Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-09-29

trsth. lie manifested his disposition to submit TO
what lie had thus treated n aggression upon his
| feelings, without having received any Autonomous
for it,
| But the nature Of tho ohcneo OF which Mr.. E,
! ton complained. Will still more conclusvoly prove
mat Inns was an empty menace, conceived in tho
yam hope ofdctorring me from exposing the real
nature oil the transaction, winch was tEon engaging
| the public attention. The statement in the 'rcc.
graph was that my family had refused to associate
with ms When, IN answer to his demand, [ avow-
ed the truth of that statement, my offence consis.
ted in the simple assertion of this fct. Was this
| 7 ground, on which 20 call Il man 20 mortal com
bof L had perfect right to refuse this assoca-
! ton. Mr. Eaton admits it. ! offered no violence
TO ms feelings by avuwing that had done so, rs
the terms Of his reply very clearly prove why
| then was tho demand madc1 1t was ain idle bravo
do, the object of which to obtain such an an
swor, as might be perverted to his purpcscz, and
III every event to admonish me, that he armed
and 'n the iietd. Thereafter, I was to act under
The influence of this salutary caution
! ms first attempt manifest failure. An
opportunity had been afforded to Mr.. Eaton to car
~ out his purposes, far AZ | was the object of
them. Whether 1t arose from u altcriug spirit or
! from his own conviction of the absurdi:y of his
demand, he did not avail himself oft The fact
! That such correspondence existed, soon became
! Known 10 the public, and they were not slow IL,
| expressing their view of il. 1t became necessary
| therefore to Mr.. Eaton TO make an effort to re-
trlevc ms affairs and certain expressions in my for
MGR address were seIz 81 upon for this purpose. II
IS tins correspondence, which he says has event
uatcd IN discrimination my part to shrink from
responsibility, and il is that determinations impu
| ted 10 me- in utter disregard OF truth, which has
called forth the rrbaldry which cmbclIishcs his APP
peal 10 tho public. That public shall have an op-
poriunity TO decide for themselves, on a full view
OF tho transaction, which MIR. Eaton has misreprc
scntcd whether he has any legitimate claim 10 the
triumph of which he hoasls-whcthcr on tho con
trary, he has not presented to them statement
wholly DEVOID OF truth, in relation to Il transac-
ton, III which his conduct has been distinguished
by every thing rather than its chivalrv
Mr.. Eatons second demand upon me- was found
90 upon certain expressions in rny former address
The alicdgcd offence, consisted in the statement
that "thc annuucaton OF the names of the inten-
dcd cabinet seemed to me to present all ins,lpcra-
bic baf," to my acceptance Of otiicc--that ~ thot
torcsaw clearly the evils which have too Obvious
y resulted from this sciecion'-that my ultimate
determination to enter the Cabinet, founded or
the belief that the President would 'spccdiiv sec
and correct the evil Assuming that tho objection
here referred to, applied exclusively to him: and
the relations OF his family to the community in
Which he lived, which is neither warranted hy the
language OF the address nor consistent with tho
tact MIR Eaton, thought himself authorised with
out farther enquiry, to make instant demand of
satisfaction 80 absurd pretension, put forth by
any man. and even for tho first time, might have
been promptly rcpclcd by simple denial Of the
right to make il. If believed that the relations
al Mr.. Eatons family to the community of Wash
lngton, would he productive of embarrassment 7
had an unqucstIonablo right TO allow this consider
|
II called upon 10 state the motives To that conduct
had rs manifest right to avow it. | am quite
sure, on reflection, chat public opinion would not
nave tolerated the acceptance of call, so utterly
8r"undieSs' whatever the circumstances under
which Il was made.
But DIR. Eaton had another difficulty 20 contend
with He had already made and waived i demand
for an offence, which if it vas one certainly incI,
dcd thus surely, if it offensive to sneak of
the relations of i!!s funiiy TO the community Of
:" oshlngton as an evil. which was likely to en-
barTass tie operations OF the Cabinet it was much
more TO declare that such had been nv own view,
OF the subject, that had refused 10 permit nv f.n
ly to associate with his-and that | had declared
my determination retire from Office rather than
snoinlt 10 aich TCQuSitIog. i ct TO this dcclara-
/ lion, Mr. Eaton had previously submitted and r
ter considering il for several DAYS had vl,drnv,p
| the peremptory demand which he had made upon
me III June last with expression OF his gratiiica-
non ut TINS result OF that correspondence Was
bound thus to await The cbb and flow of his resent.
mcnts, Of his disposition TO indulge them? TO
conform myself to the ttful humors of man,
whose purposes were thus absurd and vascillatinp?
do not mean to say, that | would regulate my
conduct by the acquisitions OF any arbitrary code of
honor, when these conictcd with my oNy! sense of
propricty; but / assert without the fear of contra
dictlon that even according to the maxns of that
code to which he had appealed l1r. Eaton had for
iclt"d all claim TO call upon me- by his previous
submission 10 that which he had treated as an Of
fence, and for which he lad received no atone
nlcnt.
/ he firc selected by Mr. Eaton for max ing this
second demand, coupled with the rcfusa! to receive.
the answer, which transmitted him, furnish
howcver, the most conclusive evidence of the real
! spirit in which that call was made; and prove
Whatever might have been the hopes of those who
/ had cOunScilcd Countrnanccd this proceeding.
that, with him, it a mere bravado The wrong
! Of which Mr.. Eaton complained in his note of the
! nth juno, Ayowcd, and unacned for. I'm
this posture Of things, he waited until my appeal
| to the public had placed me in a situation which
until / could discngagc myself, would necessarily
prevent me from turning aside to answer any mi
| nor claim Under tho alleged authority Of the
President Of the United States, nn ssue had been
| rendered 10 and forced upon me- Called to speak
! tho truth, had pledged myself to a statement of
facts in the face Of the American people, from the
/ support c? which could not suffer myself to he
diverted by any other consideration The rcdcrnp-
| ton OF That pledge was due TO the public whose
/ decision lad been compelled TO invokc-and 10
/ my own honor. It impossible to forcscc by
/ whom, and in what particulars, that statement
would be assailed; and it was my duty to he at my
/ post, and in readiness 10 defend it. Under such
! call of Mr.. Eaton, would, aim now satisfied, have
| subjected me TO universal reprobaiion. a short
! time might probably suffice, to enable nc to fulfil
my duty to the public in this matter; but until it
was performed, 1t was my first duty. 1t is inpos-
/ slbc to believe that Mr.. Eaton could have been
insensIble to these considerations lie was on the
! spot; deeply interested in the occurrences Of the
/ day; an active agent in producing most of them
lie ehose Tins precise point Of time tn present his
ISecohd 51aiE7d I1c did moro: his friend, who is
| presumed to have acted in conformity to his in.
strucuons, refused TO receive an answer, which,
/ far from declining his call, care him the rlost