The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-10-08


IN none and that he had completely fdited
and sho,cn himself incompetent to an erecu-
tire trust in Florida IN a s0ord, said the
venerable old Patriarch, there are one hnn-
dred men in .4ibermarle county better quail
fed for The Presidency"
These were the opinions expressed by
Mr.. Jefferson to me, in August, 1925, and
were greatly amplified and Illustrated by
reference to, and statements of, the official
and personal conduct of General Jackson.
Mr. Gilmer, the writer of the following
letter, is editor of an opposition paper pun-
lished at Charlottesville, Va, and warm
partizan of Gen. jackson.
Copy Of letter from r. ". Gilmer, Esq, to
Governor Coles.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, May %, 1897.
Dear Sir: Yours of the 22d was handed
me this moment. lam truly mortified at
the harsh and indecorous use which has
been made of your name in connexion with
what seems to have been private converse
ton. The truth is, if it must he told, that
Mr.. Jefferson, made no secret Of his opin-
ions ofGeneral jackson. AS a soldier and
patriot, the General was regarded by Mr..
Jefferson, as by the American People, With
admiration and gratitude. ! speak more
from informa ion derived from others, than
of what know myself, when say. that Mr.
Jefferson's opinion of General Jackson as a
statesman was less favorable. believe his
opinion on this subject was notorious
among those who possessed any share of
his confidence. remember to have heard
Mr.. Jefferson, on one occasion, use an ex-
preston, which struck me, not SO much by
the sentiment it contained, (which indeed,
was then very common one in Virginia.
as the style in which it was made. Speak
ing OF the several candidates for the Presi-
dency, before the last election, he remarked,
that " one might as ,geU make SAILOR of a
cock, or soldier Of goose, as President
Of .4ndre,p Jackson" These words made
an indeliole impression on my memory.
They acre altered acith tone Of sportiue, at
most Of coatemptuouS deriSion. Mr.. Jeffer-
son was descanting, at the time when this
remark was elected, on the proneness of the
multitude to give man who possessed Que
virtue, credit for others which he did net
possess. or of the want of discrimination in
the public mind, where any thing like en-
thusiasm and favoritsm was mingled with a
subject. Yours, with great respect,
THOMAS w. GILMER.
STANDIyG ARMY. The administration CON-
mittee of Philadelphia, having understood that
DR.. Humphrey of that city was in possession
ola letter from Gen. jackson, containing some
very extraordinary opinions in relation to the
necessity of a large standing army, requested
copy for publication. His reply to the re-
quest is subjoined, and we would call the par
ticular attention of our readers to it.
SEPTEMBER %. 1923.
Gentlemen Your favor of the Odd insl
was duly received, and although cannot
but regret that the private correspondence
of my deceased brother should ever have
been made matter ofpnblic dicussion, still
| conceive it my duty, under all the circum-
stances of the case, and notwithstanding
the sacrifice OF private feeling, to give you
all the information on the subject of which
am possessed.
Some time since, in the course of private
conversation, at my own house, stated thai
| had a letter in my possession written by
General Andrew Jackson to the late Major
Enoch Humphrey of the United Safes Ar.
tlllery, containing sentiments highly dis.
respectful in their character towards the
General Government of the United States
This was done inadvertently, and without
the most remote expectation that the infor-
nation would ever be used for political pur-
poses however, since such is the case, il
becomes my duty to substantiate the asser.
ton.
The letter alluded to was written abon
the time when the last reduction of the
army took place; it is at my command, anc
although do not feel justified in placing i
before the public, will mention some of the
most striking features which it presents
Among other expressions, he SAYS, in ex
press terms, "the government ought to b.
ddmned-inStead Of Producing the army, IN
republic Ike this, 1t should De increased ten
fold ;;''-he ridicnles the idea of depending
upon our militia, speaks of reducing then
to proper state of slbordnation as an i'm
possibility and their inter inetficiency il
case of emergency He diates on the ex
tent OF our frontier; and the extreme lmpro
prlety OF leaving our remote posts with the
inadequate garrisons TO which they are Nc
cessarily reduced in consequence of the
diminution of the army; in fact the genera
tenor of the letter is that of decided and
bitter anmadversion upon the measure.
pursued by the general government. re.
main, gentlemen, your obedient. humble
servant, G. HUMPHREY.
10 Messrs. Samuel Wetherill, Richard
Peters, ID. Coke, John Jennings, jacob
Maryland, Edward Ingersoll, Clement C
Biddle,sa Samuel Miffiin.
The following extract is from speech nj
Senator Benton, at meeting of the citizens
of st. Louis, Missouri:
II he [Gen. Jackson] shall be elected Presi.
dent, he would surround himself with a nack ~
political hill dogs, to bay at all who dared 10 on.
pose has measures For myseif, as / c0nuo,
thsnh Of tcgisiattng nth BRACE OF Pistol
IN my BEL, shall, in the cvent of the eiection
81 Gen. Jackson, resign my seat IN tile !Senofe