Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-09-17
FF'W THt .NUHIfEHIHT.I .
TIE LETTERS OF RESIGNATION

ents, and were strictly limited 10 the maintenance Of
the functions which belonged 10 the Government OF
the mon.
From ne .Nadsoniar)
TIE LETTERS or RESIGNATION.
We have copied from The Intellrgencer the letters OF
Messrs Cri.,enden and Ewing Tha, Of The former Is
in good taste aad Characteristic Of heightened and
honorable gentleman. The letter Of MIR. Ewing IS OF
very different order; being second edition Of Capt.
Bolts.
sir Ewing in our opinion, has, for himself, commit
ted fatal FIRST, By resgnin5 ms o.
fec and second, by writing and publishing an attack
upon the President d;rugiag the confidential councils
of the Cabinet The first eylnces lack OF Judgment
and good sense, and the SECOND 4 misconceptoh OF
or want OF these honorable principles which ought
10 characterize tie conduct Of gentlemen in such high
and delicate confidential relations. We have not yet
SEEN ncr do believe there exists my sufficient rea-
tor the resignation ut any member OF the Cabinet
The conduct Of the retiring members seems 10 us 10
lie based upon views Of TIER Official carac-
ters and relations From the tenor ot Mr.. Ewing ;
letter, one would think that they Withdrew because
they could not control the President, or because the
Presden, had not IN one thing acted IN manner agree
able 10 them. Such yleS places them wholly III the
wrong They had right to suppose that the Prcsl-
dent should consult them The pr"pricy Of his own
conduct any farther than he chose And therefore, II
is pc rfecily ridiculous and absurd for Mr. Ewing 10 at
feet to bc personally insuted because the President did
not show him his Veto Message. IL is great pity
that Mr. Ewing had not studied and betrr understood
his own official rights and duties, well those Of
the President.
The PRONUNCIATION in the public press Of Cabinet So
crels by retiring Secretary, is nnusiifable and all
but unprecedented. He who does proves by the act
that he unworthy To SIT al the Cabinet board IL
is Of itself sufficient 10 throw the whole statement into
discred II is unfair advantage taken of the Pre-
sident; which cannot but involve lis author in small
snare Of disgrace. We know not the merits of the op
posite SIDE and the public cannot know them, for the
that the President of lie nation cannot conde-
scen TO enter the lists Of personal controversy with
ar individual instrument Of faction. Mr. Ewing
knew this lie seems 10 have kept daily record OF
his conversations, perhaps anticipating, not premedi
,aing their possible for himself iagorr in
an cl,c;ioEcerng campaign, for which, unfortunately
too ,manv persons to have been preparing
There is bu, example, that We know Of in the
history Of the Government Of retiring Secretary,
who has undertaken IT, assal and eyi'e The PRESIDENT
by means Of The publication Of the confidential
versltons and winch had passed between him md
the President In the year lcll, Robert Smith, then
Secretary Of State under Mir Madison, pursued that
course lie issued elaborate address 10 the pub
lie, detailing Inc Of difference between him.
self and Mr.. Madison, which had grown up in Their
official private intercourse; and there much
logy between scmc Of his grounds oil plant and
those Of Mr. Ewing The whole country cred out
against the gross breach of official dccorum, the vo.
laiion OF :se sacred confidence. which the highest
interests Of the Government reGu,f. 10 exist IN the
bosom Of the Cabinet. II seen that il such q
nude Of attack the President, (no matter what its
merIts) were tolerated. there would be an end Of
that free and unrestraned intercourse in the Ca
binet, without which tie public business could not
60 it WAS a thing beyond al personal, and above
all party consideration 1T 10 be act,
only fatal to the proper conduct of the business OF the
country, but dishonorahc and ungentemaEly To the
last degree Accordingly the effect of this act Of Mr.
Smith vas that lie fell to the ground, dead in public
reputation, ami passed at from tie eyes of men, or
remained only like a stranded wreck the beach, 4
beacon and warning I'll Cabinet Ministers never 10
allow their personal rssenens purposes Of party
warfare, 10 betTay them into The violation Of the RED
confidence of the Cabinet. MIR. Madison taking no no
tce of Mr. Smith publication, allowed il and him 10
sink into despsed obscnrity. Regardless Of this great
lesson, unmndiul OF the obvious dictates of common
honor Dir. Ewing has undertaken 10 lift he veil o
the most confidential proceedings of the Cabinet Of
which he late member.
The whole letter OF Mr. Ewing proceeds upon The
assumption that the President had deceived him
that he made promises IN relation TO the Bank bill
which he refused to perform. Mr. Ewing fails 10 es.
tahsh this, his principal assumption. lie is obliged
to resort to hearsay testimony, and to his own infer.
ences, and these last, especially those lie connects with
the effect of Mr. Bolts letter. sralulous Il was
vnbecomipg, say the least, in MIR Ewing 10 wander
thus Of his record in search Of means 10 rem.
der his hostility more effective than L;s own facts
would warrant But far from establishing his a.
SUMPTION he clearly shows by the repeated conversa
tons Of the President that the President neyer encon
ragged his Cabinet 10 expect that he would approve
bill recognizing the odous feature Of local discounts
in any form disguise. The letter therefore is a
failure in It's chief purpose.
In his conclusion, Mr. Ewing adopts language which
is plainly intended for other purposes than properly be
long to justification for abandoning his Department
1t IS intended for popular efect-mere clap-t-ap which
as It meant for the country, content shall be
Judged by that tribunal.
when the rage of party resentment shall have time
In COOL there will be but sentiment, concerning Mr
Ewing conduct in the counry--ihat of unmiiigatec
appreciation. The Administration will lose nothing b,
such res'gnation-the President will have nothing Il
fear from such attacks
ff-cn the -Nc.iorsi I7iiicer6e-.J
LETTERS OF RESIGNATION.
The following Letters Of the Secretary of the Trea
suFy and the Attorney General resgning their respec
I've trusts, have been placed in hands for pubca
! ton