The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-06-25

tanning q suspicion, that he would misunderstood
it. am inclined to think that had better an
swer this letter Immediately. He may expect
that his conception of his orders should appear
by document in the Department; and it seems to
be proper that the sense in which they were
given, and understood by the Department, after
what has passed, should be recorded there.
communication between you on this head, and
in this stage, seems to be the more necessary,
from the presumption, that it may be my duty to
state to Congress, that he transcribed his orders
on his own responsibility; or at least to state
the sense in which they were understood by us
At present nothing to this effect exists in your
correspondence with him. 1t is mine only, which
is private. A communication ON this point may
commence either with you or him. l wul sug-
gest it to him, thinking, as do, that it had bet
ter begin with him. The affair may, hope, be
terminated to the satisfaction OF all parties
will send YOU, in few days, his letter with
former one,) with the answer which propose
giving to it; which, if you see no objection to lt
be so good as to forward to him. But II you do,
return it with your objections to 1T. by coming
from him, it will put you more at ease IN your
answer, and afford better opportunity for the
exercise of kindness and hberality. | shall at
tach no particular importance to the affair, III
my letter, leaving the argument to you and
him, so far as it becomes necessary to enter IN
to it.
1t will be seen that this letter refers to General
Jackson's reply to Mr.. Monroe's letter of the
18th of July, 1918; and the reader should bear
in mind that the question put in issue by Gen.
Jackson, between him and Mr.. Calhoun, was
that Mr. CaIhoun's letter of the 29th of May,
1880, was the '::frst' animation" that he had
ever had, that Mr.. Calhoun entertained any ether
opinion or view of his orders, than that they au-
thorised all that he had done in Florida.
Now it will be seen by recurring to Mr.. Mon
roes letter of July 10, 1918, referred to in this
stolen letter, which was long in the possession
of Gen. jackson, and which led to the converse
ton between Major Lewis and MIR. Hamilton,
and prompted his journey to Mr.. Crawford, that
it contains the following declaration:
sIn calling you into active service against the
Seminoles, and communicating to you the orders
which had been given Just before to Gen. Gaines,
the views and intentions were fully disclosed In
respect to the operation in Florida. IN iran
Scending the limits prescribed by those oTaeTS,
you acted on your oaon responsibility, on facts
| and circumstances which were unknown to the
government when the orders were given, many
| of which, indeed, occurred afterwards, and which
| you thought imposed on you the measure, as an
act of patriotism, essential to the honor and in
| terest of your country"
| In Gen. Jackson's reply to this letter, dated
August 10, 1918, he says:
ssIt is stated in the second paragraph OF your
letter that tranScended the limit Of my orders,
and that acted on my Oton responsibility"
We beg the reader to bear in mind, that in Mr.
Monroe's letter of the 9th of July, 1918, he said
that Gen. jackson had tra1,Scended his orderSj
that Gen. jackson, in his reply of Aug. 10, 1878,
insists that he had not transcribed his orders,
and that Mr. Monroe in his letter to MIR. Cal
houn, of Sept. 9, 1918, which was stolen from
Mr.. Calhoun and placed in Gen. Jackson's pos
session in 1927, says;
esI have Gen. Jackson's reply to my letter of
July 10, from Washington, respecting his taking
| possession of ST. Marks and Pensacola. He con-
strenuously, that his orders left him free to
/ adopt that course.
! Orr view of his power is decidedly different from
his own, on which too zoe acted, without enter
tanning a suspicion that he would misunderstood
it,"
And to compare these facts with Gen. jack
sons statement in his letter of May 30, 1880, in
which he says
eft is due to myself, however, to state that the
knowledge of the Executive documents and or
ders in my possession, will show conclusively
that had authority for all l did, and that your
explanation ofmy powers,as declared toGov. Bib,
| show your own understanding of them. Your
| letter to me of the 29th handed to-day and now
before me, is the first intimation that you ever
entertained any other opinion view of them.
Your conduct, words, actions, and letters,l have
ever thought, show this
1t is difficult for those who have not studied
and understood this whole matter, and who do not
understand Gen. Jackson's real character, to
know why he should have made such an extra
ordinary declaration in the face of the facts we
have presented. But we beg the reader to re-
member, that Mr. Bun's intrigue to break down
the Democratic party, the ''Virginia junto," he
termed them by putting Cen jackson in nomi-
nation, went back as far as 1916, as will be seen
by referring to his letter to Gov Aliston, urging
him to make the nomination. The same letter
shows that arrangements were made between
Col. Burr and his associates of the North, and
Gen. jackson and his associates in the South, to
pat him in nomination.
Gen. jackson always took great credit to him
self for having assumed the responsibility of in
vading Florida, and although Mr.. Monroe was
willing to concedc to him all the credit of patri
otism and of having assumed a responsibility
under the circumstances which, justified the
commanding General for the occupation Of
st. Marks and Pensacola, although, they
could not have been anticipated in orders, which
it would have been beyond the constitutional pow
er of the President to give, always preferred to
place his justification upon the ground that he
had the secret sanction Of the Executive; and
hence he alledges, not only that he had written
such confidential letter to MIR. Monroe, as is
described by Mr. Crawford, giving it as his opin-
! ion that Florida should be invaded, and saying
, that it might be delicate matter to give an
order, if the President approved of it, and would
a only give hint to some confidential member Of
:. Nc.lotr hn