Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1825-04-01

cautious and delber ate Judgment perfect command
of the passions and throughout his whole . familiar
ity and acquaintance with business and civil trac
tions which rarely characterize any human being No
man more deeply penetrated than he was
with profound respect for the safe and necessary princ
pie of the entire subOrdnation of the military TO the
svil authority. / hope do Injustice to General
Jackson, when say, that could not recognize in his
public conduct those attanncnts for both civil govern
ment and military command, which contemporaries and
posterity have alike unanimously concurred i'm awari-
ing yet only to the father of his country WAS SEN
sibe OF the gratitude which the people of this country
Justly feel towards Gen. Jackson for his brilliant mill
tary services But the impulses of public gratitude
should be controlled 1t appeared TO me- by reason and
discretion and was not prepared blndly surrender
myself to the hazardous indulgence of feeling howe
yer amiabe and excellent that feeling NAV he whom
properly directed Ii did seem TO me To be wise mr.
prudent if, as solemnly believed, Gen Jacksou's com
potency for the office was highly questionable that he
should be placed IN situation where neither his ,,no
nor the public interests would be advanced Con.r,l
jackson himself would be the last man to recommend
or vote for any one for place, for which he thoupht
MN unit felt Nself sustained by his own reasonn
III his letter 10 Mr. Monroe, In which, speakipp of the
qualifications of venerable Shelby for the Den,r,
Inent OF ar he remarked 81 compelled to saw o
YOU, that the requirements OF this worthy man are not
competent to the discharge of the multiplied duties of
this Department. | therefore hope he may mt ,cca,,
the appointment am fearful if he does he will not
add much splendor to his present well earned st,n5n
as public char ter" Such was nv opinion of Cen
Jackson IN reference to the Presidency. His conyc-
tons OF Gov Sheby's untness BY The habits of his life
Tor The appointment of Secretary of War were not
more honest nor stronger than mine were of his o,rp
want OF experience, and the necessary civil uuaiifca-
tons TO discharge the duties of President of the o.
In his elevation TO this Office too thought perceived
the establishment of fearful preceden and am mis-
taken IN all the warnings of instructive history if
erred IN my Judgment. Undoubtedly there are other
and many dangers TO public liberty besides that which
proceeds from military idoatry, but have vet TO ac
VIpfirr Dtif H.,
or more frequent.
whether Mr.. Adams would or would not have been
my choice of President, if had been left freely TO Sc
ect from the whole of American citizens was NOT
the question submitted TO my decision had no such
liberty: but was crcumscribed in the selection I'D
TO make, TO one OF the three gentlemen whom the peo
pie themselves had thought proper TO present IN the
House OF Representatives. Whatever objections might
De supposed TO exist against him. still greater appeared
to me TO apply to his competitor. OF Mr.. Adams, if
Is but truth and justice TO say that he is hipbv oifed
profoundly learned, and long and greatly eyperenceJ
IN puoic AFFAIRS, at home and abroad. Intimately con-
Versant with the rise and progress of every
with foreign powers pending concludes personally
acquainted with the capacity and aainments of most
Oh 'he PUBIC men OF this country, whom il might be
proper to employ in the public service; extensively ms
sessea Oh much OF that va BILE kind of information
Whch Is TO De acquired ...er from books nor tradi
ton, but which is the fruit of largely particDatino in
Puoc AFFAIRS discreet and sagacious; he would enter
Oil me auteS OF the Office with great advantages. saw
IN his election the establishment of no dangerous ex
ample saw IN IT. the contrary only conlcrr1itv ia
the safe precedeI.ts which had been established in the
instances of Mr.. Jefferson, MIR, Madison and Mr. Mon
roe, who had respectively filled the same Office from
which he was to be translated.
"A collateral consideration of much weight was deriv
ed from the wishes of the Ohio DELEGATION rna;or;t
OF H. during the progress of the session. made IN their
opinions to support Mr. Adams and they were coronu
nCated to me- They said, ;Ohio supported tie can
didae who was the choice of Kentucky We failed in
| In Oh,
among those returned, have decided preference
ana we thnk you ought to MAKE sacrifice to gra-
tify us.n Was not much dne TN o,r rc;,.i 49, 90,
friend? w
considered, with the greatest respect the resolution
OF the General Assembly of Kentucky requestinr the
delegation to vote for Gen Jackson That resolution
II Is true, placed III peculiar situation Whilst
every other delegation, from every other state in the
Union was left by its Legislature entirely free to
ninc the professions of all the candidates and To form
us unbiased Judgment, the General Assembly of Ken
tuCNy thought proper 70 inerpose and TO request the
utiTgauon 10 give MS vote TO of The candidates
whom they were pleased to designate. felt sincere
desire 10 comply with request cnauadng from source
so respectable, if could have done SD consistently with
those paramount duties which owed 10 Won and To the
country. But, after full and anxious consideration
found 1t Incompatible with my best Judgment of those
duties to conform to the request of the General Assem-
bly, lie resolution that was tue wish of the
people OF kentucky that their delegation should vote
Tor The General 1t did not inform me by what means
'"''' O'ug at knowledge OF the wish
the people. knew that its members had repaired TO
frankfort before departed from home to come to
Washington knew their attention was fixed on i'm
Portant local concerns, well entitled, by their magni-
tude, exclusively to engross it, No election, no general
expression of the popular sentiment haoccurred since
that IN November, when electors were chosen and at
that the people, by overwhelming majority had de-
cided against General Jackson. could not see how
such an expression against him, could be Interpreted
INTO that OF desire for his election If as is true the
candidate whom they preferred, were not returned to
the House. 1t equally true, that the state of the contest
as u presented itself here TO me, had never been consd-
cred discussed and decided by the people of Kentucky
IN thelr collective capacity. What would have been
their decision on this state of the question: might
have undertaken to conjecture but the certainty ofany
conclusion OF fact to their opinion, at which could
arrive was by no means equal to that certainty of
Victon OF my duty to which carried by the ex-
erton OF my best and most deliberate reflections The
letters from home which of the delegation recev-
ed expressed the most opposite opinions aud there
not wanting instances of letters from some of the very
members who had voted for the resolution advising a
different course / received from highly respectable