Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1839-08-02


Office tor the possibility of seat in Congress
The Trrasnrership held the reward OF th"
cr'hce. The bargain was proclaimed by the Wings
months ago Its contamination IS officially an
nnunced But The Arena in another nri!cie reduces
n charge tohs proposition, Had not Mr. S. Tesig"td
good etFec TO become candidate, there would no!
have bern any thing sad about the matter
CorresP"ndent of the Boston Atlas, who happened
to be- IN tins city on his way 10 the mountains. writes on
The 22d !nly and 'n support Of The allegation, brings
up the "i"wtng assertion: thal when Mr. Srlscn vas
ST spoken o. as candidate for Congress, he DECLARED
uneQurvoraiy that he gould permit bis name To be
used sDch. and wholly avprse catering upon
fru,ess canvass IN such decided Wig district Some
two or three weeks a,eE he nominated hy small
caucus OF his friends, md 10 the surprise o some, he
- nSrn!ed Ia hrcnIHe a candidate =
Are these facts: Is il true That Mr. Seien was ayerse
10 run as csnddateihat his scrupes were overcome,
by private ariaRgemt with the Executive that he
lar P IN ms trciion he would be rewarded Tor The loss
oil is ONCE IN The Capitol by The Office at Treasurer nl
the U. S.-tbai he did resign-hat he iulled
IN his recon-has since been rrwarded-nnd that the
uh n'nt oi The prophecy proves lis cnrrectness:-Now,
we undertake 10 say in The most positive terms that
there was no such repugnancc MIR. Seldens part TO
offer Tor Congress, and the office OF Register
that ,W re was no such understanding arrangement
hetw, en- the Executive and himself, direct indirect
that 'e office OF Treasurer not originally offered To
Mr. S.'den, but 10 another gentleman, who pressed
and exfe :ted TO accept it, md that the rule Of evI
dence I'd down by the Wing press, is correct-But
to the veral points.
not permit his name TO be used candidate for Con
gress? BY no means. We happen 10 know otherwise,
We held conversation with Mr.. Selden, long btfre
the parties began to organize Tor the election. II was
early in The winter Mr. Sriden admitted that in such
crisis as VIZ had reached The duty Of every pa
trio" 10 epair 10 the post Of duty his country,
if she called upon hm-thut although he had doubts,
whether h. could be elected. and would prefer some
other candida to be run yet if the people called upon
him TO run, he would not hesitate moment 10 do
This was the language which he uniformly held In n
word whilst he did mot SEEK the nomination. he declared
his willingness 10 accept and do the best for his nds
in the District We never exchanged one word upon
The subject OF HIS receiving Office from MIR. Van Buren,.
This snurce Of Wing clamur, therefore, fails.
Blu, he resigned his Office Of Rrgser-why did he do
that, il is irlumphany asked: Was it because he
was promised another uiice? Here again happen 10
have The facts within own kno" ledge.-Mr S never
hesaiPd about accepting the nomination for Congress
and he hrsisaied le about resigning his office
bot The motive has been mistaken by he Wings We
had II from his lips, and under his pen, that
as he was about run for Congress- he INST under
every advantage, in district here the Wings were in
such power; that he would have 10 exert himself with
all his nrcehe must ride through the district, address
the people at all points, give his whole time and energies
TO the but that he could nj to hold his
office aud neglect It's dues; and that such would
weaken his moral influence in the contest-He would
becuIne the mark of the blerest inveciivee, in fact
his scuples upon this subject nvincibe. He so
told The Committee in his acce pance Of the nomination:
In rendering L" you, sir, az now uneignedy do, my
which you, and the whole meeting, have thought proper
TO express, i, may be well remark tina, shall from
my oren conscious sense IF The Propry IF the MEASURE
resign my public trust; and then shall be free to
press my political opinions 10 the Electors Of this Con
gressonal district ~ He avowed The sentiment in
much stronger terms, in private letter, which he did
Us the honor Of addressing u.s. when his spondence
with the Committee communicated To the press
No such motive, Iumped up by the Wing press,
ever entered into our head that Of any friend, with
whom we conversed on The subsct-and Tor our own
parts, conld moi help expressing Ie unboun ded
pect (Which we frt Tor the rare decacy Of FEELING
which prompts him TO surrender the Office which he
holds These were the motives by which lie
tua'sd-and not the low. higgng considerations, which
the Wing sePrs pleased 10 ascrbe To him In fact
MIR s. ord not set such value upon the Registers of
flee. as The argument supposes he abandoned it with
very little rrgret-and with the determination Of secur-
Ing, if possible the high office, which he sought, OF
representing his d'src, in the Congress of the u $
He obls in lha, honor lie sought il with
all his exerons The Wings of Richmond determined
to defeat him, md they succeeded.
There was no understanding or agreement between
him or his friends and the Prrsdent-We have sought
Tor information upon this point from every quarter.
Mr. Selden nirms in the unqualified manner that
he "never had any conversation correspondence, di
rect or indirect, with the President, relative cleo.
ton or appointment whatever. And whoever may have
placed (hIs) before The President for any appoint
ns oG =" YasSSs o"
that he should be- rewarded with Office State Federal
trct.
The truth of the matter already stated in this paper
is, that "S"me months ago. the President, casual
versation, told distinguished gentleman with whom
Mr. SeIden did correspond The ap
pouent Of Treosurer) that his the Presidents vie
of The public interest, would probably induce him In
appoint another Treasurer If the 5 and that The
then Treasurer mir Campbel) from Virginia. he
was disposed Take the from the State
and desired that gentleman 10 name some persons from
among whom an apPon'ment satisfactory 10 The public
might he made That gentleman named Judge Nlcho-
las, and severnl other FngIDinns And in making Sc
lection from the persons named the President preferred
Judge ~. whose character talents, and dsring uishsd
services personal and ancestral in many public trust
erincpG The wisdom Of the choice that fell upon him
The President and MIR Woodbury. the Secretary Of the
Treasury both urged judy. Nicholas TO accept this
pninment, that would be highly agreeable and
useful 10 The whole Adninstra party throughout the
q. S The Judge took week 10 decide, consulted
his intimate and valued friends about The matter
and ultimately declined The office Judge Nicholas and
5r never hac any conversation or esPondsnce with
each other on the subject of the Treasury Department,
until the very evening which The Judge made his final
resolve against The acceptance OF H.
We have gone 10 other OF information. and
lenrn beyond question: that when this subject became
the subject of casual conversation with the President il
v os not known thought OF, that Mr. 5. would be
candidate for Congress- and that at M time before or
during The canvass, Ind The President Inlimated the
slightest intention 10 appoint him.
Thanks TO The Wings, however they ran ahead =
They denounced hf > betnrtnnnd. Tor an arrangement
which nobody thought about but themselves aud which
never was made al all
We know that when Moi. Campbell 10 be super
seeded the Office WAS rdered Mr. Nicholas in oil good
faith The Administration hoped and expected him 10
cepil; bu, after deliberate consultation with hisIrnds
lie declined il. When il offered 10 Mr.. S., he too
consulted with his friends, and asked them, whether he
should accept. The reply was, why not' Do you ex
pect TO "nppease please the Wings, by declining IL :
lf you refuse it, they will only laugh al you and charge
YOU with want OF Grmness in not accepting 1t for fear
of their denunc;,ons' The President has had The
fmness and energy call you 10 the station; and is II
for you 10 give min tacn febuks by your Conduct
In such case, the Wings would he TO say, that Mr.
SeIden had 100 much virtue, too little courage TO &c.
cep, the appoi nimeut"
In fact, it ajoes appear TO sinCularly difficult TO
reconcile the high character OF integrity which the
Wings have attributed, 10 him, with such an act Of
"pr0figacn they pleased 10 charge upon The