Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1847-05-31

DsAk sk-Yoar letter. dated tho Is,b of Mach lsa7.
reached me, IN Pamphe, form. four OF Eve week. at
ter the date al which nproicsses have been
that is jus the Virginia election. were shoa =, ho mad.
and when was manesty impossible for me TO answer Il,
before they should be over had already seen the intro
dueoTy part unpublished in the Washington Inion-and
although the attention OF the people OF Vrgni, and espe
eiay OF my district, invited TO n in very eh,rae-
e eu"'a', dd not myself perceive any necessity for
atePv Inc remainder presents some statements which
| shall notice.
Entertaining for personally friendly and respectful
onu teStet mat II did not suit your convenience
give your address either earlier OF later circulation.
You would thereby have guarded yourself tho su-
pson OF seeking To connect these claims with the for
tunes OF political party thing which YOU would not
the lees eretualy have II il had been
able YOU to have adopted another medium Of corespou
| denee than the Union newspaper
That paper has seen ia to puhsh the speeeh Won
creze-not any other speech OF NINE on that OF any 9TH
suoJee-S Tact OF which have right much less any
usp"sno" 10 complain; but which refer, shelving
a' you nave preferred TO address your criticisms OF my
speech to class of readers who never have seem aud
who mover will see, the speech itself
apaTtzan OF Nh Folks administration might Tor obvious
Soe' inc organ OF that administration for ella
SION which his interest passion prompted him to make;
not e SINGULAR that "a disiRg Hshed member Of tAs
opposition should select tina paper or such purpose And
presume " Is iae entirely To the general public.
that the productions Of the same member OF
the oPPosuon are accustomed grace" the columns OF
the PRESIDENTS organ-a circumstance which tho worthy
editor has, TOT his reasons seen tit To reveal will
consider the revelation. made without any object OF deli
oeraon ON the part OF tho ingenious and sngcmnded cd
toftor cannot hun OF an enterprise 50 esaya-
giant as tho purpose ct lchiggins distinguished
member oi the opposition by OF the peeunsy inter
which that member counsel or assignee NAV have
| IN the subject ct Mexican Claims.
complain OF the time selected. your ow
account than on mine-ipr really should be pleased at
your individual prosperity IN all things.
The claims when the ground of their ow me
rus seemed 10 bass eguiVoca enough: but II
you shall have succeeded by accident OF design in shutting
them 10 another and different support, va To the merit-
and popularity ct MIR Polk administration more than
questionable whether You have rendered any service 10
your own interests those at your clients Nv speech
% which you complain. delivered IA the House of Re-
personalities the 22i dsy OF February lSI7and was
Published IN large numbers aud freely circulated well
by myself as others i've days thereafter Why
did you not answer 1t at once No M this county,
writes with more facility than YOU, and other
familiar with the subject Your letter me- dated the
10th day OF Mareh-and what Is still worse though we
have ITS introduction the second week OF ApT the
whole production does appear until Just go
inR into tho Virginia elections.
was a candidate, aud YOU knew that was And you
knew also, presume. that had opposition. both Wing
and Democratic Ought 1t not 10 have occurred you
an able and experienced lawyer that there something
unfair m the selection vi tina; precise Tor my
ragnmen' No man knows better than You do the dsad-
Nanlages At which placed me, understands more per-
iecty tue force with which your proceeding suggests
the TRUTH tina, sought strike blow which could not
be paired returned but inevitably 70 10 the fulfil
ment OF its
You hsvs supposed that was misled by another or
others, IN the matter ct the Mexican CLAIMS Suppose YOU
examine your condition. whether YOU have not
yourself been made instrument oi ~ this You
wrote with the object OF defeating my election OF you had
no such object cannot aud do believe that you Sc
riously desired NV defeat Your intimate know ledge OF my
course IN Congress intelligence. aud your position
distinguished member Of the Wing party make It mpos-
sibe you could have desired defeat. Then why was
such time selectod You will allow me- very respectful
y, but very frankly say that II obviously conces-
sion To otherS,o your clients who have less Judgment
than yourse-or possibly Ia other influences which they
consider It important conciale influences
which you well know ready profit by any nstrumen
talities that may offer themselves
never desired to be, be- the adversary of
these Mexican claimants NV reference TO the subject was
mere incident TO my speech ct the 22d OF February. 1
stated at the time that knew OF the partieshad no
feelings the matter but for hem-so far their claims
had any color oi justice honesy-egettci that the Pre-
sden had thrust this subject before the country las and
you perfectly well knew, for the purpose dverng
the public attention from the rsin OF the
Mexican war and IN fact sad in the speech itself" II
any harm come 10 these claimants from the policy Of the
Administrations which has placed them thus prominently
forward on this and exciting national question: let
them remember that the fault the fault "i the President
and ms advisers and OF them alone" lie commenced
this discussion. Without any necessity or propriety in
dong So he addressed TO the country, through Congress-
pages O las annual message the subject of these
CLAIMS and there hundreds aud thousands the
people OF this country, who veuly believe fighting
with Mexico To make her pay them, add that that is really
the cause OF the war"
RETAINED cautiously from any minute examination OF
the merits Of the claims, equitable and fair demands on
the Government of MeXico-notcing, and not even the
by name very few OF such gross enormty az u
shock the feelings OF every Just manand doing Their
for the purpose Of showing, that subject about
which deal might be said, both sides than with
the intention OF dseieiitng and denOuncng the whole
them.
My object, perfectly apparent Throughout, the speech
and 10 man more apparent than YOU 10 prove
that these claims the Of the war not of
character that could be rghtuy made on their ac-
COUNT, OF such character, still that the President had
right make Tor Them and that in point OF fact the
had been brought IN any degree for or ON
| account Of them.
You pleased persist in the idea that relied on
the Information Of person. msed me as TO the
facts. My facts are derived from the record | found
among the Executive documents for lSi- 49, the report
OF the mixed commission, printed by order Il Congress-
And IN describing the various claims use re yJ1fi sf
iifeTdfiH the language Of the commissioners themselves
You have ~ to assume, that spoke had made
careful examination OF all the evidence submitted to the
commandments proceed to argue you really sup
posed intended to make that impression. There no.
thing my speech 10 authorize tins assumption
When spoke of "ihe evidence before tho commission
en-" presumed that the pToben claims all allowed
That however improper allowances might have been made
ceuainy claims shown 20 BE good had been diS allow
ed. And therefore speak Of the the awards
being the authorised by the evidence Will you
undertake assert that any claim shown be good one
rejected by the commissioners You will do such
thing, my opinion But II you should, then beg that
you give the facts aud do yourself with the
that have not time have hsd
regard 90 certain item Of Mr.. Parrots claim. You
with great convenience Tor you seem 10 have
taken charge Of the whole subject, well the cases al
fesdy decided and IN which you have interest," those
uely the success with which you may prosecute them
Your argument almost entirely show that have ia-
len into errors the merits OF the decided BY the
comm lOners Was u for the sake Ut your clients that
you elaborate argument tlis branch OF the subject
thought Understood very d-nncty from you, that you
had e interest," IN that pauculor class OF II
right this impression, then would that you
syal yourself Of your with another and differ
class Of cases. thrust yourself between those
paites-snd hat your motiye tor this public attack was
you aver protect your clients but rather % do
IN
t,be service a. men IN pOwr by showing with how
ingenuity and ability, distinguished member o the oppO-
siuon. defend the ENecuuyo-and that q subject ~
regard 10 which he cetiiny lind other champion OF
apoogis', m the ranks Of the opposition. 80 Tar
informed unless u be other member, who may have
large contingent fees depending.
But II was wrong 10 tha impression-and you
oofnsd those then would ask for what practical
pufp,fo could you deem necessary make n
gumontl You understood questioning OBJ
legation OF Mexico, 10 p1y the awards inasmuch he had
become parry 20 the Arbitration Ny object 10 show
ihlt she had acted not only with justice, bat lberay, IN
c0nsentnR On such conditions u nfbratiOn-th1t far,