Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-08-01


sought successfully TO destroy it. In letter 10
me, dated Washington, Sih January, 1870, you
say
" The Missouri que stion is that which engros>-
es most oil the thoughts and attention OF the mem
| Ders at present There is profound interest felt
on that question here. The subject has been start
ed, 1t IL believed by many, for the purpose ofar-
raging one portion of the United States against
another, and there is some reason to apprehend
mat this sinister design may be effected" (See
No. 2.)
This was we'll understood to allude to Mr.. Adj
ans. Ben . irlin, then member OF Congress,
openly made the charge against him. The object
oil the following, written in confidence, cannot be
mistaken. 1t is an extract OF letter from you,
dated Washington, April 10th, lS2D, and relates to
| the Florida treaty:
| ''There is rumor in the city which will aston
ish you, in regard to the conclusion OF that treaty
J Ii has been asserted by member of Congress, as
coming from high authority, that, prior to the con-
clusion Of the treaty, il was known TO Mr.. Adj
ans, that we could have obtained more than was
conveyed to us; that IS, that the Spanish negocia
tor was allowed, by his instructions, TO grant us
more; but that less was taken because the Spanish
Minister declared if he went up his nstruct tons
| he should be afraid of some personal injury upon
his return home What will you, i'll the west,
think OF the wisdom of that policy which consents
to surrender an important part OF territory from
such a motives" (See No. s.
! believed that Mr.. Anams in negotiating the
Florida treaty, had compromised the interest
of the western country; but did not suspect that
| he had willuly and needlesSy given up terri
I tory therein, nntil thus iniormedhy you.
There j. subject upon which, Judging from
known circumstances, You have a right to suspect
me oil dishonor; and yet no impression could be
more erroneous. II was states in the Central Watch
tower, printed ut Harrodsburgh, Just before went
to the eastward last fall, that was the writer of
certain articles signed" Wayne" published in
CINCINNATI paper, IN lS22. Confident that had
never communicated the fact TO that Editor, was
at loss to imagine whence the suggestion Came.
When Mr. Tanner was in Frankfort last winter,
he gave Inc an explanation. He lived with NE
| as printer when those numbers were written,
and slept in d room where often wrote. Percev-
! ing piece or manuscript lying my writing
chair, and surprising that it for the Argus, he
read it. Instead OF meeting with it in the Argus,
| he next saw it in Cincinnati paper.
FMS production, you will recollect,w was written
qfer a consultation Loifb yOk at my house vi
FRANKFORT. / advised that the campaign should
be opened in New York. Her canals were not
then finished; the spirit Of internal Improvement
was high; her hopes for future wealth and power
were directed TO the west: and as you were con-
sidered the great champion OF internal improve
nents, thought that by ayaing yourself OF those
circumstances, you might probably secure The ul
Innate vote OF that State, which would almost in
sure your election. But your immediate views
were then confined u uniting the West The
numbers Of e" Wayne" did not spare John Quincy
Adams. They spoke OF him as hostile TO internal
improvements, charged hn with hostility TO the
! West, declaring that at Client he had pursued
" an INJECTING policy, scheh soOtid crimson,
fresh fields aoih the blood Of or b0fder 6reikren
and hight the n'iiliedt forest lcih The flames "
| their diceiiings." These strong denunciaons of
Mr.. Adams were interspersed with all due praises
of your honorable SELF and your superior skill, and
lsiSacity. These numbers were sent TO you at
Lexington The following extract OF letter from
you, dated Lexington, 23d June, 1922, acknowi-
edges the receipt OF them, shows how they got to
Cincinnati, and proves your agency i'll this attack
upon Nj. Adams:
g received your ohliging favor OF the Goth inst
and thank you most sincerely for the friendly
timens towards ine which it contains. AIR T.
CrittendeD has retained The production which ac-
companied il, and which he has undertaken 10 di-
vide and TO dispose oil in his place of residence,
tCincIpnaii,J according 10 OJB WISHES lSee
! No. ~
You viii recolieet, that this was about Ave
months before the date of your letter 10 the Edit
ors of the National Intelngencer declaring that
| Mr.. Adams errors about the Oh ent negotiation
were 9 no doubt uniafeniiOnajP'
Not long before this PERIOD the duplicate letters
OF MIR. RUSSELL with MIR. Adams CONNIE ntarics,
had made their appearance. There many,
especially in Virginia, who chnrged you with
having Instigated Mr. Russell, with view Of des-
troying MIR. Adams, aid you were in danger of
sharing the fate Of your colleague. simple
Ienough TO believe you superior to all these in
trigucs; and informing you of the injurious sus-
picions which existed III relation TO yourself, Of
tered you my pen and my paper fer your vndics-
ton. You declared TO me in reply that you did not
know such letter as RusSeli's to Mr.. Monroe
was IN existence; tflat You would NOT nave called
! Tor 1t, II you had known IL; that you would not
have communicated TO Congress such private
document, if you had been President; and that you
had not the slightest concern direct or Indirect,
in the call for the letter. You addgce the fact, that
the letter does not aIude TO opposition To the
proposition made at Client, as evidence that you
could have had no concern with it. But you for
get, that this omission is rather calculated TO e5s
cite suspicion than sllay IL because ii is precisely
what was necessary to give the letter effect
| on the mind OF MIR Monroe, Injurious 10 Mir. a.
dams and beneficial 10 you.
| These denials were made to me in Kentucky,
/ under date OF 23d June, 1922. Mr.. Russell ia a
publication made in Boston the the 9th Of the
some month, says; 'To the only member of tao
mission who had direct interest in the case,
! [meaning Mr. Clay, did show. at the time, the /
letter writer at Paris" (See Mr.. Adams book !
/ on the Fisheries and Mississippi, page 1880 Per
| haps ot the moment that you were writing
to me, privately, denial that You knew such |
letter was in existence, Mr. Russeii was writing
statement for The public, t.iat he showed il to YOU
when 1t was writeo This public statement you
have never controverted denied. Besides, | !
have other TO believe that al these de-
sy; that the origin and existence Of that letter were
well known 10 you, and that you so managed az TO
have 1t called for, when the gentleman max
ing the call was unconscious OF the secret agency
by which. he actuated. In the yaInc letter YOU
observe: "FOr your kind offer OF your pen & your
paper avn infinitely obliged; and 4O doubt shaH
4 6oth."
! stated in my evidence before the Scnatc, and
an my publications, Chat previous to writing my bet
70 John Quincy