American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1825-04-26
TO BE SOLD.

Fredericksburg Letter, 8'c.-In the " Constitu
tional Whig' OF the 9th instant. there appeared an
extract of letter, from gentepan Of high stand
ing, dated fredericksburg, 5th April, in which,
speaking of Mr.. Crawford, the writer says: T" ]
have seen no who saw Mr.. Crawford at FIRE.
dericksburg, who has not pronounced him imbecile
in Body and mind BOTH
There can be no longer any reason for avoiding a
notice Of that gentlenan's actual condition, except
such relates to his pivate feelings. respect for
these would induce to abstain from adyertng to
it. If the real state of his health had not furnished to
those wbo are inimical TO the administration, topics
OF animadyerson. Ii has been said, that the Presi-
dent offered him the Department Of the Treasury,
which is proof that his health was competent TO
the discharge Of its duties and that MIR. Clay has
assigned, as one Of the reasons for supporting
him as President, his precarlous state OF health
hence has been argued that there is contradic-
ton between the President and Secretary Of State
on matter of fact Is that really the case! The
President found Mr.. Crawford in the Treasury
Department. They had been, during eight years,
fellow -labourers in the same administration. MIR.
Cra,cfords loss of health possibly to be attr.
buted, in some measure, to his official duties They
had been competitors for the same Office, and Mr..
Adams had prevailed The question, then, which
he had to decide was whether he would turn out
Mr.. Crawford from the Treasury Department
1t would have been measure OF extreme harshness,
|if not of nhumsnity one VOID OF all magnanimity,
lif not vindictive-consdering his condition. and
their previous relations to have expelled him. 1t
is well known here that the business OF that Depart
ment has, for about eighteen months gone on very
we'll under the direction OF su5ordinates, without
much actual participation on the part OF its nominal
head 1t might have still continued in the same
way some time longer, until it was seen whether the
recovery of Mr.. Crawford was absolutely hopeless
The offer of Mr.. .adams, then, to Mr. Crawford
is to be regarded, not in the nature Of original
appointment, but an acquiescence in one already
made.
| The question with Mr.. Clay was not whether
he should turn gentleman out Of an Office which
| he had long held but whether he should assist in
putting him into the first office of the nation, oil
which he had never been the incumbent One may
/ be very competent to perform the duties OF Secreta-
ry of the Treasury, and at the same time ncompe
tent to discharge the higher duties OF President Of
1.-THE United States or, rather, the Department oil
1.-THE Treasury, from the structure Of Its machinery
may move on very we'll, for time, without healthy
head, whilst it would be impossible for the executive
government to fulfil The great objects OF its Institu
ton, unless its chief should be in the possession
vigour both of body and mind. The view of the
Secretary of the Treasury is chiefly directed to the
affairs of one Department: that of the President
embraces all the Departments, and the whole circle
OF our affairs at horne and abroad
II it were possible that all the people Of the Unit
d ed States could see and converse with Mr.. Craze
ford, there would not be any difference OF opinion
between them and the writer OF the Fredericksburg
letter, as to his real condition. Nat. journal.
: Ertract of letter published IN the Philadelphia
j Press, dated Buenos Ayres,
Il JANUARY So 1925.