Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-10-23

dctiueFdte Judgment, 4 nave tett myaclf al nDeR-
" thus far to explain my understanding Of tho
passage complained Of, in order to satisfy you,
that no irnputation was intended, either upon YOU,
or the militia OF Tennessee, your companions in
arms.
Respectfully, your OBJ serv'.,
e. JOHNSON.
To SAM HoUsroN, ESQ. Governor IF Tennessee.
NASHVILLE. T. I4th May, 1923.
Sir:-My absence from home for some time, du-
ring which your letter of the Goth March last ar
rived, has prevented my replying at an earlier
day.
am not dissatisfied that the manner ofmy adj
dress should have met your APPROPRIATIONS; nor would
1 nave you TO suppose, for one moment, that.my
object IN addressing you had been to induce a de-.
parturc FROM that rule of conduct which YOU had
prescribed 10 yourscIf, in relation to controversies;
which are not permitted by your avocations-how-
ever they may have been induced, by the respon-
sibie attitude in which yon stood to the Anti
jackson Convention, and the address reported by
You, 60 obnoxious III the part 10 which i have re-
terred in my FIRST letter.
! will not disguise my as,onishrncnt, at the rnan-
Der in which you have thought proper to treat
the in;errogatory which was presented to you, to
know "upon what evidence YOU had thougAt pro-
per to promuigate a charge so disreputable, &C."
rs the inquiry was plain, and ineligible, and
i'm which truth was concerned; so far as il affected
individuals, or related to the community, or the
authors OF the address, | had q right TO look for
from you, that tranincss and candor which one
gentleman. has 4 right TO ezpect from another, and
which can never be departed from, without a vio-
IlliuI VI sincerity .situ GOUu ldltn
Instead Of a~Hording the Information requested,
you inform me, that the portion OF the address to
which l called your attention, as you undcrytood
IL. tcos confined to Gen. Jaekson alone; and that
you cannot withhold the oppression Of your s,1:
PRISE, that kshouH haze seen any thing in il,
/ octieh ! so"'d interpret as personal to myseT or
d~tsPdrGSing 10 Mc troops commanded Gy Geyles-
al JACKSON This is no answer TO the anes-
ton propoundcd, nor Will 1 admit your UNDER
standing, 10 be a plea in ba- oil my fnqni-
ry According 10 my understanding Of the passage
IN the address, il does not, and cannot, apply to
ten. Jackson alone. but il is a stigma upon the
troops Engaged in the action, unless General Jack
son had given orders to that effect and had tho
address charged him, with that lact, the case would
to some extent, have been different; but event then,
the inference iefi, must have been disreputable to
the soldiers; Tor l maintain HAT even private SOL
diers, in the -1,ncrican ranks, are lot placed under
the necessity, by their officers command, 10 vio~
ia'e humanity, or commit a cold 5boae1 Ndssarre,
nor have we any examples Off, in the annals OF cur
country Whenever massacre is perpetrased,
whether by the eXcitemeni induced by a hard
fought action, or by the recollection OF companies
slaughtered, (Which are sometimes urged In extern
'iation of excesses,) orrin cold blood. it is, still in
violation c. humanity General jackson never
gave such order, either directly or iinpiiedly AMI
IT for political effect, i, had been necessary TO as
SAIL his reputation contrary to facts, why not
make the charge distinctly against him! You say
the !MputGtOn tcoS Intended 10 be confined to
General Jackson alone! 1 doubt not but il was
intended TO affect him alone But if for special rca-
-f OAS bkfNA
vtiuai, and The DnptfatiOn is calculated 10 affect
a community OF men, l hold that either the COM
mUnity, or any single member thereof, has a right
TO place has Interpretation upon il, and to demand
CT lis au' hor, OF authors, a rccantation OF the charge,
ii It's unloundcd III truth. In the exercise Of This
right. | addressed YOU, as weliib my own behalf,
as that OF my brave and generous commanders.
with whom ] had the honor TO be associated in fte
battle oil The Horseshoe; believing, that YOU would
satisfy yourself, OF the incorrcctness of a statement,
(m.tle without re Election, as | supposedly and that
. n x,..nl ra-,.I 80 .nat -
I you had no regard for that otOthers, would induce
you at once, without hesitation, 10 rctract a charge,
which in truth you cannot sustain.
take leave to mention to you, that ! neither
consider II complimentary, or disparaging to me I'm
any respect; that ~''neisher my Hanpc nor my corr
: dHsf IS any where mentioned, implicated or allud-
ed - II, me address; and SO lar a. you were con-
cerned, you can safely say, they were not thought
OF" This cannot vary, either the nature ofthe
charge contained in the address, or the prOpric,y
OF my inquiry. IL is not material to the issue,
whether l had been sufficiently distinguished in
the action to be slandercd by name, or general
ly. with my fellow sohiiers-nor is il material 10
me, even nor, whether | had a claim to a place
IN the wide range Of that wayward fancy, which.
chdractcriZes the Auti-Jackson manifesto. You
then add, 'nor did 1t ever enter into my imapina-
ton that to arTaign the errors or excuses of y
commanding general, was TO disparage the bravo
men who fought under him" Subjects of pres,-.
DENTAL magnitude, are doubtless, well calculated
to exclude from the Imagination, all matters Of
minor imporianca, which, are not calculated 10
advance the interest OF one man, and TO destroy the
well earned reputation of another, whose misfor..
tune ii has been 10 save his country from dishsn-
or. Even truth, ard justice, dependent on the
h"H6ie faculties of judgment and understanding
Tor their exercise, appear TO have lost all claimsio
a place Z" the briIliancy Of Imagination,
IL was no, my intention 10 hold YOU "indiyiJ,.
ally responsible for the address of a convention
10 a greater extent than 1 felt myself warranted i'm
DONG, Jy the position which you occupied i'm re-
laIon 10 The cO1CenfiOn; for whether YOU acted
individually, or in concert with others, 1 canno,
perceive how that can change the obiig alton, which
etcrn~iiy exists, TO respect thc rights and gooj
name OF others, whether in The sooioi or poAHroI
relations Of lite; and which is never violated, with
OUT mourning the apprehension, Of all, who are ac-
tiated by correct principles You reported the adj
dress, and, | had a rigti, to suppose that YOU ais,
grated ~; and r%realming that you were in pos
session ol Tie evidence, upon which ii was fotiift-
el' l bad a right 20 expect that you would mo-
withhold thdt evidence, which, II in existence, Is
nl'" To The American people, so lar as the object af
ttc address concerns them, aud il due to the off
Gers q soldiers who were eDgaged.in the battle oc
the Horse shoe; Whether militia or regulars; the
latter OF which, l presume gov were not appiiseI
OF, being in the action.
cannot consider il an crpidndiiol Of the tose-
age referred 20, that IL lis now approved Of Ly
your most deliberate Judgment loW regard !.
an explanation, I, esteem IL a. none! I addressed
you frat, believing you had been deceived, and
could not doubt, ia the event YOU were, tina; yot
would take pleasure in rodressing the wrong mad.
vcrtcnIy inflicted. but il not deceived, that vol
would state generally, the evidence on which IA
"as made tut never once did I suppose it posi-
bic that. you would avail yourself OF subtetfuge
and cvasion: or that you would offer ne the %,
PTorGi of your deliberate judgment. and term
e@PtdvGtOni I asked Won for C,cfs-fh,v aim,