Richmond Enquirer

Messrs. Woodbury and Waterhouse—The Letter!

The Boston Atlas, harped on by other Whig presses, has propagated a report that "It is the present determination of General Jackson and his advisers to prevent Distribution Bill from going into operation at all hands—and that to effect their object, advantage is to be taken of a quasi war, got up for the purpose with Mexico, which may afford the President a pretext for evading the responsibility of withholding the surplus money from distribution. The letter which discloses this iniquitous plot, was written by Mr. Woodbury to Dr. Waterhouse of Cambridge, and its contents have been vouched by gentlemen of this city of unquestionable veracity, to whom Dr. Waterhouse had shown the letter."

The Globe denied the story in the following decided manner:

"Every word of this [the charge against Mr. Woodbury] is a most egregious falsehood. The President has directed every preparatory measure to be taken to place public money in deposit with the States on the 1st January. The Secretary of the Treasury, with his usual promptitude, has already directed the necessary transfers of money to be made to the banks in the different States, to meet the arrangement, and in many instances these transfers have already been effected. He has written his circulars to the Governors of the several states, and sent on the forms for the papers which are to be executed, that the whole business may be fully understood and provided for in time, by the State Governments.

And it will be seen that the President, far from seeking a war with Mexico, as a means of wasting the public treasure, has countermanded even the march of the volunteer militia, unadvisedly ordered by Gen. Gaines, for the protection of our own frontiers from the Indians."

The Whig presses continuing to lie about the matter, Dr. Waterhouse has thought proper to contradict by publishing the following copy of the original letter:

"Washington, 8th July, 1836.

"Dear Sir—Yours of the 2d instant deserves my best acknowledgments for its numerous useful suggestions.

"The naval bill, as to Admirals, did not get through both Houses, and our friend Elliott, with some other gallant fellows, must longer feel the pangs of hope deferred.

"Our overflowing treasury, which is so often prayed for, will, I fear, prove a curse. I am determined to execute the late law faithfully, though I have misgivings as to its fatal influence on the sound relations heretofore existing between the States and the General Government.

"The President wishes me to express his thanks for your kind remembrance of him. He leaves this city in ten days for Tennessee.

I believe the ensuing Presidential election is to be unusually quiet and will not allow myself to despair of the Republic, however portentous may be some of the signs of the times.

"Should we become involved in a real or quasi war with Mexico the surplus may never be divided or will soon be recalled. At all events the whole will be wanted in '41, if not earlier. Five millions are to come off the present tariff in 1841, alone.

Mr. Adams's health has not been good the latter part, but I saw Mrs. Adams quite well at church last Sunday.

Truly and respectfully,
Your ob't servant,
LEVI WOODBURY.

Hon. BENJAMIN WATERHOUSE, Cambridge, Mass."

The N.Y. Gazette though Whig speaks well when it says that the version of the letter as communicated to the editor of the Atlas does not seem to be sustained by the actual text. But all the factious opposition can but misrepresent and pervert the letter.