Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1824-06-26

ed the Office, / addressed letter to
/ Congress, proposing the expedlent
of authurisins me to value all servI.
ces and supplies, in the department.
as If to be paid for in specie, and to
| give certificates therefor, bearing AL
| interest of six per cent. This Mea.
sure was adopted; and with the a'd
| ofthe.e certificates, the business of
the department, which. under the
| new regulation extended to all the
| states, was carried on. until that e.
minent citizen. Robert Morris, APP
pointed superintendent Of finance, by
His personal Gre nj, furnished. in his
own promissory notes. (Which 10.
reign loans enabled him 10 redeem.)
a medium which passed az cash. 1
continued in the Office of Quarter
Master General to the end of the
war.
10 the year 1901. President Washing-
ton appointed ms Postmaster General
At the close Of hs year 1894, General.
Knox revignsd the office of Secretary
Of War. and Washington appointed me
his successor ln August, 1895. on the
resignation Of Edmund Randolph, Sec
Rotary of Ste. Washington charged
mo with the blsinsss Of that depart-
ment Some time before the meeting
Of Congress, which was in December
following, the President rendered to me
tho office Of Secretary Of State: at the
same time be frankly told me the Danes
Of three highly distinguished ciizens.
to whom he had offered, but who de.
cllned accepting the Office. General
WashiDgtoo knew me we'll, ard that l
had not enough ofvanity or smbiion o
be wounded or humbled at the prefer.
ence given to these gentlemen they
wore entitled to it. l only regretted
tina, they declined the office. For my.
self. objected, that the duties Of tho
department Of state were foreign TO my
for mer pursuits in life, and thought
mvssli unequal to the proper discharge
OF them. lie desirsd me to take the
matter into consideration. When he =.
gain spoke to me on the subject, | OBJ
served, .hst although tho gentleman he
had ma met. 10 me had declined the Of.
fee, yet BY q little delay he might find
some other candidate to ill II. The
session Of CongseN was approaching
By inquir'ng among the members he
might obtain information OF fit char.
acter not then occurring to him. and
requested him to postpone the matter
until the meeting of Congress. The
President acquiesced. But a. soon o.
Congress assembled, without speaking
to me again: he nominated me to be
Secretary of State and tho Senate ap'
proved the nomination.
Now oil these important Offices, 10
the general government, were voiunta.
.iy conferred upon me the last, and
highest. attended by the singular cir.
cnmstances l have jun stated. and ell
Of them unasked for, in any form what.
ever. Yet Adams says Pickering pas
ambitious! Had | solicited these Of.
fices--baa | mad an interest through
my friends, or intrigued Uith my enc.
mics, to obtain ihem--had I swslIsd
with vanity on their scquisi'ion- l might
have been pronounced ambitious. The
following are Mr. Adsms's words
Under the simple appearance "fs bald
head and straight hair. and under pro.
LESSONS OF profound republicanism, he
conceals an ardent ambition envious
Of every superior, and impatient Of OBJ
scarily
Such 10 brief sketch Of the life of
Timothy Pickering. presented 10 the
unado. ned garb of truth and simplicity
The ths, facts constitute it. are not and
canno, be made the subject Of dispute or
Preyarica.ion, for they. most O. theu.,
are recorded in the archives Of the
country And now l ask Of the nation
itself It every man Of generous and no.
norable sentiment 10 it. is not concern
cd to sustain 40 individualwho has dis.
interestedIy devoted himself to the pub.
llc veal. q, the sacrifice of his private
affairs. who has SO largely and so long
| partaken Of tho public conf deuce. and
to whom has been committed so great
share Of ito high and important trusts.
which tie has never failed to execute to
tho satisfaction Of all concerned: and
who has, wi'hal. borne his faculties 50
mseays Will it be patiently endured,
| ssk, that such an old and faithful ser
want Of his country should be subjected
to tho torrents Of "bloquy whish the
adheren's of John Quincy Adams are
pouring out upon him, in the vain hope
Of destroying or diminishing the force
of his testimony? No. TheeRvenomed