Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1831-02-28
Nv FLETCHER & TOLER.

me Ill viii rs certsih-but whatever feeling O
uokindness ever had towards him has lon
suce passed a"ay-so much 30, that, in,tss,
o''etuIning hIs attacks Oh me, The line Of con
ouct winch had prescribed TO myself was, q
Dear patientiy and 81 enlyt all that he might d,
or say, leaving II TO time aud truth to vindicat,
my conduct. II have apparently depatte,
from the rule that had prescr ibe d in this Cast
was NOT because there was any disposition
! III my pari To alter The line Of Jy conduct. hui
when you interposed your name. by placing
10 my hands copy of his letter. addressed &c
Mr.. Forsyth, was compelled. by an act O
yours IN order that my silence might not be
interpreted INTO an aCkno ledgmeDt Of the
ruin oil Mr.. Crswiord's statement, TO correct
MS missiatenents. and TO expose the mo
yves ct enmiiy which act,.ated him, and which
sought TO use you aS an instrument of b is graf.
ifCation.
You Intimate, that at some future time
"heh you may have more leisure, you will
pace The subject of this correspondence in n
Inherent light wish you to be assured,
'eeI every confidence that, whenever YOU may
be disposed 10 controsert the correctness OF
eHher my statement or couducf in this fair,
shall be prepared on my part to maintain
the truth OF the oar and frankness, hosor, and
patriotism oil the other, tIIoug out this whole
Transaction.
lhat you honestly thought your orders auth
oriZed you Ia do what YOU did, | have never
questioned but that you can show, by any
document. public or private, that they were
tended To give you the authority which you
assumed, or that any such construction Was
placed on them, al any time, 10y the admins
hation, or myself in particular, believe TO be
impossible.
You remark that my letter fthe Goth in
shaE ..s "A a
taken a diff tent view from yourself ot your
orders. That you should conceive that you
had no intima'ion before, Is 10 me account
BILE had supposed TIA, TIE invitation OF Mr.,
Monroe, IN his letter to you OF The 2Oth Octo-
btT, 1878, with the intention that the diiieIen
views taken by you and my self oil the orders
should he placed on he files Of the Depal neat 4,
and my letter 10 you oil the 18Th April, 1873,
covering copy o my letter 10 Major Lee, la
which r"ter TO the public documents, and
private correspondence bttwetn yea aud Mt
Monroe, as containing the views taken OF your
orders, and tho Oifri which | mode TO pre-
seat my views more fully, IT not given suf-
GENTLY explicit in the documents referred to,
we're at least an intimaton that we differed in
The construction of he OF ders ; and feel assur-
ed that nriiher :" my conduct. words, actions,
or letters" afford the slightest proof 10 the
contrary.
The charge which you have made against
me, of secret hostility and opposition, w"eh, il
true, would SO vitality affect my character, Tor
sincerity aud honor. and which has caused
ruJtnre in our long continued friendship,
has no other foundation but that of n difference
b ,weea us ia the - ,stru;tipn Of your q. d rs
orders isued by myself, the intention Of
which l. of course, could not mistake, whatever
nav be their true construction Ina military
..lxN
pretng which belonged especially 10 me, as
the head of the War Departments. The mere
oftbese facts mus, give rise 10
train OF ref ections, the expression Of which, ]
cannot suppress.
Your course as | understand il, assumes for
its b sis that |, who, as Secretary of War, Is
sued the orders, have some motive 10 conceal
ny construction OF them, as IL had no right
to form an opinion whether the officers 10
VI HON they were given had transcribed them
or not, while the officer was al perfect liberty
to express and maintain his construction. My
right, as Secretary OF War, vas al least as
perfect as yours, as commanding oHcerj TO
iudge Of the true intent and limits of your
ders and had no more motive to conceal nv
oil them than you had 10 conceal
yours. The idea OF concealment never entered
nv conceptiun--and 10 suppose II, is to suppose
that was utterly unworthy OF the office which
occuuied Why should conceH owed
10 responsibility you-anf It YOU were not
a afraid 10 place your construction on your or
d,rs. why shonli be AFRAID 10 place mine
|, was an affair Of mere official duty, involving
no question Of private enmny or friendship, aud
Sd treated II.
la conclusion, must remark, that had sup
posed that the want of sincerity and trankness
" ouid be the last charge that would be brought
against me. { oming from quarter ttom
Which had reason to expect far different tleAt
meot. and destitute. as know tito be, OF the
slis hiest Foundation, il could not fail 10 excite
feelings 100 warm 10 tie expressed, with
due regard 10 the official relation which bear
10 you,
most obedient servant. j. = CALHOUN.
Gen. A. JACK n.