Alabama state intelligencer., 1831-09-10
From the Georgia Journal
TO THE CITIZENS OF THE U. STAT

D. any apology for the following address. The Review Of the correspondence signed A. B. originally pub 1shed in the Georgia Journal of the 2lst of April last andsevera articles in the Globe and other news papers have in my judgement sufficiently explained my conduct to all impartial and unpreiudced minds; and those of different description it is improbable thai any thing that I can urge will convince Be- sdes, 1t IS not very important to the people of the U. States before whom there is no probability that shall ever again he placed to form any definite opinion ofmy motives conduct Tn the transactions developed in the cnrrespnndence hetuveen tho Pee sident and Vice President. say it is not very i'm poant to the citizens of the United States but it IS important to me individually, to have my conduct correctly understood; for no man, however retired he may live, ought to be indifferent to public opin- ion. It also appears from the newspapers, that an explanation from me is expected, and desired I therefore submit to the apparent necessity ofappear ing before the public.
 understood from letters received during the last session of Congress, that the Vice-Presdent and his friends were endeavorng to make the impression that the difficulty between him and the President had been produced by me from desire on my part to toingratlate myself with the President If this i'm pression had been made by their joint efforts, the Vice President has dispeed the illusion; for by his publication if is clearly established, that the measure did not originate with me but that in the whole a fair have been passive. In fact, assert without the fear of contradiction, that intercourse. either verbal written has taken place between the Pre- sdent and myself since few days after the Pres- dental election in the House of Representatives in February 1895. During the call General Jackson then made upon me no reference whatever was made to what had passed, in relation to the Gen. or my self considered the call evidence of better state of feeling on his part than had been under stood to have previously existed; and had never cherished any feelings of hostility towards him, I was perfectly willing that the past should be buried in oblivion. But the publication of the correspon dence, has relieved me from the necessity of say ing any thing more npnn this sub ect.
 Two other charges have been made against me 1st That the confidential letter of General Jackson. which say produced and read in the cabinet was not produced and read. And 2d. that have improperly disclosed cabinet secrets.
 Upon the 1st. objection negative testimony is re- lied upon. MT Monroe, MT Adams and MT Wirt do not recollect that produced and read: or ther MT Adams and Mr Wirt do not recolect it for it is manifest, that Mir Monroe has no recollection upon the subject, having relied wholly upon Mir Wrt. But MT Calhoun has c distinct recollection that it was not produced and read. Without rely ing upon that rule of legal evidence, which declares that one affirmative witness counteryails many ne- gative ones. there is, believe, abundant evidence in the corresp )ndence itself to support my statement. Here beg leave to transcribe all article from the Gl 'be of the 2)th Feb last, which has much force and cogency and proves at least presumptvey, that my statement c,ncernng the confidential letter is correct. The Globe says, After all the statements and retractons about the production of General Jacksons letter before the cabinet in July 1S19. Mir Monroes letters published by MT Calhoun, go far to confirm MT Crawford's statement. In the con clusion of MT Monroe's letter to General Jackson, dated December the 2lst, 1918 (prnted 1S30 by mistake in the pamphleD Mir Monroe thus speaks of the confidential letter: your letter of the 9th of Jan nary was received whilst was sseriousy indsposed: observing that it was from you handed it to Mir Calhoun to read, after reading one or two lines my self The order to take command in that quarter had before then been issued He remarked after reading the letter that it was confidential one relat- ing to Florida which must answer. l asked him, if he had forwarded to you the orders that had been given to General Gaines on that subject. He repli- ed that he had Your letter to me, with many others from friends, put aside in consequence ofmy in- disposition. and the great pressure upon me at the time, and never recurred to- until after my return from Loudon on the receipt of yours by Mir Hambly, and then on the suggestion of Mr Calhoun. Now, when did MT Monroe return from Loudon. and when was the letter by MT Hambly received? MT Cal hrun has given us the evidence to show. In one of his notes he tells that the lst cabinet meeting on that bect took place the 18th or 10th of July 1S1S, MT Monroe having returned on the 14th from his residence in London MT Monroe's letter to General Jackson dated 18th July ISIS, begins thus. "I received lately your letter of June 2lst by Mir Hambly, at my farm in Loudon &c." Thus the time when the confidential letter was looked up, on the suggestion of Ar Calhoun. is identified with Tn d lew udyS. u was alter NIT MOnf0eS return from LOud0n, the l4th and before 18th of July 1818 the very period at which the cabinet were de- liberating about the Seminole War, and at the very time Mir Crawford says it produced before them There is remarkable coincidence between the details of Mir Craword's recent statement and Mir Monroe's account of this affair made in 1Sl9. which proves the identity of the incidents alluded to. MT Crawford says, MT Calhoun made some alIu- sion to letter the General had written to the Presi- dent, who had forgotten that he had received such letter, but said if he had received such an he could find it. and went directly into his cabinet, and brought the letter out. MI Monroe, in his letter of the 21st December, 1913, says your letter, Sc. put aside, &c. and never recurred to until after my return from Loudon, &c. and then tie suggestion '0f\Mr Calhoun Here is conclusive proof of two things, Ist the confidential letter ,ras produced on the suggestion of Mr Calhoun, after MT Monroe's turn from Loudon on the 14h and before the writ ing of his letter to General Jackson the 18th ofJuy 1S15. 2d. Mir Crawford was present when the suggestion made, and the letter produced. The Cabinet it seems were several days in deberation. MT Wirt might not have been present when the let ter was produced. At any rate the proof is conclu- sve that the letter produced to Mir Crawford on Mr Calhoun suggestion. MT Calhoun's own count of that letter IS incorrect. He says my reco lection in relation to it accords with Mir Monroe's statement came into the room when he had ap- parently just received the letter. He was ndspos ed at the time. think he opened the letter in my presence. and finding that it was from you he gave me the letter to read. l cast my eyes over it. and remarked that it related to the Seminole war, and would require his attention, something to that ef feet thought no more of it. Long atier, think it was at the commencement ot the nert session of Con- gress heard allusion which brought the letter to my recollection. It was from quarter that in- duced me to believe it came from MT Crawford called and mentioned it to MT Monroe. and found that he had ent,reu forgotten the letter. After search