Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1827-02-20
Congressional Q0ctemlest.
LETTER OF MIR. McDUFFIE.


Paper accompanying The report Of the Com
mtttee on The application offhe Pee President.
To the Hon. JOHN FLOYD:
SIR: Ihe COMMITTEE OF Investigation over
which you preside, having announced TO me, as
the friend and represent alive OF Mr.. Calhoun that
they have CLOSED the examination of all the wit
nessess they deem il necessary or proper TO sum-
mon before them; should he equally in-ensIbie
'e the claims "t private friendship and the oblga-
tons OF public duty, were not to enter my SO
Tenn protest against the extraordinary course and
n less extraordinary conclusion OF a proceeding
| sngulTly destitute OF ano every attribute of a
| legal investigation. Even If u should be coasiie
red that this Committee was Instituted, not for the
exclusive purpose OF sitting in judgment on the
! SPECIFIC charge submtted to their examination but
Tor the additional purpose OF exercising, 10 a GER
tain extent, the functions Of an Inqusitoral COM
missoni cannot conceive that there would be
any thing IN the character OF such commission
that would authorize il 10 depart from the fun
danentai principles of judicial Investigations and
the established rules of judicial evidence; and at
Ter wandering at large, through the perplexing
maZe- OF suspicion and conjecture, guided only
by the bewiidering lights of incompetent and in
admissible les imony, TO select the precise point
where suspicion ends and legal evidence begins,
| as the conclusion OF their inquiries But, conf
IDENTIFY believing that il was the intention of the
House that this committee should assume the So
Tenn character OF judicial tribunal, and that the
lacis and opinions which they may report to the
House, will be consequently regarded by the pub
lie, as having the amp Of Judicial authority, feel
mpelled. by profound sense of the duty which
owe 10 MIR. Calhoun, to the county, and even TO
The committee themselves, 10 state, briefly and
distinctly, my objections To the course pursued
before II shall be too late correct or 10 rallia
It's injustice And, In the very outset of my re-
marks, cannot but advert TO the fact, as sltik-
insiy Illustrative OF the anomalous charace of
this proceeding, that, with the exception of the
solitary question TO the fact of Mr.. Calhoun 5
participation, which every witness has promptly
and unequyocally answered in the negative, there
Is not one title OF all the incumbering mass of
documentary and oral testimony which has occu.
pied the incessant lsbors of the committee for
more than twenty days, that has the slightest pre-
tension TO the character OF legal evidence wbe-
ther we regard II as applicable TO the present ac-
cusaiion, or TO any other sccusai on against the
private integrity official purity OF Mr.. Calhoun
In order TO demonstrate this proposition, I beg
leave To present Tor the reconsideration of the
committee, descriptive and analytical view of
the recorded testimony.
il will be rscollec ed that The first three or four
days oil this inquiry were devoted TO the examina-
ton OF Witnesses, proiessedly produced for the
purpose OF exculpaing the present Secretary of
War from the lmputstion OF having any sgency.
either III bringing forward the charge Of pecuIa
ton against MIR. Calhoun, in the infamous pub.
HcatIoD oil the equally Infamous letter of the vet
more Infamous INSTRUMENT of this dark and nefa-
rous conspiracy Ii IS not my purpose 10 COM
plain OF the course pursued by the committee, IN
this resTect although u might seem TO indicate a
more anxious desire to exonerate one against
whom no imputatioD had been mad than to adj
minister speedily justice 10 The second Off
Ger OF the Government, when actually on his
trial upon charge OF official delinouencv.
calculated if true, TO stamp his reputation
with indelible infatpy. But, as the committee
have thought proper 10 make the conduct of MI.
Barbour, in this Transaction, distinct subject of
inquiry, feel constrained to remark, that, al
though readily exonOrste him from any inten.
lionsl participation in this most insidous attempt
moral aud political assassination; vet II is a
circumstance much to be regretted, that, in The
editorial commentaries by which he publication OF
the letter OF Elijah MIX, Ia the PlGnix Gazette was
accompanied, the name, aud office, and official
decision of the Secretary Of War, were 50 anfulIy
associated with the charge against Mr.. Calhoun
as TO give II additional solemnny and impo1iance:
aud that no measures were taken 10 have This In
FURIOUS association disclaimed, through the same
channel 1t IS fact, equally TO be regretted that
The Secretary should have retained in his posses
sion, officially, for three days. Tie letter contain.
ny the charge against Mr. Calhoun, without civ
ing him the slightest ntination OF it. And even
the verbal declaration made By the Secretary TO
Col. Johnson, that he believed the charge seain,,
MIR. Calhoun TO be al alfocious cslufnny, va
not made until day had elspsed after the publ
cation IN the PbosniS Gazette, and was only com.