Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-09-19
ito give yos on str,onna e.hianoo os tho fttont;y


''of his friendship. As further manifestation Of tho
'rankncss which trust viii ever c&0rlcterisa my
conduct, / agree 10 meet hia this day al two o.
'clcck, in the presence Major Barry, at Mir. Van
"Yomrs. truly JOHN BRANCH.
'''To the Par IpaHr CT the Uni,od Stujcs.'
This letter, written directly anor The injigni,y
complained of offered bears impress OF in
suited feeling; ON the contrary, ii 5rc0thvs sIici
NJ Kindness aud friendship towards The President,
whom he recognises ''mcdiator," seeking, with
al,noS: patcrn0l solictude, TO heal the division
amongst thu members OF the Cabinet, and anxious
for the restoration OF harmony. Surely, in writing
that letter. which lie concludes by signing HIM
SELF ''yours truly" he could not have supposed that
the President had ]us; offered him iniigny; or,
II so, II only proves how great ypocrito he is
A. that tjr.n, did not speak. As much parade
he makes of his friendly feelings entertained
towards me. he tho very reverse Of all ,hat
the name of friend conveys; aud, knowing II, IS {
did, would not permit HIM TO seem 20 be what he
not. I had refused to return his saiuId'ions,
and declined nil intercourse, cxccp. when We met
ut tho Presidents | never complained OF iir.
Branch as lie asserts liz his letter thc public. II
was he who complained, il az all complain;
made. His letter 20 the President thanks him for
his offer to act I-.cGiator IN Our difference,
speaks OF his good feelings 'owarss :nc, and vii
lingucss TO meet me nj two O'Clock that day.
have no doubt it was his professions Of friendship
and Kindness towards me, made to the President
which indaced him to become MIR. Hranchs media
tor in this business. Ga receiving the letter, he
enclosed it TO me, and expressed wish that good
feelings could he restored between us. An inter
view took place at the of the Attorney Gen
cral, at which Major Barry and Mr.. Bcrrcn were
present.
1t was here that Mr. Branch, in the presence of
these gentlemen expressed friendship for me, and
iii the strongest terms declared that he did not
entertain unkind feeling towaIGs mt and
wished Ito bad glass IN his bosom, through which
his every thought could DC read. he spoke of the
non-intcrcourso between families, and said 10
had not The slightest objection TO free association;
but that he could not control his. promptly an
swerea that | did not desire his or any other
family TO vsi: mine, except with their own free
consent; and that il nay desire our families
should, i'll that respect, pursue such course as they
thought 1T ana proper. We shook hands, and
parted IS friends Mr.. Bcrrcn affected much sat
is!lction az this reconciliation, and pretended 10
hail 1t rs the Ear5ingcr OF future harmony and
good Will. say pretended, because, under all the
circumstances OF recent disclosure, he felt not
what he said lie did. 1t only adding another
and another fold to that cloall hypocrisy in which
he bad wrapped himself, from the fist formation
OF tho Cabinet.
snch were the incidents of Friday the 2olli CT
January, 1880, the moment Nhcn, AZ their con.lrr-
nIcations 10 tho Pn5iG disclose, they were wrjhiLg
under of deep and lasting ''ildirnilv and
outrage" al the threats Of Col. Johnson, borne to
them from the President. Where then wus the
Lofty dignity oS Mr.. Berricn and MIR Branch that
reconciliation made, and the other protest tic
good feelings winch lie entertained fer mel
Let US sec how the facts stand, if these men
speak truth. On Wednesday, the 9Th of Jluuarv,
1880, the President, through Col Johnson threat
ened to dismiss them, if they did not compel their
families to associate with mine, which they consi-
tered such an "indignity and outrage" that they
seriously thought Of rusigning. On Thursday the
2oth, the "Indignity and outrage" being unatoned,
and even uneX planned, tie President wrote Eo.a
to mr. Branch, Offering his '.fricuGiy ?cd;qfion''
to bring about-What! Not social intercourse, be-
tween our tahRi}ies-but restoration OF fricndi.,
intercourse between oUr$c!res In the morning Of
Friday, the goth, Cor he saws lie will meet no =
o'clock,) he accepted the friendly offer. thus nc
know!cdgjng tina. lac considered The President an
impartial umpire, an UnpTt JUDGED, uncxciteti and
just man, in whose hands he could trust his cha
ractoE and honcur and yet, strange tell, on the
same day, haging called the President for Soma
explanation about Col Johnson's iusultino mes
sage ne found ''the PRESIDENTS feelings ,rrre ion
much eatiste@ to weigh any reasons which raiei.t
be o!icred"! Who believe all this? l39.,
ehceJIfg," says he g G''ePt y2Hr friendly h.edi-
ntioa" What. accept the mediation OF Il man who,
Two days before, had required hIa 10 humble him
self 20 INC like the meanest slave, and had not
toned for 1t? Accept the mediation of a man yncss
feelings were SO much enlisted IL my favor. that Zee
would not listen TO reason? Impossible! Had Mr.
Branch felt that an indignty had been off red him
he would have replied to the President: "S;r vo1,r
insulting message, through Col. Johnson l.,usL Inc
first explained before / can avail myself Of Your
friendly mediation" BY his whole conduct la
showed that lac entertained no such f;,elina am, hat
the whole story about 'ind!guity and ogtraro'' * y
sheer invention, got up now TO injurc the Presi-
dent.
This letter Of Mr. Branch shows that. l., ;.dii-
ton to Col Johnson's friendly 1aediaiion the Pre-
sIdcnt was willing TO exert his own. as friend IN
heal the breach, in anticipation OF the rieetin to
which he invited the Secretaries. on FRIDAY tho
29h' to declare the basis on which nc had resolved
to fix the harmony ofhis Cabinet. Mr. Branch aud
myself, the principal difficulty having arisen bo
tween us, met, Us has heeu slated, at Mr. Berricn,s
and adjusted our relations amicubly; and vet this
reconciliation, II Is pretended, Produced ms is seen
from Mr.. Brdncii's note, by the Kind AMI friendly
lnterposItion of the President, is represented 10
have been Immediately preceded iy ''indigniiy and
outrage" and to have been succeeded by state Of
feeling too much excited .'fo ireirh ann ,egsoyr
which might be cfercd!!" How thorou~hly * all
this contradictod by Mr. Braneis OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
note?
Private difficulties were now at an end, and, as
was well UNDERSTOOD families were TO visit or moi
according TO their incliuaious. In two DAVIS fine
''indisnity and outrage" which had bcon offered 10
these gentlemen forgotten, SO much so. that
Tor t'tcsn months matters glidpd on in tolcrabIe
haPmoTy Nothing more said or heard of t!is
subject, until the President, as he had an urnuos
toned right TO do, thought proper TO request their
designations. Then were old notes and monlorau-
da Furnished up, and that over which tGcv had
slept long, Immediately became subject Of darr,
and awakening interest to The American people :,
! lie truth IS, this i0Tce, which is now broUIf ont
on the public stage, designed for different
occasion. IL was III january or February go
That taey expected 10 exhibit before tic public aud
10 unfold the tale Of threats from the President
dismissal, and taiGIy association, and all That Not
'clng dismissed then, as they expected thew laid
2 l-,1f I--.