
receive and give credit to such hearsay e.
violence as that on which Arbuthnot Was
hung, there might have been more necessi-
ty for the elaborate defence setup on this
point
And thus it must be seen, notwithstand-
ing what is said in the Structures, that the
committee were disposed to deal, no: only
with fairness, but with tenderness, towards
Gen. Jackson. He was heard by his staff I;
his bosom friends, and the members of his
own family, were selected as The witness
SEES; and when call was made in writing
on the Secretary OF War, for information,
il was sent to Gen. Jackson, and the enqui-
ries made by the committee were answered
by him and he goes at large into the rea-
sons that induced him to occupy Pensaco.