Literary cadet, and Saturday evening bulletin. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1826-1827, 1826-10-14


which seeks the destruction of noble-mnded and
gallant oilcers.'
Heat that time looked upon the War Office with B
disgust he said lie knew it surrounded with
"pimps and spies" among whom General ScoTr
at liberty to consider himself, and that he
looked upon the Secretary oftliat Department with
private oathings and distrust. lie then the pn
litical foe of Mr.. CALHOUN, aud yet in the little
space Of two yeur. he embraced him, fell upon his
bosom, and at this moment is actually engaged in
assisting the late Secretary of War, to establish
violent and vndrctlvc opposition to the Admins
traton, whether its acts be right, whether they
be wrong.
The letter which now copy is from the pen of
General JACKSON, and We give it merely to present
TO the reader small idea the temper of the man,
and we hope shall be excused for inserting it.
NASHVILLE, December 81, 1917.
"Si-I have been absent from this place
siderable time, rendering The last friendly office |
could, to particular friend whose eyes closed on
the Goth ultimo. Owing to this your letter of the
4th of October was not received until the let inst.
"Upon .he receipt of the anonymous commune
co ton made me from New York, hastened TO lay
it before you that course suggested to me by
the respect felt for you man anu SOLDIER and
| that yoa might have it in your power to answer
how you had been guilty OF so base and mex
cusabe conduct independent of the services you
| had rendered your country, the circumstance of
your wearing the badge and insignia Of soldier,
| led me to the conclusion that was addressing a
| gentleman. With these feelings you Were written
| to and had an idea been for moment entertain
| cd, that you could have descended from the high
| and dignifed character oi Ma or General of the
| United States, and used language opprobrious
and insoeDt as you have done rest assured, should
have viewed you as rather too contemplate to have
held any converse with you on the subject. IL you
have lived in the world thus long III the entire ig-
porance ofthe obligations and duties which honor
impose you are indeed past the time o. .earning:
and surely he must be ignorant OF then, who seems
! so little to understand their influence.
pray Sir. does your recollection serve, in what
school OF philosophy you taught that to let
ter enquirpg mo the nature OF supposed injury,
and clothed in language decoroIs All unexception-
able, should be given, couched in
pompous insolence and bullying expression | had
| hoped that what was charged upon you by my
anonymous correspondent uniounded hai
| hoped so, from belief thai General Scott a
| soldier and gentleman; but wnen those
| statements doubly confirmed by his own words. it
becomes n matte, of enquiry, how far man Of hon.
orable feelings can reconcile thsm to himself, or
longer Sc, upa claim 10 that Character. Are you
ignorant Sir, that mad my order at which your
fined judgment is so extremely touched, been made
the subject ofinqu-y, you might, from your stand.
ing, not your char ter, been constituted of my
judges? How yer! proper then was it, thus situated,
and without yaowledSe of any Of the attendant
circumstances, for you to have prejudged the whole
matter This, at different tlmes, and In the circle
| OF your friends you could do aud yet, had been
arraigned, abi you detailed as one oi a,y judges,
with the designs of an assassin lurking under fair
exterior yoa would have approached the molly sane
| tuary of justice. Is conduct like this coDgenial
with that high sense Of dignity which should be
seated in soldiers bosom Is 1t due from brother
oicer to ass il the dark the reputation of anoth-
Ell, d.id stap Jt he moment when he cannot expect
ii? might msu! an honorable man by questions
! such as ti"se--hut shall not expect that they vii,
| narrow up who must be dead 10 all those teel-
| ms Ehich Characteristic of gentleman.
I'm terms polite as was capable pi noting ask
| edyou If my informant had stated truly-if you
were the author of the publication and remarks
| charged against you, und to what extent-a reie-
renee TO your letter, without any comment of mine,
| will inform, how far you have pursued similar
course; how little of the gentleman, and how much
! Of the hectoring bully you have manifested. If
| nothing else would, the epaulettes which grace
your shoulders, should haze dictated 10 you q di6e.
rtnt course, and hare admonished you, that howcuer
small may haze been your respect for another respect
for yourself tould hare taught you the necessity ofrs-
plying, al least mildly to the inquiries suggested
and more especially should you have dono this,
| when your own convictions must have fixed you
as guilty of the abomnable crime Of detraction--
of sanderng, and behind his back, brother officer.
| But not content with answering to what was pro
| posed, your overweening vanity hos led you TO
| make oforins VI your ADVICE. Behve me, Sir,
it is not in my power to render you my thanks: |
think too highly of myself 10 suppose that stand at
all an need Of gOur ad,aonitions, and too lightly Of
goa, 20 appreciate them as useful For good advice,
| | am always thankful; but never fail to spurn it.,
when know it flows from AN incompetent or cor
rupt source the breast where base and guilty pas
sions dwell is not the place to look for virtue, or
any thing that leads TO virtue. My notions, SIR,
are mol those now taught IN modern schools, and IN
fashion1i high hf; they were imtibed IN ancient
days, and hitherto have, and yet bear me to The
| conclusion, that he who wantonly outrage the
| feelings Of another-who, without cause. can ex-
| tend injury where none is done, is capable Of any
| crime, however detestable in its nature, and will
| not fail to commit IT, whenever ii may he imposed
by necessity.
81 shall not stoop, Sir, TO a justification of my
order before you, to notice the weakness and alb
| surdites your t,nsol rhetoric: il may be quite
| conclusive with YOURSELF and have no disposition
1 to attemp, convincing you, that your ingenuity is
| not as profound as you have imagined it. To my
| government, whenever II may please, hold myself
liable to answer, and to produce the which
prompted me to the course took; and 10 The inter
mefdtng Pimps and spies Of the War Department,
who are in the garb Of a gentlemen, hold myself
responsible for any grievance they may labor under
on my account with which you have my permis-
sion TO number yourself For what l have said,
ogos 49,. ..aloo.. vou have do..rvot :, ali and