Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1831-02-24

+ on the SUBJECT Of the con.truefion of aa,r or,
heh In my iritei 20 Major Lee 1 stated
'na'' as You refer 10 The public documents
) o"'y Tor me construction which the executive
gave to the orders. infer that ON hi. s,,i,;.c,
you have uoi had sccess o the Gsn.yal,. Jaet
son'sl private papers but II be in an error
hnh u the construction which the sxm,nis,rs
ilhn gave tn the orders he not stated Win .,fz
hoien' distinetness 10 the ihen Presideut,. eor-.
resPondence with him, wiii cbeerfnlly rive AZ
one OF The members Of the adm nisiraiioo. nv
own views fully in relation 10 the order, II,
DO desired by General jackson but IL ia onlv
! with him and Al his desire, that under eristior
c'ronmstanees, should feel myself justified ia
corresponding on this or any oIber subject
connectod with his public conduct 4" To vhicb
,L -, :" W. 'e,'f, 10 you, covering copy Of
,"e le"er from which the above IS an extract.
WI" 20" cannot have the slightest objrc-
ION 10 correspond on this subject If sddi,iona,
information he desirable" You eupre.sed M.
nesro for further Information, and 1 tcok A.
Tor granted that MIR. Monroes ootresoond.nra
With yon. aud the public documents. furn,.bed
YOU iull aud clear conception of the oons,,uc.
non Inch the Executive gave 10 your orders.
under which impression remained TN rereiv-
ed your letter ofihe 18th inst.
connected whh the subject Of your orders
| Were nre certain expressions Ia your i,tte,
which, though am at n loss to understand I
cannot rnss over In silence After announcing
your surprise nj The contents Of Mr.. Craw(ord's
'o1e' you ask wether the information be cor,
| rect " under all the circumstances of which
y"n "'n ate Doth informed, that any attempt
so''""s'y '" eheel NE was moved aud sustained
ny you IN cabinet council, when as Is kuoyu
10 YOU, Twas executing the wi.be. 81 an. -
? efhnen'' Thy uishes, which you have an.
defscored. II be meant that there was snv init.
' NATION gwen by myself directly or indi,.ct
y, o, 'he deshe OF the government that on
should occupy the Spanish posts, 40 FAR fr IN
'e"R hiormeo,fI had not the slightest
knowledge OF anr such intimniion nor did /
, ever near a whisper Of any such before But
cannot imag me that il Is your inteniion m
"hN" uls'noh ton between the wishes and IN,
= 'nbio ofders the government, n | find no
! s"'" "s"ne'oh IN Your correspondence with
= 'ne if'sueht nor ~ any of the public docv
d ,nf"'s-ou', on The contrary. il Is strongly re-
: ""'''H ~ Your relying for Your Justification
y eaH'ianli, aud exclusively on your public or.
} 'rr" 'hing iheu, The " wishes OF the eov
Il efhmeni' 10 10 but another expression for ts
orders, must refer TO the proof already ol,r-
5 ed ia show that the wishes OF the government
h IN relation 10 tho Spanish posts, were not such
NJ yon assume Them to be.
a Having, trust, satisfactorily established
u tha' ueTe has not been he least disguise ma q,
Il 'no construction OF your orders. will now
d proceed ~ state the part which took in ~.
= VIII bo confined strictly ~ myself as | do ma,
Y ieeI myself justified ~ speak Of the course of
2 the "fh'T 'aeinbers Of The Northumberland
/, IN iaci only ofmy Own Ia self defence under
4 TIC "1'rnordnary circumstances CONNECTED
, with til correspondence
/ And h"te must premise, that the oil iect of
= '"uihr' council Ia Mt To pfiuR together ann
Il ions nhe'dy lofme but to form opinions a.,
h lie course which The government our Ii, ia n ,
E., 'ne' hiirf tnli and mature d.liberation. Al re-,
ine III THIS srtit, the frat object isa free ~,
- charge Of sentiment, in whlch doubts an OH
Il Jfeiions ara ifeely presented and di,co.sed
+ j. y, conceive, the duty OF the members tu,s
d 10 present iheT DOUBTS nuh ohjreiions and ia
= snpros' 'hrm hy offering fully al the areuz
II ments ~ iher power, but nj the same tn 10
II ihkr care nj 10 form opinion Ii all the IA r,
- ana views ara fully brought out, and ayrtv
+ d2"bt hhd objection carefully weighed. In
: this spirit came into Tho meeting The irs
e iioh' involved were numerous aud important
whether yru 1hd tauscendcd Nour Orders : ~
SO, what course ought 10 be Adopted Mha, wa
/ tue conduct Of SPAN mad her Uth aeis IN Flor
i, dh what "nb the fts'e Of our relations with
4 spain, aud, through h"r, VII. thr orher Euro
u iieah rowers-n question. NJ TIT time oil IN
h common complication aud officially. These
+ questions hnI all To be carefully examined and
weighed, 10th separately aed in conueaiop
y before final opinion could be wisely formed
= and never did | zee a delibrraiiou IN which
e every point was more carefully examined a, ,
greater solIcilnde displayed 10 arrive ~ n eor.
rect decision wns the junior member Of The
e, cnbnct, aud had been but few months in tI,s
Il admlnisration Us Secretary OF War I way
3, more Immediately connected illi the uuesl,nns
d whether you had lrancoDded your ot,,ers .nd
o II so, what course ought To DO pursued-i
o WAS Of the Impression That you had exceeded
! your order, and had acted on your own ,espJn.
T. slbilily (; but neither questioned your pnirio.
I tsm nor your motives. Believing that where
. orders were transcribed. invesrgalion. MS M
: matter Of course, ought 10 follow, as due IN,
= justice 10 The government and tho officer I'm
= less there be slrOng reasons 10 the contrary.
= | came 10 the meeting under the nnpr,Asion
! that the usual course ought 10 be purs,,ed in
: bis case, which supported by preventing fuI.
II ~ g. freely all The hrgp,2eDls that occurred TO
o me. They we're met by other arguments.
y growing out Of a more enlarged view Of Tho
e subject. as connected with the conduct o.
u Spain aud her officers, aud the course VI poll
u cy which honor aud interest dictated o he pul
sued towards her, with whi h some Of the
=, members OF the cabinet were more familiar
I than myself and whose duty il was 10 present
that aspect OF the snbject,as it was nine to pre-
u ssnt tina, more Immediately connected with
the military operations. Alter deibel a, eiv-
II weighing ever, question. when the members of
y the cabinet came TO form their final opinion
, on view OF the whole ground, il WAS undn
u mousiy Determined, az underso ud, in layor
II Of tue course adopted, and which was foIy
G made knownto you by Mr.. Monroe's lite, of
q the 18th OF July, 1918. gave II my assent ~
d support, as beiag that which, under all the cir.
IA cums,ances, the public interest required to be
+ adopted.
: | shall now turn 10 the eyamnbt ton o the yer.
sion which Mr. Crawford has given Of my course
10 thi, important dehberaiion, beginning with
his apology for having Disclosed whattook
place 10 cabinet meeting" He says. :" In the
summer af en- the meeting, an extract Of a letter
frnln Washiogion was punished in q Nashyill,