Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1828-03-29

traycd weakness and indecsin in him, that i'm
the then position of our affairs might have Eeen
productive OF fatal consequences"
In the absence Of all other testimony, ON which
should we most rely, the statements of this officer
who was an eye witness of the occurrences of
which ne speaks, and who, though opposed to
Eon. jackson, has the magnanimity to do him
justice in this regard-or Binn's iorgcries, and
the representations of interested partizansl
Some weeks ago we published a statement by
MIR. Samuel Ill. Miller, in rciutation Of new
charge lately brought against Gen. jackson by
some unknown '.'rennesscan, in relation to
the trial and execution Of a certain John Woods,
another mllitlamen, whowas SHOT by the sentence
OF court martial. for dcsertion. Mr.. Miller was
present at Woods execution, was personally &C
quaintcd with all the facts connected with the
transaction. and he declares that the statement of
the Tennesscan." is entirely untrue In add.
ton, Col. Parish OF Tennessee, who was one of
the Court Martial who tried Woods, asserts that
the whole of the publication over the signature
OF Iennessean, is false" and he pronounces the
author to be a base and insidious calumniator
who knew what he stated to lie false" And vet
IN despite OF tins evidence, this charge made by
an anonymous scribbler, and sustained by witness
scS equally unknown and obscure, is ungencro,isly
circulated by the friends ofthe administration.
III Gen jackson were the cruel blooj-t thirsty
tyrant that these gentlemen would make him. how
would they account for the affection and dcvo.
tion, uniformly manifested towards him by his
troops! 1t is not in the nature of man to love
those, who are devoid OF those generous symna-
tines, and refined sensibilities which dignity and
adorn humanity-who sport with the lives CT their
iehow Delngs-and who q dressed in little brief
authority" exercise it to the oppression and ruin
OF the weak and delenceless. And vet all admit
mat no man was ever more loved and rcvcred by
ms soldiers and his ncighbors-by the poor and
unfortunate, than he who is now attempted to be
represented as a monster Of barbarity These
| considerations should at least induce every inst
and honorable man, to withhold his belief from
such charges as we have noticed. until they be
sustained by better authority than The representl-
lions OF anonymous. unknown, and for aurht he
may know, infamous accuscrs
Almost every day discloscs some new act OF
commission or omission the part of this ad,ni-
niStration, deserving the apprehension of the
American people. 1t was not enough that we
had lost by an il-conducted negotiation the mar
ket Afforded by the British West India Islands
inc best and nearly the only one, which the Tariff
mad lett us,-but it is now ascertaiued, that by
the grossest negligence OF our President and Sc
cretary oil State, our trade with the French West
India Islands has been lost also.
In February 1876 the French government
passed an Ordinance which went into effect i'm
July 1896, opening the ports of her West India
COLONIES, Martinique and Guadalupe upon libe-
raj terms to onr vessels and certain articles of our
produce This ordinance. was officially commu-
nlcated by the French minister to Mr. CLAW in
June 1896; and though, by an act of Congress
passed In 1924, the President had been specially
authorized by proclamation, TO discontinue foreign
discriminating duties of tonnage and impost with
IN the United States SO far respects the vessels
Vi any nation, who gave to him satisfactory evi-
oence, that III their ports no discriminating duties
OF tonnage or impost were imposed upon our YES
se!s or merchandlzc.-as was done in this instance
yet dld he fail to issue his proclamation in viz
tue or TINS act or to inform Congress or the pub
| i' vi this ordnance, or even, are told to &C
knowledge to the French government, its receipt
In relation to this subject the Editor of the
Baltimore Republican makes the following lust
remarks: 'N''
The President had the power, by an act of
congress Of 1924 drafted by himself) in the e.
'ehi oil any nation passing snch an Ordinance
as INA, winch The French Government did pas )
I'LL FEBRUARY 1885, to open our ports TO their
vessels free from our alien duties. In this ease
he did mott was neg!ectcd-the French Ord;
nance was thrown by into the Secretary of
states desk, and the Administration gave them
selves up TO electioneering. What was the CON-
sequence! Two French vessels arrived from
one oil those colonies, (Martnique and Guada.
| lOupe,) under The full mpression TINT we bsd
"
eminent; but on arriving in our ports, were char.
S'd the a1'c" duties. The French Consul Gen.
erai demonstrated with our government, and by
o'ner OF Mr.. Adams the alien duties " ere remit
tc";-but not until after the vessels had SAILED
on on 'he'r return home. The owners, no doubt,
informed The Governor ofihe Island, W hen their
vessels returned, Of this charse-rhe Governor.
oil course, informed The French Government
ana ~ consequence thereof rs we are Informed
'Scr'm'"at,ng duties amounting 10 PROHIBITIONS
nave been laid in the Islands ofMartinioue and
"nadaioupe, on our vessels only. Thus la. this
| administration lost another valuable branch NJ
commerce, enjoyed by all other nations of tic
The letter of Mr.. Jefferson to Mr.. Ker chivoI
III to-days paper was published in other pancrs
! some years ago As however the subject of which
treats engages at shis time the particular al
tent'on OF the State, we have thought its rcpubli
cation would not be unacceptable to our readcrs
we need not ask for it, their attentive consider
alton. '0i'iuc'-
| TIL