The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1846-05-01

der Mcleod" which are also called for by the
resolution, are herewith communicated
JAMES X. POLK. I
WAsHlNGToN April 30. lsiG.
10 the Senate, on the 22d ullimo, a res
olutlon offered a few days before by Mr..
Jarnngin, somewhat similar to the one Of +
fered by Mr.. Ingersol, being under con.
sideration,
Mr.. WEBSTER rose and said have a
few, and but few, remarks To make on
The PresIaent's message III answer TO the
resolution Of the House OF Representatives
calling for an account of the disbursements
during the period IN which had the hon
or TO be Secretary State, out of the fund
Tor the contingent expenses Of. foreign in
lercourse.
In the frs, place, sir, | am happy to say
that | entirely approve the course of pro-
ceedlng which the President has adopted.
La my judgment, he could not have acted
otherwise than he has done, without the
violation Of law and Of his own duty. Sir,
as know that not dollar was dsbursed
from that fund wlthou, the sanction Of the
President, mud as am conscious that eve.
~ disbursement was made for proper
and necessary public purpose, II might be
thought that | should desire the publca
ton OF the papers, IN order that every DO
dy might see what they are, or what they
show. But this is matter OF so little
concernment TO me (and presume it is
Of as little TO the Presldcnt) that | certain
ly would not wish 10 see an important
principle, and an important law, violated
and broken for any personal convenience in
that respcct. am not at all apprehensINe
that the country will suspect either Pres-
dent Tyler, or me, acting under his author
lty OF any thing improper 10 the dlsburse.
ment Of few hundred or few thousand
dollars, in a case IN which the law teposrs
confidence IA the President, and gives hIm
discretion as to making he expenditure
public.
Sir, President &c the United States, or
the head Of Department acting by his uu
thorlty, must think but poorly Of his own
reputation and standing wth The country Il
he is afraid Of being suspected Of having
violated his duty and his oath in a mater
of 50 little moment. viii odd, that
person who entertalns such a suspicion,
without reason, Of any public man, may
himself be well suspected OF having held a. no
very complimentary dialogue with himself
Sir, We all know that the head Of De
partmcnt cannot touch a dollar Of this fund
except with the President sanction. The
Whole power, and the whole responsibility
Is with tho President. The Presidents
message states this SO fully and clearly that
| ueed not dwell upon Il. will say, in
the first place, that no expenditure, impro
per in It's amount, was made to my knowl.
edge, judgment, or belief And will say,
m the mex, pIacc, that the late President of
the United States, in all things respecting
the expenditure of the public moneys, was
remarkably cautious, exact, and particular.
And here say, sir, that al! declarations,
averments, statements, or lnsnuauons,
made any where, or by any body, which
lmpute perversion, application, or waste
of the public funds, committed or made by
me while Secretary of State, are utterly
groundless and untrue. And | will con.
cude with one remark, the bearing of
which | shall leave to the Senate and to
the country.
" hoover charges me with having eth.
er misapplled or wasted the public funds,
while IN the Department Of State, has eth.
er seen the papers, or has, in some other
way, obtained knowledge on the subject,
or he has not. II he has seen no papers,
and has no knowledge, then his imputn-
tons are purely wanton and sIanderous.-
Ii he has seen the papers, or has any knowl-
edge, then he would be sure to state what
be knows, if he knows any thing to sustain
hun in his charge. Silence, under such
circumstances, is conclusive that he knows
nothing; because he is under no obligation
Of secresy, and in absence of all other
proof, he would Of course tell all he knew,
If he knew any thing which could, in the
slightest degree, bear him out The charge
therefore, was either made in utter igno-
norance Of any facts to support II, or else
with the know ledge that the facts which
do exist would, if made known, entirely
dlspTove IT, As to the source Of this mis-
cradle vItuperation, | have nothing TO say.
| am afraid | shall be thought 10 have paid
too much attention to 1t already. SIR,
leave the author Of these ISLANDERS where
he isl cave him in the worst company |
know of in the world leave him with
himself,
--ees---
TIE OREGON QUESTION.