The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1827-08-09


by his friends to my friends and to me, that
| would give him the name of the gentle
man through whom the communication
came" He pretcnds never to have seen
the Fayetteville letter and yet the pretext
Of denial under my signature is precisely
that which had been urged by the priuci-
pal editors who sustain his cause. III this
be an unconcerted, it is nevertheless most
wonderful coincidence. The General new
or communicated to me his professed in
tention, but left me in entire ignorance OF
his generous purpose like the overture
( itself, it was profoundly concealed from me.
| There was an authorized denial from me,
! which went the circle Of the public prints,
! Immediately after the arrival at Washing
ton of the Fayetteville letter, In that de-
NAL my words are given. They were con-
tanned in a letter dated at Washington CT
ty on the 18th day of April last, and are
correctly stated 10 have been that the
statement that his (my) friends had made
such proposition rs the letter describes
! to the friends of General Jackson was as
( far as he knew or believed, utterly desti-
tute Of foundation; that he was unwilling
| to believe that General Jackson had made
any such statement; but no matter with
whom it had originated, he was fully pur-
suaded it was gross fabrication, of the
same calumnlous character with the kre-
mer story, put forth for the double purpose
Of injuring his public character, and prop
ping the cause of Gcnetal Jackson and,
| TINT for himself and for his friends he DE-
FLED the substantistion of the charge be-
fore any fair tribunal whatever" Sue h
| rul traD mil N m N
| letter from friend to known person.
Whereas the charge which they repel.d
was contained in letter written by a per-
son then unknown, TO some person also un-
known.-Did not deny the charge under
my own signature in my Card, Of the 3lst
January, 1925, published IN the National
lntelligencer? Was not there a substan-
tial denial of it in my letter to Judge
Brooke, dated the 2Sth of the same month
In my Circular to my Constituents In
my Lcwisburgh Speech And may not
add, in the whole tenor Of my public life
and conduct i; If Gen. Jackson had offered
to furnish me the name Of member OF
Congress, who was capable OF advising his
acceptance Of base and corrupt proposlt
ion, ought to have resorted to his lnfa-
nous and discredited witness
IL has been a thousand times asserted
and repeated, that | violated instructions
which ought to have obeyed. deny the
charge and am happy to have this OPP
portunty of denying 1t in the presence OF
my assembled Constituents. The Gene
raj Assembly requested the Kentucky de- |
legation, to vote in a particular way. a
majority of that delegation, including my
self, voted in opposition TO that request
The Legislature did not intend to give an
imperative instruction. The distinction
between request and an instruction was
familiar in the Legislature aud their rolls
attest that the former is always addressed
10 the members of the House Of Represen-
totives. aud the latter only to the Senators
Of the United States.
But do not rely exclusively on this re-
cognised distinction. | dispute at onco
the right of the Legislature to issue man
datory Instruction TO the Representatives !
of the people. SIch right has no foun
dation in the Constitution, in the reason or |
nature ofthngs, nor in the usage of the |
Kentucky Legislature. Itsexerclse would /
be manifest ursurpatlen. The General !
Assembly, has the ncontrovertble right to
express its opinion and to proclaim its wish
es on any political subject Whatever; and TO
such an expression great Difference and
respect are due but 1t is not obligatory.
The people, when in August 1924, they e.
lected members to the General Assembly,
did not invest them with any power to re-
guate or control the exercise of the dis
crction Of the Kentucky delegation in the
Congress of the United States. put it to
the candor of every clector present, if he
MI Iol 10 nit ~,
ticipated the exertion of any such power by
The Legislature, when no gave his vote in
August 1924
The only instruction which | received
from legitimate source, emanated from a
respcc table portion OF my immediate con-
stituents and that directed me to cxer.
else my own discretion regardless of the
will Of the legislature. You subsequently |
ratified my vote by uEequivocal demonstra-
tlons repeatedly given of your affectionate
attachment and your mistaken confidence.
You ratified it two years ago by the cleo
ton Of my personal and political friend
Judge Clarke) to succeed me IN the House
of Representatives, who had himself sub
scrlbed the only legitimate instruction
which Irecieved. You ratity il by the pre-.
sence and the appreciation of this vast and
respectable assemblage.
Ircjoice again and again, that the con.
test has at last assumed its present practi-
cal form. Heretofore, malignant whispers
and dark surmises have been clandeslnely
circulated, or openly or unbushingly utter
cd by irresponsible agents. They were
borne upon the winds, and like them were
and intangible. No responsible
man stood forward to sustain them, with |
his acknowledged authority. They have
at last local habtaton aud name. Gen.