Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-11-20

| the balance when paid, ifever, with mortgage
on tract OF land in Clay county, Kentucky, oil
90 900 acres, and power to sell il. if necessary,
whenever that necessity should arrive. In that
state the affair has since rested, the importance
Of the concerns committed to him, in his next
mission, and their pressure in different conn-
tries not allowing him time to look into it. The
| land, however, has remained Since that period
appropriated to that object, and no hope is
| now entertained that il will ever be relieved
from.it
BY this view it will appear that Mr.. NJ. has
not only derived no emolument from his pubic
Offices, but has suffered much>by them; while
it is presumed that it will be equally manifest,
bowcver great his suffering has been, that he
has not been diverted from his public duties by
considerations of private nature.
| To occurrences Of more recent date some at
tention is now due, not with view to pecnna-
nv indemnity, but to an object of infinitely high
err importance, in his estimation through life,
that of his character, which it is known has
been assaled in some Of these occurrences
During the last fourteen years, he has held Of
! fees in the Federal City, and has resided there
| in the Departments Of Stale and War, and i'll
! the Office OF Chief Magistrate. shall touch on
those points only ON which attacks have been
made, and for the sole purpose OF explanation
and yindcalion, not to boast Of services, nor OF
! the manner in which they were rendered tor
those are points which are left to the impartial
Judgment Of his fellow citizens and Of posterity.
| On his conduct in the Department OF State, no
attack has been made, and Of course no defence
| of it is necessary. To the Department Of War
he was called twice, the first on the resignation
Of Mr. Eustis, when he held it about six weeks.
| The second on the resignation OF General Arm
strong; from which time he held ii to the end OF
the war He came into it, in the latter instance.
after the fall of Washington, and not before IT. &
| not at his own instance, or by his desire, but
at that Of the President, who was we'll acquant-
ed with his conduct in What related 10 the mill
tary occurrences of'tha, epoch, & likewise at the
instance Of his fellow citizens Of the surround
ing country, who earnestly wished and pressed
il, With his exertions to save the city and
country, after the enemy landed at Benedict,
the whole of the District, and | may say OF the
neighborins community, were acquainted. He
acted as volunteer, without authority, but he
rendered all the service that he could render as
citizen The facts relating to that occurrence
have been often nisrepresented, and the mis-
representation being generally known, has, on
that account, Lien disregarded. But it is due
to the cause Of rulh, and to the character OF the
then President, as we'll as to that Of Mr.. NJ. &
others, that a faithful digest Of them be made,
and be preserved There is not one important
fact connected with that event, from the land
ing Of the enemy at Benedict, 10 his entrance
into the city, which cannot be proved by some
hundreds, If not thousands Of citizens, who were
spectators thereof, and it is important that the
digest be now made and proved, the parties
being now living, that it may be handed down
10 posterity in its true character.
After this distressing and mortifying event
occurred, Mr.. NJ. was invited by the President
into the Department Of War, and he accepted
it, resigning his Office as Secretary Of the De-
par,men, OF State, whose duties he had dis
charged to the satisfaction Of the President,
and of the country, and in W hich he risked no.
thing, and accepted one which subjected him
10 the highest degree Of responsibility that it
was possible for him to be exposed to. The
Department of State was then offered to Co
vernon 'rompkins, who declined it, on belief
that his services would be more useful to his
country, in the office which he then held as Go
vernon Of the State Of NewYork. Col. M. was
in consequence charged by the President, I'M
der law which authorised him to make tenn
porary appointments, with the Department of
State also. Is there any point i'll his conduct,
in the Department Of State, on which an attack
can be made and supported? Such an attack is
invited, as it has been, and is now repeated, on
his whole conduct in all the Offices which he
has held through life. If made, let the Gene
rails now living, who commanded at the differ
ent sections Of our Union which we've invaded
BY powerful armies Of the enemy, be appealed
10 aud asked, if any thing was neglected on his
part, necessary TO give effect to their splendid
operations? With their answers we will be sa-
tished.
AT the expiration Of the term Of his illustrl-
Gus and yirtuous predecessor, he was elected to
the Office Of Chief Magistrate, which he held
eight years, and, on his conduct in that Office,
some attacks have been made, Of which notice
will likewise now be taken.
lie was denounced for the inspection which
he made of our maritime and inland frontiers,
to enable him TO decide, with greater compe-
tency, on the reports which might he made TO
him by the Board which had been instituted by
the Government, as to the positions at which
our Notifications should be erected for military
and naval purposes. Nothing was more natu
raj, after his election, than that he should make
that inspection; having had experience in our
Revolutionary war; having seen works of the
kind in Europe; and having also had expert
ence in the late war. 1t could notfail to draw
~