Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1827-12-25
RICHMOND, DEC. IS.
w. Jsfsrso,.'s COMMONS OF c.. JACKSON.

M JeJers0n's Opinions Of Gen. Jackson.
The letter and documents published by Gov.
Coles on this subject have afforded text for much
commentary by the Administration prints. We had
supposed that al doubts 10 MIR. jeterson's opin-
IONS had been removed; not by the publication ol
,wo OF his letters only, but by the statements OF
Col Randolph, and the declarations OF others, hay
ing some claims TO veraci.y. Mr.. Jeiferson's let
,efs referred to- leave not even loop on which to
hailS a doubt. The one 10 Gov. Giles, IL not in
tended NJ the time for publication, goes to show
most conclusiyely, what were his real opinions.
The ether Letter, in answer 10 on written with the
"s0!cet intention OF publishing the answer, is T.
Gl"ity conclusive, although much in detail.
The last OF these letters is in our possession and
subject TO the inspection of any one who has the
curio;i ty TO see il. They were both written ate,
Mr.. Jefferson had seen Afr. Adams first Message
10 Congress. We have also seen another letter
from him in reply to one calling his attention spe-
claly TO the Message iii which MIR. J. expresses
his adherence OF its principles, and uses those
memorable words: "What then? Shall we give
; up the Ship No, by Heaven not while there is
man left TO tread the decki''
From the beginning OF this idle controversy a.
oout inc 0ptnd0R OF that venerated man, we have
regretted that his name had been so eagerly sought
aiter To bolster up the cause either of Adams q.
jackson. e knew his sentiments both as To men
and measures; we knew that he was determined
not TO take part in the political topics of the dav
but that at the same time, he was not disposed 10
lock himself up in utter darkness and mystery, TO
and friendship. No man in our country ever cX-
pressed his sentiments with less reserve thSn Mr..
Jefferson. He felt strongly, and of course when
he spoke, his expressions were also strong. The
CHARACTERISTICS OF his mind were almost peculiar to
hlmsen In conveying his ideas, he despised am
| biguity or circumlocuton of expression. This
rendered him peculiar, in the of striking COM
PARSONS and bold figures of speech. No man was
more remarkable than he was in this respect
Hence, the impression which every thing he wrote
| or uttered made the mind
we arc not at all surprised at the publication o.
Gov Coles. We knew that at the time of the late
Presidential election, Mr.. Jefferson preferred Mfr
Adams TO Gen. jackson; that he had expressed
that preference; and that it was founded on the
idea that Mr.. Adams had been better educated
had seen more of the practical operation of the Ex-
ecutlve branch of the Government, and had had
more experience in it, than Gen. Jackson Until
actually convinced of the fact, Mr. Jefferson could
not believe that Mr.. Adams, If he entertained
could have ventured TO express and act upon, the
ultra-federal opinions he so soon disclosed after hi
election. And, if upon this ground, Mr.. Jefferson
changA his opinion OF the relative claims of Jack
son and Adams, he did so with thousands Of hi.
countrymen.
Gov. Coles is obliged to acknowledge that Mr.
Jefferson would not be ''pleased with some OF the
principles avowed and measures advocated by the
present Administration and, if he had seen him
during the winter or spring before his 18th, Gov
4. could have known upon what grounds Mr. j
bottomed his late preference for Gen. Jackson
the charge OF inconsistency in Mr.. Jefferson
proves, most clearly his consistency in adhering
TO his old republican principles. We do not dis
credit what Gov. Coles and Mr.. Gilmer saw. Ex-
cePt IN the use OF particular expressions, it is not
at variance with what is known to others, and &c
the writer of this article to have been the opinions
Of Mr.. Jefferson. We have heretofore said ane
we repeat, that he did, the time of the late Pre-
sidentai election, prefer Mr.. Adams TO Gen. Jack
son; but that, after the disclosure of Mr.. Adams
dochines he surrendered that preference, aban-
doned Mr.. Adams, and with all his objections "a
the civil qualifications of Gen. jackson, preferred
hin,, since Il had become manifest that he alone
was the only competitor who could succeed a.
| gainst Mr.. Adams.-What doubt is there a5ou,
| MIR. Jeffersons deliberate sentiments formed upor
an experiment of Mr.. AS Administration 81
am very sur Says his son-in-aw, Gov Ran
dolph) 81 Gid hear Mr.. jefferson saw that it was
fortunate for the country that Gen J. likely Il
be mt for public life four years after; for, il
seemed TO him TO be the only hone left of avoiding
the dangers maniiestly about TO arise out of the
broad construction nolO again given to the consti-
tuition OF the Z. s., which effaced all Limitation.
| OF powers, and left the General Government, by
theory, altogether unrcstrained." Mr.. Jefferson
often said, ''that he was honest, sincere, firm
clcar-headed and strong minded man, OF the sound
est political principles"
In relation to the letter, so confidently alluded
to, from the late Peter Minor TO his brother Carrot
Minor, we expect it will turn out, when that letter
Is examined, that it only speaks of rumored opin-
! r. j
Inors, perhaps, that originated in the very CONVEX
sation alluded To by Gov. Coles
| Under these circumstances, the iniatuatioI
winch mas induced the partiZans of the Admins
tration to drag TO light the private conversations
and even the fdcetous remarks of MIR. Jefferson
IS most extraordinary! But, it is one of the many
| desperate eXpedients 70 which they driven in
support OF a sinking cause-and it is not less cha
ractersed by iniatuatiOn, than downright folly
10 these gentlemen presume much upon the
stupidity OF the people TO suppose, that they can
I not see through the shallow arlifice Make Mr.
Jeirtrsons objections to Gen. Jackson a thousand
| times stronger than they are represented to have
/ been, and you make the matter so much the worse
| Tor Mr. Adams With all his objections to Gen
j. he was willing, and even anxious TO exclude
| MIR. A. by his election What, then must have
been his opinions of the President AT the same
! tune that Dir. Gilmer tells us of an expression
uttered with tone of spOrtive, almost of c0ntenp-
| tuous derison," that zone might as well make :
sailor OF cock, or soldier Of goose, as a Presi.
/ dent OF Andrew Jackson''--he says, ssMr. Jeher.
son, so far as know entertained opinions equaIii
U11drord5ie Of the fitness OF John O. Adams as 4
statesman" But it suits the habitudl csndor Of
! Administration presses to seize upon one part oil
this testimony, and pass the other over in silence
To take the gallant cock from the pit and put him
on the water, in the place of the web footed goose
would be, indeed to change the element allotted
| to each. But, do you not equally, and as absurd
| ~, change the appropriate theatre of action, when
you take from the chair Of Rhetoric, the abstruse
metaPhysician, and place him in the Presidential
oiiice; without a knowledge Of men, without com
mon sense, and skilled only in the book-earnine
/ OF the schools, in mutation and alteration, and
/ III Hindoo mythology: But the latter experiment
has been made, and the result was tnsatisactO-
| ~, that Mr. Jefferson was, in the end, convinced
that the metainorphosis of the undaunted champion
oil the PIT, would have been the safer experiment,
since there might be some hone from his siren 9th