Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-07-21

good and gre al man; but II had dlHereht eHeC.
upon Gen Jackson. When at he conviviai
board, in Baltimore, on his return, ne hrst saw
the report Of the Committee oil the senate,
pointing GU, and mildly oensurlng his errors
his rage was upgovernabe, and the in'ect'es
and imprecations on the Committee a"'uhy
6erv and profane.
He, however los, no time until he arrived IN
the civ Of Washington-where his threats and
m naces were repeated with increased VIOLENCE;
aud General J,ckson's threats OF vengeance,
and Of cutting off the ears Of members Ut Con-
cress, became toDi: OF pretty general ton'cr
salion am very confident, that there was hot
man belonging to the government, holding
any thing like a conspicuous station, from the
Pre- sident down, aud few members OF Congress,
but what heard and believed these thIngs-nor
did ever hear Of ils being denied, until inc
present canvass. With others, heard Of, and
believed such threats had been made-out did
not believe he mad any serious intention oil car
ryinp his threats into execution uuti! day or
two after the adjournment Of Congress, when
heard of Commodore Decatur having pre- vent
ed him from entering he Senate CHAMBER TO
attack Mr.. Eppes. No, having personal
knowledge OF the transaction, cannot sp ak
of the fact, further, than that heard 1t from
several respectable persons in w ashington, a.
the time-and ! know, with perfect cer'aih'y,
that the whole scene was thus related as II
should have happened: that General Jackson
wen, to the Capitol in a carriage-tha, as he
passed from the carriage, aud near The door oi
the Senate, he was met by Commodore Dec atur,
who knowing Of, or being then informed o.
| General Jackson's intention TO fall upon Mr..
Eppes, the Commodore by entrcaties and ex>
| postula,,ons, induced the Genera TO return TO
mis- carriage. This was tod publicly, as COM
ing from the Commodore personally, and from
this authority il obtained credeRce as tar as II
was heard. | believed il and sill believe it
nor will deny tina, felt some apprehenslons
for my own personal safety. could see no
good reason why General Jackson should have
selected Mr. Eppes as his victim, who was, a.
| that time, sorelv afflicted with disease, rather
than the chairman of the commi,tee. Impress
ed with this belief mentioned this circum>
stance 10 Mr.. Crawford, (then Secretary OF lhe
Treasury, name | never mention Out win
feelings of the strongest respecD Mr.. Craw-
ford told me that he had heard and believed in
the truth, of General Jackson's contemplated
attack upon Mr.. EPpes, and advised me TO br
on my guard. The same advice | received
from several gentlemen; and took it, otar as
to apply 10 Walter Jones, Esq. y S. Attorney
nished me with the means Of defence. And as
this was the first time in my lie, when among
civilized men, that had 10 resort 10 such means
for personal safety, sincerely hope II may be
the last, in which representative OF The Peo.
pie, for the honest discharge OF his duty, VIII
be subjected 10 like necessity.
| am aware that Gen Jackson, in letter TO
ntandid, attempted denial of the outrage de-
signed TO have been committed upon Mr.. Ep;
pes. Blu, ,his denial relates merely TO the pre-
else spot ana The manner in which he was inter.
ruprec and prevented by commodore Decatur.
His prcrons threats Of cutting off the cars, and
nlutlaing the members Of Congress, he never
has denied, although the charge was made by
me, in the National in,elligencer, in my own
name, when we were both in the city Of Wash
ington, and when the facts were fresh in MEM
ory Of all, when many were on The spot by whom
these facts could, and if denied, would have
been proved. Nor Mas General Jackson ever
denied, even in his letter to Mr.. Grundy, his
going in his carriage with settled design Of
putting his threats into execution, and that
between the carriage and the SENATE chamber
he was turned from his purpose by he strong
and decisive expostulations Of commodore De-
calur.
Iha; the account Of a transaction, so extra,
ordinary in lis character as this, should have
seen related as coming from Commodore De-
catur--aud this, not only in his lifetime, but
immediately after il should have taken place
and for this story 10 have no foundation in fact,
and 10 remain uncontradicted by that gen.
leman, Cannot be credited. Those memaers
Of congress who remained in the city few
days after the adjournment, carried the story
home with them, and told il as the iact-and
ali agreed in every material fact, and il came
from the lips Of Commodore Decatur Such
was the statement made by Mr. Baldwin OF
Pitlsburg. He stated the facts to the gentle
men ofthe first s2ectahi,y in the city, did he
to those gentleman Suggest doubt Of the truth
of those facts. 1t has, moreover been recently
stated in pamphlet published in the city Of
Philadelphia, ,ha, Joseph HopkinSon. Esq and
Mr.. Daniel Smith. (the latter par,cua: and
personal friend OF Commodore Dccalur's) had
received from the Commodore an account oftse
disgraceful scene, with all It's circumstance.
Now, il General Jackson never did, in the |