Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1831-09-15

| hun, saYs-" Nor Gould hs hava beeu prsssn
| al any meeting Of the Cabinet ON the subject
OF the capture Of ST. Marks, or Pensacola, IA,
which was" gorge w. Erying, Esu. lat
minister 10 Spain aud Deumsrk. WRITES IN III,
month Of February last; ." fhat IT i, NOV as
cerianed That the oil cial news of the oapiur'
! of ST. Marks was received at Washington IL
tue early part of May" lie Ind pa.teulafl,
examined tho Iecords OF the War department
and iounl that the dispatch giving an account
| of the capture OF ST. Marks, was recorded IL
the early part OF May aud Mr.. Calhoun ~ lbt
note last referred 10. says that h.. Mr. Crow
ninshIeld aud the President, LEFT Washington
an the % h Of May--aHd Mr Crowninshield
Ia his letter 10 MI. Calhoun says, that he could
not know any thug uia Cabnet meeting alter
toe 23h OF May"
Bal the Vice President surely has no regard
10 accuracy when he asserts that Mr.. Crown
! inshield codld not have been prescott at any
! cabinet meeting on the capture oil ST. Marks ~
Pensacola, al which was. Could not a cab
| mn cpuncil have been held between tbe early
par Of May aud the 29th oi TINT month Nj.
Calhoun a,serls, the negative bui every per
sou that has understanding 10 count TEN will
ASSET the alternative. THIS nsseifon OF the
Vlce President IA the City OF Washington " here
the evii nee existed, proves ms reckless DIS.
| regard To the ruth on all occasions where he
In regard 10 this assertion of the Wee Plesl-
! dent, Mr. ErvlnS observes, - These ARE stout
| assertions, nee Il is now ascertnined thnt the
! Official news oi the capture OF ST. Marks, was
received nj Washington early N the month ol
| May, nearly three weeks belaIe either he ~
| Mr.. CroWnInshield left that city r1nsequenily
II was very possible that that ALTAR nigh, have
been The SUBJECT at cabinet council wh"u
hey were both prescnt't In the sams letter
Nh EVng says: That Mr. trpwnmshield
asserted the accuracy vi every fact IN his letter
You lne, aud thea related 10 mo ciIcuW.
stantIally what passed IN the Cabinet eonsnlh-
hon 10 which il refers The question bei,re
The Cabinet was whether we should take pos
| session OF the Flo'idnS. lie was opposed TO
The project, and spoke against II. aud he men
TONED 10 mr IN general terms the argument
which hc made use Of on that occn son. lie
well iecollrcts that n certain private letter WIS
asked for, that Mr.. MuntoH Ind forg0iieu H..
but went 10 look tor u, ~ some Cabinet or re
tired place, from which Ia brought a small box +,
or trunk, (ted or blue. think hc said } Ia lhis
was found the le,t.r. Nh Crnwnlnsheld's
IeGolecli0n Is infinitely exact. lie recolects
rs pugh he now could See the corner OF the
small box IN which the letter was found the
ve'y plnce IN the room where he bimsclt sat
during thu discussion and all similar details.
hr. calhoun must therefore Trsoit 10 some a.
'hef sh'it or device, 10 get rid of Mr.. Crownin-
shields evidence, more deceptive, than hls ma
ked assertion, that Mr.. Crowniushield could
not have been present at any cabinet meeting
at which he was, on the Seminole campaign.
! h. records ol the War Department shew that
tbs assertion is untrue.
The declarations before stated by Mr.. Erv-
ing were made subsequent TO the oaie Of MI,
Crownlnsh,eld's letter 20 MI Calhoun. lie Is
a man of undoubted veiaclty. and although
| my momory does not enable me To oiler any
explanation upon This subject, have no doubt
! that ms statement IN his letter IL me ~ sub
| slnniially correct because his memory Is dis
| tinci, aud he states facts clra,ly aud unrauvn-
| cally. tie Is ii man of unquestiOnabe vfrdctY
il is therefore n matter OF perfect indifference
| whether the same facts arB Iecollecied by Mr..
| Monroe, Nj. Adams, Nh Wut, or mysei.
| They are besides facts that he could not hive
! Obtained any where else Ihan III a Cabinet
counGll. THIS c'rcumstance Is conclusive,
aod mus prevail Win all nnprej tG,ced nllnds.
II may be proper hire to state that have no
distinct recollection, whether Mr.. Crownin-
shied or NJ Writ were present IN the Cabinet
| council of July 1878, or wefe absent from u.
| Mr.. Calhoun aud Mr.. Adams | know ~ers
| present. II had recoectrd that Nh. Crown
| ipshield had been absent, rs | now suppose
hun To have been, certainly shOuld not have
applied 10 him Tor information. But the IA
formation gwen certainly app iesto Cabinet
Council al which he ani Mr.. Calhoun were
! PRESENT and al wnich the copiienial letter
WAS produced. II is Thea demonstrated that
! the letter written bv Nj. Cruwnlnsbled 10 the
| pce-Presldeut, does not impugn III the slight
| esi degree the facts stated ~ his leiter 10 me
lha letter does not give the date OF the Cab.
| inet Council t. which II refers dm ddtti
md references iisprJUe HE assertion OF the Pee
President, that M. Cr0WHtnshleid c0ah no.
hare been present nj any Cabigef, nj which h,
was, npon the events Of the Seminole campo gu
II remains for me t. say few words on tht
charge Of disclo,Ing ChbInet secrets | baY,
tut little 10 add 10 ~bai have urged IN my let
ted ol the 81 October The principles sIafe ed il
that rttar are believed to be odhodox. In tbi
republic the President - appointed by the ma
ton, and lac appoint, his CabInei by aud Will
the ADVICE and Consent al the Senaie. lii,
President and MS CABINET are therefore respon
sible 10 the republic for Their acts. 1hos
ucls for Which tBev are responsible ought there
lore, ccording 10 the principles oi the govern.
mpnf. - br known. Otherwise the hghes
( public func,ionaries known 10 the Constitution
/ are irresponsible. To thls response ilily inhcr
ent IN our Constitution, there Is Out ono exeep
ton sanctioned by reason. Ifihe secrets o
the Cabinet are disclosed while tue Cabinet j
IA existence aud charged with the Management
OF the national concerns, the Cabinet might b
rendered ,ncapa lie OF conducting those affair
successfully. THIS is the broadest ground uro
VII en- the secrecy Of tue Cabinet transaction
can he placed. BY some II Is coniended tina
IN government Ike ours, secrecy should no
he ex,8nJed beyond tue accomplishment o
the objects winch have been the subject q
Cabinet deliberations. That when the mea
surrs which have been the subject of thos
l.,t all cd IL Ihpu
beneficial TO the republic the people ough
to know the exient Of thrir obligations to thei
e public fJnctionalies and II they ATE injuriou
: to the community that community ought To b
placed IN situation 10 iorm correct Judgmed
: apun the conduct of their public inneiioi
aries; have acted upon the hfst prl'
ciple, disclosed he proceedings oil Nj
Monroe's CABINET Oh the Seminole war oni
: after II ceased 10 exist aud then only in sci
/ defence A false account oi those proceed
Il ,nes had been communicated not only to Zen
ia .atfp or 4