Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1841-09-23
MR.. BADGERS LETTER.
From he Notionat JateNieencfr.

rom me 1s1ttoaot JRteNsRfNSff.
Msssks CALLS & Sfarok.--I deem !, proPes
70 offer public explanation Of some of the reasons
which led TO my resignation, on the lsh Instant,
Of the Office Of Secretary Of the Navy, and for that
purpose, ask small space in the National lntelii-
gsHcer.
AT the Cabinet meeting held on the l3'h q Az
gust last (the Attorney General and the Postmaster
General being abseni,) the subject OF an Exchange
Bank, or institution, was brought forward BY tho
President himself and was tally considered. into
the particulars Of what passed do propose Bow
70 enter II will be sufficient say that il was
then distinctly statedBnd understood thar such an
institution met the appreciation of the President
and was deemed by bin fee of constitutional Oh.
iec.ions that he desired (f Congress should deem
it necessary 20 act upon the subject during the
sion) that such institution should be adopted b,
that body, end that the members Of his Cabinet
should aid in bringing about that result, and
Messfs. Webster and Ewing were especially re-
quested by the President tn have communication.
upon the subject with certain men.b OF Congress-.
The Institution then spoken OF was 10 be located in
the District Of Columbia; TO be authoriz a 10 es-
inblish agencies in the States and Territories with
power to deal in bills Of exchange between the
Uaited States and foreign countries, and IL bills Of
exchange drawn 10 one State or Territory aud pay
able in another State or Territory and the sxef-
else Of ibis COVER TO depend on any assent,
expressed OF implied Of the States within which
such agencies might be established.
In Consequence OF what passed at this meeting,
saw such friends in Congress as deemed 1t prop
er 10 approach and urged upon them lhe passage
Of bill to establish such institution, assuring
them that did doubt it would receive the ap
prob alton Of tile President
The bill was passed, as the Public know, and
met by the Veto. Now, il the President, after
the meeting Of the l9th August, had changed his
mird As to the constitutional power d Congress,
aud bad come to doubt Or deny what he admitted
in that meeting, (Which is tie most favorable in
depreciation that can be put upon his conduct,) il
was, in my opinion, plain duty on.his part have
made known to the gentlemen concerned this
change Of scntiment-to have Offered hem apol-
3gy for the unpleasant situation IN which they
placed by hts agency-or, at least, to have sOiened,
by a full explanation OF his motives, his intended
Veto Of measure, in promoting the success Of
which they, at his request, had rendered their
sistance But this the President did not do. Me-
yer, from the moment of my leaving his house
he 18Th, did be open his lips TO me the SUBJECT
[, was only from te newspapers. from iumor, from
heresay, learned that he had denied the consttu-
pnality Of the proposed institute ion, and had made
the most solemn asseveratious that be would never
approve a measure which knew suggested by
himself, and which had been, at his instance,
introduced into Congress IL was still in the Pre-
sideuts power, by proper statement in the mes
sage containing his objections to the bill to have
supplied these omissions, and in some degree al
least to have repaired his former neglect; but when
that paper GANG to be read, it found that
far from saying frankly that he once favored ard
had heen willing to sanction the bill, but had been
led (if such was the fact) by subsequent reflection
to adopt different views upon the subject he treat
cd the measure evidently Inconsistent with
his previously expressed opinions, and which it
| ought not TO have been supposed for moment he
could approve,
Whether This conduc, Of the President is susccp-
tible Of Just defence reasonable IL is
cessary now 10 inquire. have not beard, can
imagine any gtound for either. Whether an ex-
PLANTATION of it has been offered u any of the
gentlemen concerned know not, but none was any
time offered to me and while forbear make
the remarks, Obvious and painful as they are which
the transaction suggests, declare the conviction
that this conduct OF the President standing with
out known defence excuse, or explanation, consti-
! tutrd (if no other reasons had exisred) ample
ground for withdrawal from his Cabinet without
delay.
|, is scarcely necessary to say that have not
supposed, and do not suppose, that d ference
merely between the President and his Cabinet
either as to the constutionality or the expedency
ui bank, necessarily interposes any obstacles to
full aud cordial co operation between thcm in the
/ general conduct Of his Administration and there
fore deeply regretted the of the first bill
did feel myself at liberty retire that
count from my situation. But the facts attending
the initiation and disapprova Of the last bill isa,le
totally different from that-oue il is believed
without puIallel in the history of our Cabinets /;
presenting. to say nothing more, measure em-
braccd and tho epudiated--tli"ris prompted and
then dlsowned-services rendered and then treated
with scorn OF neglect. Such reqnir' i, in
my judgment, upon eonslt raiions, private end
public, that The official relations subsistng between
the President and myself should be Einedatsy
dissolved.
GEO. T.. BADGER.
WAsuISGToS, Sept. IS, IL.