Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1849-07-25


not my object tn call in question Inc vera
city of alr. AdLms, hnt be was man o
strong prju'Iiccs, hasIy temper, aud a,ucI
disposed To view things rs he desired
! From his temperament he would be liable
! tG notice aud mark what fell within his owI
views, and 10 pass Unnoiiccd what did moi
| venture liuIe in saying that if his diary
should bc published during the lifetime o
those who were on tho Stage with him, It's
statements wonld be canIradiclcd by many,
and confirm all | have stated. But few
statements from il have yet been brought 10
the notice of The public, hut even of these
few, two have been conlradictcd one. Gil
my recollection serves me related 10 Gen.
Jackson, and the other, To a Mr.. Harris OF
Philadelphia, during tho administration OF
Mr.. Monroe.
Opposed TO the statement Of Mr.. Adams
stands the fact, Il,a, no opinions, as is adj
miItctl by Col. lienon, are TO be found on
the files Of Inc Department Of Stale, nor
any evidence that amy such opinions were
ever filed; although the statement pnrpo!t.
ing 10 be from the diarynf Mr.. Adams says,
that Mr.. Monroe directed them tn be filed.
Oac of Two things would seem TO he clear !;
either he fell into an error, in making the
entry, or that he failed tn place them on
file, in consequence of some subsequent
direction from The President. 1t is hardly
possible, if they had been placed OH file,
but that they would still be there, or some
evidence in existence That they had been
there. My own recollection is. that Mr.
Monroe requested The opinion of the mem
bcrs of his cabinet in writing; but that in
consequence of want of time to prepare a
written opinion, or some other cause, none
was given, and this stated in The Senate
whcE Gen. Dix brought up the question is
10 the opinion Of The cabinet OF Mr.. Mon
roc. before the fact was disc o ied, that there
was no written opinion on the liles Of the
department.. have entire confidence, that
if any was given, it amounted to no more
than The simple affirmation or uesaIion Of
The power. The time did not admit the
preparation e an elaborate opinion, and If
any such had hcen given, it is impossible
that should forget ii; and next 10 impos-
siblc that it should so long have remained
concealed from the public. AS 10 tho i'm
situation that | am tho only member Of
the cabinet Of MIR. Monroe, who has since
been Secretary Of State, and al others Of
like character pass Them with the silent
contempt due to their baseness, and the
source whence they came.
There is besides, fact which clearly
shows, that :hcro had been considerable
change of views from The dIh TO The 9Th oil
March; alIuhe TO the fact, that The draft
of The letter n'cndcd fnr General Jackson
was never sent. 1t is in(crahlc from The
lacl that there is no such letter TO be found
among his papers, after the most dIiscnt
search. Iii snol improbable that the same
change Of circumstances which caused the
striking out and inserting, and which in
duccd him not TO finish ana transmit the
lcIlcr to General jackson as intended, in
ducet him, aIsn, finally to dispense with u
written opinion, and will account why no
sucl, opinion is found on file.
But suppose the case 10 hc as Col. Ben.
ton contemdcd; Of what importance is it,.
nr hnw does i, enable him tD make out his
charge. that the resolutions which he so
vchcmcnlIy dcnounccs, were introduced
for tho purpose of disunion The opin,
ion of The cabinet, whether for or against,
whether unanimous or divided, whether
written or unwrittcn, were given undcr
circumstances which would cnIiilc them
10 but little weight. In the first place,
there was no time Tor consideration. But
une iay elapsed from the time the qucs-
lions were put aud sent To The members Of
the Cabinet, until final decision was
made. In the next place, the subject was
little understood, aud had, at that time,
received little consideration. The great
point IN the discussion Of The Missouri
question, whether Congress had Il right to
impose any other Limitation on the admis-
sion of state into The Union, than that
prescribed by The constitution. The qucs
iiun Of lis power over the territories did
not come up until near the end of The dis.
cussiun; and, according TO my recolIec-
lion, was scarcely noticed. much less dis.
cusscd. So loose, indeed, was tic pre-.
Willing opinion at The lime. that The power
of lc. .isIalins over thent was believed to
Jc derived from that portion of the consti.
luiion, which provides "that Congress
shall have power 10 dispose of, and TO make
all nccdIuI rules and regulations respect.
ing tho territories and other property bc-
longing TO the United States" Such, il
would seem, to have been the opinion Of
Mr.. Monroe, judging from his manner of
plopoundinS the question. lie puts il in
language borrowed from The provision "to
make Il regulation prohibiting slavery in
The territories" AMI not to make il io1c TO
prohibit. But since thea 4 murc careful
examination mas established, beyond all
reasonable doubt, that tn pIovisiun was
intended 10 be limited TO The disposition
and regulation Of The lcrIi'Urics, regarded
simply as lan,l or pr"pcIIy, and that it Gun
ierrcd no power wha'cvc, beyond, much
less, Iha, Of prohibiting slavery undcrsucll
circumstances, even il it could hc made
uni, beyond s!,adnw of doubt, that the
cabinet WAS unauiliuus, aud that its mem
hrrs gave written orinous in !hc aIlirma.
tive, il could have little ri.ln i'll settling
the Constitutional Imcsllun: ard yet Col.
Benton, III his Hral 10 slrihr al me. and
through ne III YOU aud yam cau-c, insists
that tho opinion Of Mr. Hiunrut's cabinet
hrcvcr I"T, Il"':'l HE question against The
Suulh. To establish Il doctrine So ab