The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-09-14
THE LETTERS OF RESIGNATION.

sury and the Attorney General, resignng theif TO-
spective trusts, have been placed in our hands ior
publication - Nat. INTEL
WASHINGTON, September IL, 1871
| Sin: Circumstances have occurred in the course
Of your Administration and chiefly in the exercise by
you Of the Veto power which constrain me TO believe
that my longer continuance in office a member Of
your Cabinet will neither be agreeable TO you, useful
| 10 the country, honorable 10 myself.
Do me the justice, Mr.. President, TO believe that
this conclusion has been adopted neither caprciousiy,
in any spirit Of party feeling personal hostility,
but from Of duty which, mistaken though II
may be- is yet sincerely entertained, that cheer
fully sacrifice TO IT the advantages and distinctions Of
| office.
/ Be pleased, therefore, to accept this my resigna
ton of the office Of Attorney General of the United
| States.
| Very respectfully, yours, &c,
J. j. CRITTENDEN.
The PRESIDENT.
TREAsuRY DEPARTMENT, Sept. II, lsil.
Sin: After the most calm and careful consideration
and viewing the subject in all the aspects IN which II
presents itself my mind have come to the conclu-
sion that ought No longer to remain member OF
your Cabinet. therefore resign the office OF Secre
tary of the Treasury, and beg you TO accept TINS a.
| my letter of resignation.
do not consider difference of opinion as to the char
| ter of a National Bank a sufficient reason for dis
| solving the ties which have existed between us
Though look upon that measure as one OF vast I'M
portance the prosperity of the country, and though
| should have deeply depiored your inability OF IN,
willingness to accord to the wishes of the people and
the States, unequiyocaIly expressed through lhei
representative STILL upon this and this alone uncon
nected with other controlling circumstances, should
have felt bound to resign the place which hold
| in your Administration. But those controlling cir
cunstances do exist and will, in my own jus,fca-
! ton, place them in connection before you
Ii is but Just to you say that the bill which FIRST
passed the two Houses Of Congress and which was
returned with your objections the 10th of August
did never, in It's progress, far as know or believe
receive at any time either your express or implied as
sent SO far as that bill was known to me, or as
was consulted uon it, endeavored TO bring It's provi-
sions nearly possible in accordance with what
understood 10 be your views, and rather hoped than
expected your approval. knew the extent to which
you were committed on the question. knew the per-
tinacity with which you adhered TO your expressed
opinions, and dreaded from the first the most disas
trous consequences, when the project Of compromise
| which presented at an early day was rejected
II is equally matter of justice to you and to myself
say that the bill which reported TO the two Houses
of Congress at the commencement of the session, In
obedience 10 their call, was modified so as TO meet
your appreciation You may not, 1t Is true, have read
the bill throughout, and examined every part of II
but the 10th fundamental article which became the
contested question of principle, was freely discussed
4 between u.s. and it understood and unequlvocay
sanctioned by yourself The last clause in he bill,
also, which contained reservation of power in Con-
gress, inserted the 9th Of June, in your pre-
sence and with your APPRECIATION though you at one
time told me that, in giving your sanction TO the BILL
you would accompany il with an explanation of your
understanding Of that FIRST clause.
| In this condition ofthings, though greatly regret
ted your Veto the bill il passed the two Houses
of Congress, and though | foresaw the excitement
and agitation which it would produce among the PEI
pie, yet considering the changes which the bill had
undergone IN its passage, and its variance from the
! one you had agreed 10 sanction, could not find in
that act enough disturb the confden tal relations
| which existed between US. was disposed to atrl-
butte this act raught with mischief as it was, TO pure
and honorable motives and 10 conscientious convc-
ton your part that the bill OF its provisions,
confcted with the Constitution, But that opinion
of your the bill which has just been return
ed to Congress with your second Veto, do not and
cannot entertain. Recur to what has passed between
with respect to it, and you will at perceive that
such opinion is impossible
On the morning of the 10th Of August, called at
your chamber, and found you preparing the first Veto
message, to be despatched to the Senate. The Sc
cretary of War came in aso and you read portion
OF the message to u.s. he observed that, though the
Veto would create great sensation in Congress, yet
he thought the minds Of friends better prepared
for it than they days ago, and he hoped
would be calmly received especially II did not shut
out all hope of bank To this you replied, that you
really thought there ought to be tfculty about
that you had sufficiently indicated in your Veto
sage what kind of bank you would approve, and that
Congress might, if they saw fit, pass such one in
three days ts #N
The 18th being the day for our regular Cabinet
meeting, assembled all except Messrs. CRIrTEN-
DEN and GRANGER and you told US that you had had
long conversation with Messrs BERRlEN and SER
aEANT who protessed to in behalf OF the w higs
OF the two Houses 10 endeavor TO strike oul some
suIes which would be generally acceptable. That you
had your doubts about the property of conversing
with them yourself, and thought it proper that
you should commune with them through your consti-
i Hou eyp al he
whole subject should be posponed till the next session
OF Congress. You spoke of the delay in the Senate
| of the consideration of your Veto Message, and ex-
pressed anxiety as to the tone and temper which
| The debate would assume.
Mr.. BADGER said that inquiry he was happy TO
lind that the best temper prevailed in the two Houses
lie believed they We're perfectly ready to take up the
bill reported by the Secretary of the Treasury, and
pass 1t at once. You replied, Talk TO OF MIR.
EwNG's bill 1t contains that odious feature of local
discounts which have repudiated in nay message
then said TO you, have doubt sir that the House
having ascertained your views, will pass bill in
iorm,y TO them, provided they be satisfied that
would answer the purposes OF the Treasury, and
leve the country You then said, Cannot my Cabi-
net see that this is brought about gu stand by
me IN this emergency. Cannot you that bill
passes Congress such as can approve without incon
sistencyF declared again my belief that such hill
might be passed. And you then said to me, What
do you understand 10 he my opinion 2 State them
that may see that there is Misrepresentation about
them
then said that understood you to be of opinion
that Congress might charter bank in the District of
Columbia, giving IT It's location here To this you
scented. That they nigh authorize such bank to es-
ablsh offices of discount and depose the several
States, with the Of the States To this you
replied, Don't name diocounts they have been the
source OF The most abominable couuptons, and are
wholly unnecessary to enable the bank to discharge
its duties TO tho country and the Government
| observed in reply that / was proposing nothing
but simply endeavorng to state What had under
stood TO be your opinion to the powers which Con