The Hawk-eye and Iowa patriot. (Burlington, Iowa) 1839-1843, 1840-09-17

when he descends from his high place in
the Senate, and roams over the country,
retailing SANDER against the living and the
dead. ANDREW JACKSON. ~
Hermitage, August, 1910.
TO THE PUBLIC.
Your surprise, am quite sure, will be
as great as mine was on the perusal of a
note signed Andrew Jackson, addressed
to the editor of the Nashville Union, and
bearing date the 18th inst.
| The circumstances of my visit to Nash
vile are well known here. l declined re-
peated invitations to attend the Conven.
ton holden on the 18th inst, and finally
yielded to an unusual appeal, with which
was honored, and which it would be
difficult for any man to resist.
was called upon to address the Con-
vention. In what terms of respect, and,
Tor his military services, of praise, spoke
of the distinguished individual, who is the
occasion of this note, all who heard me
can testify, Among the subjects which |
discussed, was that of the degeneracy in
public virtue, and especially the delin-
quency and inidelity inpublic officers, of
which within the last few years we have
had such lamentable proof. In assigning
the causes for this deplorable state of
things, stated, as among them, the sub.
version of the rule laid down by Mr. JEFF
ferson, of honesty, capacity and fidelity
to the Constitution, and the substitution
for it of one founded on devotion and sub.
serviency, not to the country, but to the
chief of party. That persons appoint.
ed to Office, too often consider themselves
as being only put in possession of their le-
climate share of the spoils Of victory, in
stead of feeling bound by the obligations
of a sacred trust confded for the benefit
of the people. In respect to defaulters,
referred to the case of Mr. Livingstone, of
whose attainments as jurist, not more
consistent with truth than my feelings,
spoke in the highest terms. He was one
of the earliest and one Of the greatest of
defaulters. His case occurred under Mr.
Jeferson's administration. The records
both of the Executive and Judicial De-
partments established his default He re-
manned a defaulter about quarter of a
century if not more. How he finally Ii.
quidated the balance against him, and
when, l do not certainly know, but be-
lieve it was by property and under the
first term of Gen. Jackson. But when.
ever ard however it was, a tardy payment
or composition of the debt could not and
did not expunge the fact of his original
default.
In arguing from cause to effect, con-
tended that the appointment of Mr. Liv-
ingston was pernicious precedent. That
it was virtual proclamation to all who
were or might be defaulters, that their in.
fidelity, in public trust, constituted no
/ insuperable barrier to promotion to one
of the highest offices in the government.
did not attribute to Gen. Jackson a
knowledge of the default. went even so
far as to say that he might not have re-
flected upon the consequences of the ap.
pointment of an individual so situated.
must now say that until Gen. Jackson
otherwise asserts, am constrained to be.
lieve that he could not have been ignor-
ant of fact so conspicuous in the annals
of our country, as that Of the default of
Ed. Livingston, Esq, Attorney of the U.
States in the district of New York, dur.
ing the administration of Mr. Jefferson,
to the amount of about 100000.
| 1t was in this train of the same thought
and argument, that adduced the appoint
ment of Mr. Swartwout to the office of
Collector of the most important port in the
United States, as one Of the most impor-
tant and injurious examples. His parli.
cipation in the schemes of Col. Burr. was
a fact Of such universal notoriety, that
supposed, and yet suppose, that no man,
| the least conversant with the history of
the country, could be ignorant Of it. But
| it was not upon Gen. Jackson's knowl-
edge of that fact, it was upon the fact It,
self, that dwelt.
| 1t is now said that the appointment Of
Mr. Swartwout was recommended by the
citizens of New York. | knew nothing
of these recommendations. Whether they
were cause or effect-whether they were
gotten up to produce or to give color and
COVcI " VIC appointments, previously
| determined to be made--their secret
history only could disclose. The appoints
ment occasioned general surprise among
the friends and foes of the administration,
/ at the time, and the sequel demonstrates
how unwise it was.
! These topics of my address to the con-
vention Oh Monday last, have been select
ed by General Jackson for comment and
aninadyersion. He was not present on
the occasion. He has made no applica-
/ ton to me, for correct account Of what
] actually said; but has been content to
rely upon 'sbeing informed by whom,
/ with what motives, and with what OBJ
| jects, have no means Of conjecturing.
| Whether his informant may not have been
| some friend of Mr. Van Buren,, who, i'll
] the present desperate state Of his political
| fortunes, wishes TO bring the General in
/ to the field, and to turn the tide Of just in
dignation on the part of the people from
the Generals protege, the exhibition of