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TEXAS STATE LIBRARY
in which I had the power to place him; but his almost unparalleled disinterestedness and magnanimity, induced him to wave his own claims t_o office in favor of his friends; and he never could be prevailed upon to accept of any situation until he was forced by my importunaties to assume the duties of the Department over which he now presides. This disclosure I hope will be sufficient to satisfy your mind, that If I can- not now place the Dr. in the office you solicit for him, it proceeds from difficulties insuperable in their nature, and not from any want of a disposition on my part to serve either him or yourself. The disclosure will also corroborate the whole history of his •life· which contradicts the possibility of his being willing to wear a wreath which is to be snatched from the brow of another; and however pleasing it might be to his friends, (myself among the number) to see him invested with all the honors to which he ii, entitled by his many virtues, yet I am sure that he would not accept au office from my hands, if he had any reason to believe I had bestowed it against my convictions of propriety and justice; and yet such would be the case if I were to remove Col Bee against his will at this late period of my administration for peT- sonal gratification, or pecuniaTy benefit of any of my friends. ·There is, however, another reason, independent of all other consid- erations which might dissuade me from making any foreign appoint- ment at this particulaT period. It is a right which I recognize as belonging to every administrntion to select its own friends to represent it abToad. No Executive who is mindful of his peTsonal interests, can in justice to himself permit a 1\finisteT to Teside in a foreign court, who would not defend his measures and vindicate his rnputation, with zeal and fidelity. I have not always acted upon this principle myself; but I fully subscribe to its policy and justice. Only in one instance have I felt it necessary to recall a foreign 1\Iinister in consequence of his total unfitness to rnpresent me abroad. 1\Iy appreciation of his character would not allow me to Tetain him in a situation which afforded him many facilities to do me injustice as well as to wro_ng the country. He was therefore recalled, and a gentleman. placed in his stead whose principles and feelings admitted of no question. The right which I claimed on that occasion I fully concede to my successor; and I cherish no disposition to throw obstacles in the way of his free and unrestricted exercise of a priviledge that properly belongR to him. If therefOTe, Col. Bee were voluntarily to resign at this time, my teTm of office is so near expiring, that I should doubt the pTopriety of filling the vacancy, unless I could have some assurance that the individual selected would not be Tecalled by my successor. Without such assurance, if I were to make the appointmt, I should in all probability, only subject the countTy to the unnecessaTy expense oi' a Minister's outfit & salaTy, without the possibility of its doing any good, except to benefit the recipient. Suppose, however, in disregard of all these considerations, I weTe aTbitrarily to dismiss Col. Bee, and appoint Doctor Archer in his place, what Teason should I assign to the public. It would not be sufficient to say I did it merely to gratify the private predilictions of myself or friends. The country would not be satisfied with such a reason; it would not sanction such a motive of action in a public servant; and the enquiry would naturally arise, in what respect is the
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