Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-04-04


/ towns, at least $50 miles South Of Hartford. Be
sides, the Tennessee contingent, consisting also
1000 men, had marched OH the 18th of February
rom Fayetteville, in Tennessee, under the
mand OF Colonel Hayne, OF the United States Ar
my, and after reaching Fort Mitchell, on their
way 10 join General Jackson al Fort Scott had fron
Information that their rations which had given OUT
could not be replenished in the direction of Fort
Scott filed of TO the left, and by a route nearly
parallel to the advance of Jackson, had passed in
TO Georgia, at. Hartford; where Colonel Hayne
with 400 men, remained fog the protection of that
frontier, until after the period at which Governor
Raybun represented il TO be &c bleeding."- There
COULD therefore, have been real cause, as there
was no possible justification for the attack on the
Chehaws; and of this the Governor himself was
soon sensible, for, in letter of the 18th Nav,
from Milledgeville, General Glascock says to Gen.
Jackson" had an interview with the agentand
the Governor, and they have concluded that talk
Will immediately be held with the chiefs of that
pace-ascertain the amount of property, destroyed,
| and make ample reparation for the same. This j.
at once acknowledging the improperly of the at
tack, and not in the least degree throwing off the
stigma that will be attached 10 the State
The next charge is headed with the following
important dictum. Z" Military should meyer
be allowed TO forget that the obligation to obev
being the sole foundation of the authority 10 com
mand, they should incuicate subordination not BIZ
precept only, but by example" And it is alleged
that III defiance OF it, General Jackson has COM
united three-fold offence He has offered in
dignity to the Secretary of War, in the very letter
disband his roops-he has placed his own authori-
ty in opposition TO that of the War Departments b.
general order forbidding the officers of his COM
mand to obey the orders of the Department, unless
they passed through the channel which he had
chosen TO Prescribe-and he disobeyed the order OF
the Government in his military operations in the
Spanish Territory" Sweeping charges are al
most always urfounded, because, in order to make
them plausible, 1t necessary 10 suppress The very
circumstances which qualify the actions they in
cupate. In the precise tone of Mr.. johnson, an
English essayis might say that the Congress of 76
oJe3'ed an lldigHity 10 the King of Great BIZ
tain, in the declaration Of iI,dependence 1Ssie,-
ing their reasons for dtso6cying his 0uthorifg.
Every OF the kind is characterized only by ia
circumstances, and when expert sputant,
trained TO the tricks OF the forum, advances II
charge and omi;s the circumstances explanatory OF
its foundation, it is strong evidence that he him
self conscious of its injustice. Now, il turns out
that the alleged disobedenee of Gen. jackson was
Justified by the circumstances OF the case, ap
proved by the government and sanctioned Nv
events Under the acts authorising the Presiden.
to accept the services of 50 600 volunteers Ger
Jackson, then commanding the I'd division of tina:
militia which he rendered so famous-tender-
ed to the Government OF the United States the
services of himself and two thousand FIVE hundrad
men OF his division. and tie tender accepted.
! The detachment having been embodied and organ
lied, was ordered to proceed by water to New Or
leans. Subsequently to his departure, General
Jackson advised to halt near Natchez,
and III compliance with it, he took position ia
the neighborhood of that city.
Here while attending to the health and discipline
OF his corps, he received the laconic mandate from
| the War Department, with dsobedience to which
he is so grievousy reproachcd. 1t is first 10 be
noticed, that as all men have some degree .f falli-
| biity and some degree of discretion, and as the
imperiections OF language and the interpostion OF
distances give ample scope for the operation of both
II may well happen that the nom execution of al,
order is the best possible mode of obeying the Go
| vernment. When an officer receives an order
! which the exercise OF sound discretion conyinces
| him, would not have been issued had the conditions
oil the circumstances IN which il was to operate
been known to the authority from which il pro.
ceeded, the spirit of his duty in direct oppo
siton to the letter of his order Obedience in such
a case, consists not in blind submission to the
words, but in a Jealous uhnent of the intentions
OF the Government. The order of the Emperor. Il
is true authorized Groucby to continue his unpro-
tabe contest with the Prussians, but the spirit
his duty required his presence and exertions at
Waterloo. BY disregarding the signal which re-
called him from fight, Lord Nelson fulfilled the
wishes OF his Government, shook the throne OF
Denmark and shattered the eoDiederacy of the nor
thern powers. so obvious is the distinction be-
tween nominal and real obedience, that it could not
have escaped the attention Of Mr. Johnson but for
the loyal amazement with which he is affected at
the idea OF indigDity to the head Of department:
This seems to overcome all his better faculties and
10 leave him nothing but the powers OF genuiec-
tfUn and obloquy. lie forgets that an order ma '
be obscure, and therefore liable to msconsruction
and that { may contain imperfections of date, OF
expressions which bring into doubt its gen1ineness
RI In the considered, all these causes opo-
rated against strict execution of the order. Gen
Jackson could not be easily convinced tbatit was
the intention OF the President after accepting the
services of his volunteers, and removing thein
500 miles from their homes in an Indictment season
pregnant with disease aud beyond vast Wilderness
filled with hostility, TO deprive them of food tosave
them from bunger-to strip them of tents TO cover
them from the weather, and of arms defend Them
from savages. Yet on the 18th March, he receiv
a cd the duplicate Of order addressed 20 him a.
, New Orleans, requiring him " on its reetipt 10
consider his corps dismissed from public service ,
and 10 deliver over to Gen. Wilkinson all articles
\, OF public property which may have been put into
n its posses ion'-not leaving the Z louihful u
- food--n the hands Of the detachment a mus, ct
Il or cartridgc-in the possession Of the eorps q
single tent or Wagon, the smallest accom-
nOdltIun for their sick Of whom there were nicre
= thJn $50. lie received another COW Of Tho saina
y order, which was dated q month earlier DE
" fore Gen. Armstrong whose signature It bore had
Z come into the war Department. and containing va
ratiOns Of expression which made 10 appear not 10
: be an exact copy. However, he determined 60 o.
hey IL with ~ much cxaciness and little delay
y as possible. tie saw, what Mr.. Johnson does not
y perceive that its dcClaratOry part effected ITSELF
He and his detachment were dismissed The SER
T. vice of the United States. The order was not a
u direction 10 dsblnd but a notification Of dismiss,
e II lar effected itself, x required in degree ,h,
- agency Oi General Jackson. This MIR. johnson
j. may assure himself Of by conCeiving dat Gen.
Jackson, or any other General, were directed q
= consider hiHiscC and his corps engaged 1yifI ne
enemy, and rejecting whether that would be decr-
\ cd an order for attack. It's mandatory clause re-
. l.f9r. L., IA. 4