The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-10-02
~. ~ w. COMMUNICATES.
THE WHOLE TRUTH OR NOTHING.

THE WHOLE TRUTH OR NOTHING.
The letter of Mr. Ewing to the President presents
some truths and some untruhs, and keeps back por
tion Of the testimony This is apt to be the in
parte statements However disrcputable it is TO be-
tray private confidence in any Of the relations Of life,
it is still reprchensble to reveal the secret
ellis Of the Cabinet because each Secretary sworn
officer In addition, therefore, to the moral obliga
ton Of fidelity in the social relations there is, in this
case superadded official sanction Of a higher cha.
racter But in the violation Of this double obligation,
as between himself and the President, Mr. Ewing has
resored to the gnoble artice of revealing such por-
tons of these transactions happened to favor his
own views, and Of suppressing, Of slurring over,
such as would have an opposite tendency This con
clusion is derived partly from the letter itself, and
partly from the course known by his friends to have
been pursued BY the President. 72l ,.'" '.t~~.S''
The burden Of complaint with Mr.. Ewing is, that
the President did not communicate to him fully his in
tentions in regard to the Fiscal Agent. Now II is
known to the Presidents intimate personal friends
his wish TO his decision on the bill
question until should be presented for his approval
In this he but pursued the Of prudent Chief
Magistrate. Mr.. Ewing bese him for his opinions in
advance, and although he gave the Ex Secretary to
understand that the proposed scheme did not precisely
correspond with his views, yet Mr. E. was anxious to
have him committed Units favor. In question Of 50
much moment and OF so difficult solution, it was to
say the least stretch of decacy in the Secretary to
urge the President to premature declaration and
sequent committa In his great anxiety cooperate
with the Legislature and with the views and wishes
of his Cabinet the President appears have lent
willing ear to the members of the Cabinet and part-
cularly to Mr.. Ewing and Mr.. Webster. But
Mr. Ewing studiousy avoids stating that the Pres-
dent refused to commit himself in ADVANCE either for
or against the measure not knowing precisely what
shape it might assume, and DESTROYS to him
self all the time allowed him. by the Constitution to
decide the question for HIMSELF and his high res
possibility. In this he was perfectly justified, and
will be sustained by all candid men, who revere the
Constitution. Meanwhile Mr.. Ewing is chargeable
with having published but half of the truth " @,'.
II ia trte maxim Of ethics as well as of law, that
in all matters Of evidence il as culpabIe to suppress
the truth TO commit falsehood The truth the
Ohoie TRUTH and nothing but the truth" is required in
the common place administration Of oaths, and if
paper presented in Court it must all be read or no
part Of it. This ancient and universal rule of evidence
applies ofcourse to the Of Mr. Ewing for suppress
sing part the TRUTH and il renders his whole state
men unworthy Of credit In any court of justice it
would be ruled entirely out of the record unfair and
inadmissble He therefore stands in the predicament
Of one who attempted to betay the confidence Of ano
Their, but was not entitled to credit 5''E WV W"
In the laws Of Confucius no penalty was annexed
to paracide because not presumed that the crime
would ever be committed. Nor is there any law in
~ . 80 y . ..l -. +. -. Z. .5t
this country against revealing Cabinet secrets because
presume, it was never anticipated that any head of
department would be guilty Of such an outrage. By
the English law, it is treason for member of the
Privy Council to betray the confidence Of the Sove-
reign In this country not rigid, because the
public sentiment is universally against the offence.
How, then, can the ex-Secretary escape public
probation, frs for breach Of public and personal
trust and secondly, for attempting to himself
BY furnishing the public press with garbled and par
ta statements Of his intercourse with the President
VERMoNr.-The Montpelier Waterman Of Sept,
9th gives the results for Governor, far as heard
from, thus: 'oHa &sAl# %
b. Paine, Wing, "1# '' 20,9O6
}t Smile, Opposition, M .g.. 10, l62
b Hutchinson, Aboitionist, a.s 2, Sss "a
Scattering, Ike. SoI
LEGISLATURES sKNlroRs (complete)-2O Wings,
10 Opposition. ..... ....... .....ur
HoUsE-l3 Wings, IS Opposition, and one Abo-
lonist. Seven towns to be heard from, which last
year sent four Wings and three Van Buren, men,
{. n Col, nc Nav York has been committed for