Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1841-10-04
POLITICAL.
From HE .Mndisoninn,


THE LETTERS OF RESIGNATION.
We have copied from the lneligencer the let
teis Of Messrs. Crittenden and Ewing. That Of the
former is in good taste, and characteristic of
heightened and honorable gentleman. The let
ter of Mr. Ewing is of very different order;
being second edition to Capt. Bolts.
Mr.. Ewing, in our opinion, has, for himself,
comited at least two fatal errors. First, by resign
ing his office, and, second, by writing and pub
fishing an attack upon the President divuging the
confidential councils Of the Cabinet. The fret
evincesa lack ofjudgment and good sense, and
the second misconception Of or n want OF those
honorable principles which ought TO characterize
the conduct of gentlemen in such high and deli
cate confidential relations. We have not seen nor
do we believe there exists any sufficient reason
for the resignation OF any member oil the Cabinet.
The conduct ofreIring members seems to us to
be based upon erroneous views OF their official CHAR
acters and relations. From the tenor OF MIR. Ew-
ing's letter, one would think he withdrew because
he could not control the President, or because
the President had not in one thing acted in n man.
ner agreeable 10 them. Such n view places them
wholly in the wrong. They had no right to sup
pose that the President should consult them as to
the propriety of his own conduct, any fnriherlhan
he chose. And therefore it is perfectly ridiculous
and absurd for Mr.. Ewing TO affect TO he person
ally insued because the President did not show
him his Veto Message. 1t great pity that Mr.
Ewing had not studied aud better understood his
own official rights and duties and those ofhe Pres
ident.
The PRONUNCIATION in the public press of Cabi-
net secrets, by retiring Secretary, is unIusttiable
and all but Unprecedented He who does it,
proves by the act that he was unworthy TO sit al
the Cabinet board. Ii is of itself sufficient to
throw the whole statement into dscredlt. 1t is
an unfair advantage taken ofthe President, which
cannot but involve its author in no small share Of
disgrace. We know not the merits the oppo'
site side, the public cannot know them, for the
reason that the President of the nation cannot
conGescsnd to enter the list Of personal coniro-
versy with an individual instrument of faction.
Mr. Ewing knew this. He seems to have kept
daily record of his conversations, perhaps antic-
pa,ng, it not premedtating, their possible use for
himself or some iavourite in All electloneerlng
campaign, for which, unfortunately, too many
persons seem to have been preparing.
There is but one example, that we know OF IN
the history of the Government, OF retiring Sec
rotary, who has undertaken TO nssail and rerl'e
the President by means of the publication OF the
confidential conversation and acts which had pass
ed between him and the President. In The year
1911, Robert Smith, then Secretary Of State under
Mr. Madison, pursued that course. lie issued an
elaborate adress to the public detailing the causes
Indifference between himself and Mr.. Madison,
which had grown up in their official private inter
course and there is much analogy between some
of his grouds of complaint aud those OF MIR. Ew-
ing. The whole country cried out against the
gross breach of official decoruin, the violation OF
the sacred confidence, which the highest interests
the Government require TO exist in The bosom
of the Cabinet. 1t was seen that II such mode
of attack on the President, mo matter what its
meritsl were tolerated, there would be an eid 10
that free and unrestained intercourse in the Cab
met, without which the public business could not
go on. II was thing beyond all personal, one a
boye all party consideration. Ii was seen TO he an
act not only fatal to to the proper conduct OF the
business of The country, but dishonorabe
and ungentemanly to the last degree. Accord
ingy the effect of this act OF Mr.. Smith was, that
he fell TO the ground, dead in public reputation
and missed at once from the eyes OF men, or re-
NAMED only like stranded wreck on the beach, Il
beacon and warning to all Cabinet Ministers new
er 10 allow their personal resentnents or purposes
of party warfare, to beray them INTO the violation
of The sacred confidence OF The Cabinet Mr.
Madison taking no notice OF Mr.. SnIh pnbilca
ton, allowed il and him to sink INTO despsed OH
security. Regardless of tins great lesson, unIDn1-
full of the obvious dictates of common honor, Mr.
Ewing has undertak III 10 lIit the veil from ibt
most confidential proceedings ot The CaDluet O
which he was late a member.
Tie whole letter Of NlrEwing proceeds upon the
assumption that the president had deceived nun
that he made promises in relation 10 the Bank BiI
which he refused 10 perforin. MIR. Ewing LAYS t'
establish this, his principal assumption. He II
OBLIGED 10 resort to hearsay testimony, and his owl
infcrences and these last especially those he con
meets with the effect OF h.r. Bolts letter, wer'
gratutous Ii was unbecOming, 10 say the least
| in Mr.. Ewing TO wander thus out of his own rec
ord in search ofmeans to render his hostility more
| effective than his own facts wonld warrant. bu
so far from establishing his assumption, he clear
| ly shows, by the repeated conversations OF IN
! President, that the President never encouraged
his Cabinet to expect that he would approve
bill recognizing the ''odious feature Of local dis
connts,"in any form or disguise. The letter is
therefore, failure in its chief purpose.
In conclusion, Mr.. Ewing adopts languae
which is plainly intended for other purposes thai
properly belongs to Justification for abandoning HI
| Department. 1t is intended for popular effect
mere clap-trap, which, as it is meant for the corn
try, we are content shall be Judged by that lril''
nal.
When the rage of party resentment shall hav
time to cool, there will be but one sentiment con
corning Mr.. Ewing's couduct in the couatry, tina
of unnitigated Reproduction. The Administrator
will lose nothing by such arcs gnaIion-lhe Pres
ident will have nothing to fear from such Attacks
MIR. BADGERS LETTER.
4 Messrs. Gales S. SealoI 81 deem il proper I
offer public explanation of some of the reason
"A Tho