The Madisonian. [volume], September 11, 1840, Image 1

About The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845

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THE MADISONIAN.
VOL. IV.?NO. 8.J WASHINGTON CITY, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1840. (WHOLE NO. 388.
1 HE MAD1SONI A N .
T II O M A II ALLEN,
iCdltor mill Proprietor.
DONA I. I) M A C L i: it I) ,
Associate I alitor.
AGENTS.
Lkwii II. Dobeluowlh, 34 Catharine street, Phi
\lelpllla.
J 11. Wm.din, Pittsburg, Pa.
Henky S. Mkkks, 4t>4 Bowery, New York.
Ukohuc VV. Bii.i., Buffalo, N. York.
Ju uB K. Ilow, Anliurii, New Voik.
Syi.vanis Stkvknh, New iiuveii, Ct.
E. 15. Fosrm, Boston, Mm?.
Thomas 11 VViLIV, Cahawba, Alaliaina.
Wknton F. BiiUil, Fayette, Missouri.
Tiik Madisonian is publish.-.! Tri weekly during
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Longer advertisements at pro|N>rtionulo rales.
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lement will not be received unlaw the pontage in
paid.
tt \i.i >pi.K OLD BOOKS?Just imported
V from London by I-' I AY LOR, many ol them
at extremely low prices
Lord Bacon's Works in I vein tolio, Londtm. 17'JH.
Speeds "Historic of Great Britain; 1 large folio vol
London -, Itutt; dedicated, l? (leniiissioii, to King
James the first
The Parliamentary History of England in -J I vol*,
running from 1-W to I tit id
llolv Bible I vol. U'lio, London, 1045.
.The' French Dominions in America?their natural
and i'iiit lustorv I v??l. lolio London. I jio.
V nil lot n Universal Alias large folio; Paris, ltl',15.
Sir Win. Temple * Works, vols, folio ; London
I Tin.
Collection (in I vols, folio, London, 1734) of-cele
liraleil Si.de Trials : among manv others, those of Al
?gernmi Sidney Lord Russcil, Sir Walter Raleigh,
\\ illimn IVnri. Lord Baeon. ,Vc.
('omplete History of Europe; 15 volumes; from
IMml in 17K)
|{":iun History li volumes folio; London, 17->l, in
Em.-IisIi. from the French of the Rev. Fathers C'atrou
an.! Rouille.
Ilailet s English Dictionary. I vol folio, 173t>
Johnson's Dictionary ; original folio edition in two
ils I TV,
Rapin and Findall's History of England, in 1 vols.
tolio ITIi'J
I i.unpier'? Voi age*. I vols.
I i.ir.l.i'i s Tacitus J -vols.
l'llaek?loiie .- Commentaries, -1 vols. 17titi.
' ',?>vley's Works, 1 vol. folio, llisl
Dielionarie Universal, Oeogrnphii)Ue et Hiatorique
j-v \| ( oriu illi*; "2 vols . Paris, 17(17
Wrnnomia Britanniea ; London, ItitiO.
Sully s Memoirs, 5 vols. London, 175S.
Hisliop Burnet s History ot his own times, 'J vols
'?511?' London, 1701
An.I many others too numerous for an advertisement
nly a single copy of most of them received, julv 1)1
W' 11 I I S ! ACTICS |u~l received for sale bv
J I I A \ L< >1! Tactics for the Exercises and
Mjncriiv res ot the L'nited States Infantry, bv Major
Gi neral Scott, 3 \ols.. 1840.
Also Instruction for Field Artillery, Horse and
I Out, translated from the French, and arranged.for the
M-ryice of the United States, by Robert Anderson,
' aplain in the Stall' of tin- United States Army, ^ist
published by direction of the Secretary of War, 1 vol.
Also for sale by F Taylor, a variety of works on
Tactics and Drill for Cavalry, Artillery, Infantry, and
Rifle Companies, and in. all the brunches of Military
and Naval Science, many of them ini|>orted from
England.
*,* Subscriptions taken for the British United Ser
vice Journal, may 28
pK'TORlAL HISTORY OF ENGLAND,
I being :i History of the People ns well as a llis
i.irv of.the Kingdom, illustrated1 with many hundred
*ii|irrior engravings, delineating theiT monumental re
coins, < i\ iI 'and military costume, doiBeslic
1 linns, furnituie, ornaments, cathedrals aim other
jrent works of architecture, sports, and other illustra
i . s of manners and customs; mechanical inven
? mm very numerous portrait#, remarkable historical
?? ? hi ?<. &c., &c. A valuable and beautiful book, at
? !i exceedingly low price. London, lH3!t. For sale by
july"J5 " F. TAYLOR. '
V I'.W S()VEL?" Th< Quiet Husband," by Miss
. \ Pickering, author of " Merchant's Daughter,"
I lie Fright,' &c , is just published and this day re
? nil d, lor sale bv
july II ' F. TAYLOR
nKiF.ST of the Decisions of the Courts of Coin
? II Law and Admiralty in the United States,
I'lieroii Metcalf and Jonathan C. Perkins, to be
ti l in three volumes, octavo, embracing the
I '?? -i'"is of all the Courts of the different States and
i' I niied States, (excepting Courts of Equity,)
? ?il'u-il ,i in I arranged alphabetically as to subjects ;
rst volume just published and this day received
!? bv F. TAYLOR.
;TIILL1PS ON INSURANCE, new edition,
I -J xs , Boston, 1810.
'? nplite in v! vs. Precedents in Pleading, by.
! ' Jr with copious notes on Practice. Pleading
I I uce and many other new law works for
* ? 11 1 1 est New York and Philadelphia prices
n eien i ... may lsi-il
|) ' in. nr. s ilRi'iMSH lxTminions
I) in \(i[tr11 AMERICA, m :t vols quarto,
1,1 1 complete topographical anil statistical dcscrip
' ' I .?\ver mid Upper Canada, New Brunswick
1 V i Scotia Newfoundland. Prince Edward
: ''ape Breton Islands, &c . with engraved plans
imvns plans of the Harbours with the Soundings
I '("'graphical Maps, Statistical Tables, Tables of
111,11111 s \c by Lieut <'ol Bouehette, Surveyor
' 1 ? r 11 kVc A single COpv tills ilav received and
sale by F.TAYLOR.
may IJ d
Fill IE BOOK OF JASHER, referred to in Jo
? shua nnd Second Samuel faithfully translated
' ???II the original Hebrew into English, t vol.
I lun lap's History of the State of New York.
Dictionaiv of the Protestant Episcopal Church, bv
Rev. W m Staunton
Course of Rending, by Chancellor Kent, prepared
the Mercantile Library Association.
K- i|c s Christian Year, n.w and beautiful edition
" nd Book of Heraldry. Hand Book of Heliog
H 1 Book of tliee,,re of Teeth New York Ge
i al mil Mineralbgical Iteport*. 1H40
1 urrii - Principle* of Homeriinthv <'urrie's Prae
tii i ol I lonne;. itliv
I he Dram itic Works of Masxinger and Ford.com
I'lete in one octavo volume beautitul London edition,
x th an introduction bv Ilartlvx Coleridge
British Naxal Biogtaphy Duties of Troop-, bv
1 nt Col Leach, C B.
.In ?! ri cived, for side bv
, F. TAYLOR
fPHF. BRITISH DRA VIA, in two large octavo
? < 'u nes of i i_ht bundled pages each, well print
I ii uiii-o iielx bound, with engraving* contain
liuiidred of the be t plays in the language,
; ling Sh ikcspftrc s ) price for the set four .I<>1
? I . i.ilerit tn 4 cents for each plav .lust re
F TAYLOR
I' IJI \T1.\<? AT THIS OI-TK it
^ < ! iw1 !?<?* n at ?m?* pains to nnnrx lo our Xf vv
iimkn r,
3 .93oi.i (PfTtcr,
' ol .1 greit variety of new, neat, and f.inei
i ds tor the prompt execution of any Job . >
i '-letul an I a] proved t i .Iiioii.
1 becks, i 'ircnl.ir- Con 'i rt Mills. Bill- of
I .i and Justices Binnks. Auction Non ?
I" imis. Horse Bills Speeches mid indeed.
1 domed or unadorned Hi it h cut*, m the
"?>ii a book to the smallest card Will be
i .it tlii- oMicc promptly and in the ne.itest
? ii.t ol 11 th street and Pi nn Axennc
m iv, i- io.tr
POLITICAL FLOUUENCE AND POLIT1
X CAL ECONOMY.?Speeches of the Rich
lion. George Ctuming. in I octavo volume of683
l*ge#, containing also hi* life anil copious extracts
from In* writing!-, price jj'J
Spceche* of the Right Hon. William IIuskisson,
utul the Hiijlit lion. Mr Wyndham, wuli the life of
each. The tun contained in I voiutne octavo 016
|?j;cs ; price $ I Ml, published at j$3 r*> '
Spcccnes of Philifat, Curran, Grattuu ami Kminet,
| in I volume octavo; price $1,95.
American Qratorio, or Selection* from the Speeches
of distinguished Americana; I volume of 531 octavo
|>agcs, handsomely bound ; price SI,'25, published
at $2.50.
The moat Celebrated Speeches of Chatham, Burke,
anil Krskine; 1 octAVo volume of 540 |?ages, hand
souiuly bound ; for #1,25, published at S3
And many others of the same class, for Mile at the
same low range of prices, by F. TAYLOR.
June 13.
/CHANCELLOR KENT'S "COURSE OF
v y READING,'' ilrawn up at the request of the
Mercantile I.ihrary Association of New \ ork Price
3? cents, Just published and thin dav received for
side by p. TAYLOR.
june 'J:i
f 1 V IZOT'8 ED I Tl( >N < ?l> SI'A K K S W A UI
IT INGTON CORRESPONDENCE,, in I vo
lume*, Pari*, 18-10j with an Introduction and Essay
by M Guiaiot, on the Influence and Character of
Washington. Just im|>ortcd and for sale by
May, 12. F TAYLOR.
CCHRISTIAN'S DEFENSIVE DIOTIONA
J RY, being a refutation of the argument* and ob
jections that have been uracil against the Bible, ar
ranged and classified in alphulx'tiral order, complete
ill one volume of 347 page* ; price OSi cents in neat
cloth binding. For sale by F. TAYLOR,
may 21
New work, by the aufhor ofnT
CHOLAS N1CKLEBY.?Number one of
Master Humphrey's Clock," by Box, will be re
ceived for sale, by 1\ Taylor, on Wednesday morn
ing. This number will contain a |>ortrait of the au
thor, engraved on steel, with numerous illustrations.
May 12.
JOHNSON'S SCRAPS, a new number Num
ber H just published, is this day received by F.
TAYLOR, tilled with engravings.
may '21
BURNAP'S LECTURES TO YOUNG MEN
on the cultivation of the Mind, formation ot'ehu
racter and the conduct of life, I volume
l)r. F. Halls " Letters from the Fast and tram the
West,'' 1 vol
Lecture on the relation between the Holy Scrip
tures and some parts of Geological Science, by John
Pye Smith, D D., P. G. S.
Just received bv F. TAYLOR, immediately East
of Gadibv s Hotel. may l!t
CHARLES ELLWOOd]
4 Tale, by O A Brownson, Editor of the Boston
IX. Quarterly, in I volume, just published, is this ?
day received for sale by I- TAYLOR.
/?'mm the author's preface.?' With these remarks i
1 dismiss this little book to its fate I have taken I
much pleasure in its composition; I have embodied in
it tlx-1.'miIt of years of inquiry and reflection; and 1
have thought it not ill-adnpti<l to the present state of
thi public mind in this community It deals wiili the
weightiest problems of philosophy and theology,'and
perha|is some minds may It ml it not altogether worth
less." may '20.
C* EQRG1A SCENES, Character* and Incidents
T in the first half century of the Republic, by a na
tive Georgian Second edition with original illustra
turns, 1 vol this day received, for sale by F. TAY
L< 'It
Also, the hundredth volume of Harper's Family
Library, containing Professor Uphain's Outlines of
Imperfect and Disordered Mental action. may "21
Dicks complete works, cheap?
Comprised in 7 volumes, of about 1(K) pages
each, well printed, anil neatly liounii in cloth, ami
containing nis Chrialiuti Philosopher, Philosophy of
Religion, Philosophy of a Future State, Celestial Sce
nery of tlie Heavens, on the Improvement of .Society,
his Essay on Covetouinesn, ami Ins Essay on the
Mental Illumination ami Mpfal Improvement of Man
kind.
"\TEW NOVEL by Hotl'man, author of " A \Y in
i.\ ter in the Went."?GREYSLAI5R, a Romance
of the Mohawk, '2 volurns, this day received for wale
hv P. 'l'avlor . Also volumes 10-1 and lOfiof Harper's
Family Library, containing "Life and Travels of
Mungo Park, and the Natural History of Animals.
July 7.
I^EDERAL GOVERNMENT.?History of the
Federal Government for tifty years, from March,
17H0, to March, 1 rtHi), by Aklcn Bradford, L. L. D .
editor of the Massachusetts State Papers. &c., <.Vc.,
just received, for Kale by F. TAYL< >R,
July 33 Immediately east of Gadsby's.
jyrOVEABLE BINDERS.?For keeping, in a
1 book-like form, Newspapers, Pamphlets, Let
ters, Music, or anv other pajxT* which should be kep.
In regular order. All the various sizes are just receivedt
For sale by F. T A YL( >R.
Immediately east of Gadshv s.
H UMPHREY'S CLOCK, Nob 5 and ti. The
August No. of Lady's Book The Fatalist, or
the Fortunes of Godolphin. - vols.
A >vstem of Practical Medicine; Dissertations on
Fevers, and Diseases of the skin. Edited by Alexan
der Twecdie, I vol just received by
F. TAYLOR,
Immediately east of Gadshv s I Intel.
s
C'HOOL PR KM IUM B( H )K S, in groat variety,
lor sale v??ry low by F TAYLOR,
Immediately east of Gadshy's.
BOTTA S HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN
REVOLUTION, O HEAP?In two octavo
volumes, handsomely printed and well bound, 8th and
last edition, containing over'nine hundred pages, with
engravings*. Priee for the set 75. just received and
tor ?ale by F.TAYLOR.
June 17
F\t Ul IFJt \VIIITFi Nt I.PIItH NPIilNON.
rI"MIIS establishment, |{) miles from Alexandria. T*
a C . and Ilfi from Fredericksburg, is again open for
the reception fit"company, and will be conducted with
iiiwH' energy than ever. Every tiling within our reach |
will he done to make the guests more comfortable than \
heretofore at the bar as wedl as in the dining ami hed j
rooms! The Bathing Establishment will be complete j
?supplying the bathers with hot nndcold free stone !
and sulphur water at pleasure. The lovers of music
will find the band unsurpassed.
It may be due to the Public, as well as ourselves to
say. the virtue* of the waters have been strikingly ex- j
emplified in several other cases odropsy this Spring ;
so much so as to have confirmed in the minds of many, j
the opinion that an almost infallible remedy for that
ntilictinn dis ase is here afforded.
The better to accommodate the Public, nrrangc
inents have been made for keeping the establishment
open thi whole year. The charge for board, from the
|*l.>th ot Oetoherto 1st June, will be barely sufficient
! t?? cover the additional expense, per week ; an l.du
j ring the month of June, and from mth September,.^ 10
j per week; $"'{.*? per month: for two months; and
i hn- thr , , -i nn. commencing ' ?th June and ending 1st
j October, : being less than 75 cents per da v to those
who stay the whole season. Bonn) per day ^"2. Meals
I and hugging r>0 cents, t'hildren under twelve years
! a jt?', and colored servants, half price white servant?
| three-fourths price Horses .">0 cents iier dav
I ri Weekly stages will run trom Alexandria and
? Fre.lerick.bursj; after 1st July they w ill run dailv.
The -'ilisei ilier. as Mpcfftitcnatnt. with the approval
i if the President, of the company. (Mr Jones Green,)
I li i? ene e'ed t he serv i.es of such assist int. as entitle
i 11i'ii t<> 'i >|ie that genera! satisfaction will be oiven
| jv 7 OawflW DAMEL WARD
I )U.BLK' LANDS ?General public acta of ('on
I <rre-- respecting the snb' and disposition of the
I uhlie lands, with the instructions issued from tiuieto
lime bv the Secretaries of the I'reasurv. anil the Com
i inis-ioners of the (general Land <? dice, and the offi
ei d opinions Of the Attorriiea General, on questions
nrisinj under the Land Laws -, running fro 1 I77t>t^
the present time 8 vols, octavo, with many maps
plats, engravings of surveys of Indian lands, reserva
ions 1'C &c A few copies only for sale by
july 11. F.TAYLOR.
FOR THE kUDUONUN.
TO THE BY-GONE YEAR.
Oh joyous year, anil art tliou gone forever"!
Passed into glooiu with all thy fairy hurt,
A bright wreath Hung on Time's o crwhelming river,
No more it* sweets around us to diffuse?
A strain that only once has charm'd the ear,1
A sweet tale told but once, that we 110 more shall
hear.
Yea, but the memory of thy days departed
11 us fttiil the |>ower to thrill our hearta with love;
1 low many joya with thee to being started,
No l?|>se of time can wit! er or remove.
1 call thy vamsh'd hours around me here,
And bless thee in my heart, thou rapture-bring
ing year!
I call them round me from the lirat spring hours, '
When the sky shone with chequered glance and
gloom,
The wild birds sung to the awakening flowers,
Earth was all mingled melody and bloom.
Anil sky, and sea rejoicing?and my heart
Of the glad whole a very pulse and part
And summer in her rosy ved enshrouded
In smiles and blushes radiant as a bride;
Flinging from skies all tearless and unclouded
Pure beams of joy, yet silent in tier pride.
The bright blue waters, voiceless in their glee,
And earth all glad with silent |ioetry.
Through many a lovely scene my steps have wan
der'd,
Seen but before in fancy's waking dream;
In old Melrose's shade I've sadly (Hindered,
By the pale planet s far and tickle gleam?
O'er many a shiver'<1 H[>ear, and tarnish'd crown,
And lorty name to death and dust gone down.
And I have stood in (tensive meditation,
By the lust home of Scotia's mighty dead;
He who sent forth o'er all the wide creation
The sunshine of his soul, like glory shed?
A lone fair spot?each flower its incense brings,
And his own Tweed a ceaseless anthem sings.
And the lone place of graves where thou art sleeping
Klopstock?oh! holiest,minstrel?I have trod?
Where the high Linden o'er thy head was weeping
A shower of sete leaves on the hallow'd sod.
And the sad autumn breeze went wailing by,
With its wild lyre of plaintive melody.
Free from the cares our mortal life that cumber,
Beneath the skies of thy own German land,
Deep, deep, and holy is thy dreamless slumber,
And round thy urn entwined by pious hand,
A garland waves, though fragile be its bloom,
A fairer decks thy brow beyond the tomb.
Tliou music land! upon my soul returning
To hail thy name, what cluster'd ipemories start,
The gem-like stars in heaven and ocean burning,
Thy flowers and stnrs are colored OO my heart.
All link'd in one fair chain, in which I knew
No shade of gloom, gave that one word, adieu !
?Tliou hast entwin'd, oh loveliest year and brightest,
A wreath for me, of friendship'* living flowers;
Cull'd when thy skies were sunniest and lightest,
Yet losing not their bloom with wintry hours.
But ever spreading forth more fair and dear,
For this I bless theo most, thou swiftly gliding
year!
Yet not to thee be all the glory given?
Father of every good ! to thee 1 bend?
And pray, wheree'r niv earthly lot be driven,
I may not want thy love, Almighty friend'
Tliat twined iound me and mine it still may be,
And I for all may give the praise to thee!
1. A. S.
Extracts from tin' .1 <ldress of the Central
Committee of Faucu ier, to the People of
tluit County, on the Army Hilt.
Taking ourselves to be a portion of the ''citi
zens who have subscribed their names to state
ments,of whom the President speaks so harsh
ly and unbecomingly too?as the society in which ,
we have been bred lias taught us to think?we
will again remark that We invited those who
controverted our statements to put their denial
in Writing, and point to the specific fact dented.
The President has animadverted on one only of
?our facts; we have a right to insist, therefore,
that all the others are admitted. We gave, in
an abridged form, the several sections of which
Mr. Poinsett's details were composed?some of
them we gave word for word?we assume that
we have been accurate in this. We stated that
the Secretary of War had, in his report to the
President, set forth the heads of a certain scheme
for organizing the militia, which we quoted.
The accuracy of our quotation not having been
questioned, we assume that it is admitted. We
gave, too, an extract from the President's Mes
sage, which, as we contended, endorsed the Se
cretary's plan. In this it is said we have offend
ed ; and, in the strong, not to say discourteous
language of the President, we attempted to prove
"an unfounded assumption by the publication of
a garbled extract from that document, with its
true meaning/uIsified bv the suppression of a
material part." We will remark, en passant,
thai as we had taken upon ourselves the respon
sibility of attaching our names to the publica
tion, and issued it amongst our neighbors and
acquaintances, some of whom eat the bread of
the President, whilst others are his " sink or
swim" advocates?where the means of instant
correction were in the hands of every body, as
the omission was of three words only, and it
was the only inaccuracy complained of?a little
of that charity which he so largely bespeaks for
his own conduct and motives might have indu
ced him to suppose that it was accidental, and
that his sense of decorum would have led him
to use less offensive terms than "suppress" and
"garble" and u falsify." The same charge
was made against us bv his organ, the Qfobe,
and in the same style; whence we infer, that it
is to gratify his palate as well as to indulge their
oir/t natural propensities that the conductors of
that print lilt its columns with ribalry and abuse.
Hut let tkat pass.
Our extract is in these words: "The present
condition of the defences of our principal sea
ports and navy-yards, as represented by the ac
companying report of the Secretary of War,
calls for the early and serious attention of Con
gress; :ind, as connecting itself intimately w.ith
this suUject, I cannot recommend too stronglv
the pla n submitted by that officer for the organi
zation of the militia of the United States." The
true Message read thus: " The present condi
tiotf of the defences of our principal sea-ports
and navy-yards, as represented bv the acconi
panyi og report of the Secretary of War, calls
for the. early and serious attention of Congress ;
ai>d. as connecting itself intimately with this
subject, I cannot recommend too strongly to
your consideration* the plan of that officer for
*F rom the President's letter to the honorable Rice
(iarl ind. il is clear that the words "to your considera
tion" constitute the omission which lie says falsified
the ti'ue meaning of his message No others were, in
point of fact, omitted by any of the " citizens who j
sign> fd their names to statements,'' &<?
the organization of the militia of the United
State*." The sentence which precedes this in
the Message relates to the graduation law, that
which follows it, to the Florida war, and there
is not another sentence or word in the Message
which relates to the Secretary's plan for organi
zing the uiilitiu; so that the charge of garbling,
suppressing, and falsifying, rests on the omis
sion of the words " to your consideration:" and
the difference complained of is, that of strongly
recommending a plan to an individual and btrong
ly recommending it to his consideration. Ac
cording to Webster, the word " recommend"
means " to praise to another?to offer or com
mend to another's notice, or kindness by fa vor
able representations?to make acceptable.?to
commit with prayers.'''' Let us take the sen
tence as the President penned it, and substitute
for the word '? recommend" any of the significa
tions of that word above-mentioned :
I cannot too strongly pruise to your conside
ration the plan, &c.
1 cannot too strongly, by favorable represen
tations, commend to the notice, or kindness, of
your consideration, the plan, <&c.
I cannot too 3trongly make acceptable to
your consideration the plan, dtc.
I cannot too strongly commit with prayers
to your consideration the plan, dcc.
Now, strike out the words "to your consider
ation," and insert the words "to you," and tell
us the difference which would be thereby effected
in the meaning of the sentence ! And yet it is
upon this different mode of expressing the same
idea that the President litis ventured to Charge
us with the intentional suppression of the words,
"to your consideration-"
Suppose a man to be afliicted with a sore dis
ease, and some doctor, in whom he has not en
tire confidence, should prescribe a remedy :?
the family physician is called in, analyzes the
compound, and finds it to be a deadly poison.
Instead of exposing the empyrick, he says to his
patient, " 1 cannot too strongly recommend to
your consideration the potion of'that gentleman."
is patient takes it, and dies. Is the physician
not a murderer? If the plan of the Secretary be
as deleterious as the People have pronounced it
to be, the President may take his choice between
the alternatives which he presents to the citizens
who have subscribed their names to statements
which ke calls absurd and preposterous, and
either confess his own ignorance and unfitness
tor his high office, or his having presumed on the
ignorance of others.
Again: It is only by virtue of an express pro
vision of the Constitution that the President can
meddle with the deliberations of Congress, and
exert the influence of his office in originating
laws: and he does this upon his responsibility
for the necessity and expediency of the mea
sures which he recommends to the consideration
of Congress. Article 2, section 3, of that instru
ment, declares that "he shall, from time to time,
give to Congress infonnation of the state of the
Union, and recommend to their eonsideratiori
such measures as he shall judge necessary and
expedientWhenever, therefore, in the per
formance of his constitutional duty, the Presi
dent recommends a measure to the considera
tion of Congress, it is because he judges it "ne
cessary and expedient." And, if he did not
think the plan of the Secretary necessary and
expedient, he violated hisoath of office when he
"strongly recommended to their consideration
the plan of that officer." It is upon this mise
rable quibble, founded upon an accidental omis
sion, which did not change in the slightest de
gree the sense of the extract?a quibble which
would cast ridicule upon the lowest pettifogger
?one which we would not have condescended
to notice had it come from any other quarter
that the President Of the United States iias step
ped out of his way to write and publish to the
American people?of a portion of that people
who had calmlv and respectfully canvassed nis
measures?such language as the following:
"We have been compelled to see, not, 1 should
think, without shame and mortification on the
part of every ingenuous mind, whatever may be
its political preferences* the names of respectable
citizens subscribed to statements that 1 had, in
my annual Message, expressed my approbation
of a plan, which not only never had been sub
mitted to me, but was not ever matured until
more than three months after the Message was
sent to Congress: and an attempt to prove the
unfounded assertion by the publication of a
garbled extract from that document, with its true
meaning falsified by the suppress ion ofa inateri
al part." We will not follow his example by cha
racterizing bis conduct in terms which it would
warrant. No. We belong to a different school
of manners as well as morals from that in which
he has taken his degrees, and will not stoop to
bandy epithets with Martin Van Buren, Presi
dent of the United States.
Let us look a little into the President's logic:
He says that his Message was garbled ami a
part suppressed, and thereby its trtie meaning
was falsified. We have seen that the only words
omitted are, "to your consideration." Now,
give to these words all the force which *>ven the
imagination can impart to them, and how do
they alter the meaning of the sentence? In no
possible way but as qualifying his recommenda
tion. They bear upon the question of degree?
force?earnestness ; or, at most, upon the ques
tion of recommendation or no recommendation,
and not upon the question, ichat did he recom
mend ? The only question on which the mes
sage was ever quoted is, whethef or no the Pre
sident endorsed the plan recommended by the
Secretary in his November report, of which he
spoke jn his meassage; and the words, "to your
consideration," bear upon that question only.
Yet the President complains that, by their sup
pression, we have so falsified his meaning as to
make him recommend a thing which did not
exist until more than three months afterwards,
and thus would make the words, ''to vour con
sideration," mean the thing recommended ! Ad
mirable logician. We argued that he was con
nusant of the details reported on 20th March, not
from the premises of the President, but from the
tact that the Secretary had said, in his Re|>ort,
that he was then prepared to submit a plan of
them to him. And so we argue now: and you
mav judge now, as you judged then, whether the
argument is weak or forcible.
In the polite language of the vocabulary of the
palace, we have also Been charged with betray
ing ignorance ourselves, or presuming upon the
ignorance of others, in our commentaries upqn
the first section of the proposed plan, which, in
e.vpre** terms, requires the militia to furnish
their own arms. We have anticipated this, and
all the other grounds taken by the President, in
our address ; and if you will honor us so far as to
read it, we shall, we trust, satisfactorily sustain
the position which we originally took on that
point.
We will now ask attention to the statements i
of his excellency, and endeavor to show bow far
he has subjected himself to the charge of a de- i
parture from truth, and presuming upon the ig- j
norance or subserviency of his supporters. Be
fore, however, we enter upon this inquiry, we
will premise that his Virginia correspondents put
to him a very plain and direct question, which '
not only admitted of, but required a categorical |
answer. "Do you approve of Mr. Poinsett's |
scheme for the orginiz.ition of the militia?"
Now. if ever a question was framed which ad- |
mitted of a simple answer, yea or nay, this is
that question- The plan had been the subject ,
of discussion in the newspapers and in Congress, |
from the middle of February until late in June. 1
Surely if he did not understand it when he re- I
commended it to Congress?if ever he can un
derstand it, and ever will make up his mind upon |
it before the bill is offered for his signature?he
must have done bo by the :ilst July, the date of
his letter. Yet, instead of giving a direct nega
tive or aflirmative, he flew off to the nlans of
Knox and Jefferson, and Ham-son and Jackson,
and having his correspondents through two co
lutus of the Knquirer, he leaves them to collect
his opinion from the beginning, or the middle, or
the end, or from their own imaginations. He
has said enough, however, to skow that he neither
disapproves of, or means to abandon the mea
sure. We have uot space to enter upon an'an
alysis of this part of hi* letter, but we beg such
of you as peruse our address, to collate it with
the facts which we adduce. We return to his
statements with regard to the mis-called Mr.
Poinsett's plan.'
To enable you to understand and apply the
language of Mr. Poinsett, in his letter to Mr
Ritchie, and that of the President in his letter
under review, it is necessary that you should
bear in mind that there are three documents in
relation to this subject. First, the Report of the
Secretary of War, dated 30th November, 1839,
and addressed to the President of the United
States?(not to Congress, nor to either House,
nor to any committee of Congress; prepared by
the Secretary of War, strictly in his relation as
the head ol a Department, to his Executive
chief;) appended by the President to his annual
Message of the 2d December last, and so trans
mitted by him, the President, direct to Congress.
Secondly, the detail* of the plan, of which the
Report contains the heads, and which the Re
port informs us were matured and ready to lie I
submitted to the President on the 30th Novem
ber, 1839. And, thirdly, ''the plan reported to
Congress" by the Secretary, in obedience to the
resolution of the House of Representatives of
9th March, 1840. The critical reader will re
mark that, by grammatical construction, the lan
guage of both the Secretary and the President*
refers to the latter plan only; and it is only by
confining it to that plan that the President can es
cape from having uttered a plain and palpable
untruth. He says that the plan of which he
speaks, "not only never had been submitted to
ine, but was not even matured until more than
than three months alter th?? message had been
sent to Congress." Now, if a plan which was
drawn out in detail, and prepared to be submit
ted to him, was matured when it was so drawn
out and prepared, then the plan which he re
commended to the consideration of Congress
was matured as early as 30th November, 1839.
It would be most extraordinary it' it were other
wise. The Secretary had been laboring upon it
from early in March to the last of November?
had he accomplished nothing but a sketch of the
outline? His Report contains the heads, a table
of contents, an abridgment, an index. Did ever
a man abridge a book before it was written? Is
the. table of contents, or the chapter, the book,
or the index, first composed? A man may
sketch an outline for his own use, and, in filling
up, be will find occasion to enlarge, retrench,
and obliterate; but who ever gave a mere outline
as the result of his labors, when called on to per
form such a task as that imposed upon the Sec
retary by the resolution of the Senate, and the
request of the Chairman of the Committee of
the House, in March, 1839? Mr. Benton's re
solution required "Reports on the military and
naval defences of the country, shewing, First,
the fortifications, or other permanent defences,
commenced, completed, projected, or deemed
necessary;" and proceeds with the same minute
ness of specification throughout; and concludes
by asking that the reports should communicate
"any other information or suggestions which the
President may deem necessary to be communica
ted to Congress, in order to exhibit a full view of
what is necessary to be done, and the jprobnble
cost thereof, to place the United States in a pro
per state of defence, by land and water, and on
each of the four great lines of defence which her
frontiers present." Mr. Poinsett says, in his
letter to Mr. Ritchie, that immediately after the
passage of the act which placed ten millions of
money at the disposal of the President, to enable
him to meet and repel any hostile movements
on the Northeastern frontier, with militia?an
act which, he says, "defined (that as),the des
cription of force to which the defence of the
country was to be trusted in the event of war?
the Committee on the Militia, of the House of
Representatives, required me to prepare a plan
lor the better organization of the militia of the
United States." And did he, in the perform
ance of this duty, furnish nothing cut the
sketch of an outline? It was possible that the
Secretary might not be able to accomplish more;
but, had that been the case, he would have said
so, and either acknowledged his inability to per
form his allotted task, or asked for more time.?
How did lie perform a similar task imposed up
on him by Senator Linn's resolution of October
14th, 1837? By reporting a matured plan, with
all its details. It is for the very purpose of fur
nishing a matured plan, and drawing up details, i
that these references are made to the heads of i
departments. They bear the same relations to |
the committees which call on them, as the coin- ]
id it tees do to the House; and when was it that i
a committee reported the outline of a bill, leav-'
ing all the details to be supplied by the House? t
Whv, then, it may be asked, did he not furnish
the details in his report of November. 1839??i
Simply because it was no part of his plan that
they should be submitted to Congress. He re
served them for the President. But it is not at |
all'necessary to gojinto this reasoning, nor would '
we have detained vou with it if we were oppo- !
sed to a less formidable adversary, The Secre- I
lary himself furnishes direct and positive proof
that the whole plan, details, and all, were inatu- ,
red 011 the 30th day of November, 1839. and .
gives the reason why the details were kept back, j
After going through the heads, he says: ''But |
the details had better be left to regulation, a
plan of which I am prepared to submit to you.
The difference between this language and that ;
used in reference to the call from the Senate, is |
very striking. After giving an account of the
condition of our defences, (and woful account it j
is,) and furnishing in part the information re- |
quired by the resolution of the Senate, he says: j
"In a report preparing, in reply to a resolution
of the Senate calling for information on this sub- !
ject, I shall enter into all the details connected
with it." He was not prepared to submit a '
phin of those details No, they were preparing
?not yet matured?but he uas prepared to
submit a plan of the details "for organizing the
militia:" that plan teas matured.
Now, the President mav take his choice; he i
may say that the plan which he avers was not
matured until more than three month? after this
report was, as the Secretary calls it in his letter
to Mr. Kitchie, "the plan reported to Congress,"
and not the plna mentioned in the November re
port. Or he mav say that it iras the last named i
plan. If the former, then were we to borrow :
our language from his vocabulary, we should 1
say that he may have told the truth in words, \
but has practised a deception on his readers. If
the latter, we have disproved his assertion by |
the report of his own Secretary, sanction! d bv i
himself. We doubt not but that he meant to i
take shelter under the first |>osition.
"The plan reported to Congress" v as not en- \
tirely matured when the November report was !
made. The plan of the details which was pre- :
par* il for the private eye of the President, re ,
epiired to he a little softened before it was com '
municated to Congress. Wo can ?e?- w here a
limb or two were pruned a little. The number
of districts was increased from eight to ten, and
?The one in hii letter to Mr Ritchie, ?nd the otber
in hit letter to Mr C*rv and other?
their limits reduced. Mr. Rives had comment
ed on the word "stationed" in the heads, and
shown that it ?ave the President power to
march the militia of Maine to Florida, and "ata
Hon them there. This potent word was pruned
away, anil the power of the President limited to
calling them out to uny place within their res
pt< live districts. These, and others which may
have been necessary, required the plau to be re
' ,a^1' the labor of which employed a portion of
"? N-n days which elapsed between the call of
"? House and the report of 20th March. And
tin, explains the whole matter.
Itt r discussing the question, whether the mi
^rii.?",,",'10','!l,lutionally'" l,e ralJ,'d '?to ">e
?in I i 'it ? United Btates for "training,"
ai d telling us, "Nor i* it believed that they
would m general be properly instructed and
disciplined, unless they are called out and re
ceived into the tervice oj the I nited State*,"
an instead of giving to the proposition the de
eded negative which the constitution has triven
it, putting us of! with "it would teem to be a ne
cessary inference" that the power to prescribe
the /Usciphnt, does not earry the power to call
out the militia and receive them into the service
States for training, and finally reserving the
decision of the (juestion "until it becomes ne
cessary to act officially in the matter," the Pre
sident says, "Mr. Poinsett seems to have been
more sensibly impressed with this obstacle than
his predecessors," Ac. A greater error is not to
be found in the fetter, nor i ven in the lauded re
ports ol the committees of the two Houses, than
this assertion.
In the 17th section of ''the plau reported to
Congress," it is proposed?
"That I lie /'resident of the United States
>'? authorized to call forth and assemble such
number* of the active force of the militia, at
such places within their respective districts, and
at such tunes, not exceeding twice, nor
days in the year, at he may deem necessary;
and during such period, including the time when
going to, gnd returning from the place of ren
dezvous, tliey -hall be deemed in the service of
Stater, and be subject to such regu
lations as the President may think proper to
adopt lor their instruction, discipline, and im
provement in military knowledge."
Ill this single section, two most important
provisions ol the Constitution are violated.?
!? irst, that which reserves to the States the
power to train the militia; and secondly, that
which confers on Congress, not the President
the power to prescribe the discipline, or in the
language of the section, the "regulations for
heir instruction, discipline, and improvement
in military knowledgv." The Secretary's atten
iou was called to the first by the chairman of
the committee of the House, and in answer to
an objection not raised by his own sensibility to
constitutional difficulties, but by others, he pro
poses to accomplish his purpose of placing the
active and reserved corps under the command
ot the President, by a device unconstitutional
to wit: by procuring the assent of the States ;
as if the assent of a State Legislature could en
graft a new provision on the Constitution, and
trsnsfer to the President a power expressly re
served to the States! So much for the Secre
tary s sensibility to constitutional difficulties!
i ?,,V not sPace '? transcribe from the plans
ol \\ ashington, Jefferson, Madison, Munroe,
and Jackson, extracts to show that neither of
them ever contemplated this violation of the
rights of the States. General Harrison, in his
report of 9th January. 1818, says: "Congress
having power to provide for governing the mili
tia only wheil they are in the service of the
l nited States, and the' authority of training
them belonging to the State Governments, the
committee have not deemed it proper that Con
gress shall prescribe the time to be devoted to
tr1al,m,n"', or manner in which that object
shall be best effected. It is the duty of the State
Legislatures to enact the necessary laws for
that purpose. The Committee deem it a suffi
cient exercise of the power to provide for discj
}Himng the militia, to direct the appointment of
the necessary officers, to prescribe their duties,
and to provide a system 'of discipine, compre
hending the camp duties, instruction, field exer
cise, and held service ol the militia." So ex
clusively does he deem "the authority of trniu
I ing' to pertain to the States that he thought it
necessary to amend the constitution in order to
give to Congress a power to train them "cow
| currently ' with the States?and yet the Presi
dent says that Mr. Poinsett evinced greater
sensibility to constitutional difficulties than ''his
predecessors !"*
The President says, "It is but lately that my
attention has been particularly drawn to this
subject." How far back the word "lately" may
carry him according to his version of it, we will
not undertake to say ; but this we do say, that
his attention was most particularly drawn to this
subject as far back as the 5th of December,
1837; that as early as that day he originated
and recommended the leading and unconstitu
tional features of the plan, and both he and his
organ, the Globe, have from that day down to
the Message of 24th December last, and to the
time of the retreat which was sounded by Mr.
Ritchie, nressed it upon Congress and the na
tion ; and for proof we reler toliis messages and
articles published in the Globe, which we have
commented on in our address.
I he President savs: "some surprise has been
expressed, and doubts appear to be entertained
of the correctness of his (the Secretary's) de
< la rat ion that the plan was not set'o by mc or
submitted to my consideration before it was
communicated to Congress. Those who take
this view of the subject, entirely overlook the
fact that such is almost invariably the case (ill
all similar occasions; and that in replying to
calls made upon Hum by cither branch of the
legislature, the heads of departments act for
Congress and not for the President; except
on occasions where his acts are brought into
question."
From the nature ot things, it is not to dc ex
pected that we should have it in our power to
disprove this statement. Whether the Secreta
ry submitted all his reports, and if not all, which
of them, is a question which it is difficult for any
save themselves to answer. The duty of botn
requires that it should be done. The President,
according to his own doctrine, has ihe power to
control the Secretary in all things, and as the
price of that power he is, in the language of his
predecessor, bound u to oversee1"1 and " it re
sponsible'''' for all his official acts;" " the entire
action of the executive department," as the Fro
test hath it. Now it i> a rule of law, as well as
reason, that every public ollicer is presumed to
do his duty until the contrary appears, so that
the burthen of proof lies upon the President,
This presents us in a strange altitude; the Pre
sident declaring that he does not do his duty,
and we maintaining that he does; for we shall
prove, difficult a*- it may appear, that the Secre
tary (lorn submit Ins reports to the President,
although they are prepared in obedience to calls
made upon him by one of the branches of the
legislature, and do not relate to "occasions
where his (the President's) acts are brought in
question."
The first call that was made by "eitherbranch
of the legislature," on the present Secretary,
that we have met with, was by a resolution of
the Senate, introduced by Mr. Linn on the Nth
of October. 1^17. at the extra session. That
call was directly on the Secretary, and in no
respect related to occasions where the Presi
dents acts were brought in question." The
Secretary responded to this call on the 30th
December, K!7, the regular session. His re
port in answer to this call, was not only sub
mitted to the President before it was sent to the
Senate, but whilst jt was in preparation; and
this is proven by the President s own trie? age,
sent to ('ongress on the 5th December preced
ing. twenty-live days before the report. In that
? We Imvr gone more fully into tbi* |??rt of the
subject ir> our review ol the report" of the eommitiee*
It became necessary to advert to it again when we
nrr examining intp th# correct n??a of the I'resi lent ?
"statement*."