Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1834-02-27
Political.
FROM THE PHILADELPHIA PAPERS or FEB. 10
To Tho People ofhhe United States.
LETTER l.

LETTER ].
FELLow CITIZENS:
When was rudcIy IN rust from office, on the
ODD Of September last resolved for the reasons
stat, in nv late letter To Governor Tazewell, to
rest upon my acts as an officer, and my rcputa-
ton as a man, unless the one should be misrGpre
scnted, or the other assaled And, in order that
the responsibility Of any disclosure Of past occur
rences, should rest upon the President, notified
him, ere left Washington, on the 27th Of Sep
tcmber last. that should hold him accountable
for the malconduct Of the publisher Of his official
paper; and that, as the public reputation usually
suffered ~ conflicts between the Chief Magis-
trates and ex Ministers, / would avoid contro-
versy, aud only repel assaults which he should
sanction.
SO little effect had this suggestion, and so ne
cessary did il appear 10 the President to prevent
/ sympathy for me, which would be ccnsure upon
| himself that the official paper continued, after
my retirement to private life, TO circulate the
most flagitious imputations upon my character;
| and yet, when the President saw in a public
| PRINT an extrac. from one OF my private letters,
| published without my consent, and containing
nothing but the truth, he affected 10 be very much
offended; and, instead Of directing relutation If
what had said, he broke the seals that closed the
cabinet and our correspondence, in order TO sus-
tain false and malignant attack upon me, on the
18th OF November last.
twas necessary TO notice this; but, even on that
| OCCASION did not repel this aggression; nor did
! ] invite the people 10 look upon the stage, much
less behind the scenes where their dearest rights
and interests are sported with by incognito per
formanccs; on the contrary, merely Published
brief defensive address, so little indicative Of
sentiment, that it was pronounced, even by dis
passionate men, rcprehensibly mild.
Several grave questions, connected with my
case, have long been discussed, not only in Con
gress but throughout the country; the instructions
given TO the Presidents agent for making inqu-
ries IS to State Banks, are before the Senate of
he MT ed nj and In ,ny ,I.fpn \
ought to give some explanation respecting them
Doubts have been expressed on the floor OF that
body, whether there had been due foresight and
warning as to the evils that now exist, and II is
due, TO myself at least, to show IL at, in this re-
| spect, as well as others, did my duty. In Sep
| tember last, the President appealed to the Peo-
pie, by publishing his reasons for directing a
moval Of the public deposites; and, soon Con-
! gross assembled, my successor in the Treasury
Department presented statement in relation to
! his agency IN removing them. 1t seems, there
| fore, to be duty to myself if not to the public,
10 present, in detail, my for resisting the
President; and at least his friends cannot plain
Of my appealing to the People, since barely
initiate his own example
If had heretofore felt any doubts Of the pro-
priety of addressing you, they would be now re-
moved. My correspondence and conversations
! with the President were again misreprescnted in
his official paper OF the 18th inst, and at the same
time vile aspersions, pal pably sanctioned by him,
were again cast upon my reputation. 80 that,
even il no obligation of public nature required
some explanation now, il is demanded and justi-
fed by this new display Of yindictivcness.
Under any circumstances, some of my fellow
citizens might perhaps with propriety, censure
any exhibition of documents or exposition of facts
on my part; but, trust that they will now re
fleet, that IL is in sef-defence ! resort TO the
course pursued by the President himself; that
have preserved silence for nearly five months
amidst invitations and even taunts on one side az
| well as under a sanderous persecution on the o.
| ther.
Without saying, therefore, at the outset, how
| far may 60, | consider myself released from all
| impedinents, but those, which a sense Of duty to
the public and respect for myself may impose
Although personally unacquaintcd with Gene
raj jackson until 1929, | ardently supported him
as candidate for the Presidency, as early as
| 1923. ] thought that his country owed him a
large debt OF gratitudc that il would be useful TO
our Institutions, to have in the executive chair a
person unaccustomed TO intrigucs, but too preva-
lent at the seat OF Government; and that he, who
had given such sound advice 10 Mr. Monroe,
whilst President would never contradict in prac-
tcc himself, what he had then declared to be
the only patriotic and honorable course of the
chief magistrate OF free and enlightened people
In lS2S, renewed my exertons in his favor,
at no little sacrifice Of personal friendship and
pecuniary interest; and, when he was successful
heartily reJoccd, but, confess, that as soon as
subsequent practice, felt sincere regret. / re-
spected the Presidents intentions, and hattered
myself that he would return to the path, from
which he might have incautiously wandered !
was not, however, partisan; General Jackson,
now in power did not need aid from me- Men
who had stood III the ranks Of his opponents, when
advocated him, passed over TO his side, when
he won "the spoils of victory" and they got no
inconsidcrable port on. As TO myself personally,
desired to parakc Of the fruits of the triumph
/ grNit .,F a..
! pie.
1t was not to be expected, that should cease
| TO support the general course of the President,
because he erred, as believed, in various nstan-
| ces; much less, that should cease to be a mem
Der OF a party, TO which had always belonged,
because its favortc had not redeemed all his
pledged sustained such OF his measures as were
consistent with the fundamental principles of the
old republican party; and, without considering
who advocated, censured such were al vari-
ance with them. And, on the subject of the
Bank of the United States, more than on any O.
ther, have been grossly slandercd with the
sanction of the President will add, that have
invariably opposed it, as | still do. Whether
wisely or not, | adhere TO the doctrine of the
Virginia school as TO a national Bank: and il il
quite as arbitrary to condemn my independent
exercise of Judgment on this point as it was in
the President 10 expect me to change at will my
convictions in relation TO the public deposites or
! 10 accept his reasons for doing an act, which my
! own Judgment condemned.
| Whilst abiding 10 this subject, will take oc-
casion TO rePel the vile imputaions of the official
| paper, IN relation to my motives for resisting
removal of The deposites. Under the Presidents
sanction, II has been insinuated, that my course
was dictated by corrupt understanding with the
Bank of the United States and in the official pa
per OF the 18th instant, | am even called "the
emissary of the Bank
Without any desire for Office on my part, |
had been called TO a high station The selection
was generally approved of and yet in less than
four months, was contumeliously removed. To
excuse this act Of outrage, became matter of
much consequence sympathy for me would be
condemnation of my oppressor; and, therefore,
the official paper sought TO infuse into the public
mind suspicious as to my purity--suspicions
which found ready reception on the part Of
men, who, being base themselves, naturally sup
posed that could not have made sacrifice Of
office under the public, without equivalen,
elsewhere.
In the community Of which am a member,
there are many devoted friends of the President
who disagree with me; but think there is not
one, who believes the insnuations Of the official
paper to have any foundation. SO far, there
fore, my immediate fellow citizens are con
-