Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1828-03-15
WASHINGTON. .ttll Feb. 1877

WASHING rov, Hin Feb. 1925.
NV dear sir: ] received your nhlging letter of the l<t
instant. Although my letter, to which IL is an answer, vas
not intended for publication, I would rather that il shouli
he published and speak Tor Itself, than that its contents
shntrd appear through the medium OF Mr.. Rt Aie's re-
presentation Of them. With regard to its publication,
YOU will he pleased 10 do as you may ,hink proper. All
that 1 feel anxious about is that the public should not
receive an impression that il was ma intention that il
should he published.
MY condi,iun at TINS moment is mos, peculiar. The
botteri"s "f so'He OF the friends Of every nan who would
now hc President, or who fnur or eight wears hence would
be President, are directed against me, with only the cx-
crrtion Of those Of Mr.. Adams. Some Of the friends of
Gen. jackson, Nj. Crawford. Mr.. calhoun and Mr. Clius
ton, with very different ultimate ends, agree for the pre-
sent, to uuite i'll assailns NE. The object now is, on
tine part Of Mr.. Crawford and Gen. Jackson, to drive
me from the course winch MY deliberate judgment points
out, and, for the future, on The part of Mr.. Clinton aud
Mr.. Calhoun, 10 remove me, as an obstacle TO their ele-
walton. They all have yet to learn my character, if
they suppose it possible To make me swerve from my
duty by any species of intimidation or denunciation.-
But l did not exPec, that my old friend Richie would
JOIN in the general cry. He ought To recollect that he
IS Struggling for a man, for the countrywide 10 elevate
an unfortunate gentleman worn down by disease, / to
preserve our youthful institutions from the bane which
has destroyed AL The Republics Of the old world. !
might have expected from the pa trioiism Of Thomas Rit-
che that he would have surrendered his personal predi-
lecttnnS, and joined with me in the effort to save us from
a precedentfaush with the mos, pernicious consequences.
! am 50 far disappointed, l say it with modification anil
regret. But all attempts To make me unite with him
TO induce me to give up the defence OF our institutions
that sc may elect a sick gentleman, who has also been
rejected by the great body of the nation, are vain and
utterly fruitless. Mr.. Richie ought to awake, should he
himself again, aud love Rome more than Cesar.
! observe ~hdt you kindly tell ~: auoui tn. future
Cabinet. Ny dear sir, / want no Office. When have !
sHewn an avidity for office? In reisctinC the mission IN
Russia, aud the Department Of Is Az under one Admins.
'ration: Ia rejecting the same department, ,hc mission
To England or any other foreign mission under the sue
eecdiug ADMINISTRATION? If Mr.. Adams is elected I know
not who vii! I've ms Cabinet. l know not whether I
sl'a'l be offered a place in ii or not. If there should
he any offer, ! shall decide upon il when it may be made
according 20 my sense of duty. But do you not perceive
thar this drnunciatiOn Of ne by anticipation is a par, OF
the common system between the discordant confederares
which / have above described Most certainly if an
office should he offered 10 me, under the new Admins
tTation. and | should he induced to think that | ouoh,
IN accept it. / snail not be deferred from accepting it
either by the denunciations of open or secret euemies,
or the hypocrisy Of pretended friends.
With great rcspcrt,
/ am taithly your fienl.