Mr. Calhoun inherited a quarrel with Jackson from George Graham, his pro tempore predecessor in the War Department, This Mr. Graham was the gentleman ("spy,” Jackson termed him) despatched by President Jefferson in 1806 to the Western country to look into the mysterious proceedings of Aaron Burr, which led to the explosion of Burr’s scheme.  This was enough to secure the bitterest enmity of Jackson, who wholly and always favored Burr’s design of annihilating the Spanish power in North America, and who, as President of the United States, rewarded Burr’s followers, and covertly assisted Houston to carry out part of Burr’s project.  Graham had sent orders to Jackson’s subordinates directly, instead of sending them through the chief of the Department.  Jackson, after due remonstrance, ordered his officers not to obey any orders but such as were communicated by or through himself.  This was a high-handed measure; but Mr. Calhoun, on coming into power, passed it by without notice, and conceded the substance of Jackson’s demand,—­as he ought.  This was so exquisitely pleasing to General Jackson, that he was well affected by it for many years towards Mr. Calhoun.  Among the younger public men of that day, there was no one who stood so high in Jackson’s regard as the Secretary of War.

The Florida war followed in 1818.  When the report of General Jackson’s invasion of Florida, and of the execution of Arbuthnot and Armbrister reached Washington, Mr. Calhoun was the only man in the Cabinet who expressed the opinion that General Jackson had transcended his powers, and ought to be brought before a court of inquiry.  This opinion he supported with ardor, until it was overruled by the President, who was chiefly influenced by Mr. Adams, the Secretary of State.  How keenly General Jackson resented the course of Mr. Calhoun on this occasion, when, eleven years afterwards, he discovered it, is sufficiently well known.  We believe, however, that the facts justify Calhoun and condemn Jackson.  Just before going to the seat of war, the General wrote privately to the President, strongly recommending the seizure of Florida, and added these words: 

“This can be done without implicating the government.  Let it be signified to me through any channel (say, Mr. J. Rhea) that the possession of the Floridas would be desirable to the United States, and in sixty days it will be accomplished.”

General Jackson dwells, in his “Exposition” of this matter, upon the fact that Mr. Calhoun was the first man in Washington who read this letter.  But he does not say that Mr. Calhoun was aware that Mr. Rhea had been commissioned to answer the letter, and had answered it in accordance with General Jackson’s wishes.  And if the Rhea correspondence justified the seizure of Florida, it did not justify the execution of the harmless Scottish trader Arbuthnot, who, so far from “instigating” the war, had exerted the whole of his influence to prevent it.  It