Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-09-22
Nh. BELL AND GEN. JACKSON.

And first, as to the account the writer
gives of the relations which existed between
Gen. jackson and Mr.. Bell, almost from
the entrance of the former upon the dis
charge of his Presidential duties. The
writer is careful to state that Gen. jackson
favored the election of Mr.. Grundy over
Mr. Bell, when the latter was first elected
to Congress, in 1927 He also says:
Mr.. Bell was not long in public life be-
fore he began TO give evidences of CHANGE.
From some cause or other, be failed to in
spire the confidence of Gen. Jackson" : :
''Gen. jackson entered upon the dis
charge of his duties as President in 1929.
In 1881, there was rdcGHcy IN his cabi-
net. As far as we can learn from Mr..
Bells past history connected with the
public SERVICE he had sustained the ad
ministration and defended Democratic prin-
ciples in good faith up to This period. His
subsequent detection was deemed mysteri-
Gus by many who were ignorant of the va
rious keys to human action"
The writer goes on to charge, in sub
stance, that from this period" -IS3I-Mr.
Bell made warfare upon the administration
of Gen. Jackson, whenever he could do it
covertly-not daring then to make "open
warfare against it."
Again, the writer tells US:
"Gen. jackson despised the character of
trickster. He trusted no man in whose
character he discovered evidences of insin-
cerity and bad faith. Whether he dealt
Justly with Mr.. Bell or not, is for the public
to determine; but there can be no 1ues-
ton that he early learned to mistrust him. !"
And what evidence does the writer cite
to prove these statements? Any votes
or speeches of Mr.. Bell? No! Auv
declarations of Gen. Jackson, public or
private? Mol What then? Why, that
Judge White, in a letter written in 1886.
having occasion to speak of Mr.. Bell, incis
dentally mentioned, that so high had his
opinion always been of Mr.. Bell, that in
1881, upon the breaking up of Gen. Jack
sons first cabinet, he, Judge White, took
the liberty of recommending Mr.. Bell for
one of the vacancies thus created. The
of Mr.. Bell to seat in
the cabinet at that time, the writer of the
investigation boldly charges, without one
particle of proof, was occasioned by want
of confidence in Mr.. Bells political integri-
ty, on the part of Gen. jackson. And as
boldly and as unserupulously does the writer
charge that the mere fact of Gen. Jackson's
not appointing Mr.. Bell to seat in the
cabinet prored to Mr.. Bell that the General
kI.eac him to be unworthy of his confidence;
and that from that day, Mr.. Bell, having
discovered that Gen. jackson q G,1aesc' him
to be destitute of principle, commenced a
covert warfare against the Generals admin
istrationl The reader is requested to note
the precise language of the writer on this
point, which is as follows: "Gen. jackson
did not appoint him, and this refusal proved
to Mr.. Bell that the President kne,c him: and
from that on, it viii be found etc. "K,,esc
him" The italics are the writer's own.
That is, Mr.. Bell became conscious that
Gen. jackson " ksieie kim' TO be destitute
of principle, and not to be trusted, and for
that reason, ceased from that time, to sup
port his Administration in good faith, and
commenced a covert warfare against il.