Alabama state intelligencer., 1831-03-16

by any one, unless an inquiry into the official con duct of the general be regarded as punishment Ii strikes me, too, that fhat letter had been produced and Mir Crawford had placed his implied charge of opinion the inference Of acqueseence which he supposed the general tJ be authorized to draw from the Presidents silence it could not have escaped ob- servation and such discussion as would have tend ed to have fixed the occurrence on my memory that the general had not asked the President for an ae quiescence to be inferred from silence but for po stive hint of his appreciation through "some confi- dential member of Congress, say Johnny Ray" Up- on the whole, Sir if these things did really occur in my presence can only say, that they have left not the slightest trace on my memory. I remain, very respectfully your ob't serv't, VIM. WRIT [N.1 Copy of c letter to Mr Adams, Jan. I2, 1881.
 WAsHINGToN, 12th JAN. 1S31
 SIR A short time before the last adjournment of Congress, copy of letter from MT Crawford to Mir Forsyth in relation to the deliberaton of the cabinet on the Seminole question, was placed in the hands of Gen. Jackson and became the subject of corres- pondence between him and myself. In the course of that correspondence it becomes necessary in or- der to ascertain the truth or error of some ohe state ments made by Mir Crawford to refer to some of the other members of the cabinet, and accordingly ad- dressed notes to Mir Monroe and Mir Wirt from both ofwhom obtained statements. In selecting those gentlemen, instead of yourself and Mir Crownn- shield, l was not in the least degree influenced by
 
 by feelings of delcacy, growing out of political rea- tions, and which tustto corresponding feelings on your part, properly to appreciate
 learn by letter from Mir Crawford addressed to subsequent to the close of correspondence with Gen. Jackson, that he has written to you, and ob- tained your answer to the ground on which the sub ject refers, though he has not furnished me with copy of his letter to you nor that of your answer.
 This step on his part has, ofcourse removed the delicacy which at first felt, and which then pre- vented me from addressing you
 The part took in the cabinet deliberation was dictated by sense of duty, uninnuenced by either the feelings of friendship or enmity. That General Jackson transcended his orders in taking St Marks and Pensacola, have never doubted then or since. In my opinion, the Executive neither did or could constitutionally give orders to take either of those places or any other Spanish post. Under this i'm precision, was decidedly in favor in the early stage ofthc deliberaon, of bringing the subject before a court of inquiry, but finally yielding my opinion to considerations growing out of the political aspect of the question, as connected with Spain, which were presented by you and Mir Monroe; but in yielding to them still believed, and do now, that, apart from them, and considered under the military as- pect of the subject, at first view my opinion was correct
 Having thus concurred in the final decision of the cabinet, gave it faithful support, without howe yer, abandoning the correctness of my first concep- tions. make this preliminary statement in order that you may perceive why my inquiry should be d- rected only to what might seem mere collateral circumstance, whether the letter of Gen. Jackson to Mir Monroe in which alluson is made to John Ray. was before the cabinet, which, though not calculat ed to affect the question of the correctness of my course, however decided, from the prominence that MT Crawford has gryen it, has assumed no small degree of importance in the correspondence He, m his letter to Mir Forsyth, says: "Indeed my own views on the subject had undergone a material obo affar tI,n bod hoo Calhoun made some allusion to a letter the General had written the President to break up Amelia Island and GalveZtown, and gave 1t also as his opinion that the Flordas ought to be taken by the U States He added, that it might be delicate matter for the executive to decide, but, ifhe President approved oft, he had onyto give hint to some confidential member of Congress, say Johnny Ray, and he would do it, and take the responsibility of it on himself" The object ofmy addressing you is, to obtain s statement from you, whether such letter was or was not, before the cabinet during its deberation.
 As connected with the subject ofmy inquiry, must ask you the favor to furnish me, if you can with propriety with copy of Mir Crawiords letter to you and copy ofyour answer make the request on the assumption that the correspondence contain nothing that would render it improper that copy should be placed in my possession. I would make the request of MT Crawford himself, instead of you had not declined all communication with him in relation the subject of the correspondence between
 
 eral, through which channel, opportunity to make the request has been afforded me.
 [O.] J. Q. Adams to j. c. Calhoun.
 WASHINGTON, 14th Jan. 1881.
 SIR: received this morning your letter of the 18th inst. and in giving to it an immediate and ex- plict answer trust you will perceive the propriety ofmy confining myself to the direct object of your inquiries.
 In the course of the last summer, received let ter from Mir Crawford, referring the consultations of MT Monroe, with the heads of the Departments, in the summer of 1918, upon the proceedings of Gen. Jackson in Florida, on the occasion of the Se- minole war, and alluding to letter from Gen. Jack son to Mir Monroe, which he stated to have been produced at one ofthose meetings, and to which his own letter appeared to attach some importance
 MT Crawford did not state to me the purpose of his inquiries nor was aware that any previous respondence in relation to the subject had taken place. But as the contents ofhis letter appeared to to be of peculiar interest to the character of Mir Monroe, answered him that had no recollection of the production of such letter, that to which he ferred, and requested his permission to communi- cate his letter to Mir Monroe himself. To this an- .swer received no reply.
 Neither the letter of MT Crawford, nor the letter book containing the copy ofmy answer to it. are at this moment in my possession, having left them both at my residence in Quincy. The letter from MT Crawford did not purport to be confidential; but as 1t related to transactions sacredy confidential in the cabinet of Mr Monroe, have not thought myself at liberty to furnish copy of it without his permission, uvrnt to MT Monroe: the principle applies to your request for Il copy; but l will immediately write and direct copy of my answer to be made, which, when received, shall be cheerfully commu- nicated to you 4, ,.is,ssi4 .l.l .,-....1li r- 2
 am, with respectful consideration, Sir, your obe- dient servant, JOHN QUINCY ADAMS. t [Pl 1fr Cro,oninshield to Mr Calhoun
 WASHINGTON, January 30, 1881.
 DEAR SIR My recollection having been called to letter received from the Hon. w H Crawford in July, lS3O, wherein he asks my attention to "circum- stances that transpred during the cabinet delibera-