Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1831-10-27


destination the lapse of month,
| addressed letter 10 the President at
Nashville, marked private, detailing the
conduct Of his taro,iie, and appealing to-
his own sense of dignity, not to permit his
name to be thus abused. To this pri-
vate letter to General jackson, receiv-
ed an answer from Major Eaton, stating
that the president had handed my letter
over to him;--and giving an explanation
why the commission was not sent; the
house having made no appropriation to
carry it into effect; a fact which must
have been as well known to him at the
time of his first letter, as then. II was
now declared, that as soon as congress
made the appropriation, the appointment
would follow, ] am thus particular here,
in order to show the total incapacity for
government, that characteristics this adj
ministration. The appointment, howev-
er, came at last before he appropriation,
and the gross violation of all the forms
and proprietes observed in the transac-
ton Of executive business, laid the foun-
dation for the success of the treachery,
which operated in defeating the confir-
nation by the senate.
These observations and facts, are in
tended to show that design was, from
the first harborcd, To make nomination
to the senate, in such a way as to insure
ii dcfeat--the president satisfying HIM
self with an idea that the party to which
! vas attached, as well as his immediate
friends, would fully exonerate him from
culpabllity, and all further ties of poi,iicnt
regard, IN virtue of his having made the
nomination!-But it is necessary to ex-
PLAN how the nomination was made
The president objected to nominating
during the recess, because there was
no appropriaion-yct he did nominate
Mrec monHs before that event took place; !;
and aware that such precipitation would
peril my confirmation. Being under
the treaty making power, the nominal
tions were referred to the committee on
foreign relations; the chairman of which
was known by the President to be inim-
lcal to the appointment of editors; and it
r'ust at lcas: add additional prejudice to
the opinions Of Mr.. Tazcwell, to see the
executive urge the nominations in utter
disregard and proprietv. 1t was evident
ly as wrong to nominate to the senate,
~ahom a lar emciing he office, as it
would have been to nominate during the
recess of the senate. Then why thus
add fresh load ofpreIu eIudice to the nom
nation! | answer, for the purpose of
destroying the confirmation: and thus af-
fordmg the President an opportunity of
catching with the same bait, a fish ofthe
popuiar species,-to silence the discon-
tent of one party, and excite the applause
OF anothcr;-but more of this in its prop
er place.
1t was in the month Of November, that
Lewis, accompanied by Mr.. Henry To-
land, az nin called on me- Lewis stated
that the President had ascertained that
Mr.. Girard was a large claimant under
the Danish treaty: and that it would be a.
necessary preliminary, that should re-
sign the station held in his banking
house, prior to the nomination, which he
had resolved to send in as soon as the
senate assembled. Aware ofthe deceit
ful and treacherous character of Lewis,
and satisfied from experience, that his
veracity was as little to be depended up
on as that of his employers, whose eXal-
ted station alone, gave them superior
claim, to faith; addressed the president
on this subject stating the delicate ma
ture of such proceeding, and the dan
ger of IA rejection by the senate. His
reply would have been deemed fully sat
istactory, by the most suspicious and
skeptical mind. He urged the resigna-
tion Immediately, and mlled all apprc-
henslon, by the assurance that rcjec-
ton by the senate was not likely to oc-
cur--an assurance which | have since
learned to believe, was made to betray
me into their power, dependent and help
less--so reduced as to compel me to sur
render at discretion to any terms they
might think proper to dictate. Several
letters OF the same tenor were received,
before | consented to a resignation; and
then the deciding motive was "A reliance
would feel himself bound to render a
spontaneous indemnity in the event of
miscarriage and defeat.
After protracted suspense of3 months,
the senate, with proper regard to its
own dignity, Just Indignation for the
violation of form, law, and proptiety, on
the part Of the president, and a laudabIe,
hut m'sopphed jealousy for the chastity Of
the public press, which certainly in this
case had no placed reio on
the nomination, and was rejected.
IL it should be asked what restrained
me from personal attendance at Wash
ineton, to secure my coniirmation--the
answer is, that the president assumed
this as a personal and party concern--us-