Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-02-21

w WHICH oVent he was directed TO report immediate
| y 10 The Department. which order Governor Bib
was directed To Consider hSautrri,y far carrying
the war INTO Fi"ridu, thus clearly establishing the
'e' '"at the order itrch st'i in force, and
n"' superseded by tha'to you directing yuu
hS command IN the Seminole war.
Nor can my letter of the 9th of February &c by any
so"ho rule OF consruc ion, Interpreted INTO author
NY 10 occupy the Spanish posts countcnancin2,
my part, such intcrry, tsou Of the orders pre-
'iousy given to you. Your letter f;hc Goth Ianua-
~, 10 winch mine rs answer, bears date Nash
'ihe' ocf"re you SGT out un the sX:ci ion, and con
e'Ss "t narrative OF the adopted by yon in
oFocr 10 bring your forces he ii.t here they
"erc directed To rendezvous the time intended for
inc orders tor supplies gwen tn tho Cor
"aetors, with other details of the same kind, with
OUT the sghthSt ndica ion nf your in cntpn tn &c,
AGAINST the Spanish posts; and the appreciation of the
PRESIDENT OF the measures YOU had adopted could
oy ne intended to apply To those detailed IN your let
Cer DO not think that your letter OF the 18Th instant
presents ti'- cnsi whether he Executive or you
sen placed the true construction considered mi
ntaEy question, the orders under which ynu acted
nut must oe permitted to that the construction
OF thc former Is IN strict conformity with my intention
IN craving up the ordors and that if,ney b. sscept
'nic OF different constructions IL far from being
my intention they should be. did mt then suppose,
uur hoVe ever, that II II the power of The Pre-
eident, under the n-tu1p, order tho occupation
OF the posts of nation With whom We were not
at wGr, (whateveT might be the right of the General
under the law of nations to attack the enemy shell
tered under the pnsS Of 4 cu'rul pnUer;)
and hnG I bean directed by tilc Presid,,Y, to
issue sach order. s!onid have been restrained,
from complying by the higher authority OF the
constitution which I had sworn 10 sunpnrt Nor
viii discuss the question whether the order Ia Cen
eIa Games. inhibtng him from attacking the Span.
ISM posts Ia copy ofwhich sent to yul.l was in
TACT, and according TO military usage an order to
you' aud OF course obligatory unt'l y:scndcd. Such
C'Itaihiy, wns my opInion. ! know that yours was
oerent You acted your cons ructiun, believing t
10 be right; and, in pursung the cou.sc which have
done cn'In IN equal right aCt on the construction
whch conceived 10 be CORRECT. knowing il 10 comf,rm
10 my intentions IN Issuing the orders. But III wavinn
now the question Of he consi c,ion of the orders
wish II however 10 be UNDERSTOOD, is only hacauso
do not think prcscDcd by your letter, aud not he
cause nave now or ever had, tho least doubt or the
correctness of the opinion which entertain. have
always been prepared to discuss it on friendly terms
WIN YOU Us appea By INC extracts from Mr. BIon-
roes c"rrcsp ,rdarcr and more recently by M, lc.r
to you OF the 3oth of April, 82s covering copy of
ieoes % MsJor H. Lee, in which decline q cor
resp"ndencc tsa, he had requested on the subject of
the c"n>trnoiinn of your orders. In nv letter 10
haJof Lre. stated that cas- YOU refer to public do
cunen'S only tor the construc'loa which the FIX
ecntVo gave To th, orjcre, inter that thi. sub
Ject you have not ID ID access to the Generals Jack
sohs) private papers; but If be in an error and if
inc construction which the admlnst ration rave to
inc orders b" not etoted with sufficient dstinctness
IN zoe thcn tresidcnts correspondence with him.
VIII cnccriIilY gre, one of The members of the
administration, my views fully in relation TO the
orders 1t IT be desired by General jackson; but it is
"hy win Nun Snd at his desire. that under exstinn
Gu circumstances, should feel myself justified III COR
responding on the any o her subject connected
win his public conducts" to which | add.d in nv
telef 70 you. Covering cnpy Of the Irltcr from
""on 'hH aooVe Is an extract, "w!th You cannot
nave the slightest objection to correspond on this
sunjcct, ~ additional infrmatIon b. desirable Yn
expressed 40 desire for further information un,
took II for granted that mr. hanro.s co,res,odence
with you, aud the public Documents furnished vou
iah and clear conception OF The construction which
'ae Executive gave IN your orders; under which i'm
preston remained TIL received vor. letter of the
| 18Th instant. ~
| Connected with the subject Of your orders, there
oettan expressions IN Your let er, which, thor Oh
am at loss to understand. canno, pass over in 81
lenco After announcing your sunrise \, tho row
tents or hir Crawtorde letter, you ask whehe, the
information DE correct "under all OF the crcumstan
ces' OF winch you and arc both informed that sny
attempt seriously 10 affect re was moved and cue
tanned by you in cabinet council " hem as 10 known
10 you, was executing he wishes Of The govern
ment." If by wishes, which you have TN Ie1s.,reI
1t oe meant thae there vas any intima;ion given by
myself, directly. indirectly of the des re of tho
government that you should occupy the Snanisb
posts, so far from beng Uniformed" / had no, tho
slightest knowledge of any such lniimation nor did
ever hear whisper of any such before But can
not imagine that it is your intention IN ma,o , a.
Tnction between the wishes and the nubIjc ordcrs
,the government, as find such distinction in yonr
correspondence with the President nor in anv Of fhf
PUBIC documents; but, on the contrary it is strongly
rcoutted by your relying for your Justification con,
s3tantiy and exclusively your public orders Ia
King, Them the "wshes ofthe government" to no bnt
another expression for its orders most refer n ,be
proof already offered t" show that the wishes Of the
government, IN relation to the Spanish posts, were
tot such as you assume them TO be.
Having, trust, satisfactorily established that ,bo-
mas not been the least dsgulse to the cOnstructio
of your orders, will now proceed to state the
which took in the deliberations of the cabinet NV
statement will be confined strictly to myself &c do
not feel myself Justified speak of the course NJ the
other members OF the administrations and in fact
only OF my own in self deencc under the eytraord,-
dencc. ''Poi'-
Ana here must premise, that the object Of n cab,
met council is not to bring together opinions already
formed olt TO form opinions on the course which the
3osvIhleht ought 10 pursue after full and mature
enumeration Meeting in this spirit the FIRST object
t lfee exchange of sentiment, in which doubts and
QDjections are freely presented and discussed II is
concGIvT the DUTY of the members thus to present
III, uoroIS ana objections, and to support them bv
Ohfn9 iuy all oi tho arguments in their Dover IN,
~; luz s'De lie 10 take care TO form an opinion
~, Ill e oc's and views are fully brought oui and
every uOuDt HDd objection IN. eC,,Ii,