Alabama state intelligencer., 1831-09-10


 duty of the court is simply to ascertain the facts, and report them to the Government for it's decision. 2d court martial for the trial of military offenders, when the facts are sufficiently ascerta'ned for the Government to decide that the officer ought, or ought not to be put his trial. In the case of General Jackson, the facts were all distinctly known. They consisted of the orders of the war department and
 the reports and despatches ofthe General under those orders. There was here no necessity for court of inquiry. MT Calhoun then in proposing an inquiry did in act though not ln words propose court Iuar- tial which pre-supposes an arrest. The President who is acquainted with martial law, no doubt under stood Mir Calhoun's proposition as one subjectlng him ta arrest and court martial.
 All the other of Mir Cahouns notes to my letter admit of satisfactory explanation, or arc too n'ig- nifcant in their nature to require attention, and would swell this review to an lnconvenlent extent therefore take my leave of them reserving to my self the right of explaining or refung them If Il should hereafter become necessary.
 In the publication of James A. Hamilton, Esq it appears that after an interviewing win the fice- President, after his return to New-York, he wrote to the President stating the facts which the Vice. President had communicated to him that were )t of confidential nature and requested him 10 cofr rect the statement if he had misunderstood him. The Vice-Presdent replies, and does not correct the statement, and does not even intimate that state ment was incorrect in any particular, Now, howe yer, in his supplementary address, he asserts that Mir Hamilton's statement is incorrect By the rules of reason and logic, the VicePresident IS estopped from denying the truth of that statement for when called upon for that purpose, he did not pretend that the statement was incorrect in any particular Gut now he says it is inaccurate and he could not have corrected it without exposing cabinet secrets that would have been improper Who ever heard Of such an excuse All that was required oihim by Mir Hamilton, was to say whether hls statement YVES correct or not. No development of cabinet secrets or reasoning were necessary. He had only to reply that Mir HamltOn's statement incorrect, and II he pleased tc correct the statement. Mir Hamilton did not ever request him to do that. But the fact of principal importance disclosed is, that the Vce-Pre sident did disclose the confidential secrets of the cabinet to Mir Hamilton. MT H. expressly says in his address, "The conversation was extended, and on hls part (the Vice-Presidenfs) embraced mnch that never felt myself at liberty to disclose. The Vice President then in February 1898, did disclose much ofthe confidential proceedings of the cabinet, which Mir Hamilton has never felt himself at liberty to disclose It is only when the Vice-Presdent un- derstands that the information given IS likely to be published that his qualms of conscience are excited and he feels the sacred nature of cabinet secrets, a though the facts intended for publication had not been communicated in confidence. He seems at that time to have had instinctive horror of pub cations. l expect at this time he deeply regrets that instnctive horrors slumbered when he commit red his first address to the press This disclosure of MT Hamiltons will, hope, shut the mouth of the VicePresident as to the secrets of the cabinet. Mir Adams and MT Wirt may continue to dscant upon the sacred nature of cabinet secrets. They will find few admirers, and still fewer advocates The principles for which they and the yice-President contend, suit only dishonest counseors. For my own part never said word, or did act, in the l cabinet, far as was concerned that should have been unwilling to be publicly known the same day. But the counsellor who would give advice in the | cabinet, or do acts there which he would be asham- ed to own publicly would place great value upon the sacredness of cabinet secrets. Mir Monroe and Mir Crowninshield have acted like honest men upon | this business. They have said nothing about the | sacred nature of cabinet secrets. MT Calhoun en- deavors most zeaousy to make it manifest that he is acting in selfdeence and that he is called upon by tfe President to justify certain proceedings of his, while in the cabinet; to account for his opinions and acts as secretary the war department The Vice. President well knew at the time he was endeavor- ing to impose this charge upon the public, that t untrue The President distinctly states his cause of complaint against the Vce-President. It is sim ply this, that while he had pursued in the cabinet he had contrived tomake himbeeve that he pursued different and directly opposite course; and have no doubt that he might have added, with strict truth that he had contrlved to make him believe that
 had acted in the cabinet the part which he himself had pursued. Notwithstanding my conviction that the Vice-President had pursued this course, have made no advance towards the President to ascer- tain the fact Duplicity is the only charge which the President has urged against the Vice-President If he is innocent of the charge, why does he not publish his correspondence with the General and shew that he disclosed to him frankly the course he had pursued towards him. until he does this, he must remain subject to the charge of dupliciiy, urged a ganst him by the President Duplicity out of the ca bine and not for his conduct n the cabinet, is what the President charges against the Vice-Presdent.
 The Vice. President in his address, complains off plots and conspiracies directed against him. The Telegraph charges these plots and conspiracies up- on MT Van Buren, and the Telegraph no doubt speaks by the authority of the Vice President. Hi therto my enemies have affected to consider me the principal whenever have been charged with any agency. But now the Vice-Presdent and his editor seem disposed to consider only as the instrument of Mr Van Buren. When that gentleman and MT Cambreleng visited me in April 1897, I do not be- lieve that the presidential question the topic of conversation during the visit What makes me more confident on this subject is, that have distinct collection that MT Van Buren wrote to me from Au- gusta, to know my determination that subject, if l had formed one. Before they left my house. they informed me that they intended visiting gentleman of my acquaintance in South Carolina, of great worth and responsibility. I wrote to him, introduce ing them. After they had left his house. he answer ed my letter expressing much satisfaction with the visitors especially with Mir Van Buren, except in one particular, and that that he seemed dispos- ed to let Mir Calhoun remain where he was Now sayshe, want to punish him for the mischief he has done. This satisfied me that Mir Van Buren was al thattime not unfriendly to the e-President Mir Van Buren is charged with conspiracy, because he is the only person supposed to have iln immediate interest in the downfall of the Vice. President; and the conspiracy is supposed by the yiee-President and his editor, to have originated in tho spring of l627 when Mir Van Buren paid me friendly visit. By placing it's origin far back, the charge defeats itself The Vice-Presdent, in his letter to the Pre- sident of the 25th of August 1880, abiding to my letter to A. Bach Esq. of the 14th Dec. 1897, says "A proposition of the kind at that particular period
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