The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1845-07-10
From Gen. Jackson 10 MAJOR Lewis.
HERMITAGE, April 10, 1916.

1iEAAN Eo1,x tpfi AO5 lO1Os -
MY DEAR Major: Yours OF the 3Ist, and
postscript of the Isl instant, are Just received
and the information therein contained, ssThat
President Polkconsulted with me on the sub
iect of your removal from Office, and that
this step was taken with my knowledge and
CONSENT - is positively false and not even the
shadow ola shade of truth TO supportit. The
first notice | had that you WERE REaovED or
would be, was from a confidential leftei.written
by President P. 10 his friend in Nashville,
which was shown 10 me on the 18th inst, by
directions OF Col. Polk, with a long list Of
grievances against you for years, AID of the
danger ofthe position you were in--shat he
was aware of my friendship for yoa, and
that your dismissal would be unpleasant to
me &c. This, on the 4th instant, was the
first intimation | ever had that Col. P. design
ed to dismiss you from office. In my con-
6dential letter TO him of April ON another
subject on which | had been wiring, | took
occasion 10 refer to the subject of your dis
missal. Iassured the Colonel that in one
case his fears were groundless, and in them
the great injustice he had done you to my
own knowledge--that you were too much of
a p%atrio- TO do ian INJURY or suffer your own
country 10 be injured by a foreign Govern
ment by either Withholding information that
might be beneficial, or imparting it to the for
eign power. That my relations OF friendship
with you were of the greatest intimacy and
confdence-that l was sincerely your friend
but that my friendship for officers OF the
Government should not interfere With his
dismissal of those who were obnoxious 10
him or in whom he had no confidence. 1t APP
pears from your letter that he had commits
), stoned Gen. McCalla on the 3lst of March
10 take charge of your office on the first Of
April. His confidential letter was shown
/, me on the 4th inst, four days after your re-
I moval. My dear Major, | regret your re-
r moval as well as the manner oft. / did sup
pose that the magnanimily Of Col. P. would
prevent him from the removal Of any officer
e without giving him notice thereoE-that the
officer might make arrangements 10 hand the
office over to his successor. You know, Ma
ior, that | neither beg for myself or frie nds,
and i'll had been in the habit. it was too late
--you were removed. My dear Major, am
J, vesy sick and my disease has assumed a drop.
= sicaltype, and how soon il may end my days,
none but my God can determine. Nothing
! but the request in your letter and justice
due to myself and you could have induced
me TO make the atsemps 10 wife this
} letter, II a kind Providence will permit me
: TO shake you once more by the hand at the
:, Hermitage, | will be grately thankful as well
as all its inmates Here all are your friends
. and will greet you as such always, and all
: Join me in kindest saluiaIions.
You sincere friend
d ANDREW JACKSON.
Maj. w. B LEWIS, Washington, d. C.
On This letter tie Nashville Wing makes
IS ahe following remarks:
IS From this letter, ii is manifest that Major
Lewis's removal was made without General
10 Jackson's "hlowledge or CONSENT and that
he deeply regretted il, and the. manner of i,
e particularIy,a Jas not COMFORTING with true mag
ID nanimity' on the part of Mr.. Polk.
II is further apparent, that Mr. Polk, aware,
as he says he was, of Gen. Jackson's sfriend-
ship for Maj. Lewis, and that bis dismissal
II would be unpleasant TO the General, did
b not deign 10 consult the latter at all about the
: matter. lie merely despatched a letter TO a
IN friend in Nashville, containing a long list of
oy alleged grievances against MAJ. Lewis "for
he years, . with 4 request that the letter might
!: be shown TO the General; and before the let
he ter could possibly reach its destination, pro-
ceeded slImmarily and unceremoniously 10
x eject the Generals ancient friend from of
fee. As truly remarked by General jack
son, the deed was done before he had the
slightest intimaiion that it was intended.-
Major LewIs's removal took place on the 3lst
of March, and was undoubtedly and neces-
sarily determined upon some days before,
while MIR. Folks letter was shown to the
General on the 4ih April. On that very day,
however, Gen. Jackson-ignorant that The
" removal had actually been made-while wri-
ting 10 MIR. Polk on another subject, took oc-
is, casion 10 vindicate Major Lewis from a foul
N aspersion contained in Mr.. Folks letter 10
his friend in Nashville-the only one, it is
: evident, that he thought worthy of notice
out of the 'long list'' which Mr.. Polk in ibis
ly private ray was casting upon Major l.. To
( his ovn knopledge Mr.. Polk had done Ma
: jor Lewis great injustice, in supposing him
capable of betraying the interests ofhis coun-
ID try TO a foreign Government, beca use The.
ST Minister oil that Government had CHANGED 10
marry a member of his family. Mr.. Folks
&c fears on that point, the General assured him,
were altogether "groundless." AS Gen.
81 Jackson had continued Major Lewis in Of
ry fee and given to him his un5ounded conf
10 dence after the connection by marriage OF a
r near relative of the latter with The French.
Minister took place, MIR. Folks imputaiion
a. on the integrity and patriotism of Major L.,
Id in consequence OF that connection, was an
imputation upon Gen. Jackson's vigilance,
-