150 



Su cmsrress, which attempts to palliate the variations in Mr. Rus 

 sell s two papers, by representing incidents like these, as crafty 

 wiles of mine to ensnare his innocence ? 



Mr. Russell complains that, after the original of his letter had 

 been found, the duplicate should have been communicated to the 

 Blouse at all. He complains that I should have presumed to make 

 remarks upon both of them. He complains that I went to the 

 House of Representatives on the 6th of May, and there in person 

 sought for a member who would consent to make the call which 

 was necessary for the official publication of my personal remark?. 

 As usual, part of these statements is true, and part is riot my call 

 at the House of Representatives on the 6th of May, was accidental ; 

 being on my return from witnessing the experiment of Commodore 

 Rodgers s noble invention at the Navy-Yard. I did not there seek 

 for a member who would consent to make the call. I never asked 

 any member to make the call ; though I told several members who 

 spoke to me on the subject there, and elsewhere, that it was my 

 wish the documents should be communicated to the House. The 

 President s message to the House of the 4th of May, which Mr. 

 Russell had seen before he left the city, had informed the House 

 of my desire that the letter should be communicated, together with 

 a communication from me respecting it. 



The truth is, that my desire for the communication of Mr. Rus 

 sell s letter to the House had commenced on the same day that his 

 own had ceased. Mr. Russell, from the 26th of January to the 

 22d of April, had been indefatigable in bis exertions to bring this 

 letter before Congress and the public. He had procured the ori 

 ginal draught of it from Mendon ; he had procured the call for it 

 from the House ; he had endured the toil of re -writing, with his 

 own hand, at least once, a letter of seven folio sheets of paper - t 

 he had brought, and delivered it with his own hand, at the Depart 

 ment. At the moment of fruition his appetite fails him. Doubts 

 of consequences to himself, as well as to others, seem to flash across 

 his mind. He leaves the paper For what? For communication 

 to the House, in answer to their call ? No ! &quot; To put it in the 

 power of the person tvho might consider liimself the most liable to be 

 affected by its publication 1 for the &quot; previous examination and 

 consent of the ADVERSE PARTY.&quot; He seems to invite objection to 

 its being communicated. He is quite indifferent whether it be 

 communicated or not, and, it not communicated, he desires that it 

 may be returned to him. But to make its terrors irresistible, he 

 has double and treble charged it with crimination of violated in 

 structions ; and to vouch his charges, has twice armed himself 

 with official copies from the Department, of the cancelled part of 

 the instructions of 15th April, 1813. 



I had never wished for the communication to the House or to the 

 public of the letter, until I had seen it. The effect of its perusal 

 upon my mind was certainly different from what Mr. Russell ap 

 pears to htwe anticipated. I saw at once what it was and what i f 



