Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1828-01-09
ADDRESS, &c.

j nope no dpolOyt III " phDiIO. Is HC'Cos"iJ
for presenting TO IL these pages. am deceiv-
ed If an ample Justification of the act will not be
found in the breast Of every just and honorable
man. If an officer OF Government should not
he TOO sensitive, neither shoulc he be too cal
lous. 10 assaults upon his character. When
they relate 10 the w~dom or expediency OF
measures which he may have originated or sup
ported, he should silently repose in The capdor
aud good sense Of The community, and patiently
await the Developments Of lime aud cx pere once.
Bat if his integrity he viisllv assi'led 4; If the
ba sest and most dishoioral,a motives for his
pubIic conduct be nscr,bcd 10 him he OWES il
10 the country, his friends, his family and him
self. TO y,n,iicate his calunniaied icpntation.
Few men are SD eieva,ed that The shafts of
ca,umny cannot reach them. These may Sc
curely trust to the in,ulnerab.e posi,ion which
thew have attdined-11ie Uiitod States have
perhaps hitherto produced bui one man who
could look down from his lofty height, WITHOUT
emotion, upon The missiles and The malice of
his eueinies ; for even he had his enemies. IL
the malinnant character of charges, The acri-
mony with which they have been asserted and
repeated, or the perseverance which has mark
ed their propagation, could ever authorize an
appeal 10 the public, | think ] may truly say,
that | have this authority. For three years |
have been the object of lncessant abuse every
ART, CNelv spCCICS vi hhS'' Jus
been empIoyed aeains, me. The most innocent
acts-act OF ordinary social intercourse. and
of common c~ivility-oiIices of hospitality, even
a passinp sal lot alton, have been misrepresented
and perverted. 10 my prejudice, with an Unfair
ness Unprecedented. Circumstances have been
assumed. which had no existence, and infer
ences have been drawn from them, which, had
thew been real, they would not have warranted.
Besides, my enemies have themselves appe aled
10 the public, exhibited their charges, and sum-
moned Their Witnesses to its Bar. Ready now
and anxious as l am, and always have been, to
submit any act of my public life to a full exam
ination before any impartial and respectable
tribunal whatever, | surely may expect, at least,
that I shall be patiently heard by that which
nv accusers have themselves selected. 1 assure
them that I will present no plea to the juris.
dictIon.
But DESTROYS as I naturally am to repel the
calumnies which have been directed against me,
the public would have been spared the trouble
of perusinp this address, if Gen. Jackson had
not. in the course Of the last Spring and Sum-
mer. given TO them the open sanction OF ms
name. In hi, letter 10 Mr.. Beverly of the 9th
Of June last, he admits that, in inferring my
oriyitv 10 the proposition which he describes as
borne by Mr.. Buchanan, he may have done me
;ninstice and, in his address to the public of
the 18th Of July last, giving up the name of
this gentleman, as his only witness, he repeats
that he possibly may have done me injustice in
assuming nv authority for that proposition.
He even designs TO honor me with a declaration
of the pleasure which he will experience, If |
should be able to acqult myself I! Mr.. buchanan
has been heard by the public ; and l feel Justi-
fed in asserting that the first impression of the
whole nation was. as it is yet that of every in
t~eIligent mind unbiased by party prejudice, that
his testimony fully exonerated me, and demon
stra.ed that General Jackson, to say no more,
had greatly misconceived the purport OF The IN
terview between them. And further that, so
far as any thing improper was disclosed by Mr..
B. touching the late Presidential election, it af.
fec,ed General Jackson and his friends exclu-
sively. lie having manifcstly injured me, spec
ulation was busy, when Mr.. Buclanan's stale
ment appeared. as to the course which the
General would pursue, Rtier his gratultons ex-
. preston of sympathy with me. There were MOI
wanting MANY persons. who believed that this
marnanimi,y would immediately prompt him
publicly TO rc.raci his Charge. and 10 repair the
wrong which he had done me. | did MOI par
t~icipate in that Just expectation, AID therefore
felt no diss ppointncnt that II was moi realized.
Whatever other merits lac may possess, ! nave
not found among tucn, IN 10, course oi my IL
Ia,ions VII, han. tina, of iorbearIng 10 indulge
vindictivc pn sio,s. HIS siieni conte'npladnn
OF, Ic not his y ,sitive acquie-en'e IN, The mes
~exiraord NARY interpretation OF Nc bnri'anan's
statement. that ever was given t0 human Ian
puaye, has NO, surprised me. II II nad been
Doss,ble far him 10 render me an act OF spon-
ianeous Justice, by a frank and manly avoyai
of hrs error, he testimony nov sub lhttcd to the
public m ghi have been unnecessary.
Although / feel fully persuaded that the CON.
mnni,y, under my peculiar circums' ances, VIII
see, wi. hon, dissa,islao lion, If not with cordial
APPRECIATION, inns furi her effort to rescue nv
character from unme:ifcd impu ations, l should
nevertheless have remained silent, and cheer
fully abided lis decision, on The Disclosures aud
explanations heretofore made. if ! had no ad-
dltIoaal facts 10 offer 10 its consideration. Bui
a body Of highly important evidence has been
collected, establishing some material cIrcum-
stances not before generally known, and con-
6rminr others of which the public is already in
POSSE sion /; aud I have thought il due TO the
occasion not to withhold ".
Gen. Jackson having entirely failed TO esiab-
l;sh. nv any affirmative evidence. either positive
ar presu,nptive, the charge which he thought
proper TO promulgate against me, It occurred to
me that il might be possible, difficult as the
task generally is TO substantiate a negative, to
adduce proof Of that character, which would
establish the aroundless nature OF bis accusation:
prior 10 the appearance in tho public prints OF
,he Latter r,om Mr.. Carter Beverly, 10 his ffIond
N vavettville, dated the 9Th Of March lest, !