Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1827-02-17

the examination which followed.
The first object Of inquiry, in proceeding to
business, was, to ascertain whether any charges
against the Vice President had been placed among
the public records of the War Department. And
after an examination on this point, the committee
became satisfied that no such charges or
had been, among the records papers Of that De-
partment. But, as the letter from Elijah Mix, adj
blessed to Major Saterlee Clark, under the of
+" Hancock" had been published in the Alexandra
Phoenix Gazette, of the 2S,h of Dec. which pub
LEGATION the Vice President had particularly re
feired to, in his note to the committee, they felt
bound TO examine fully ami freely into the truth or
falsity Of the matters contained in that letter.
From the nature of the duties imposed upon
Committee OF Inquiry, especially when connected
with the distinct wish, as expressed by the Vice
President, in the present instance. for the free-t
| inv estigation," it has been impossible for the
Committee to give to their proceedings the con-
nexion and concssness incident trials, when the
testimony is asceftaned and arranged before it is
presented. They have, however, diligently app
| piled themselves to the subject referred to them,
and after long and laborious examination, they
| are unanimously OF the opinion, thai there no
| facts which will authorize the belief, or even sus-
III, ion, that the Vice President ever interested,
or thai he participated, directly indirectly, in
the profits Of any contract formed with the Govern>
ment through the Department OF War, while he
was en'rused with the discharge OF its duties, or
At any other time.
| They also Of oplnioa, that the conduct OF
MIR. Barbour, the present Secretary of War, in
regard 10 the letter of L. Mix, is mol, in the slight
est degree, deserving of censure. The accusation
contained in the letter regarded by him as a
base calumny upon the Vice President, penned by
man wholly unworthy of notice; and the Com
mitee have no resson TO believe that the supposed
truth OF that accusation was at any time the basis
| OF any &C, of the War Department. The publica-
ton OF the letter have heen
| follows:
| In the month of December last Howes Colds
borough and Elijah Mix were competitors for a
contract with the War Department: Goldsbo-
rough, room after his arrival in Washington, OBJ
tanned from Major S. Clark copy of the letter,
with view to the same against Mix, should
he find it necessary. Frem this copy transcript
was obtained by VIM. +. Thornton, the junior
Editor OF the PLGnix Gazette, on the 9Th De-
cember, which he published the next morning in
that paper, accompanied by his editorial remarks.
In this publication Mr. Barbour had no agency,
either iii ect or Indirect. When he heard that the
letter had been made public, lie requested Col. r.
| VI johnson, OF the Senate, to call upon the Vic.
president as mutual friend, and inform him of he
| manner in which the letter had come TO his (Mr
Bai bour's) hands. and that the same had been sub
sequenty transmitted through he Post Office in an
enve!op TO Major Clark, whom ii belonged.
ms Information was given by Col. johnson 20 the
wee President, in the morning of the ooh of
December just before he transmitted his coumu-
nica,ion TO the House.
! The letter 10 " Hancock" as published, and
TO which the Vice Pi esdent had referred contain
ed, among other things, the following assertion :
AND have written letters OF Vandey enters,
which most positively mention that he (meanins
MT. Calhoun) was engaged, and received some
portion OF the contract" AS such letters if ,ber
existed, might lead 10 further evidence and be i'm.
portant to aid the committee in their inqu,r les
hey thought proper, in the early stage of their pr
ceedngs, TO issue subpoena both for Mix and
'ahueVen'er, with clause therein contained,
commanding them to produce any papers in their
possession, tending to prove the accusation which
MIX nal made In his letter TO Hancock In obedi
ehee 70 ms summons, the witnesses appeared and
MIX having been frs, called upon 10 testify, pro
uuced' during his examination, the letters from
MAYOR Vandeventer, dated August 7th, 1918. Sep.
TENDER lOh, 1878, July 9th, 1920, March 24tb
1911, and Ike letter from Col. w. X Armistead
dated March 9th, 1921. Ga his second examine.
tion, he Produced the letter. from Major yande
yenter, dated August Sd, 1918. September 18th.
1913, and October l7th, 1920. When il was per
cei'eh mat In one OF the letters of Major Vande-
venter, to wit, the one dated the 7th of Ausus,
ioio' ana 10 winch they here particularly refer
aliusion was made 10 a partner in the contract
whose name was 20 have been kept secret. ,bev
'i' II 10 be their duty 10 discover, if they could
VINO this secret partner was, at any rate to
push the inquiry so far to leave no room FIR
suspicion that the Vice Pr esident was The person
alluded 10. This branch of the subject has been
'he piinc'Pai cause OF their consuming so much
Time 10 Tie investigation; they found that they were
here led into wider field than could have been st
hrst anticipated, and that il necessary in order
10 set iuIi view OF the whole ground, TO 20 tho
roughly into the origin and history of what is COM
monty called The Mix contract The letters of Ma
Jor 'andeyenter, above referred to, appear TO re-
ia'e principally 10 the private a;d confidential
transactions between him and f. MIX, in regard To
The contract, and there is no reason to believe or
presume that the Vice President was ever made
acquainted win Their contents. The letter from
Col Armlsiead, written while he was at the head
OF the Engineer Department, although il wears
The appearance OF an official paper and was i'm
properly Intended, as the committee believe I'm
bring the weight OF official influence to bear upon
The private transactions between Vandeyenter and
Mix, was not written with the sanction or know.
ledge OF the Vice President, and no COPY Of il wa
ever entered IN the letter book Of the Department
The committee will here remark that tbov
place no reliance whatever on the testimony of
Elijah Mix. From the self Contradictions. anna.
rent the face Of bis testimony, and which !, i
unnecessary here to recapitulate, aside. from the
iniamy attached TO his character the cop,,ni,t.s
were satished that he ought not TO be beiey ed ON
his oath. The letters, however, Just referred In
and produced by him durug his examination. do
not rest tor their authenticity on his testimony
Those from MaJT VaDdeyenter, excepting such
parts as had been delaced or oblitera,ei 90 -.
knowledged by Major Vsndeventer himself 10 he
genuine; and he was requested in every instance
TO state, with the letters before him. what nance
or words lad occupied the oblitersted places wien
the letters were written. The letter from Colo
mel ArmsIead was also acknowledged bv that ,,r
hcef TO be genuine But the three papeIs purpou