The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1831-09-27


made. From that time he broke off all in
hercourse with me. official as well MS private
Soon after the Cabinet was organized, in.
soatons Of thos" secret views, which Mr..
Berrien now openly avovs, began TO manifest
themselves Tho motive was not apparent,
vet was it sufficiently evident, that there was
a settled design to put ban on my family
and render my position at Washington dsa.
rreeable to me. This was to be promoted BY
all the nni AMI Importance which high
station conferred on some of my colleagues
Confederacies were formed, and eif,rs made
TO awaken prejudices. To give countenance
10 the confederates, and 10 aid their efforts,
old ISLANDERS were revived, and new ones cir.
cuated. Families coming 10 the city, were
beset on the way, and on their arrival. No
means which ingenuity could invent, or NAL
ice make use of, were left untried to give tone
10 public sentiment, "to make il concentrate"
and force the President to separate me from
his councils. Hop, gave the assurance that
in little while he would see public opinion
concentrated and would speedily correct the
evil"
Let me not be misunderstood. never,com.
planed Of any one, for not associating with
Ine or my family. 1t is the right of every
man. of every woman, to visit whom they
please. To see my house filled with unwilling
or reluctant visitors constrained TO call by the
command of power, could never be desired
by me. Happily was never dependent on
such authority for friends. associates and Wis
tiers. Always, when my doors were open, at
"large partes," and at social calls, met
friends. with cordial hearts and happy faces,
who evinced by their frank and open demean.
or that they came ofther own voliton, and
not through hope Of reward, or fear of pun
IL L. = I Il 4 e
my colleagues, or therfamllies, nor some of
their associates Of the same political stamp;
but met ladies' and gentlemen quite as re-
spectacle. and equally as agreeable. IT. as
is true, and my family were not invited to
the houses of Messrs. lngham, Branch and
Berrien, so neither were they invited TO mine,
and in this we were equal ; and neither, as |
conceive, had right to complain.
Mr. Berrien's family never did refuse to Wis
it with mine. for they never had the opportuni.
". Custom required, when they came to the
city, being last in their arrival, that we should
first call on them, FIVE desired their acquain-
tance but we never did call.
How ridiculous does this single fact render
mr.. Berrien's publication, which lie has set
forth with such grave formality. He had as
certained the sense Of society here, he says,
and conformed to it in this matter, when in
to or depart from it. lie maintains that the
President threatened to dismiss him, because
he would not compel his family to visit where
he did not choose they should, when in fact
they never had an opportunity to visit there.
Throughout he presents me and my family
rs craving the society of his, which he haugh.
tily refused, when, in fact, the first, the nat
ural, and the usual advance, on our part, had
never been made.
Ii will be seen, then, that had the President
SGT out to regulate the intercourse of society,
and to direct its social relations. he ought 10
have begun with me, not mr.. Berrien. He
must have threatened to dismiss ME, if | did
not compel my family first to call on his and
leave CARD. What! FORCE mr.. Berrien,
under such circumstances, to FORCE his fami.
Iy upon us The President certainly ought
first to have FORCED us to give them an op
portunity TO decline our acquaintance. TO
FORCE together unwilling people, and par
ticularly TO begin with the wrong persons,
would indeed appear an odd and strange pro.
cedure.
In the autumn of 1929, new attacks began
TO be made, in whispers, on my integrity. 1t
was said had conspirea with my wfe's first
husband mr.. Timbcrlake. to defraud the gov.
ernment of large sums ofmoney. Other at.
tempts to get rid of me, having failed, was
now to be presented as being in default to
the government, through fraud practised on
it. Mr.. Tmbcrlake had been Purscr in
the Navy, and this charge was based upon a
reported deficiency in his accounts with the
public and on n private letter Of mine, detain.
ed in the 9TH Auditors office, showing that
on my suggestion, he had RENTED money to
me. Copies of my prirate confidential letters
to him, had been taken from the Office, that
might not escape through aPprehended indml-
gence and fnror, on the part Of mr. Kendall.
Matters were considered well arranged, and
the proof complete to show, that this dclin
quency was wholly occasioned by remi,tan.
ces OF money to me, and which was yet in my
possession. Such were tho whispers circu.
lated through the society of this place. But
close investigation, which occupied some
time, showed that mr.. Undertakes account
had been deprived, through series Of sh ock
ing frauds, Of credits to the amount Of from
l2to S2On)O. and that Justly he was largely
creditor. not debtor, To the Government.
But with mu,ila,ed books-abs,ract of &C.
counts missing, and the inventory gone from
the Department, his family can only appeal,
unoer all The circumstances 10 the justice
and honor Of the country, for redress.
While slan6er held its open day, and mid
night round Of Whisper on this subject, | re.
ceived from some malignant being, who sub.
scribcd himself Iago, the following note /:
"Sir-I have written letter IN Mr. Kendall
about tho money that paid for O'Neals houses
You know what mean. Revenge is sweet, and
have you in my power, and ] will roast you
md boil you, and bake you and | hope you may
long live to prolong my pleasure. Lay not the
fattcring JUNCTION TO your soul that you can cs
cape me ! would not that death, or any evil
thing, should take you from my grasp Tor half
the world"