Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-10-24
From the National Journal.
CANDOROF THE OPPOSITION.

After many aOoruVe attempts 10 CONVICT W.T.
Clay of inconsistency in voting for Mr.. Adams,
at the late Presidential election by the House
of Representatives, the Opposition prints now
resort to an assumption as discreditable to
their sincerity, as il is susceptible Of easy reiu
taton Broadly asserting that Mr. Adams had
vindlcated all the proceedings Of General Jack
son which Mr.. Clay had censured, they infer an
obligation on the part OF the last named gen
teman, to consider the two former as being
qually blame worthy, and consequently that he
could not, consistently with his principles, pre-
| fer one to the other Now, even if Mr.. Adj
ams's imputed vindication of General Jackson
had gone, as ii certainly did not go, TO the eX-
tent asserted, we might confidently appeal from
the preiudces Of the few, 10 the justice OF the
community, and ask, how far an exposition by
The Secretary of State of the policy determined
on by his Government, after anxious doubts, &
under the influence Of high considerations, is
necessarily declaration of his individual senti-
ments. Every man in the least acquainted with
human nature must perceive the difference be-
tween the performance, and the subsequent
defence of an act: every tyro in the science
of Civil Government, must know that to
choose between evils is sometimes the law
of its action; and it has long since ceased
to be matter of conjecture that certain pro-
ceedings of the Seminole war rendered this
law not very gently imperative Oil President
Monroe. Waving, however, for the present,
this and many other objections, both OF fact and
argument, to which the position referred TO is
liable, we shall only advert TO the gross confu-
sion Of things, in themselves the most distinct
on which il is taken.
The opinion of General Jackson's conduct
M =. l,T l,tc
| speech on the Seminole war, in 1919; that by
Mr. Adams, in his letter dated Nov. %, 1918,
to the Minister of the United States at the
Court of Spain. The speech Was occasioned by
four resolutions reported by the Military Com
mit,ee to the House Of Representatives, declar-
| ing the sense of that House in regard to Gene
raj Jackson's alleged irregularities, and proPos-
ing Legislative preventives OF recurrence OF
similar unconstitutional acts; thus viewing the
question only which existed between the Gene
raj and his own Government.
| The letter, on the other hand, was written
| for the purpose "of being communicated TO the
Spanish Government" and to meet the question
which, in consequence of Gen. Us. proceedings,
the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr..
| Pizarro, commended had arisen between the Y.
States and Spain. 1t is difficult to imagine two
questions more dissmilar in their nature, Or
| more incapable of being determined by com
mon test For nothing, we apprehend, is palmer
than that citizen OF one country may com
nit an act, affecting another country, OF which
The latter could not Justly complain, but which
might be richly entitled to animadversion by
the former This obvious distinction was en-
phatically stated by Mr. Clay himself, who was
among the earliest speakers in the Seminole
debate, in the Introductory part OF his speech
"Mr. e. begged leave further to premise, that
the subject under consideration presented t0o
distinct aspects, susceptible, in his Judgment, OF
the most clear and precise discrimination.
The one he ,could call ats foreign, the other ats do
mestic aspect In regard to the first he would
say that he approved entirely OF his Govern.
ment, and that Spain had no cause OF complaint
Having violated an important stipulation OF the
treaty Of l7e5, that power had justly subjected
herselfto all the consequences which ensued up
on the entry into her domnions, and it belonged
not TO her TO complain Of those measures which
resulted from her breach OF contract; still less
had she a right to examine into the consldera-
tons connected with the domestic aspect OF the
subject" 1t was only the foreign aspect OF the
subiec, with which Spain had any concern; It
was its foreign aspect in which the Secretary OF
state was to view it, in diplomatic paper
j And in this aspect we find the opinion OF MIR.
Adams TO be entirely colncident. with that al