Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-03-26

defence, that was given 10 the chairman
TO write the report. They were present
wien the decision of the committee was
| made, aud The chairman received his in
s'ruciions. A counter statement might
| have been prepared and offered, i'm the
| manner pursued by Col. Johnson, i'm the
| House oi Representatives or, If this
course should have been thought ineliyi-
| bic or irregular, when the report was made
| Ia the Senate, II might have been called
| up at any time, and a resolution offered,
| approaching or eNcusing the conduct of
General Jackson, aud this resolution
| might have been preiaced by reasons at
| large, IN opposition 10 Tie reasons offered
by the committee, ANA thus The minority
| OH The committee would have had a full
| opportunity of laying before Ike public
| The result Of their deliberate Opinions on
| the subject. Neither is ii true " thai The
chairman declined annexing The custom
ary resolutions 10 the report" But, on
| the contrary, the fact is known 10 every
member OF the committee, that, when the
chairman presented the report, The ques-
| Ton WAS put by him, whether resolutions
| should be annexed, and the committee
decided unanimously in the negative.
But II appears by the structures, that The
| chairman OF the committee has been al
most the sole actor on this occasion. aud
has had The entire control Of the commit
tee aud of the Senate.
The author of the Structures, in thus
| giving Importance 10 tue individual CON
| cerned, has unintemtionally done him too
much honor, the acceptance of which, al
, the expense of the Senate, he begs leave
| to decline, DESTROYS, as il relates 10 him
| self, OF being only considered what the
Senate had constituted lm-the chair
| man OF the selact committee. As their
! organ, he was subject 10 their control. and
acted III conformity TO their Instructions
as, IN like manner, the committee was
| controlled by The Senate, and bound 10
observe The Instructions received from
that body.
And ii was source of no small gratifi-
| cation 10 the committee 10 find that Their
| conduct in the investigation was approx
Ell by The senate, and that il was so ap-
proved is manifest ram the following
facts
On the i7ih Feb, 1919, Mr.. Forsyth, "A
member of the select committee, resigned
his seal IN The Senate, and of course was
no longer member of the committee
and, on The same day, resolution was
o1ered IN the Senate proposing that ano-
iher member should be added 10 the con-
mi,fee IN the place of Mr.. Forsyth. On
TINS question discussion took place
ana IL was expressly and repeatedly stat
ed, that the remaining members of the
committee were equally divided; that,
unless The vacancy was filled, no report
could be made 10 the Senate. The nature
OF the report 10 be made, aud the addi-
tional evidence procured, was also fully
sclosed.
Ibe members of the committee oppas-
ed 10 the report, particularly Mr.. King.
slated to the Senate tina: his object was
that The committee should be discharged
ana, 'haf the Senate's refusing To add a
mother member to the committee would
be equivalent TO discharging the commit
tee and, With this understanding, TO try
the principle, and take the sense of The
Senate IN dlsclIargingthe committee, MIR.
Eaton moved The pos pouemeni of the
resolution before the Senate to a day be-
yend the session, and on this question
Inc yeas and nays were called 10 mem
bers voting in favor ofthe posiponement.
and 81 against it.t
Thus 1t appears that the select con-
mlitte OF The Senate was appointed by the
unanimous voice of that BODY that they
were"llh lhe same unanimity vested with
powers to send for persons and papers,
aud specially instructed 10 make the in
vestiga'lon; and that, after the in, tiga-
non had been made, the facts disclosed.
and the sui'stanctsoithe report, then IRE
pared, were made known 10 the Senate.
hai Dody, by strong ma nrity, re-
fused toreiease them, and held them 10
discharge of their duty so that il is not
the committee alone, but the Semate oil
The Unied States, that should be comsid-
cred, as they really are, responsible for
tins transaction, not, fortunately. 10 MI.
il'ary chiGtGin, or SHbdite,mS an tie aynay.
bul 10 the American people.
IL as not Metact, as stated by the author
OF the structures, that Gen. Jackson was
charged ID the report with acting from
mercenarY motives and views of specnla-
Ton IN Flori'a lands. No such charge
was made; neither can such charge b.
fairly inferred from any part Of the report.
lie words selected by the writer, and
winch are tortured into such a charge, are
these: The tendency of these measir 8
@ OF The commanding general seems (, :,
have been To involve the nation in war
without fer consent, and for reason, G,
his own unconuected with his military
functions"
In these observations there is no charge
OF The nature complained Of either *
pf ssed or implied, nor was any such de
signed and il must have been extreme
se"sibihty OF this subject that could have
induced HE aHihortO have drawn such an
inference. The plain and obvious mean
ing Of these wOrdSarc, that Gen. Jackson.
as military officer, had no right 10 Judge
OF what was cause of war with neutral.
ana his attempting to reason and act on
his SUBJECT was an usurpaiiou oflhe civil
powers ofilie government, and, OF course,
uhc0nnecied With his military functions.
Bat. since so much 01rtety has been
discovered on this branch Of the subj Ct,
aud so mmch pa us taxi en- 10 rclnfe a charpc