The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-06-22

letter TO Governor kay we unutItaht 10 say,
thai he never wrote letter 70 Virginia OF 'he
character described by Mr.. Richie. IL must OF
recsssifv be sheer fabrication IL is impossi-
s;hle that Gen. Jackson could have written TO
Virginia saving that his "political opinions
agreed with those of the Enquirer" and then
have written 10 Gov. Ray, not only expressing
directly opposite opinions, but declaring that he
wrote his letter TO DIR. Colman, with view OF
nreyenting any doubt or misconstructon IN the
Southern States, Virginia, &c, as to his senti-
ments on the Tariff. The existence, therefore,
Of such letter from Gen. Jackson as MIR.
| Richie says he sap, will be hooted al by every
,rne friend Of the General, until il is produced.
They cannot but come TO the conclusion, that
The editor of the Enquirer has been guilty Of a
wicked fabrication for the miserable purpose Of
defending himself against the charge OF incon-
sistency.
Gen. jackson did write such a letter, and that it
wrought the conversion of Mr.. Richie, what
must the latter have thought after he saw the
| Generals letter 10 Gov. Ray2 He must have
known that Gen. Jackson was either practising
deception upon him and the people of Virginia or
unon Governor Ray and the people Of Indiana.
| And having thus found out that Gen. Jackson
was capable Of writing two lrreconcilable let
tiers for electioneering purposes, the one TO he
Unpublished, the other for publication, the one
curry favor with the Tariff States; what should
have been Mr. Ritchie's course, as faithful
sentinel' on the public watchtower2 What
| confidence could he have atterward entertained
| in Gen Jackson's integrity In every point OF
view. the story Of an unpublished letter, Of the
character described by Mr.. Richie, is incred-
bic, and must be regarded a libel on General
Jackson's character for veracity and fair dealing.
There is another point connected with this
IN which Iastra m call rho MI
Of the people of Tennessee. They will see,
that Gen. Jackson, after avowing himself an ad
vocate of the "American System"-of Tariff
Of PR reflection and a system Of Internal I'm
provements by the General Government, winds
up by expressing his ''proud satisfaction OF hay
ing always been a sincere and consistent Re
publlcon" A most impressive commentary on
the slang -whanging cry got up in Tennessee by
Gov Polk, that the Tariff is Federal measure,
and only supported by Federdists Ny fellow
citizens, whether you intend TO support Van
Buren, or Harrison, is II not time that YOU had
discarded from your confidence men who you
know are seeking 10 deceive you You all read
these letters Of Gen, Jackson 10 Gov. Ray and
Doctor Colman, in 1928. Y GU saw and knew
that the General was Tariff man. You voted
for him as such You never, in those days,
heard the Tariff called Federal measure or its
supporters Federdiisfs On the contrary, you
~
you ken,e that he was for Tariff. But now
that the Tariff has been settled by the compro
mise act, Gov Polk and his newspapers are try
ing to make you believe that Gen. Harrison is
Federalist, because like Gen Jackson, he was
once friend 10 the Tariff, and that if you vote
for Gen, Harrison, who led our armies to victory
against the British in the last war, you, too will
be Federahsts WIN you longer permit your
selves to be insulted by such shameless attempts
n dacaiup and i,npose ,inon Won
There is third point in this letter from Gen.
Jackson TO Doctor Colman deserving Of special
consideration at this particular uncture. Much
has been said Of late by the Loco-foco organs
about Gen Hanisons refusal to reply TO letters
and give explicit answers 10 all interogatories
that any body may choose 10 PROFOUND TO him
on any subject Let Us compare Gen. llar-
rison's course in this respect with that Of Gen.
Jackson.
Gov. Ray wrote to Gen. Jackson, in pursu-
ance Of resolutions adopted by the Senate Of
Indiana, setting forth that Gen. Jackson, then
candidate for the Presidency, was supported in
one portion Of the Union as friend to the
American System, and in another section as the
opponent of that system, The Senate Of In
diana, therefore, was DESTROYS that he should
9 state explicitly" whether he favored that
construction Of the Constitution of the United
States which authorizes Congress TO appropri
ate money for the purpose Of internal improve
ments in the several States; whether he was
in favor of such a system of protective duties
for the benefit of American manufactures as
would, in cases nhere he rdlc mdteridi and
the ability TO manufacture II e.rists in HE conn
try, secure the patronage of our own manufac-
lures, 10 the exclusion Of those Of foreign coun-
tries, and whether, if elected President of the
United States, he would in his public capacity,
recommend, foster, and support the American
System.
Gov Ray accordingly enclosed to Gen Jack
son copy Of the resolutions. And in what
light was the proceeding viewed by Gen. Jack
son and his friends at Nashville? We can an
swer that question readily. We happened at
that time, as editor of the NashrWe RepubH-
cdn TO occupy the rery responsible post Of con,
fdental organ to the Jackson Corresponding
Committee of this place, commonly called by
our opponents the NashrWe UhHerdshing
Committee, and this is the way we spoke of the
matter in the Republican Of April IS, 1928:
"The motives which actuated their Scholarships in
this indecorouS procedure clear as the day
If Gen Jackson then responded to the interogatores
of the Governor they hoped that something would be
said calculated to ALLEVIATE from him either the advocates
of tariff or their opponents If he failed TO give an
answer he was then to he accused of offering an In
dignity to the State of Indiana Neither of these ex
pectations has, however been realized. Gen. Jackson
with that promptncss and eaessness for which he is
so much distinguished, replied, without delay, that
there had been no change in his opinion the sub
ect and referred them to his letter to Doctor Coman
and to his votes in Congress 1t will be said by the
friends of the Coalition that Gen Jackson's answer is
not sufficiently specific Why, then, do they not pub
ish his recorded votes He flinched not when the
question before him in the Senate of the United
States. He recorded his opinions on the subject of
the tariff and internal improvement the journals of
the Senate, and there must The Governor and Senate
Of Indiana seek for ANSWERS to their nfsrrogatorirs
Such was the view which General Jackson's
friends in 1923 took Of Gov. Rays application
to him, on the part of the Senate of Indiana for