Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-11-19
From the Constitutional Wing.
TO JAMES MADISON AND JAMES
n MONROE
ILLusTRIous VIRGIsIANs!

ILLusTRIous NIRGINIANs!
However widely separated we may be by the
politicai distinctions with witch you have been
so deservetly honoged, | claim the privilege of
addressing you in the spirit Of our institutions,
Wit. the equality aud frankness Of freeman
lender to you in advance The homage OF
my high consideration, and acknowledge with
unfcigued pleasure, the pride feel in the re-
collect ton ihat my name, however humble, Is
compatriot with your own.
Your lives, full Of usefulness to your country
and of honor to yourselves, faithfully commit
ted to the p;gc OF history, will be held up as ex.
amplcs Of imitation to our poslcrity, who will
exuItingly compare them with the best ancient
models. With these sentiments, which most
sincerely feel for your exalted characters, you
will do me the justice to believe, thai in the or
binary progress Of human affairs, | would be
among the ,sast Of mankind TO intrude on
your. retirement or to disturb your repose.-
But crisis full of danger to our country has
arrived. lido not fear from you the imputa-
ton OF INDUCING in idle defamation oil I'M
founded alarm. Though standing yourselves
aloof, in your peaceful retirements, from the
tempest that bowls through the land, and Of
which Jackson is the fiery spirit, you cannot
be Insensible Of its existence, nor withou: ap-
prehenson Of he desolalion it threatens. 1t is
impossible that either your feelings or your
judgements can be neutral, in a contest wageG
between the friends Of civil liberty on the one
hand, and the partisans Of military chieftain
on the other-in contest between the Con-
stitulion and the Sword. When you reflect
on the origin of this contest, the means employ
ed 20 maintain il, the character Of many Of its
supporters, and its possible, appalling end-it
would be libel on the whole tenor of your
lives TO doubt for moment the side you have
embraced. In forming this decision, you
were no, compelled to resort To the Nashville
Committee, nor 10 Jackson's humble biogra-
pher, for the facts on which il was founded
You both knew, personally, enough 10 justify
you in deciding without hesitation on the unfit
ness Of Gen. Jackson to the Presidency With
out adverting to his utter disqualification from
temper and education, or his profound lgno-
rance Of the first rudiments of the duties Of the
Office, you, Mr.. Madison, must still remember
the surprise and indignation with which you
were filled on being informed of his excuses at
New Orleans. Still more vivid must be your
recollection Of the horror with which you read
the bloody record of the doom of the militia
men, To your exclamation when giving vent
to your feelings, on that occasion will be readi-
ly ascribed his ferocious exception 10 your hit
ness for the Presidcncy--!hat you were too
mild to look ON blood and carnage with COM
posure You, Mr.. Monroe, cannot have forgot
ten the Insolent contempt he threw upon the
civil authority, when by general order he di-
rected his suhalierns 10 obey no order from
YOU unless sanctioned by himself The re-
membrance must be indeiible Of the dismay
and confusion of yourself and your Cabinet,
when first informed of his violating, IN the face
of express orders, the sovereignty Of country
a, peace with the United States,-thus assn.
ming to himself the power granted alone to
Congress. Equally fresh must beIyour recol-
lection Of the anxiety you felt to save your