Alabama state intelligencer., 1831-09-10

serted the accuracy of every fact in his letter you (me,) and then related to me circumstantially what passed in the Cabinet consultation to which it refers. The question before the Cabinet was, whether we should take possession ofthe Floridas. He was op- posed to the project, and spoke against it, and he mentioned to me Tn general terms the argument which he made use of on that occasion. He well recollecIs that certain private letter asked for, that MT Monroe had forgotten it. but went to look for t. in some cabinet or retired place, from which he brought small box, trunk Cred or blue, think be ssid,) in this was found the letter. Mir Crownin- shields recollection is minuely exact. He recol- lects as though he could the corner of the small box in which :he letter was found, the very place in the room where he himself sat during the discussion and all similar details" Mir Calhoun must therefore resort to some other shift or device to set rid ofMr Crownnshied's e, ,idence, more decep-
 i've than his naked assertion, lhat MT Crowninshield toud not have been present at any cabinet meeting 1t which he was, on the Seminole campaign. The records of the War Department sew that this asser ton is untrue.
 The declarations before stated by Mir Frying were made subsequent to the date of Mir Crownnshied's s letter to Mir Calhoun. He is man of undoubted veracity, and although my memory does not enable me to offer any explanation upon this subject have no doubt that his statement in his letter to me is sub stantinily correct; because his memory is distinct aad he states facts clearly and unequvocay. He lsa man of unquesonabe veracity. it is therefore natter perfect indifference whether the same facts are erecolected by Mir Monroe, MT Adams Mir Wirt or myself They arc besides facts that be could not have obtained any where else than ip Cabinet council. This circumstance Is conclusive, and must prevail with all unpreludiced minds.
 ltmay be proper here to state that have no dis tlnct recollection whether AIr Cro~ninsheld or Mir Wlr were present in the Cabinet council of July ISIS. or were absent from it. Mir Calhoun and Mir Inn bad tod that Mir Crowninsheld had been absent, as now suppose him to have been certainly should not have applied to him for information. But the information gwen certainly applies to Cabinet council at which he and Mir Calhoun were present, and at which the confidential letter was produced. It Is then demon strated, that the letter written by Mir Crowninshied 10 the VlceP President does not impugn in the slight est degree the facts stated in his letter to me. That letter does not give the date of the Cabinet council
 to which it refers and dates and references disprore the assertion fthe Vice-President, that Mr Cr9wnin shield could not hare been present dt any Cabinet, at which he was, upon the events of the Seminole cam | paign.
 itremains for me to say few words on the charge ct disclosing Cabinet secrets. have but little to add to what have urged in my letter of tic second October Tie principles stated in that letter are be- lieved to be orthodox. In this republic the President | IS appointed by the nation, and he appoints his Ca bInet b and with the advice and consent of the Se nate. The President and his Cabinet are therefore responsible to the republic for theracts. Those acts for wblchthey responsible ought therefore, ding to the principles oftle government to be known Otherwise the highest public functlonaries known to the Constitution are irresponsible. To this re- sponsbillty inherent in Constitution, there is but one exception sanctioned by reason. If the secrets of the Cabinet are disclosed while the Cabinet is in | existence, and charged with the management of the national concerns, the Cabinet might be rendered in nf
 This IS the broadest ground upon which the secrecy of Cabinet transactions be placed. By some it is contended, that in government like ours, secrecy | should not be extended beyond the accomplishment of the objects which have been the subject of Cabi- net deliberations. That when the measures which have been the subject of those deliberations, have been effected, if they are beneficial to the republic, the people ought to know the extent of their obga- tons to ther public unctionares; and if they are in lurious to the community, that community ought to be placed in situation to form a correct judgement upon the conduct oftheir public functionares. have acted upon the first principles have disclosed the proceedings of MT Monroc's Cabinet on the Seminole war only afler ceased to exist and then only in self defence, A false account of those proceedings had been communicated, not only to Gen. Jackson but to the nation. Ii is matter general notoriey through the Union, that General Jackson believed had been unfriendIy to him in the Cabinet deliberations on the Seminole war By whom was that impression pro- duced7 By Mir Calhonn and his friends. am per fecty willing that the President ofthe United States should state, how and by whom that impression was made upon his mind. The only ostensibe act hav- ing thatobect in view, which is within my own knowledge, is the celebrated Nashville letter. That letter contained two fasehoods, one to my injury and one for MT Calhoun's benefit. No other human be- ing tbs terraqneous globe except Mir Calhoun had an interest in abricang those alsehoods at least, the latter one. Until he shows thatthe letter ques tion was written by some else not under his in huence or direction, or shall point out other person having equal interest with himself in that fabrication, he must pardon at least for consider ing himto he the author of that letter.
 | here terminate the review so far as my defence is concerned and shall turn my attention direct
 to the correspondence, and to the contradictions and commitments to which Mir Calhoun has subject ed himself in hIs several publications. Almost in the commencement of his first address he presents u letter from Mir Wilson Lumpkln, containing one | from General Daniel Newman, incosng the copy of letter from me to Alfred Balch Esq. of Nashville, in answer to onereceived from him. Mir Lumpkin, it will be observed, is very nppant in the use oferms | of reprolch and vltuperat0n; and General Newman is not much behind him. Ofthese two men il is sui
 icient to say they both apostaeS from the repub lican ranks. They will both probably deny this.- They are ho,oerer both Ctarh men This they cannot deny and they both AntC Clark men until about 5or years ago. when they both about the same time made political sumnerset. They are both unques- tonaby political turn coats. Mir Lumpkin is now the Clark candidate for Governor. That party in this State, is mongrel party formed of the worst mate rals of tie political parties which have heretofore prevaiedin Georgia General John Clark, the lea der of thep party, was believed to be iederast-but finding in 1894 that he could not induce his party to support Mr Adams, he declared for General Jack son. At the election in 1898, the only two electoral | candidates for MT Adams were Clarkites; one of them had been his confidential Secretary when he was Governor. This man General Clark,) had succeeded in wonderful degree in combining all tha anorarce in the State in his supDort If may