Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1837-02-07
Richmond, va, Tuesday, Feb. a
THE oMMITTEEs-7Gs Presidents Reply, &c.

R&2S Rkk21SPk6eas q aAs SSe ~ SNs v
ECoMMITTEEs-Ns Presidents Reply, &c.
We shall lay teforc our readers in our next paper, The
letter which tie President has addressed TO MIR. Wise,
Chairman Of the investigating Committee, &c. &c. in re.
ply 10 The queries which have enanated from that sort oil
omnium gahcrum Committee: The President states,
that they call On him ''and The heads of the departments
not 10 answer to any specific charge; not 10 explain
any alleged abuse: not IL rive information as 10 any pa t.
Gu or t ansaclion; lut, assuming that they have been gull
ty Of the charges alleged, they call upon them 10 furnish
evidence against license T:s!'- hat II The Heads Of DE.
partments have time to spare from the public business,
they may answer Us they please; but "as for myself
(says hej shall rcpcl all such attempts as an inva-
sion Of The principles Of justice, as we'll as Of the
10 The people Of the United Sla!es to resist them as I
would the establishment VI a Spanish inquisition."-
If indeed The adds g after all The severe accusations
contained in the various speeches OF yourself aud your
associates, YOU are unwilling Of your own accord TO
bring specific charges, then | request your Committee TO
call Yourself AMI your associates, and every other mem.
ber OF Congress who has made the general charge OF
corruption, to :cs,ify before God and our country, whc-
Their va or they know OF any specific corruption or
abuse of trust in the Executive Departments; and if so,
wha, it is. If you are able I" point TO any case where
there is the slightest reason to suspect corruption or
abuse Of trust, no obstacle winch can remove snail De
;nlerposed TO prevent the fullest scrutiny by all legal
means. TIE Offices Of all The departments will be open.
ed to YOU, aud every proper facility furnished for this
81 hn,c sir, we shall al least have your charges, and
,b,, Won viii procecd to investigate them, mol like an
! incuis!,or, but in The accustomed mode. II you either
| will not make specific accusations, or II, when 'nadc' you
attempt TO establish them BY making free men ll'if own
| GccuscTS, you VIII hot expect w !
proceedings
+ The whole Letter is characteristic Of The President.
The great point on which he insists is. ihtt the CoHl;nit:
tee must specify their charges, and then he VIII give all
the information in his power-but That he will not lend
himself 10 an inGuisitoIial investigation OF such a vague
character as the Committee have instituted. The Globe
atirns. "lh*t Mlessrs. Wise and Peyton have had meet
ings Of The prominent Opposition members night alter
night, and it is fair TO conclude that the course indicated
in The resolution has been settled under The advice Of The
coalition that the lst resolution, which calls for ali the
sums of money which have been paid within the year,
BIZ each of the Departments during The last year to frln-
tcrs or Editors Of ne wspa fers, would require, among nt!ler
things, an overhauIing clal least IL 900 accounts OF Post.
masters-,hat 'taking the first resolution, then, III con-
nection with tile others, which required i list OF all DIN
GERS or gents, or deputies, aud the sums paid TO each OF
them under certain showing
the various amounts of money paid within The last years
for contingencics--and then al investigation OF oil The Sa-
Iaries paid, under prelcnce OF finding some (not specItrd
by name, time, place. or clicuMStanceO winch may nave
been allowed under the predicanen!s stated III the reso.
luton, viz: without service having been rendcred-wi,h.
out the party receiving being in uthcc-- under commis'
sions ante. dlted- or whilst engaged in private employ
ments-it will be seen that the scope Of the demand made
on the heads Of The de apartments rendered II lndispeEsa'
bic that they should wade through every thing that has
been transacted in, their departments throughout The term
of years named in the resolutions; and should, besides,
look through one hundred thousand contingent accounts
transmitted 10 the departments from all the Government
agents at home and abroad! Did Nil. Wise, and his
caucus compeerS, suppose such a retrospect possible To
men engaged from day tJ day in the curren. business OF
the Department.
The fact is, ii would seem, that these Commit
tees are overriding the business. That some abu-
SEES may have cTcpt into some Of the Offices, is not
improbable. No Administration can avoid them
and if these could be specified aad investigated, it
would do the STATE some service 10 ferret them out.
~ -, ,,rh lo,r1 IN hn nrnncoI aud plyIiGJ urIil
putli: Punishment. life mischief might be rclorm-
ed, and the next Administration might profit by it
But this genera! s:%rcl warrant sort OF enquiry, as the
CLOSE calls it, is too vague and underlined to be reconc'i'
ed with the spirit OF our people, or TO produce the bene-
6ts,which its projectors. lave PROMISED. If we are TO
believe the ~scribbiers from Washington, the call for in.
formation has been made upon certain distinguished
Members Of Congress. The Correspondent Of the New
York Express, writes on the 20lh January, "Judge
White is one thus subpGnaed, and he will appear
on Monday. The Van Buren, party fancy they can
there make the venerable Judge ruin himself forever.
But Judge White, as understand, has said, " there are
some thugs in my heart which | hoped IL carry with
me 10 the grave, but | cannot be guilty OF perjury TO
save any murla! man, if they put the on oath to tell all
Of the truth l know Senator Calhoun Is another OF
the gentlemen thus subpGuacd. Mr.. Pickens of S. &.
is another. Mr.. Peyton of Tennessee is another. MIR.
Wise of Virginia has already given in his evidence, and
| understand it is such as will make the committee eau
tious how they advance much more. MIR. Bell of Ten.
nessee was upon the stand on Saturday. Alter uttering
1 protest against this privilege Ut a member OF Con
grrss, and this turning of u committee appointed TO ex-
anime the Executive Department into a COMMITTEE to
examine the Opposition members of Congress-, he took
time till Monday To come to a conclusion OF what part
he would act" We vouch for none OF these statements.
1t is certain that VIM. Duane, the Ex-Secrclary OF the
Treasury, has been before The Committee-to testify as
To The removal of the Depositcs. We presume he hes
nothing new 10 say, after all he has written upon that
subject.
We understand, that Mcssrs. Wise and Peyton are
pushing their enquiries too far also, as relates to pTtsate
transactiuns. We have seen what reply MIR. Woodbu-
ry gave them-and We are informed, upon The Whole,
that his letter removes all doubt about any improper
connection between the Treasury and MIR. Whitney
As 10 tia. matter, says 4 friend, the Enquiry is blown
skyhigh.
The inpassioned spirit ia which Messrs. Wise and
Peylon are conducting The investigation IS an outrage
upon the Commute itself.-ln this respect we are hap
oy to see the friends of the Administration not Standing
aione.-Some Of the Wing presses which value the dig-
nifty of Congress more than the political character OF
the two members, have spuken OF them IN the proper
spirit. For example, what says the Philadelphia Gazette:
..sThe conduc, of MIR. Wise and Mr.. Peyton, on the
examination of MIR. Whitney before a private Commit
tee in Congress, can be excused on no grounds whatever
Party spirit itself, at its topmost bent, must strongly ois'
approve of such disgraceiul language. We would be
lhe last to advocate Mr.. Whitney. He has led himself
widely aslray heretofore, or else ne has oeeh oeploIao.y
unfortunate in the Judgment OF many. His memory, or
his heart, has been exceedingly. detective; which II is,
we will not publicly decide. But that he should be Dull
lied as lie was BY Peyton and Wise, is not only dlscredl'
table to themselves, but IT VIM "a aken a sympathy ~ -
his be half, on other subjects, To- (which he is not entitled
The rrifaI.iy of both these members, was not less eTim.
inal than uuiignihed; and we .cainot believe, il 'hrll
boso:ns are properly open to the 1rbukes OF mora! senst.
bilily, lha, they will do otherwise than LOOK BACK upon
theirr ou.bursts Of vulssr and unreasonable passion, with
rcmorse and shame
What says The Philadelphia U. S. Gazette (anoiheF
Whig)
"Tfhere is a good deal Of feeling excited by The spar,
! RING which took place before the committee between
MTe rev,on and MIR. Whitney. Such occurrences
bring even a good cause into discredit, and are likely to
produce an unhappy impression on the public m nh"n
thew encroach upon the dignity of a judicial tribunal
,bey are far worse. Hope we shall never again hear OF