The New Hampshire Gazette

From the National Intelligencer.

MR. MONROE AND GEN. JACKSON.

The following is the correspondence of Gen. Jackson and Mr. Monroe, relative to the letter on the subject of forming a Cabinet in 1817. A copy of the entire correspondence will probably, in a day or two, be laid before the public, through the columns of the Intelligencer.

CITY OF WASHINGTON, JAN. 16th, 1824.

Sir,--Having written a letter in answer to one from you, I think, in the early part of 1817, giving my opinion of certain characters which you had named, and who had been recommended to you for your Executive Council and Heads of Departments; and not having any copy here, will you have the goodness to furnish me a copy of that letter? If that is inconvenient, send me this evening, if you please, the original, which shall be returned to you as soon as I take a copy. Your compliance will oblige me.

I am, very respectfully, your friend,

ANDREW JACKSON.

James Monroe, President of the U. S.

WASHINGTON, JAN. 16, 1824.

Dear Sir,--Since the receipt of yours of this day, asking for your letter addressed to me about the time I came into this office, I have been engaged in searching for it among my papers, but have not yet found it. I very well recollect the letter, as well as my answer to it, and well know that I have both, and that the difficulty experienced in finding them proceeds from my having taken too good care of them. I will continue my search to-morrow, and I hope with better success, unless I may have left them in the country. Your letter did you honor. It expressed noble and manly sentiments, having for their object the preservation of our Republican Government, by a generous exercise of power, by the Republican party, in a way to inspire general confidence, and draw the Union together. I hope, however, to find your letter to-morrow, and in which event I will send it to you.

With great respect and sincere regard, yours,

JAMES MONROE.

Gen. Andrew Jackson.

WASHINGTON, FEB. 22, 1824.

Sir,--The four private letters heretofore addressed to you by me to wit, of the 23d October, and November 12, 1816; January 6, and March 18, 1817, and which were last evening handed me by Mr. Hay, are returned to you. The day is too inclement for me to go out, or I should have handed them to you myself, as requested by Mr. Hay, and promised by me.

Mr. Hay shewed me Mr. Lowrie's note. I could not discover from it the date of your letter that he had obtained. I have to request that these private letters of mine to you be safely preserved, as it may become necessary for me to ask for a certified copy of them. I have not a distinct recollection of the substance of your several letters, to which mine are answers. If you know the date of your letter to me that Mr. Lowrie is possessed of, I will thank you to advise me, that I may write home for the original.

I am, sir, with due respect, your most obedient servant,

ANDREW JACKSON,

James Monroe, President of the U. S.

WASHINGTON, FEB. 22, 1824.

Dear Sir,--I have no knowledge of the date of the letter to which Mr. Lowrie refers, nor can I imagine in what manner any letter of mine to you or other friend should have got into the possession of any one. At the time that I was about to form an administration, I communicated freely with some members of Congress, who had co-operated with me in the war, and in whom I had perfect confidence. I also corresponded with some other friends at a distance. It was natural, at that time, that I should communicate to those near me the opinions of distinguished characters at a distance, as having weight in my decision, as to the arrangement. But I have no recollection of giving any copy of my views on the subject to any one. The copy in question, if correct, must be resorted to for unfriendly purposes, and in breach of confidence, and has probably been purloined. I recollect writing you a letter, in answer to yours recommending Colonel Drayton, in which, I concurred with you in the great result, that the President ought to be the head of this nation, rather than of a party, but thought that that result could only be brought about by time, considering the circumstances in which we were then placed. By perusing your letters, I find that you essentially concurred with me in that sentiment, although you inclined to the opinion that such men as Col. Drayton, who had given such proofs of patriotism and devotion to the cause of his country, ought to be considered as having a just claim to the confidence of the Government, and, in fact, to be considered as Republicans. The copy of this letter I have not been able to find, nor do I recollect ever seeing it, or your letters, till within a few days past, since the year 1817.

To Mr. Lowrie's note I have given no answer, nor shall I. Let him take his course; we stand where we did. If my confidence, given at the time referred to, has been, in any manner abused, or the letter been purloined, that is an incident which must dishonor the party guilty of such acts. I do not think that there is any thing in your letters which can injure you, nor in mine, in reply to them; but the contrary. Defiance, by reserve, and silence, is what the transaction, and all connected with the present movement merit.

I have done what I could to moderate and put down party spirit, believing that, by so doing, I gave the best support in my power to our republican government. It can only be put down by the republican party, and while that party is in power, by a magnanimous policy. Persecution would keep the federal party, which, at one time, was in certain members of it, a monarchical one, alive, and give it force.

With sincere regard, I am, dear sir, yours,

JAMES MONROE.

Gen. Andrew Jackson.

From the National Intelligencer.

Messrs. Gales & Seaton--I have addressed to General Jackson a letter on the subject of Mr. Lowrie's Communication which appeared in your paper of the 5th instant. The General has returned me an answer, and I have obtained from him permission to publish it. With a view therefore, to bring the matter fully before the public, I send you my Letter and the General's Answer, with a request that you will insert them in the Intelligencer. Respectfully yours, &c.

G. KREMER.

May 6, 1824.

WASHINGTON, MAY 5TH, 1824.

Dear General--Mr. Lowrie has again made his appearance in the Intelligencer, and endeavors to prove his charge in relation to the letter, said to have been written by you, to the President, and read by the President to him. The President, on a former occasion, informed me he had never read such a letter to Mr. Lowrie; and Mr. Findlay, who is said to have been, at the time, present, has stated to me, that no such letter was ever read to him. Having communicated to the editor, of the Democratic Press the information I had received, I was led to believe that we would hear no more of this letter. Subsequent events, however, shew that I was mistaken. Mr. Lowrie, in his publication, says, speaking of the letter, "Why does Mr. Hay adopt the expression used in the newspapers, rather than in my letter, viz. two federalists and two democrats?" By this, he evidently intended to convey the opinion, that he, Mr. Lowrie, had not made use of this expression. This, in fact, was the charge made--this was the question put by me to the President, and to this question was his answer given, and which Mr. Lowrie did tell me, on more than one occasion, that he would prove. Although I am perfectly clear, in my opinion, that neither folly nor wickedness can be a sufficient reason to ransack bureaus, and drag forth the private correspondence of any man, yet inasmuch as I have been frequently called upon, by my constituents, for information in relation to this letter, and feeling confident that no motive can exist with you for withholding the contents of any letter you ever wrote, I therefore respectfully ask you, in order that the public may be correctly informed, to communicate to me whether you ever did write such letter or not.

Accept the assurance of my high consideration and regard. Very respectfully your fellow-citizen,

G. KREMER.

Gen. Andrew Jackson,

City of Washington

Dear Sir--I have received your letter of yesterday; and with much cheerfulness and candor shall reply to your inquiry.

It has been repeatedly pressed before the public, that I had written a letter to Mr. Monroe, recommending him to select for his cabinet, "two distinguished republicans and two distinguished federalists;" and that to Mr. Lowrie and Mr. Findlay, Senators from the state of Pennsylvania, the letter had been read. I have not been able to persuade myself, that the act was so, inasmuch as our correspondence was private and confidential--because Mr. Findlay, who was present, has no recollection of it--because no such letter was ever written by me--and, because the President denies that he read any such letter, or indeed, any letter at all. I regret that Mr. Lowrie, in presenting this matter, should not recollect one material circumstance. When first it was spoken of, he stated to me, and to others, that a letter purporting, and declared, to be mine, had been read to himself and Mr. Findlay, by the President, which advised that his Cabinet should be formed of "two distinguished republicans, and two distinguished federalists." My reply to him was, that no such letter had ever been written by me; that so far as I could recollect, only one person, Col. Drayton, of South-Carolina, had been recommended to him; that I had suggested to the President the propriety of appointing him Secretary of War; for the reason that he was a man of high and honorable feelings, honest, virtuous, and of energetic character. Personally, I knew not Col. Drayton: but from information of his general character, felt satisfied he could do more to correct the feuds which unhappily prevailed in the army, than any other man of whom I had any knowledge. The contents of my letter as read to him by the President, that two distinguished federalists, and two distinguished republicans should be selected, was not only stated by Mr. Lowrie to me, but to yourself, and to Mr. Eaton, of the Senate, and to others.

He has changed, however, his ground, and now says, it was a recommendation to the President, to form his Cabinet from the two great leading parties of the country. Both statements are alike unfounded; no such letter was ever written by me; on the contrary, my advice to the President was, that in the selection of his Cabinet, he should act upon principles like these; consider himself the head of the nation, not of a party; that he should have around him the best talents the country could afford, without regard to sectional divisions; and should, in his selection, seek after men of probity, virtue, capacity, and firmness: and in this way he would go far to eradicate those feelings, which, on former occasions, threw so many obstacles in the way of Government; and be enabled, perhaps, to unite a people heretofore politically divided. I gave it as my opinion, that the best evidence of devotion to the government, its constitution, and laws, which any could afford, was, when these were assailed, to venture forth in their defence, and maintain them amidst privations and at the sacrifice of domestic quiet. That names were mere bubbles; and he who would, as Col. Drayton had done, abandon his fireside and the comforts of home, and continue in the defence and protection of his country, through the war, merited the confidence of the government, let him bear what name of party he might; such a man I did recommend to Mr. Monroe; he was one I had never seen; yet one whose conduct, character, and good qualities, entitled him to any and every confidence. As well might the conclusion be adduced, that I had recommended a selection exclusively from one or the other of the parties, as that the cabinet, from a motive of policy, should be kept equally poised, by appointing two of each, or my advice was, to select men of probity, virtue, and talents, without regard to party.

The voice of Washington, in his farewell address to the nation, was, that party animosity was not to be encouraged, because "it was calculated to distract the public councils, and enfeeble the public administration;" and, with his, the voice of every patriot will accord. Virtue being the main pillar of a Republican Government, unless virtuous men shall be drawn into its administration, the fabric must tremble. Designing and corrupt men may cover their intrigues under a pretended love for virtue and patriotism; but a truly pure man will be without disguise, verifying, as he passes along, the old adage, that the tree is best known by its fruit.

My letters have, by the President, and with my consent, been placed in the hands of a mutual friend, Mr. Eaton, with permission to publish them whenever he pleases to do so. I care not when it is done, or I am without concealment of any kind. My opinions and sentiments, such as they have been written, or expressed at any time, each and every one are at all times welcome to. In public or in private letters, I but breathe the sentiments I feel, and which my judgment sanctions; and no disposition will ever be entertained by me, either to disguise or suppress them.

I am very respectfully, your most obedient servant,

ANDREW JACKSON.

GEORGE KREMER, Esq.