Madison Whig advocate., 1839-05-11

"After the reiterated charges YOU have
made, it was 10 have been expected that
you would have been prepared TO reduce
them TO specifications, and that the com
; mittee would then proceed % investigate
the matters alleged. Blu, instead OF
this, You resort 10 gcneralitleS even
more vague than your original accusa-
tions; and, in open violation Of the Con-
stitution, and of that wsll-establlshed
and wise maxim. that all men are pre-
sumed to be innocent untilpTOveu guilty.
according to the established rules otlaw
YOU request myself and the heads OF the
/ Depa rtments TO become our own accu-
Sers, and to furnish the evidence 10 con-
Wet ourselves; and this call purportS q
be founded on the authority of thai body
in which alone, by the Constitution. the
power of impeaching US Is vested! The
| heads of Departments may answer such
a request as they please, provided they
| DO not withdraw their own time. and
| that of the officers under their direction,
from the public business. 10 the injury
thereof To that business | shall direct
them to devote themselves, in preference
to any illegal and unconstitutional call
| for information, no matter from what
source it may come, or however anxious
| thew NAV be to meet II. For myself. /
shall repeI all such attempts a an inya-
sion of the principles of Justice. as well
as of the Constitution; and | shall eS-
TEEN it nv sacred duty to the People Of
the United States TO resist them as /
would the establishment of a aSpanish In
QUESTION.
s.If. after all the severe accusations
contained in the various speeches OF
yourself and your associates. YOU are un-
willing, of your own accord, 70 bring
specific charges. then | request your
committee to call yourself and your as
sociates. and every other member of
| Congress who has made the gene raj
charge of corruption. To testify, before
God and our country, whether you or
they know of any specific corruption or
abuse Of trust in the Executive Depart
ments; and, if so, what it i. If YOU
are able to point to any case where there
is the slightest reason TO suspect c0rrup-
ton or abuse of trust, no obstacle which
| can remove shall be interpoScd 90 pre-
vent the fullest scrutiny BY all legal
means. The offices Of all the depart
ments will be opened to YOU. and every
proper facility furnished for this purpose.
Il hope, sir, we shall. al last. have
your charges. and that you viii proceed
to investigate them, not like an inquisi-
tor, but in the accustomed mode. Ii YOU
either will not make specific accusations,
or if, when made, you attempt 10 estab-
lish them by making freemen their own
accusers, you will not expect me TO couu
tenance your proceedings. In the short
period which remains Of my official du-
ty, shall endeayor. as have heretofore
endeayored. to fulfil the obligations Of
that oath Of office BY which | engaged.
TO the best of my ability. TO preserve.
protect, and defend the Constitution ofthe
United States;' and for this. and other
reasons of the most solemn character, /
shall on the one hand. cause every pos
sIble facility, consistent with law and
Justice, to be given to investigation Of
specific. tangible charges; and, on the
other, shall repudiate all attempts 10 in
wade the just rights Of the Executive
Departments, and Of the individuals com
posing the same. If, after all your cla-
NOR, YOU will make no specific charges.
or bring no proof of such as shall b.
made, YOU and your associates must b.
regarded by the good People of the Uni-
ted States as the authors of unfounded
and the public servants whom
YOU have assaIled, will, in the estima-
ton of all honorable men, stand fully
acquitted
'.In the mean time. | cannot but eN-
press my astonishment that members of /
Congress should call for information as
to the names Of persons TO whom contiu- /
gent moneys are paid, and the obiucts Of
those payments, when there are SIX stand |
ing committees, under the sevenry-sev- /
enth rule of the House of Representa- /
tives. whose special duties are To examine /
annually into all the details Of those cx-I
penditures in each Of the Executive De-
partments. The like remark Is appIica-I
bic to some other branches OF the lnfor-
nation sought by you, ample details in 4
respect to which are to BE- found in the 4
reports laid before Congress. and now
on YOUR files; and TO which recommend i
YOU to have recourse. I am, respect
fully, &c.
-. JACKSON /
ITO the Hon. HENRY A. WISE.
Chairman of the Investigating COmui4se
on the abuses and fraHds Of the Execu-
tire DePartments-chaTgsd."
Sir, this was an extraordinary letter
to be addressed by the President Of the
United States to a committee Of the
House of Representative. 1t at once
to me why had been called /
on first TO purge myself on oath Of all
tHOriedge of Executive corruption. /
Immediately changed positions with Mr.
Mann-assumedt the seat OF interrogat0r.
and put him upon the witness stand. as
10 what information he had been carry
ing to the palace Of the proceedings o. a .
committee Of the House Of Representa-
tives charged to inquire into Executive
abuses. He admitted. on oath. that be
had informed the President of our pro
and swore that -the President
told" (him) .-that he would desire (theJ +
.-committee TO examine, upon oath. such +
aS had haroed roFrtIDf5rrYsE