National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1876-04-20

The following letter from President Jack
son to Hon. Henry A. Wise will prove to
be mighty interesting reading" to the
Democratic investigators of the present
Congress:
WASHINGTON CITY, Jan. %, 1857.
SIR: received on the evening of the
cath instant your letter covering a copy of
a certain resolution purporting to have
been adopted by committee of the House
of Representatives, of which you are chair
man, and request that you will lay before
that committee this, my reply, which I
hasten 10 make.
1t appears by the published proceedings
of the House of Representatives that the
committee, of which you are chairman, was
appointed on your motion. The resolution
offered by you and finally adopted by the
House raised direct issue with the last
part of my message, in which 1 held the
following language: Before concluding
"this paper, think it due to the va
"rious executive departments to bear
Testimony of their prosperous condition,
"and to the ability and integrity with
"wbich they have performed their duties.
1t has been my aim to enforce in all of
"them vigilant and faithful discharge of
"the public business; and tits gratifying to
me to believe there is no Just cause of
complaint from any quarter at the manner
in which they have fulfilled the object of
"their creation" Your resolution is in the
following words:
'tReSolred, That so much Of the Presidents
message as relates to the condition of the
various Executive Departments, the ability
and integrity with which they have been con-
Quoted, the vigilant and faithful discharge of
the public business in all of them, and the
causes of complaint from any quarter at the
jects of their creation, be referred to a select
committee, to consist Of nine members, with
power to send for persons and papers, and
with instructions to inquire into the condition
of the various Executive Departments, the
ability and integrity with which they have
been conducted, into the manner in which
the public business has been discharged in all
Of them, and into all causes of complaint,
from any quarter, at the manner in which
said Departments, or their bureaus or Offices,
or any of their officers! or agents, Of every de-
scrtption whatever, directly or indirectly con-
nected with them in any manner, officially or
unoficially, in duties pertaining to the public
interest, have fulfilled or failed to accomplish
the objects Of their creation, or have violated
their duties, or have injured and impaired
the public service and interest; and the said
committee in its inquiries may refer to such
periods of time as to them may seem expe.
dent and proper. ...s .. ..r
1t also appears, from the published pro-
ceedings of the House, that this resolution
was accompanied and supported by speech
of considerable length, in which you pre-
ferred many severe but vague charges Of
corruption and abuse in the Executive
Departments. The resolutions adopted by
the committee, as well as that adopted by
the House itself, must be taken in connec-
ton with your Introductory speech, which
gives character to the whole proceeding.
When thus regarded. it is obvious that, by
the resolution of the House, an issue is
made with the President Of the Uaited