Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-02-21
Mr. Calhoun to General Jackson.

II e.
Sra: Though yoU intimate in your letter of yes
terday, that no further Communication with me is
necessary on the subject to which it REFERS feel nv
self mpeled to notice some of your remarks, lest my
silence should be construed into an acuuiesence In
their truth business shall be as brief as possible
You say that have entirely mist aiken your letter
OF the 18th May, IN supposing that it questioned
either my motives conduct. | am not aware
that | have imputed you IN impeachment Of nv
motives but certainly did understand that Won had
questioned the sincerity and franness Of my conduct
and must add that your present letter. otsythstan-
ding the most demons'rave proof which had offer,
ed to the contrary, shows Clearly that understood
you correctly, aad Of course was not az Won sun
pose, mistaken.
haVe no doubt that thore arc those who, actua-
ted by enrty to me, and not friendship 10 Won ba y.
IN the most artfnl manner, for years intnaI cd That
have been secretly endeavorng to iniure you how
ever absurd the idea but must express nv srrnrise
that you should have permitted insinuatons as base
as they are tnisc to operate you when every word
and act Of mine gave them the lie direct ! feel
conscious that have honoraby aud fully perform
ed towards you every duty that friendship imposed.
and that any imPutation to the contrary is wholly
unmerited
You mistake in supposing that have any d,s3ute
with Mr Crawford THat he bears ma III will is
certain; but whatever feeling of unkndness | ever
bad towards HIM has l'ng since passed away so
much SO, that, instead of returning his attacks on
me, the line Of conduct which had prescribed to
myself, was, to bear patiently and silently all that he
might do say, leaving it to tins uld truth to vim
dicatc my conduct. It have apparently deplrtcI
from the rule that had prescribed in tins case il was
not because there any disposition on nv part TO
alter the line o my conduct; but when YOU interpos-
cd yOur name, by placing IN my hands, copy of his
letter. addressed to Mr. Forsyth, was compelled by
al act OF yours, in order that my silence rrl: MT
be interpreted into acknowledgment of the truth
OF Mr. CrawOrd's statement, to correct his missate
ments, and to expose the motives OF cDnity which
actnatcd him, and wic! sought 10 ylu as an in
stTument OF Its qualification.
You intimate, that, at some future time
may have ,rc leisure, you will place the subject of
this correspondence IN different light wish YOU
TO be assured | feel every confidence, thai When
ever you may be disposed TO C1BtrOvs5l tlecorrcct
ness of other my statement or conduct in this affair
shall be prepared on my part 10 maintain the truth
OF the one, and tranEncss, honor patriotism Of the
other, throughout this whole transaction.
That you honestly thCJght that your orders author
lied you to do what you did, have never questioned;
but that you show by any document public or
private that they were intended give YOU tho al-
thority whrh You assumed, or that my such con
struction placed OF them, at any time BIZ tho
administration, myself in particular | believe to
be impossible
You remark that my letter of the 2g.h instant IS
the first inimatlon you had that had taken differ
ent view from yourself Of Your orders That ,ou
should conceive that you had no lnnation befrG *
to me unaccountable. had supposed that the nvi,
atlon Of Mr. Monroe, in his letter to YOU Of tho oo
october. 1919 with the intention that the different
views taken by you and myself ut the orders shn,d
be placed on the files of the Department and nv
| letter to you of the 18Th April, 1896 coycrinr
copy of my letter to Ma or Lee, in which refer to
the public documents and private correspondence be
tween you and Mr. Monroe, as ContaIuIDo the views
taken Of your orders and the offer which I made TO
present my views more fully. if not given sufficiently
explicit in the documcn referred to- were at least
an lntImatioD that we differed IN the construction
of the orders; and fee assured that neither sy con
duct, words, actions, LETTERS, afford the slightest
proof to the contrary
The charge which you have made against inc, Of
secret hostility and opposition which, iftrue would
SO vitality affect my character for sincerity and honor
and which has caused rupture in our long coninu-
Cd friendship has other fouuda licn but that of
ohfcroHcC between gs in tho 'ro0S'--ct:3n &C. your