Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1841-09-24
FOR THE ENQUIRER.

: :. That - the question on wuich tue Puo"S 49,
5,manded Long before The nomination oil Mr.
mem y,cs President OF the IT, S, he stood commit
W." hrs own recorded conceptions OF othcial du'y,
"u' - srsry departure from the Constitution ana
'''t.sly lies within the moral perception oil ou'u
:, cncstlon the wisdom of The reasons ne assign.
w. ,-.i when instructed To vote Tor TIE ineho'a"'e
Inn, il, resigned his seat in the Senate, ra'he, 'hun
fAPu"s '-,ho,,op 10 a measure which he believed
=, violation of the Constitution. ANA tne pony.
" ,ho denounce him now, extolied nun 'ien' io'
,pscientious scruples and manly course, IN as
n, The reasons why he could not execute the WISH
he Virginia Assembly. and expunSe resolution
!, the Senate, he sara - l 80
ms senate, the only oath which | took was to
~, The Constitution of tie United States; 10 sup
~ !, IN all IT'S provisions; to yield IL neitheF 10
,,rsuasion nor expediency. No matter what
~ obisct should its attainment confer upon me
rra,est possible advantage, still to remain anse,
US E.n,t 10 touch the forbidden fruit | entered
covenant with my Creator-to break when,
Md no, fa, to place within my bosom q FRO
.hsou yu,ure, TO tear and devour me. Inc ooiiga-
n them 10 obey instruction which calls upon me
" soak that command, cannot possibly exist.
Ia he unworthy the confidence OF all honoraoie
,n # | could be induced, under any circums'ances
,r,mm,, an act Of deliberate perjury.
And vet with knowledge of thus, the Cao'net re-
ND and audacously proclaimed that "the PRESIDENT
.-ss,ed The Bank bill on grounds hdring no origin "a
,hs LANGUAGE Of the resignation letter which MT
ror addressed to the President Of the u b ANA
s,,sIy there never emanated from puoic m'h's
-, any thing more harsh, unwarrantable ana untrue
IN ihe needless fury OF this lnsoent ADDRESS, 'it
Fyinr revealed the perseverng purpose VI .ie 'a'e
-, =, barrass the President to profit from the
i,rv official cares which an unexpected summons 10
smiuster the Government, at an eAtraorn'nafy ses
can OF Congress- had devolved upon HIM. ana, Almost
,be difficulties Of the crisis, to rum anu as9iace num-
j; they could neither intmldate nor persuade nun ~
.,nroye National Bank Without the semolahce OF
minority or the color Of truth, this impuden migrate
CHARGES the President with the habltua oasehess Oh re-
,,l,nu the secrets of the Cabinet and leaguns win
~ unnrincpled Editor TO abuse the councillors he mao
ss.c,ed to advise him. "Whe, says ne, I'VE were
sslouslv devotlng talents and influence TO serve
and 10 sustain you, the very secrets al our Saohe'
councils made their appearance in an infamous paper
,r,nt,d in neighboring city, the columns OF whch
were daily charged with tatery of yourself and foul
,huse of YOUR Cabinet And lie substantially AYERS,
that The President postponed the question o. Dunn
maj Lc might use his position to inJure the wings.
Now what rule of law, justice or morality, permits
Minister on the coinage OF his own BRAIN, to ascrlpe
10 the highest Magistrate Of the nation CRIMINAL mo-
ye for his conduct and under the false and monstrous
s.cripon to dictate the tone and manner IN winch that
MAGISTRATE shall execute the duties Of his trus But
more when without public ndg nation to reprove H.
jl anv Minister 90 into the Cabinet oil our Govern
en and under professions of friendship and brother
hood receive the confidential secrets OF the PRESIDENT
and basely beray them for party end we are to!o,
on The authority Of the dead President, that
Roman Consul taught the difference between the prac-
ice and professions of public men. And surely, no
mortal characters were better calculated to profit;
rom the lessons of the Consular teacher than the e.
deta Wings
=; President Madison he addressed the public, exactly
ate the fashion of Mr. Ewing, impugned the motives
Of le Government and related the differences OF OPT
mon tina, had prevailed at the council board The VA
tonal lnelligencer came forward and denounced the
address as shameful breach Of ote,at and persondt
reufieHee-as an underhand lnsidons recurrence 10
circumstances in which he cannot be chastised by con-
,radcon-the facts being known only to the party at
lacked whose official station forbids reply even Tor
the refutation Of calumny-as malignant and feeble
attempt pull down the and Constitution
which he was bound by every tie of honor and honesty
Ia support" In subsequent article, the Editors re-
,umed The subject, and bestowed upon the capr still
more caustc and protracted severity 81" is not posi-
be SAID ihey) that Robert Smith, or any other man,
however coarse and clumsy the texture OF ms m'no
mar be- should not perceive the shock that must be
gwen 10 public MORALS the stab into the vitas OF Exc
caye Government the violation of one OF the essen
M provisions of the Federal Constitution necessarily
lnvoyed IN the principle of publishing the secrets OF
the Cabinet. The question here, is not whether MS
statements are true false, do we inquire whether
.y are important or unmportant But can such state
r.n,s be made without crime Should they be made
b clerk in the same office of State It would be per-
iu.y-such clerks being under an oath OF secrecy,
BIT the head Of the department, the Secretary, whose
ys-y title sign es the depository of secrets supposed
i oe bound in honor. And civilized society went on
from is CONNIE nent, to the days of Robert Smith,
before that tie in exalted station was found to be
insufficient How precious is the advantage Of free
press how august the tribunal OF public opinion
Htsr crime that fines and haerS cU not reach, not
because /, is too small but because it is too great
Ia short the Editors, with un,eenting justice, whipped
tie fallen Minister naked through the world, and made
i'm the scorn Of men, and the derison of boys.
The nation will enquire what revolutions have dis
concerted The order Of public justice, that these Ed-
.'s should reverse their course sustain the cause tney
boldly repobated and set up fallen and degraded Sc
:f,ary the prop Of virtue to sinking cause: The
secret revealed The mystery is The Editors
1ss'p They are the faithful and obedent servants
Of The Federal Clique But the conduct OF the Secre-
t4'y hmself begets the most natural enquiries Has
te bankpap of Gallpols quite dried up: Or the land
oolat: scrip of the Revolutionary soldier become
scarce: Can no commissions TO the son, for the nego-
,a;ons Of public loans which the father authorised
s'sy Tor the family appetite Tor sord,d GAM
u the vate personal necessity for another ProtiI.
ae and reckless bank, paramount to all the obligations
the heart and the dictates of the understanding? The
import Of these questions the fallen Secretary OF The
Treasury can fully comprehend, but will not reveal
ieh may be safely asserted, that he has often De
ssged the Golfers Of the National Bank, stuffed his
a'sscious packets Win corrupt
and don5 on the treasured hordes prefgured the Po
ien'aty Of wealth beyond the dreams of avar'ce.-
Aad nothing but another institution of the Sort PAM
pr the ars!ocracy, 10 fatten knaves and demoraze
he land, can satisfy the infinite rapacity Of creature
%ho from kettle Of salt, and continually deals in
schemes which equally disgrace him, whether they
succeed or fail.
1t remarkable, in this extraordinary letter, Secre
tary Webster is avouched authority TO support the
charges against the President But all must perceive
HAT the President would not retain in the Government
sny man-howeyer renowned and serviceable-who
beng summoned to corroborate such charges, should
es,ate to brand them with signal reprobation What
ne foremost Minister of this Government retain hi.
Pare, and know such damnable charges to be true
Never With such cloud upon him, he would moi
ae conld and could not if he would retain his place
aad The very retention Of his place turns the ACCUSE
,oa into shame. But on this subject, Mr.. Webste
caves nothing to conjecture he lays his positive evi
Hence before The world Only two days after MIR. Ew
ing letter appeared Mr.. Webster-wilh that letter be
,n'e hun declared in his address to the Editors Of the
stional latclsencer that "he differed from the
tI>uel by lIs llta and n