The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-01-26
THE SECRETARY AT WAR.

speeding the individuals at the head of the affairs
Of the War, Navy, or Treasury Departments,
we state expressly that it has been.and ever will
be, our aim to confine ourself altogether TO
circumstances or FACTS connected with or
having bearing on their official station, or
with the performance Of their official duties.
VI their private life, history, or affairs, or Of
those of any one else, we have nought to
say.
The gentlemen who now fll those high and
important stations, are the counsellors and
supporters Of the Executive Magistrate of
the Union, who has declared he will " sink or
swim in his Persevering attempts to establish
certain measures deeply affecting the Nation.
Regarding those measures as vitality hostile
to the great and important interests of the
country, we have and shall continue to use
all lawful and proper means in our power
to defeat them and the individuals under whose
auspices they are attempted.
Since our last "reminiscences connected
with the public history Of Mr.. PoINsErT, our
recollection has been refreshed by the peru
sal of portion of the history of the internal
dissentions and revolution in Chill, one Of the
Spanish provinces Of South America, in
which his name is mentioned. The follow
ing is an extract from the work which has fall
en- under our observation
"But the Carreras, though, by their imprudence,
thew often Xarded the that n the
patriots were not traitors at least in that sense They
Immediately marched towards tho South, and in the very
beginning Of April the headquaersof their army at
Talca. All the officers which their dissentions had
cashiered or rustica,ed were recalled, Mackenna was
Quartermaster General O'Higgins commanded all the
troops Of the South, aud the Native Militia useful
body in such country, being most expert horsemen,
and armed with lances fifteen feet long, The deep
and rapid Maule formed the line Of defence, whose very
lords not always practicable for horse, much less
for infantry A person named PoINsETT, acting as
American Consul, then teHh The Cdrreras, and APP
pears 10 hare taken actre part an all AFFAIRS, eUen TO
interfering IN The Military business Of the time but has
ignorance not his eo,cardice, seems TO hare been OF
singular disserrice 10 those unfortunate young men,
teho, oowtng has adrce, than once retired TO safe
quarters ,chite inferior officers ,cere gaming adpan
tages The enemy and the unhappy issue Of the
affair of Yerpdsbuenas, heh at first appeared tarora-
bic TO the PATRIOTS is entirely attributable TO him"
The person named by the historian, in the
above extract, is the present Secretary at War!
The evidence Of the fact is given in the Bio
graphy Of Mr.. .PoINsETT, contained in the
third and fourth numbers Of the Democratic
Review. AT page AS of that work, it is stated
that ga proposal was made to him (Mr.
Ponsett) to repair to South America to ascer-
tain correctly the state of the revolution which
had Just occurred there;" and after recounting
his Journey thither, it says: "Jose Carrera,
the person Of most infuence-in fact the ac-
tual head Of the Government-received Mr..
Ponsett with the most fattering welcome,
and manifested every disposition to establish
friendly relations with the United States."-
The Biographer, after referring to the spolia-
tons on our commerce, committed by the Go
vernment of Peru, says: "Mr. Poinsett could
not remain passive under these outrages."-
" He applied to Carrera, and the actual Go
vernment Of Chill, reminding them Of their
friendly professions, and succeeded in obtain
ing from them a small force, of which he I'M
medately took the command in person. With
this, he proceeded to Talcahuana," &c. Thus,
the fact stated by the historian, is confirmed in
the Biography Of Mr.. PoINsETr; doubtless
and very properly, revised by himself, that he
was in Chill and took part in the military ope-
rations of the country at that time going on.
A remarkable circumstance remains to be
related. On examining the work in the Con-
gress Library, III is Mrs. Graham's Journal Of
a Residence in Chilly we were surprised to
find the leaf, on which the greater part of the
above extract is printed, cut from that work !
On referring to it, it will be seen that two or
three lines Of the above are printed on page
%, and that the leaf containing pages % and
"a have been cut out. We merely state the
fact, but have nothing whatever to do with the
time when, or the person by whom, the work
was thus mutlated. A friend supplied us with
a perfect copy of the work, from which we
have made the above extract.
We do not believe that Mr.. PoINsETT ever
evinced sign of "cowardice," either in chill
or elsewhere but, of his interfering," we
have the most ample evidence, to which we
have before adverted, while Minister TO Mexi-
CO, in the last election for member Of Con-
gress, and in the recent negotiations between
the Treasury Department and the Bank Of the
United States. As to the administration of
the affairs of the War Department, particularly
in relation TO the Seminole campaigns by Mr..
and character Of the country, if in after time,
the pages on which they shall be recorded,
could also be torn from history.
Like the Skyline verses, the history of the
r,I,l.. .ouoo. 80 NJ. So,.o.,., Do.r.o.. x....,