Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-08-08

Eertcd by the workings of suspicion and passion,
IL is difficult to present the most clear and sober
truths with effect; and may not have satisfied you
pr tho injustice oil any of your suspicious. can
fherctoro only add, that nothing was father from
lpy Intention than TO have had any difference with
ltou, any member ofthc administration, my
etremont from the government. am not to expect
! lowovcr, that either arguments evidence will
| Tow produce u change III your opinions, diSpcl
| d. error which has unhappily cnvclopcd your
! bort career in civil station, and cllactuaily
| fwhtcd the fair prospects which attended your
| C,lction into Office.
| You will Observe that have confined my remarks
almost exclusively TO the effects; have but touched
tip corruptng Of all the diseases OF your adj
Illustration. Nourishcd by dcp!orahlo in!atua
ti4n its operations have been most extensive and
! Injurious. Had [ consented to bring my family
within the sphere of it's influence, should have
| BEEN among the chiefest of your lavoritcS; but
would not thus consent to expose them, and there
foie have, it appears, experienced the efforts OF
| your secret and abiding hostility.
! lnow take leave Of your crpose and proceed to
reply TO your letter by Mr.. Trist, already referred
to. l cannot but regret 60 find the same apparent
misnpPrchension Of the nature and object of my
letter of 9 st utmo still existing, which had pcrva
dcd your previous proceedings this subject. The
representations made TO you of the transactions
of Maj Eaton and others, not induced by any
alleged injury done to me- This was distinctly
disclaimcd. The object simply TO bring to your
notice Incditatod outrage against the majesty of
the law, which deemed discroditable to the Go
vernmcnt, and considered it to he my duty to lay
before YOU In furtherlnce OF this object, | sug
gcstcd such prominent facts as thought noccssa-
~ to enable you to give direction TO any nveSt-
CATION you might order, which would most readily
disclose the whole truth. The facts presented by
mo for your consideration, were, that Major Eaton
and Mr.. Randolph had resolved to assault me; that,
for effecting their object they occupied as rem
devious, certain lower rooms in tho Treasury build
| ing, near which, the head of the Department, |
must necessarily pass in the discharge of my official
duties; that the officers occupying these rooms, with
one other, were in the company of Maj. Eaton and
Randolph, whilst they thus awaiting an oppor-
tunity to make the intended assault further sta
ted, that the principal persons thus engaged, viz:
Eaton and Randolph, with a recruited force bcsct
my dwelling for two successive nights, indicating,
by words. actions, & armament hostile designs All
these matters brought before YOU believing that
all who had in any manner aided or given countc-
nance ct the time to the designs of the principal
were guilty of high offence against the laws of
the country. Tho matters for Investigation under
this statement of facts, were simply as follows:
l. Did Eaton and Randolph or either of them,
arm and lie in wait for the purpose alleged, or
for any other criminal purpose?
!. Did they use tho rooms of the Treasury
Building places OF rendezvous for such pur-
| poser
3. We're the officers who occupied those rooms
present while they were employed by Eaton and
! Randolph, either of theml
4. Did Eaton and Randolph, with a recruited
| armed force, threaten assault on my dwelling,
for two successive nights, till late hour?
| If So then is all stated true 10 the letter. | am
suro it will not be contcndcd that it did not con.
| Germ the character of the Government to have 4
severe scrutiny made to ascertain the truth of such
allegations; and, if found to be true TO know es-
| Pecialiy how it had happened that any persons,
| much moro those in your particular condolences
should have dared TO occupy the rooms in the Trea-
| sury Department, in order to make an assault on
the lite OF its chief oflicer and to what extent if
| at all, the officers accompanying them, had anv
| knowledge of, or given aid or countenance to so
N he facts lob b,1 ,I,o,
! come to my knowledge, were embodied In a letter
addressed TO you, the eve of my departure from
the seat of Government, Ohc only moment at my
disposal for that purpose believing that Won would
conceive it your duty 10 the subject TO be
investigated in such manner the long experience
of the most enlightened communities had found
best calculated to elicit truth and promote Justice
But you have not thought proper to do so. You
have contcntod yourselfwih drawing out and sprea
ding before the public, the excuses and denals o.
portion OF the persons referred to- without taking
the slightest notice of the principal and ayowed of
lender, rejecting all offers to adduce addi, ;ona ties
tiTnony. An examination might very possibly have
implicated persons not before thought of or result
ed IN the acquittal of others who were suspected
But that tire facts should have been investigated
VIII not be denied by any one who duly appreciates
the sacred duty of depressing, among the officers
the government vithin the walls of the public cdi
noes, all disposition to violence. have only to
Md, that when such scrutiny shall be made, all
nave alleged will be substantially Proved the sub
the contrary notwithstanding. l do not complain
that you have not instituted an investigation: have
no right to do so, more than other citizen of the
United States. You responsible for the due ex
ecuNon of the laws of tho District; and when these
tail to afford personal protection, hope to be as
able as most others 20 protect myself. But think
have just ground for complaint in your effort to
transfer from yourself and your officer who are
constituted for that service, to me, private cit
zen, at distance, and without special interest the
labor and responsibility of carving on criminal
prosecution, for offence committed exclusively
against the United States even after the princiDaI
offender had confessed than enough TO iustifv
public prosecution. But find still more scri
Gus cause OF complaint, in your additional effort to
divert the public mind from the primary and real
question before You, to the consideration ola col
lateral and false issue, between myself and the com
panions oil Eaton and Randolph, whilst nj ,hcir
rendezvous; whereby you might ostensibly impeach
my voracity, without contradicting one Of nv as
PORTIONS. Not content with framing srcb nm issue
thus calculated 10 do injury, and to defeat eve
~ purpose Of Justice, find in your letter and with
deep regret feel myself obliged to expose it. in
dubtnblc evidence ofa deplorablo bias in yor mind
As an apparent for the embarrassment inter
posed you have made gratuituus offer of vour
protection to me if l should enrare in tbofe Dro
secutlons But not having sought such protection
nor deemed IL desirable, it removes none of the diff
fcuties previously and subsequently thrown in tho
way. l asked an assurance Of protection for the
witnesses who might hold Offices at your DISPOSAL
from INJURY In consequence of giving testimony:
but this is given in form which they will regard
as threat, rather than assurance Of protection
As no witness would be required TO iucuIpafo
himself by his own testimony, the condition nm
neEcd to your assurance, that sit must not he con
strled as nfordng IMMUNITY for their own niscon-
quot, which the investigation might unfold could
nave no meaning that can imagine, unless in