have impeached yourself. You have raised the seals of secresy and will now compel me, against my will, to expose you. You have a right to know I was willing to spare you, but you now force me to it. I charged your body with the crime of passing resolulions, predicated on false premises, without a quorum. You, sir, was their presiding officer and certified to me their acts You ought not to certify a wrong, and thereby deceive me. You are certainly liable for the acts which you certify. You have forced yourself into my power, and I am sorry for it. I had no wish to expose, injure, or conflict with you. I know my duties and powers I well knew I could not adjourn your body regularly without their consent, but I also knew I could take the responsibility and cut off their correspondence. For this I am amenable to my peers and not to your body They did not make, nor can they break me; nOF can you, with all the plastic power of your council chamber, upon what you may vainly conceive to be my ruin. You, as a legal and sensible man, ought to know better. You must not assume such authority. I will not have my prerogative infringed. I presume you have intercepted correspondence directed to me as the governor. If so, I consider it an assumption on your part and one of which I have a right to complain. My feelings towards you have been kind and friendly, and I would be glad for such to continue, but I believe the course you have pursued, prompted from your vain and illusory hopes, wiJI compel me to expose you. If so, you will not have me lo blame. I would willingly evade it. I would advise you as a friend, to consider the ground which you occupy and the authority by which you act, for I assure you I will discharge my duty as an officer and act promptly. I give you this friendly admonition in order that you may not deceive yourself. [To J. W. Robinson]
Respectfully, Henry Smith
69
Powered by FlippingBook