256 



$ite opinion, and if in his comments, public «r private, Mr. Floyd 

 should impute to me that I do, 1 can only hope that his hearers will 

 judge of my opinions as they are, and not according to the ideas of 

 them entertained by Mr. Floyd. 



i\ir. Floyd intimates that he shall hold me responsible not only 

 for every thing that I say of him, but for every thing that may be 

 said of him by persons in official stations under me. To the first 

 part of this determination I have no objection ; but he will excuse 

 me from holding myself responsible to him for what I do not say of 

 him, or for what may be said of him by any other man. The offi- 

 cial dependence of the subordinate officers of government, neither 

 !M law, justice, or equity disqualifies them for the exercise of the 

 rights, nor absolves them from the responsibility of giving testimo- 

 ny ; and the credit due to that testimony, depends not upon official 

 ijLation, but upon individual character. I called upon Mr. Brent 

 and Mr. Bailey for statements of facts, material in the controversy 

 between Mr. Ftussell and me, and known only to them. They have 

 long held in the Department, offices of great trust and confidence, of- 

 fices for which no other than men of perfect integrity and unsullied 

 reputation could be qualified. They are not personally known to 

 Mr. Floyd ; and 1 do him the justice to believe, that if they had 

 been, he would have spared some of his reflections. But they are 

 extensively known to others, and wherever known, are respected^ 



JOHN QUINCY ADAMS, 



DAVIS 5i FORCE, TRiNy, 



