The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-06-23

mr.. Calhoun had in Mr.. Monroe's cabinet, urged
his arrest and punishment was, likewise, placed
in his hands. e returned Mr.. Crawford's letter.
saving that be al st felt like investigating it,but
that, upon reflection, he declined to do so, leay-
inc it to time The reason of this was obvious.
Mr.. Calhoun and his friends We're then the zeal
Gus supporters of Gen. jackson. To have quar-
relied with Mr.. Calhoun, would have defeated
his election, and he preferred to pass over, in 81
lence, the conduct attributed to Mr.. Calhoun, to
rislsing the consequences of rupture.
In 1880 it was different. BY the exertions OF
MIR. Calhoun and his friends he had been elected
President In addition to the wound inflicted
by the proposition to arrest him, charged to have
been made in MIR. Monroe's cabinet, MIR. Cal
houn had refused to recognize Mrs. Eaton, and
MIR. Van Buren, had satisfied him that Mr.. Cal
houn was to be candidate in opposition to him.
To do this, Major Lewis, whose constant bust
ness it during the whole of the yearlo29 to IN
sinuate suspicion into the old chiefs mind, Tor
which his residence in the Generals family and
consummate tact eminently qualified him, was
selected to revive the charge of having moved
the arrest, and accordingly in the autumn OF
1929. he repaired to New York and held con-
sultation with MIR. Hamilton, in which Forsyth's
letter was discussed.
And here it may be well to remark that in
MIR. Crawford's letter to Mr.. Balch, which is
dated on the 14th of December, 1927, there is
no mention of any proposition on the part OF
MIR. Calhoun to arrest Gen. Jackson. All that
is there charged, is, that the family friends of
Mr. Calhoun, at Columbia, had banded about
the term Military chieftain." 1t was not I'M
til Major Lewis and MIR. Hamilton, on their
way to New Orleans, in January of 1928, had
"much conversation, "and Mr.. Hamilton at there
guest of Major Lewis had offered to ascertain
truly what had occurred in Mr.. Monroe's cabi-
net deliberations, in relation to proposition sun
posed to have been made to arrest Gen. jack
son for his conduct" in the Seminole war, that
Mr. Crawford, whose letter to Mr.. Balch, was
intended to create breach between Gen. jack
son and MIR. Calhoun, was induced to make the
charge that Mr.. Calhoun had proposed the
rest Up to this time, all that he could say was,
that Mr.. Calhoun's family friends, at Columbia,
had used the term '' Military Chieftain." And
it is little curious that Mr.. Crawford himself,
in his subsequent letter to Mr.. Forsyth, dated
30th of April, 1880, and which letter was COM
municated by Gen jackson to Mr. Calhoun,
denies ever having made the charge that MIR.
Calhoun proposed to arrest Gen.Jackson; which
is only to be accounted for by supposing that it
originated in the sEmuch conversation" between
Major Lewis and Mr.. Hamilton, on their way
to New Orleans, and was communicated by Mr..
Hamilton to Mr.. Forsyth, who reported it to
Mr.. Crawford. For it will be recollected that
it was to ascertain the truth of this charge of
arrest, that MIR. Hamilton volunteered to go
through Georgia, to see Mr.. Crawford, and af-
towards called upon Mr.. Calhoun, in Washing
ton, and wrote to him his letter of the 25th of
February, 1928.
Now, much as the reader will be surprised to
learn that after all that has been said, and the
cireumstantiaI detail, charging that Mr., Calhoun
moved the arrest, after MIR. Forsyth, in his let
tiers Of February 5tll, had said to Mr.. Hamilton:
81 had a long conversation with Mr.. Craw
ford, afterwards read TO him your letter BY his
authority, state in reply to your enquiry, that |
The course to be pursued towards Spain, in con-
of Gen Jackson's proceedings in Flori- |
ia, during the Seminole war, MIR. Calhoun, the
Secretary of the War Department, submitted |
to and urged upon the President the propriety Of
oTTesting and trying General Jackson"
Yet it turns out that no such proposition was
ever made, and that Mr.. Crawford, the witness,
relied TO prove it, was required to get up
new charge, fortified with other curious and
equally minute circumstantial details, which
were afterwards disproyed, not by his own testi-
mony, as in this case, but by the evidence of MIR.
Monroe, and members of his Cabinet. Why the
ground was clanged--why this false charge, de-
tailed with so much minuteness by Mr.. Forsyth,
on the authority of Mr. Crawford, was put into
a new shape, more acceptable to Gen. jackson,
and some curious facts in relation to the cross
declarations of men in high places, and of
tolen letter are reserved for the next number.