Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1849-07-24


NJ any rule of Cabinet sccic:s, 10 say 'ns Aoni'
n;s,r,,;on was unanimous or divided l. IS cuh,
s,,rtlv said in reference 10 their meeuh2i "n"
No, no wnph have you believe thai il would nave
Incn = breach Of confidence in Mr. Monroe, "a
wr;,;ry confidential Letter 10 friend VI hisn
standing, 10 say that his Cabinet were unah't
NOUS; and especially as the question was one -
co.slitu.oualhy and no; OF policy. Wha' ''e",-
her OF any Cabinet would be so base anu COW.
ardy as 10 desire 10 conceal his opinion oa a;a
constitutional question: Who, accordingly, ga
nc, kaow al The time, that The opinion OIL The "a
bnel of Genera! Washington was DIVIDED % .le
question Of charlerins Bank, and wna' sue
every member Took Colonel Bentons expidna.
ton is destitute of even pausioiii'y, anu l1ase,
The draft 10 sceas for itself, as il staucs-anu 'la'
clearly is against The Cabinet being unanimous
The diary Of Mr. Adams furnishes lHe 'AlJ W
posing evidence Now, / hold Ii 10 DC so.no
rule, that diary is no evidence CT lde IL
any one, but be who keeps II. Inc oPpos"e ~
would place the character Oh every Ma" :. 49,.
mercy OF whoever keeps diary is MOI my
ohect 10 call in question The vcracily OF Mr.
Adams but he was man of strong preJudites,
hasly temper, and much disposed 10 view tn'hSs
as he desired. From his temperament, ne wouia
he liable 10 notice aud mark what Tell Witnin MS
own views, and 10 pass unnolced wnai uid my,
venture lille in saying, that if his diary should
be published during the lifetime Of those VINO
were On The Stage with him, It's statements woola
be contradicled by many, and confirm all Gase
s.atd. Bul few statements from u nave yes
been brought 10 The notice oil Inc pnolic. ou' VI
even these few Two have been coniradlclec, one
(if nv reco.le ton serves me) related 10 Genera
Jackson, and The other 10 a MIR Harris, OF phiia'
delpnia, during the administration OF Mi Monroe.
Opposed to the statement OF MI. AdamS'
stands the fact, that no opinions, as is nGili1ra
/ by COL Benlop, are 10 be found on Inc mes U
| The Department Of State, nor any evidence t'idl
any such opinions were ever h!ed; althoush Inc
statement purporlrg 10 be from The GARY Oh MT.
Adams says that Mr.. Monroe directed them 70
be filed One OF Two things would seem 10 DC
clear either he fell INFO an error, in making NE
entry. or that he failed TO place them on me- III
consequence Of ecmc subsequent direction from
| the President. II is hardly possible, II Eey nau
been placed on file, but that they Woulo SUI oe
| there, or some evidence in existence t6Gt iney
had been there My own recollection is, iha;
Mr.. Monroe requested The opinion OF The mem.
bsrs of his cabinet in writing; but that IN ccnse-
ouence OF want Of lime 10 prepare written
opinion or some other cause, none was gwen,
and lhis | stalled in The Senate, when Genera
DIX brought up lite question 40 10 the opinion OF
the Cabinet OF Mr.. Monroe, before line lacl was
disclosed, that there was no written opinion on
the flies of the department. have cn'ife conn
dence, that il any was given, il amounted 10 no
more than The simple affirmation, or negalioa
of The power. Tue lime did not admit the pre-
paration OF an elabora'e opinion, aud II any
| such had been given, ]. is Impossible mat
should forget il, and next 10 impossible lhat y
should so long have remained concealed iron
the public As 10 The insiruaIion, thai am the
only member OF The Cabinet Of Mr.. Monroe
who has since been Secretary Of State, aad all
others CT like character, pass them with nc
silent contempt due 10 Eeir baseness and the
source whence they came.
There is, besides iaci which clearly shows
| that there had been considerable change OF
views from The 4lh 10 The OF Marcn. a.ude
70 The fact that the draft Of The letter Intended Tor
1 General Jackson was never sent II Is inieraDe
| from the tact that there is no such letter 70 be
found among his papers, after The most oiligcDt
search. IL is not Improbable that the same change
| Of circumstances which Caused The sirlSins out
aud inserting, and which induced him not 10
flash and transmit the letter 10 General jackson
as intended, induced him, also finally TO dispense
| with written opinion and viii account why no
| such opinion Is iuund on BILE.
But suppose The case 10 be as Colonel Benton
con;endct; VI what Importance is IL or how does
il enable him 10 make out his charge, that The
resolutions which he so yehemcnily denOunces
we're Introduced Tor The purpose OF disunion =
|
whether unanimous Or divided; whether Trilen or
unw,ilten, were given under circumstances which
would enil!e Them TO but litle weight. 10 The lfsI
place. there was no lime for consideration. Bul
une day elapsed from the time The questions were
put and sent 10 the members OF the Canine', uh-
:. $3.50 A-;-:-- -,rto IN tire narf Mace.
he subject was little understood and had al that
time received lille consideration. The great
point in the discussion of The Missouri question;
whether Congress had a right 10 impose any
Other limitation or The admission OF Stale into
ihe UGon, Than lh6l prescribed by the Consliiu.
Nor; the question o! its power over tne terrific
rcs; did not come up until near the end Of HE
DISCUSSION; and, according 10 my recollection,
vas scarcely no iced, much less discusse So
loose, indeed, was the prevailing opinion al the
time, that The power OF eeislatins over them was
believed TO be derived from that portion Of the
constitution which provides that Congress shall
have power 10 dispose o.; and TO make all need
iu rules and regulations respecting The territories
and ether pr'ps,ty belonging 10 The Unilcd
States" Such would seem 10 have been the
opinion OF Mr. Monroe, jadging from his man.
ner OF propCIndins the question. He puts it in
language borrowed from The provision ITO make
regulation prohibiting slavery iG The terrific.
lies" and no, TO make law 10 prohibit. Bul
since then, more careful examination has es,ab-
lshed beyond all reasonable doubt that this pro.
vision was intended TO be lim ed 20 the disposition
and regulation OF The territories, regarded simply
as land or property, and that u conferred 10
power whatever beyond, much less that OF pro-
nibiting slavery under such circumstances. Even
/! II could BE- made out beyond shadow Of doubi
thai The cabinet was unanimous. and that lis
members gave written opinions in The affirmative
il could have little weight in settling The consilu.
,ionsl question; and yet Colonel Benton in his
zeal to strike al me, and through me al yon and
your cause, insists that The opinion of Mr.. Mon
roe's cabiue forever iorecloscd The question agaDs
the South. To establish doctrine SO absurd, be
by implication lays down rule that he opiuion,
OF CONGRESS, or any department Of HE govern.
ment, Cnce expressed on constitutional ieslicn
settles il forever; and this TOO when j! is well
known that il was in direct contradiction to tie
course he pursued in reference 10 Inc Bank OF the
United States. The risn, oil Congress 10 Charter
sach bank had again and again been sanction.
ed BIZ Congress and every department. OF The gov
eminent. That he did not consider all this as
settling the CONGREGATIONAL question: The long war
he waged against The Institution proves conclu.
sively.
Il is his fate 10 idvclve himself 10 dilemmas
al every sep he takes and which he Is either too
| blind 10 see or TOO reckless 10 regard. He has
| labortd through many columns, 10 prove iGat The
| cabinet CT Mr.. Monroe was unanimous in favor
OF inc power Ol congress 10 e1clu1e slavery from
lie territories, aud that they gave written OPT
Mons % that effect in order 10 prove thai am
The real and responsible author OF The Wi!mo,
Proviso, without appalen,ly perceiving that if
| ne coald succeed, il wuulc destroy his conclu.
sion; for. ii line Cabinet was unanimous how
could alone b. responsi6,e2 He seems 10 have
Tell The dilemma aflcr be got into il, and has
made desperate effort 10 escape from ii. For
hat purpose he had 10 falsify The Constitution,
and to assert that The veto power was vested In
the Csbinel, and moi 10 The President, when lha!
slrumeni expressly provides. dat she Executive
power shall be vested 10 the President;n and ,ha.
every bill shall be presumed 10 the President for
his approval or dissppruva5 and that II he ap.
proves Of il, it Shall become Law, and il he dis
approves, il shall MI, unless passed BY NO.
h,ids Of both Houses Of Congress. He follows
up This false assertion by aGo; ser, thai hai one
fnh c! he veto power 10 ms hands, when, 10
! fact had no part ard when the pa per an ub;fh