Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-09-22
Nov. fer the Eacks of the case

december following, he set forth his prea
policy of Indian removal West of the Mis-
sissippi. 1t was the most important u,eas,fr,
recommended by him at the commence,
ment of his Administration. TWAS know
| that It would meet with a formidable oppo
sition from the North. Hence the chair,
manship of the Committee on Indian AT
fairs became matter of prime consequence
to General Jackson Upon the chairman
! OF that Committee would devolve the re
| sponsible duty of advocating and defending
the measure, and of conducting it through
I tic House; a,,d upon his ability, Judgment
ana taci, the success of the measure might
for tie time being, depend. 1t was most
responsible trust. 1t implied the existence
Of the most amicable and confidential rela-
tons between the person appointed to IT
and the Executive. Such an appointment
is never made by the Speaker without first
aseertainiug the feelings and wishes of the
| Executive. Out of the whole body of rep
resentatives. JOHN BELL, though but little
| over thirty years of age, and in the third
year only of his Congressional service, was
| selected. He may with truth be said to
have been, in effect, selected for the trust
ay Gen. Jackson himself; and he who will
deny that his appointment to it did ncces-
sarity imply the highest confidence in him
By Gen. jackson, IS al ignoramuS or worse,
and utterly unworthy of serious notice.
This high mark of Gen: Jackson's con-
fdenee in Mr.. Bells ability, integrity, and
good viii towards his Administration, was
renewed at the beginning of the session of
l630-3l, and again at the session of 1881
30. By Mr. Belts disappointment as chair
nau of the same Committee.
At the commencement of the session of
1928, Mr.. Bell received another and
still more signal mark of Gen. Jackson'S
confidence, and of the high appreciation
which the General entertained of his abili-
ties and services as leader of the admin
istration party in the House of Representa-
lives. Those abilities which he had seen
so strikingly exhibited by Mr.. Bell, in con-
Quoting through the House, amidst storm
Of excitement and opposition from the
North, his measures of Indian removal,
Gen. Jackson now sought the aid of, in a
new, and very delicate, and responsible po-
sition, in view of storm which was rapid
" rising in the South, and to meet which,
it was seen and felt, all the wisdom, firm
ness, and prudence of the Administration
would be needed. One of the States was
about to take the hazardous step of sunder-
ing, or attempting to sunder, its relations
with the Federal Government. South Car
Dina had issued an ordinance providing
for the notification of the revenue laws of
the United States, announcing, at the same
time, her intention to Secede from the Union,
should force be resorted to by the Federal
Executive for the execution of those laws
within her limits. Gen. jackson had de-
liberately made up his mind, as was shown
by his celebrated Proclamation, which was
then being prepared, and was issued few
days afterwards, that the laws should be
executed, and, if necessary, that all the
force at his command should be used for
that purpose. To enable him to execute
the laws, additional legislative enactments
by Congress might, and Gen. jackson
thought, would be neces :arv. This was a
business that, under the rules of the House
of Representatives. would be under the
special charge OF the Committee on the Ju-
dietary. The action of the House might
in large degree be influenced by the ac>
ton of the Committee, and the action OF
the Committee, in a large degree, by the
Chairman. Thus it happened that, at
the assembling Of Congress, in December.
1882, the selection of Chairman of the Ju-
dietary Committee became subject of spe-
cial anxiety with Gen. jackson; and of all
the members of the House, Mr. BELL was
deemed the fttest for that delicate and re-
sponsible position He was accordingly
transferred from the Craftsmanship of the
Committee on Indian Affairs, to that of the
Judiciary Committee! This peculiar and
mark of Gen. Jackson's con-
fdenee and high consideration, was be-
slowed upon Mr.. Bell long after this Union
and american writer asserts, Gen. jackson
had come to ka0lc Mr.. Bell for "trick. |
ster,' and a year and a half after Mr.. Bell |
had found out that Gen. jackson "knelc''
him to be such, and had, in consequence,
not only ceased TO give the Administration |
any sincere support, but had actually COM
menced, and was then carrying on, sys-
tenn of covert warfare against it!
The disappointment of Mr.. Bell to the
of the Judiciary Committee,
at the commencement Of the session of |
l833-34, affords conclusive evidence that, |
down to that time, Gen. Jackson's high es- |
ment.
1t was during that session, 1884,
that Mr.. Bell was elected Speaker of the
House of Representatives The morning
after the election, May 3lst, 1854. Gen.
Jackson's official and confidential organ,
the Washington Globe, in announcing it,
spoke of Mr.. Bell as follows:
Mr.. Bell is from the district in which |
the President resides, and HAS GIVEN |
AN ABLE AND UNIFORM SUPPORT |
TO ALL HIS MEASURES. HE is A
MAN OF FINE GENIUS, HIGH AT
AND DISTINGUISHED
FOR HIS ELOQUENCE."
ltisin contemptuous disregard of the truth
of history, as shown BY official evidence
like this. that the Union and american writer
charges Mr.. Bell, with having, from 1881,
been a secret enemy of Gen. Jackson,s