Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1845-07-10
LETTER OF GENERAL VAN NESS.
President Polls Dupictts.

lation, letter, the original OF which he address
ed very recently to Mr.. Polk, in which he char.
ges upon the PRESIDENT sundry omissions and
commissions. generally deemed not to be includ-
cd in the qualifications tina, distinguish gentle
man. The moving cause of the displeasure Of
the General with the President, is said to be the
removal OF his brother, Cornelius p. Van Ness |
from the New York Collectorshp, after repeated
pledges from the President and the members of
his Cabinet, that such removal was not contem-
plated and should not be made.
twill be remembered with what an edifying de-
gree Of harmony and mutual confidence, according
TO the Union, Mr.. Van Ness and the administration
separated.
Here is the letter which speaks for itself, il
may not prove uninteresting to such as are dis
posed 10 call MIR. Polk an independent President.
He has certainly shown himself i'm this case, i'll
in none others, to be the tool Of party clique:
To James X. PoA, President of he u States.
Slr,--t is understood tina, you about to re-
move from the office Of Collector of the Port of
New York, q. p. Van Ness, Esq.-I beg leave
70 say lew words to you on tina, subject. This
shall be cone In terms of respect; whilst boast
with pride trust not unbecoming, that l have
aTight to speak when behold serious menace
ol Impending wrong to one in whose fate am
not without some personal interest, and in whose
ruin there is to be violation, you will find no,
only of sound policy, but also Of the sacred prin.
ciPles Of both private and public justice. l for
tunately need and therefore ask nothing for my
self; and you will bear me witness that have
never annoyed or troubled you in relation to APP.
polntments, except for perhaps about fifteen min
utes in this one case. You then treated me pa
tenty and courteously, not saying any thing Of
your candor.
Now, sir, a functionary Of your high station,
power, and responsibility, in this Government,
is not to act without reason. You are the moral
and political head of a great country. l need not
tell you that, whilst it is your duty to promote
Its phys and political improvement, YOU are
equally responsible Tor its moral condition. The
mass will be sound when its ingredients are SO.
A community of honest, honorable, high-minded
individuals, will be of the same character. Be-
sides the intellect, foster the feelings and princ-
pies 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 posterty in glorious as
ISOLATION with it. But, sir, on the other hand,
cherish and encourage the vicious propensiiies Of
the unprincpled, who can acquire distinction and
success only by the arts of deracton from, and
depression OF, superior merit; who surround you
with their cloaked weapons, most dangerous TO
the most ingenious and most honorable; whose
Insidious shafts, despatched in the dark, speed
most surely to the destined and unguarded vic.
tim; and you are sure to humiliate and mor;ify
the good, honorable, and high-minded. Elevate
human feelings, and you ennoble the human cha
racter and multiply human blessings humilate
them, and you sink your fellow-mcn to degrade
ton, vice and misery. Discard and repel, there
lore, the wretches who surround you with their
intrigues and Vaccinations against merited dis.
tlncilop, and rest only the firm perpendicular
pillars of exalted and virtuous ministers.
The Collector, ii seems, is TO be removed.
This being, from the importance of the port
subject oil some distinction, and rather more than
ordinary public note, as is obvious from numerous
demonstrations in various quarters not limited by,
or ascEbable TO personal parlaliy, there are anX-
ious inquiries for the reasons of the proposed
step.-ls there any defalcaton in the public
funds Amy want of talent, industry, or eficien-
cy in the management of the public business q
any injustice or oppression to or upon private in
dlviduals! In short, any ma-administraton or
official misconduct? TO ali these inquiries there
IS a universally negative response. | will not
dwell on what others say but you say yourself,
unreservedly, that he is able and upright off,
Ger; that he discharges the arduous duties of his
trust without impeachment or exception; and that
there is not more efficient Executive agent un-
der the Government. Excuse me for what may
possibly be considered somewhat aggressive.
Well, then, repeat, what are the reasons for
this removal! Why, without adverting TO in
significant triles, and circumstances of a person.
al character, and of no weight, he is, it is said
not sufficiently popular in New York, whilst a
little contemplate press, and perhaps an express
sion furtively obtained from collection of few
individuals, ntriguiDgly managed, resolve that
he is not genuine Democrat, (of their creed, }
whilst at the same time the genuine Democracy
of the city and State testify to the contrary. The
agitators met and confronted on their own
ground, at their meetings, outvoted, routed, and
defeated The mercantile and business COM
mnnity with one acclaim pronounce the merit of
the collector !-Suli, you say, as guardian and
conservator of the public harmony, you are bound
to compose the existing agitation, assuming that
the removal of faithful and able officer, thus
partially and factiously sought, will have the de-
sired effect If | mistake the case, wish to be
corrected and admonished.
Well, then, again, sir; here is member of
the tue Democratic stock of American patriots
Ut is unnecessary to retrospect in detail, for,
however honorable the Inheritance may be when
il does occur, | am not an advocate of the doc
trine OF the natural and necessary ineal descent
OF ancestral merit,) who, not referring to his ed
ucaion and professional pursuits in the State Of
New YORK, has from his earliest manhood and
entrance on the stage of human action, been EN-
pioyed in the public service of his country who,
after having removed from New York 10 YER
mont, held with great reputation the responsible
Office of Collector Of that State during the late
war with Great Britain, when the border circum-
stances in the Canadian boundary region were OF
a critical character, both in military and COM
mercial view /; who was afterwards chief Justice
Of that respectable State, and had, besides, an
important agency IN digesting its jurisprudential
code; who was afterwards selected as the Com
missioner of the United States, under treaty for
establishing and then running the central section
of the boundary line between us and the Cana
das--a service which the honored Albert Gallatn
told me himself had been performed with soon
summate ability" as was fully developed in the
diplomatic agency which that great man suisse
uuently conducted, our part, in London on
that subject TASK that venerable patriot him