Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1827-12-29
Prom Tie National LteYigtneey.

TIE NEXT PRESIDENCY
e nave IN ior'ner number, quoted passages from
Tue Debates IN the House of Representatives. the
seminole war; to shew the opinions which weie enter.
tanned add expressed, in congress- BY men such as
iowEDEs, as we'll on the general question OF the fitness
OF merely military men to set questions Of national
policy and inernationa!law, the particular cha
racter oil Gen. JAcKsoc;'s acts in the Seminole war
During the debate this question in the House of
Representatives,, IT was also under confederation before
committee OF the Senate, which consisted of Messrs
i1AcocK, EATON, FORSYTH, KING and BuRRIIL Be.
lore the report of the committee made viz on the
10th February, Mr.. Forsyth being appointed Minis
Ter to Spain, resigned his keat the Senate and Mr.
EPpEs appointed in his place After the debate
euded III the itouse OF Representatives, By rejection
OF the report OF the coHatce censurin the Generals
conduct, report was made by committee of the Sc
nate, condemnii,g in the strongest terms the whole
course and tenor of the Generals actions in Florida
In this repsr the committee declare that thew conceive
Gen. Jackson to have disregare9 the posiiive orders
oae Var paftaet, The Constitution, and tie La,usn
and tha be has taken upon himself only tie exeycse
OF those Porers delegated TO Congress- the sole Le-
gs.atiye authority OF the nation, and TO tie President
and Senate, relates 10 the appointment o military
ocers but Of the potce 1cic had been erpresslv re-
served to The States, In tue appointment of the officers
of the Militia" In another part of the report the com
mee use the following strong language, in regard 10
the conduct of Gen JACKSON: >sWere this nation
subject 10 tie aoiH Of military desoi and were there
constitutional barriers the nordiuate exercise of
military ambition, pore than this could scarcey haue
been expected" The whole report goes npon the
ground that 'te etat principles Of The Constitution have
been piofnted" Such was the report made, after a Sc
rious elaboration of than two months by this
committee OF the Senate.
Some days previous 10 the termination of the debate
in the House Of Representatives, aud OF course some
weeks before this report made in the Senate il III
be recollected that Gen. JACKSON, attended by staff
consisting of several officers arrived in this CITY, AL
though il is purpose wholly TO abstain from any re
ference to Gen. Jackson's private actions vet when
those actions placed upon record, with
lie had i-f1u
estimate OF the temper and discretion of this pub
lie officer, authorized TO refer to them and in
further quotations of recorded facts they will ne
Cessary be alluded TO, as showing the spirit by which
he was actuated that time 1t is believed that the
General had not III Congress single personal enemy;
but so indignant he at is conduct being questioned
ALL that he fell into the of considering every
who dsapprovei of his conduct 10 be his personal
enemy. Accordingly find that he spoke OF them as
SUCH and but for his friends would perhaps have
ted them as such.
The freedom which the committee of the Senate had
taken with his public conduct, General JACKSON could
not brook. So free examination of his conduct as
the highest public officer in Government is alway
subject to, and must submit 20 with what resignation
he ean resented by lbe General personal in
ury and indigni,y meriiins the keeues reproaches.
lie did not contne hnselfo the ''Strctures" which
made and which he had right to make, cause
be made, the public prints that report. Those
.SFictures' were very pointed, however, and reilec
ted severely upon the motives of the committee of the
Senate and particularly upon those OF the Chairman of
the Committee, expressing deep conviction THAT
this most unjust md illegal taL, thus referring tue
inquiry by the committee, ''origDated m dishonest mo-
tves-fron feelings of personal hostility in OF the
members, and, Others Of u disposition 10 crafty
ftatG." In this passage 1t VIII be seen, indeed
through the whole the Strcluresn the T3git
OF the Senate to inquire. pqrie into the matter
Generals raising armies, and carrying unauthor
zed military excursions, is peremtorIly denied.
MIR. Eacock, who still in Washington when
these StrictuIes" were promulgated, published reply
uIyl, Ip arsty rod afftl
points made III them, and showed that Tie Of the
committee couotenanced by majority of the Sen
ate; that body having voted By majority of q Is,
anansI discharging the conmnittce from the further
consideration of the subject, al the time when Mr. For
syh resigned, and when it known that the other
members fthe committee were equally divided in opn-
ion as to the report Pie sentiments OF MIR. Eppcs
WHO then added by vote TO the committee, were
well known be those by which the report OF the com
nittee characteTIzed and The selection OF hin
the umpire showed very clearly what the feeling OF
the Senate the subject In MIR. LacocIi'S reply lie
considers Gen. jackson TO be responsible for these
Sricures for the following amongst other reasons:-
sTe personal invcctiye INDUCED 10, in the structures
correspond entirely with his General Jaclsson pre-
uious observations in The public taUerS ad J5
s'of WasbingtoH; for II is fact notorious, and cannot
tLe denied that on those occasions, he was poctrouS
s'in lis in1precdtions, and Uioiet an his Hrects 81
'personn vengeance, 10 cWttHg off the ears 81
'oF The members ofte select committees and this 5otiie
'stc subject before The Senate; and SOME OF Ey
bers of the House of Representatives who dared 70
.'animadver upon bis conduct, even 10 doubt Isis in
ssfalliby, D.enaced in nearly similar manner
This statement by MIR. Lacock remains as far we
know, uncontradicted TO this day. These facts alone
in our opinion Indicate such want of temper and dis
erection. as unfit citizen however successful aud how
ever skillu colder, for bigh civil trusts and dgu
ties.
To this department Of General J. Mr.. LsCock ap
piled at the time the following observations.
ssIe is believed that this is tue first instance 10 vct
military officer whose conduct the subject ofin
resgaiion before the Congress of the United States
has venurcd to charge that body vith violation of bt
CONSTITUTIONS and with exercising inquisitoria poweE
ar that Committee Of either branch of the Nstions
Legislature has been charged With the most wantOF
and studied disregard Of truth and with the most foul
and dishonest motives But bow far il is either for Zig
honor or interest Of te nation, thus to submit 20 mill
tary dragooning and newspaper chastisemeu by milf
tary officers who il is believed, visited the seat Of Gov
ernment for that purpose, aud how fac Committee Q
the Senate of the United States should be subject &