The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1845-07-10

of the one addressed by Gen. Van Ness, oil
Washington, TO Mr.. Polk, relative 10 the resIgna-
ton of Collector Van Ness, OF New York II
was written and forwarded before the Collectors
final resignation:
To JAMES X. POLK, President of the United
States;
SR-lt is understood that you are about to re-
move from the Off &c of Collector OF the Port OF
New York, C. p. Van Ness, Esq. | beg leave
10 say a few words TO you on that subject. ms
shall be done in terms of respect; whilst boast
with a pride q trust not u~nbecoming, that have
a right to speak when | behold a serious menace
OF impending wrong TO one IN whose tate am
not without some personal interest, and In whose
ruin there is to be a violation, you will lind. not
only oil sound policy, hut also of The sacred prin-
ciples of both private and public justice. ior-
tunateIy need, and therefore ask, nothing Tor my
self; and you will bear me witness that L never
annoyed or troubled you in relation to appoint
menis, exception, perhaps, about h!teen minutes
in this one case. You then treated me patient
y and courteously, not saying any thing OF your
candor.
The Collector, it seems, is to be removed
This being, from the importance of the port, a
sub ject Of some distinction, and rather more than
ordinary public note, as is obvious from numer-l
Gus demonstrations, in various quarters. not Inn
tied by, or uscribuble to-, personal Partially,
there are anxious Inquiries for the reasons oil the
proposed step. Is there any defalcation In the
public ~funds?-any want OF talent, industry, or
efficiency in the management OF the public busl-i
ness?-any injustice or oppression to or upon
private individuals? In short, any m al-adminls-l
tration or off cial misconduct? To all those en-
quiries there is an universallynegatrve response.
| will not dwell on what other say but you say
yourself unreservedly, that he is an able and up
wright officer; that he discharges the arduous
duties of his trust without impeachment or cx-
ception; and that there is not q more efficient Tx
e%cutive agent under. the Recommendations
me for what may possibly be considered some
what aggressive. Now, sir, a functIonary OF
your high station, power, aud responsible lily, IN
this Government. is not to act without reason
You are the moral and political head OF 4 great
country. | need not tell you that, whilst it Is
your duty to promote its physical and political
improvement, you are equally responsible Tor lis
moral condition. The mass will be sound when
It's ingredients are SO. A community OF honest,
honorable, highminGed individuals, will be OF
the same character. Besides, the intellect foster
the feelings and principles OF honor in the one,
and you will elevate the character of the other,
and immortalize it on the rolls of history; and
moreover. you Will yourself. as the ruler, stand
before posterity in glorious association with II
But, sir, on the other hand, cherish and encour-
age the vIscious propensitles OF the unprlncipled
who can acquire distinction and success only by
the arts of detracllon from, and depression oil
superior merit; who surround you with their
clOaked weapons, most dangerous TO the most in
genuous and most no %norable; whose insidious
shafts, despatched in the dark, speed most surely
TO the destined and unguarded victim and you
are sure TO humiliate and mortify the good, hon
CRADLE and highmlnded. Elevate human fee
lings and you ennoble the human character and
multiply human blessings; Illuminate them, and
you sink your iellOw-men to degradation, vice
and misery. Discared aud repel, therefore, the
%wretches who surround you with their antiques
and Vaccinations against merited distinction.
and rest only on the firm perpendicular pillars
| OF exalted and ViriuOus ministers
Well, then, | repeat, what are the reasons for
This removal? Why, without adverting to insig-
nificant trifies and circumstances of a personal
character, and oil no weight, he Is, it is said, not
sufficiently popular in New York, whilst a little
contemplate press, and perhaps an expression
turtIve1y obtained from a collection of q few in
dlyiduais, intriguingly managed, resolve thai he
is not a genuine Democrat. (of their greedy
whilst at The same time the genuine Democracy
of the city and State testify to the contrary
The agitators are met and confronted on their
own ground, al their meetings, outvote d, routed
and defeated! The mercantile and business
community with one acclaim pronounce The
merit OF the collector! Still you say, as guardian
and coaaervator OF the public harmony, you are
bound to compose the existing agitation, assum-
ing that the removal OF u faithful and able ofic-
er. thus partially and iactiously sought, will
have the desired effect! 1t l mistake the case,
| wish to be corrected and admonished.
Well. then, again, SIR, here is a member OF the
true democratic stock OF American patriots III
is unnecessary to retrospect in detail. for how
ever honorable the inheritance may be when it
does occur, | am not an advocate Of the doctrine
of the natural and necessary lineal descent of
ancestral merIt,) who, not referring to his edu-
cation and professional pursuits in the State Of
New York, has, from his earliest manhood and
, entrance on the stage OF human action. been en-
ployed in the public service of his conntrv. who
after having removed from New York TO Yer.
mont, held with great reputation the responsi-
bic Office OF Collector OF that State during the
late war with Great Britain, when the border
n circumstances in the Canadian boundary raqion
Q were OF a crltlcsl character, both in a military
ana commercial view who was afterwards Chief
Justice oil that respectable State. and had. be-
sides, an important agency in dig its iuris-
prudential code; who was afterwards selected
as the Commissioners of the United States. un-
der treaty for establishing and then running the
" central lection OF the boundary line between us
and the Canadas-a service which the honored
Albert Gallatln told me himself had been per-
formed with 'corsummate ability as was fully
developed IN the diplomatic agency which that
y great man subsequently, conducted, on our part,
IN London, on that SUBJECT TASK that venera-
ri Die patriot himself, now standing with one foot
in his grave, in New York, whether | belle OF
misrepresent him was afterwards Gov
ernor OF that State, vermont. } and actually rev
olunonlZed II from a warm federal to a demo-
a cratic State; who was then appointed by the
4 immortal Jackson. Minister Plenipoten.iary tC
- Spain, where, among many other Important di-
he plomatic services 10 his own country. he opened
and led the way to the final recognition, by thu
y parent government at Madrid, an object of grea
nj interest to this country, OF the independence o
the Spanish American countries--a fact which,
10 in special h onor and compliment to him and hi
" country, is recited or referred TO by the Spanish
government in the solemn instruments of recog
nltion now on record in the archieves of the new
goVernment-Qnqulre, If you please, of you Min
lister in Mexico, and he can ascertain and in
firm wen OG tho Tant.N ,ubo L.. .;ooo boon ,,on