Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1840-09-10
From the National Intelligencer.
crN JACKSON In THE FIELDt

From the National Intelligencer.
GEN. JACKSON IN THE FIELD!
Tbr las, Western Mails brings us the subjoined
,~so,dinarv Epistle from Gen. JAcKsoN, and the
,.onsean.nt Address TO the Public by Mr.. sCL.Y;
the FIRST Of whiah published in the Nashville
Union Of August 49, and the last IN The Kepub'
,;can Banner" Of August 2l We fcrbear comment
on these papers, which cannot iail TO command the
attention of all readers.
To the Editor Of The Union
Sfa-Being Informed that the Hon Henry
CLAY OF Kentucky, in his public speech at sash-
vile, Yesterday alledged that had appointed the
Honorable Edward Livingston Secretary OF state
when he was deiautsr, and knowing MN 70 pe
one. | feel that am justified in declaring the
charge to be false. 1t is known to all The country
thar The nominations made by the President TO the
Senate are referred 10 appropriate committees OF
thai body whose duty il is 20 inquire into the cnnr-
meter OF the nominees and that if there is any evi
dence Of default. any disqnalisying circumstance
existing against them, rejection Of the nomination
follows Mr.. Livingston was member OF the Sc
nate from the State Of Louisiana, when he was no
minated by me- Can Mr.. Clay say he opposed the
confirmation Of the nomination because he wes
defauIteri IL so the journal Of the Senate will an
swer. But his confirmation by the Senate IS con-
elusive proof that no such objection, It made, was
sustained. and am satisfied that such charge
aeuins, him could not have been substanliaied.
am also informed that Dir. Clay charged me
with appointing Samuel Swariwo collector OF the
mort of New York knowing thai he had been an as
sociaie Of IRON Burr 10 this charge IT IS proper
10 saw that knew OF Mr.. Swartwouts connexlon
with Aaron Burr precisely as did that OF Mr.
CLAY himself who, if The history oil the tunes did
not do him great injustice was far from avoiding an
association with Burr. when he was at the town OF
Lexington, in Kentucky. let Mr. Clay was APP
pointed Secretary OF State and may confident
IL with recommendations for character and htness
not more favorable than those produced to me by
the citizens OF New York in behalf Of Mr.. Swart-
won't. Mr. CLAW too at the time of his own mp
pointment TO that high Office 1t will be recollected,
wa directly charged throughot the Union with ha-
wing bareained for it, aud by was this charge
more earnestly made than by his present associates
in Tennessee, Messrs Bell and Foster.
Under such circumstances how contemplate does
this demae ogue appear when he deccnds from his
biob place in the Senate, and the coun-
try retailing ISLANDERS against The living aud the
dead. ANDREW JACKSON.
HERMITAGE August 10, ia4o
TO THE PUBLIC.
Your surprise am quite sure, will be great
rs mine was, on the pernsal Of note, signed AN
DREW JACKSON, addressed to the Editor OF the
Nashville Union and bearing date on tho 18th in
slant.
The circumstances of my present visit 10 Nash
vile are well known here. declined repeated IN
vitations TO attend the Convention holden on the
18th instant and finally yielded TO unusual APP
neal, with which | was honored, and uhich il
would be difficult for any man 10 resist.
was called upon to address the Convention. In |
what terms Prospect and for his military services
of praise, / spoke Of the distinguished individual |
who i. the occu sion of this note, all who heard me
can testify Among the subjects which discus |
sed was that of the degeneracy in public virtue, |
and especially the delinquency and iniideiiiy IN
pubIic officers of which within the last few years
we have had such lamentable proof. In assigning
the causes for this dePlorabe state OF things,
stated as among them, the subversion OF the rule
aid down BY Mr.. Jefferson, of honesty, capacity
md fidelity to the Constitution, aud the substitution
or il of one founded devotion and subserviency,
not to tina country, but to the chief OF party
That persons appointed to Office too often consid'
cred themselves being only put IN possession OF
heir legitimate share of the spoils Of victory, in
tead of feeling bound by the obligations OF sacred
rust confided for the benefit of the people in re-
pect to defaulters, referred to The case of Mr..
of whose attachments as JuIist, not
more consistent with truth than my feelings, spoke
n the highest terms. He was of tho earliest
md one OF the greatest defauters. His case oc-
,urred under MIR. Jeffersuns administration. The
ecords both of the Executive and Judicial Depart n
nents established his default. He remained de-
Taultrr nbou, quarter Of century, If not more
How he finally hqudated the balance against him,
and when. do not certainly know, but believe it a
was by property and under the first of Gen. !
ackson. But whenever and however it was, a
tardy payment OF composition OF the debt could not
and did expunge the fact OF hrs Original default.
In arguing from to effect, commended that
the appointment of Mr.. Livingston was pernicious
That it was virtual proclamation to
all who we're or might be defauters, that their in
fidelity, in public trust, constituted no insuPera-
Die barrier TO promotion one of the highest Of
fees in the Government. | did not attribute to
General jackson knowledge of the default. |
went even SO far as to say tina, he might not have
reflected upon the consequences of the appoint
nent of an individual so situated | must say
that until Gen. Jackson otherwise asserts, am
constrained to belive that he could not have been
ignorant of fact, conspicuous IN the annals OF
our country, as that Of The default of Edward Liv-
ingston, ESQ, Attorney OF the United States, IN the
District OF New York, during the administration OF
MIR. Jefferson, TO the amount OF about SiOO 600.
II was in the train OF the same thought and argu-
ment, that adduced the appointment of Mr. Swart-
won't to the Office of Collector of the most impor-
liant port in the u. States. one OF the most mpor-
tant and injurious examples His participation in
the schemes OF Col. Burr, was fact of such uni
versal noIoriety that supposed, and yet suppose,
that no man the least with the history OF
the country could be ignorant Of it But it was |
not upon Gen. Jacksons knowledge OF that fact, II |
was upon the fact Itself that dwelr.
Il is now said that the appointment OF Mr. !
Swartwout was recommended by citizens Ut New |
York. | know nothing of these recommendations
Whether they were cause etfect-whether they |
gotten up to produce or to give color and CO.
TO the appointment, previously determined to
he made-their secret history only could disclose.
The appointment occasioned general surprise among
friends and foes of the administration. the