The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1822-08-23
From the National Iateiiigence,.


by Mr.. Jonathan Russell, in tie Bos,o,
Statesman, of the eth of June prccea,ns
IL was stated that the subject, would h.
resumed in another paper.-That paper
with Others clueidallng all the topics nf
general interest discussed IN Mr.. Russelfs
letter, has been prepared, but will be prp.
scented to the public in another form. Mr.
RusseIs letter from Paris, of 1 tn February
1915, was ostensibily yindication of him.
self and his motive against an accusation
instituted by himsell-sei,-defenc asaltet
self Impeachment The substance was
secret impeachment Of the majority Of lila
colleagues before their common s,lpefio,
authority. That accusation he saw iii. dn.
ring the late session of Congress, to brinv
before the Legislative Assembly of which
he was a member, aud shortly afterwards
TO produce before the public, in newspa.
peers, at Philadelphia aud at Boston. II. in
meeting this accusation wherever il has an.
peared visible and tangible, have been
competed to present myself more than
once TO the public attention, it has been
under circumstances deeply mortiying ~
me, and assuredly not of my own choos-
ing. l have been called To repel success
sion of charges, supported by the name of
man hiph in the confidence of the eoun-
| try ; an associate in the trust which he sub.
staniia!iy accuses me of having BETRAYED
and impiicating the character, conduct
and memory of other citiGuns empioye d on
the same service. 1t has, indeed, receAtIy
been suggested that tt.is is mere personal
controversy between iIr. Russell and he.
with which the public have no concern.
And why was II brought before the puhlt9
30 long as the purport OF Mr.. RnsselPs lei
ter was merely propogated in whispers
Just limited in anonymous paraga plls Of
newspapers, and hoped. not 10 te t7te in
charauble letters from Washington, how.
ever infamous the impufations with which
1T was occasionally bound up and ,ircula.
ted, man conscious of his Innocence, and
secure in the sprgntncss OF MS Intentions,
might overlook and despise il. But, WHEN
made the object of two successive legisla-
tive calls for absolute and forgotten docu.
ments, trun1peted before hand throughout
the Union, as fraught with disclosures
which were 40 blast reputation worthless
in the estimation Of its possessor, if not un-
snllled; when periinaciously obtruded mp
ON Congress and ul the nation, bya col
league in the transaction denounced by a
| parucIpator IN the act reprobated by HIM
self, principles and duties Of higher order
than those of mere personal delicacy com
manded me to solicit the attention, first, of
the House of Representatives, and, second
iy, Cd the nation, to my defence and that of
my colleagues, arraigned before them.
That defence has BEEN and will be, strictly
~ naH In fIn Al. /
to which it is opposed and if, in the course
lit, the attack itself has necessarily been
made 10 recoil upon the accuser, it was
because nothing could more torcibly tend
TO shew the iutility of the charges than AN
exposition of the conduct of him who pro-
duced II m. Let me then be permitted
to say, that this is not mere personal con-
trovcrsy between Mr. Russell and me, with
which the pubic have 40 concern. 1t did
not SO begin, nor cali it so end. The nego-
tlation at Client was an event of great i'm
portance in the history of this Union. 1t
was conducted by five Commissioners,
| citizens of different sections OF the coun-
try.
One of the great objections to the en-
trusting of critical negotiations to Com
lnissloners is, their inherent tendency 10
internal dissentions, injurious to the CON-
mon cause. OF these disssnsions believe
there were as few at Client as in any ne
gociation, by Commissioners of equal num-
Der, upon historical record.--until the last
winter, had flattered myself that none of
these differences of opinion had been of
character which it would have been ever
necessary to disclose to the world. In
making the draft of the joint letter of 25th
December 1914, to the Secretary OF State,
] had, in speaking of the proposition made
TO the British Plenipotentiaries of the first
OF that month said, "To place both points
beyond controversy, are offered TO admit
an article confirming both rights" Ito the
Mississippi navigation and the fsheries)
1hc draft having been passed round to Az
the members OF the Mission for reyisal,
was brought back to me by Mr. Russell,
with an alteration Which be said was de-
sired, not by him, but by Mr.. Clay, to say,
instead OF 'ioe ottreJ,' s. majority of Us
determined to offer. Now, although the
expressions first used had been strictly
correct, and the offer had been actually
made by the whole Mission, readily as
sented to the alterations, not imagining
that Mr. Russeil's purpose was to lay it as
corner stone iot future fabrics, either Of
self-acctlsation and defence, or of social dis
cord and reproaeh. He now alleges it as
seli-contradlction ofmine, that say the
proposition was made by the whole Mis-
SION, although in the joint letter of 25th
December, it was said, majority deter
mined to offer it. But the contradiction
was of his own imagination. The deter
m,nation was taken by the majority. The =
offer was made by the whole. Mr.. Rus
sell proposed another amendment, for
which he neither mentioned, nor did then