Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-05-02
Letter from Henry A. Wise.

RICHMOND, VA, April -, 1876.
My DEAR SIR Yours Of the 10th instant
was received on my sick bed, and am too
sick to reply otherwise than very briefly.
1t is certain that the letter Of President An
drew ackson to the chairman OF the investl-
eating committed Of the abuses and corruptloos
nf the executive departments, CHARGED, dated
January =, 1887, ought to be no cause OF exu!,
tation to the present Administration party.
acts of his Public life. The last message,
which had reviewed 10 my place in the House
of Representatives, with the perfect freedom OF
debate, made invioIabIe and unassailable by
the Constitution, was just sixty days before
his second term expired. He had Just dieta'
ted who should succeed him 10 the Presidency,
add Intrigue, corruption and abuse of power
had been SO successful in the fall OF 1886 as to
elect the JackalI OF the lion. and whose pro-
claimed motto was $50 the victors belong
the spoils
In the face of these notorious facts the last
message boldly boosted OF the prosperous
condition" and of the ability aud Integrity OF
the various executive departments. The
House OF Representatives Immediately, upon
| NV motion, resolved to put this boast to the
test OF investigation The resolution itself, as
YOU see, contained no charges whatever, but
| simply instructed committee OF nlne 10 III
oure. This WAS the act OF the House Of Rep
resentatves. My part was to show grounds OF
| investigation and iaqury, and my motloo was,
| Of course, supported by Cot IN speech on tho
| floor of the House, illustrating those grounds
The speech was fully and accurately reported
at the time 10 the National 1ntellieeocer. See
it, it was severe and caustic enough to carry
the motion. O!her members, too, supported
the motion in debate, aud the resolution was
passed and the committee was appolDted'
The first act of the committee was to pass
series OF resolutions which speak for themselves
An inspection of them will show that they
were mcre inquiries, oourteousIy addressed to
tie various departments; they assumed no guilt
of any charges, and called only for information
contained 10 the public archives.
President Jackson pugnaclty was instantly
aroused, and he seized the mace OF dcspotlsm
and shock it at the House, at its debates and
1T its committee. Forgetting that the House
Of Representatives was the grand inquest OF
the natou-bound to investigate 10 order to
see whether there were grounds for specific
charges oil want Of ability or integrity or Dot
he demands specific charges TO be made before
investigation or Inquiry.
! Forgeltipg that the chief executive should
be the last to hold members Of the House re,
sponsitle for words spoken 10 debate, he made
ny speeches. and those Of other mem bers made
on the f1or, the prctcXt of a threat torbldding
responses from the departments 10 the lrqul.
ricS Of tho committee.
Forgetting that the House had always stand.
ing committees to Inquire into the eXpendl'
lures of the various executive departments.
which had already exposed many abuses, like
that OF mileage in the War Department, and
that OF the Forsyth Naukceu," he made the
existence of such committees the ground OF
exception to this SPECIAL com mlttee, em bracing
Investigation in all the departments on all sub.
jecls of inquiry.
Now sarely the present Administration par
ty don't mean totake the responsibility OF these
examples of ''O!d Hickory" He was shoot.
ing Pan THAN arrow was JUST going out OF
office. That letter was not the least cause of
the crushing defeat Of his successor. The
present Administration party ought to re-
member that it aspires to be 'the future Ad-
minislration party" Ii they hold that the
executive departments aud their Offices and Of
fccrs are not to be investigated and inquired
OF without spcci6; charges, Belkuap will be an
nstapcc 10 prove that they are not ut to be
trusted with the public Offices Ii the repre-.
| seutatices of the people may not be allowed to
| Inquire IUGO Olucidl duuSCe, ticu 'iC ulShoueSs
aud unfaithfui may aud will plumber With i'm
puniv.
In 1894 when minor, | supported General
jackson devotedly for the Presidency, and then
he and none more rampauty than he made
vague charges OF bargain and corruption against
two of his rivals for the Presidency. He was
indi>crect enuug h to attempt to specify. with
| out inv esigatlOu, charges which we're never
sustained except by such witness as poor
| old George Crcmer ~ If he had only inves-
tigated the facts by competent authority OF the
| House, before he attempted to specify, he
would have found that the real truth was worse
than the error which he charged.
| For the reason that he was really cheated
out Of the Presidency 10 1924 by bargain and
corruption" still more zeaously supported
him 10 1928, when cast my first vote for
President. He was elected to his second term
10 1882 and then supported him still more
warmly because deemed his election neces.
sary to preserve the Union against the extrav-
agant action OF South Carolina, though did
not vote for Mr. Van Buren,. but for Philip
Barbour as Vice President.
In 1888 | was elected to the House Of Rep
resentatives Of the Congress Of the Unltud
States; elected az 40 avnwcd Union Jackson
| Democrat The hoe opus est of my CANVASS was
opposition to DulllLCatlOn l0 the meantime
Gen. jackson removed the public deposits
from the ustody Of the law. l could not sus-
tain that measure, and voted against il. Still
voted on every other question with the Ad
minst1ation, and united with DO other party
but the Democratic until General Jack>on's
course in debating the nomination OF his sue
ccssor compelled me to quit his support; but
>tiiI belonged to the Democracy, and in 1886
voted for Hugh Lawson White, of Tennessee,
who carried that State against all the political
and personal Influence OF President Jackson.
The President visited Tennessee in person, and
made very coarse and denuocatory speeches
against his old personal and political friends,
and in favor Of the "Mistletoe politician who
lived on the boughs Of the hickory tree. y This
caused my review of his last message, and my
motion for luqniry and Investigation.
By this time the Democracy had sloushed
off its best and warmest supports: first, the
party oil Mr.. Calbouo second, the opponents
of the removal of the public deposits; third,
the adhereDts Of Judge White, who opposed
the nomination OF successor by the Presi-
dent. With the addition of these to the old
National Republicans, the friends of Adams