Delaware journal., 1828-02-01
For the Detasuure Journal,

After the very fair and frank explanation gwen D,
ioseph L. Harper, Esq at his own instance entirely,
&anl solely from sense 'f what common justice re-
lured Of him towards his OPPONENTS IN the aifar OF
&he Majors Commission, received ny Mr. WitDank,
from the hand Of MIR. Harper. on the day OF the
{npatinp of the General Assembly--after state
nr,t. thus honourably made, and which went,
nust copclusiyely. to dlsprove the slanderous I'm
mutation of corruption upon the ADMINISTRATOR
If this State-it might fairly have been expected,
Sron honorable men at east-that the base and un-
founded charge would have been, instantly aban-
duned A prompt acknowledgement OF me error,
il it was Al, error into which the friends OF General
Iackson had inadvertently fallen, would have been
What hiah minded party would not, tor an instant,
have hesitated to have made. In place OF this fair
and manly course tie Editor OF the Delaware Ga
2ette-with Mr. Harper's explanation before him
and at the moment of his tardy and reluctant inser
ton of it, in his Journal, goes into an elaborate, but
dull and wire drawn argument, to establish this
base and most mantcstly groundless charge upon
our Administration. The course OF Mr.. Harper
was deserving of all conmendatlon and nothing
short Of the most enfurated spirit Of Faction and
fasehood, could have prevented due appreciation
of if. MIR. Harneri is claimed to be friend OF Gen.
Jackson but neither from the lips of friend or toe.
win the fery headI,ng atlherents, ot the great mill
arv Chieftain. listen to the voice OF truth. 1t
remains to be stated, and the people ought to know
it. without moments delay, that as soon as was as
certained that Mr.. Harper had determined upon
this fair, liberal and upright course. he was beset by
The most imporunate instanc"s, from Jackson men,
Standing high in the party and one OF whom claims
himself to be the most prominent and efficient man
in their ranks, to withhold altogether, his testimony
on this occasion to do nothing, unless he came out
at once, in manner that ypuld give colour to the
case, and y concus'vely, the charge Of corruption
upon the administration. -
The Delaware Gazette says that Mr.. Wiir8anE
neither solicited expected this office. itmay p'
that Mr. Wiltbank did not solicit this Office ; 1t Il
probable that he did not but 1T is not true that ut
did not expect it. He was entitled to 1t under ou
Militia Law-and General Green, well known
Jackson Man, first brought him under the notice
the tiovernor, and recommended his appointment
and the Commission issued to MIR. Wiltbank' at IN
special instance of the General. Ii Mr.. WiltbanK,
politics were unsettled, and he seems to have pee
claimed by both parties this application, III ms oe
half. from Jackson man, may be, according to tn
argument of the Gazette taken as conclusive prot
of the corruption of the jackson men, 1t IS not pr
tended that the argument of the Gazette. is wo
thy of adoption, even for the discontinue OF j
friends but if there were any weight in 1t, no
could the opposition escape the charge o corrupt'f
themselves There is nothing however-and we a
not oath to say it, there is nothing in this case, tn
warrants its imputaton. General Green, we +
peat, is a jackson man but he did what he oug
to have done. He recommended the person W
was entitled to the oMce-one, It IS true, whose po
tics were unsettled-or at least questioned-and
is possible he NAV have had corrupt and slnist
motive in doingit There was, as the Gazette charge