Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1831-08-04
. y III LII Wv
Jso. NJ. BERmEN, Esq
Washington, 1911 Inc. 1881.


SIR: | received TO day your note of last
night, IN which you call my attention 10 an
article IN the u. s. Telegraph Of the i7lh
inst relating TO your wiie--snd desiring TO
know whether willsanction or disayow that
statement, you add, ''the relation we have
sustained towards each other, authorizes me
to demand an immediate answer"
10 this inquiry preferred as a matter Of
right. and presented in the form of demand,
mT answer must he briei 1t consists in the
simple denial OF the claim which YOU asst RI.
cannot recognize your right 10 in;errogate
me, concerning The statements OF the Iele-
graph, or OF any ether public Journal, which
are made without my agency. You might
with equal propriety select an article from "A
ny newspaper III the Union. Tor die purpose
OF putting NE 10 the quesiion--and II The
claim which you assert be well founded, |
might be required at the instance ofany per-
son sggrleved TO give my confession Of faith.
in relation 10 the various statements t. be-
found in any OF the journals, in which my
name may chance to be mentioned. Such
demand, therefore. cannot be admitted for a
moment But although cannot recognize
your right, either as derived from the rela-
ten which we have sustained towards each
other, or from any other source, to make the
demand presented by your note, ann not
quite sure, looking to the position in which
we stand before the public, that can acqut
myself to the community or to mysel(lor de-
clining to answer your inquiry.
In the progress OF those events which have
at length resulted in the dissolution Of the
Cabinet, my determination has been not TO
do any act which was calculated to provoke
controversy, nor 10 deyIate under whatever
urgency from that line of conduct, which any
own sense Of propriety prescribed Acting
upon this determination, | have necessarily
pursued course, which a refusal to answer
your inquiry, might seem TO indicate an IN
Willingness 10 a,ou. Such an inference
would be unjust as it regards myself, and
decisive in relation to the public. Although
therefore have the most unaffected reuc-
lance to enter upen such subject, and GER
tainly do not acquiese in your right to de-
mand IT,, it seems 10 me that you have by
making the inquiry, imposed upon me the
obligation to do so, from Just consideration
of what lowe to myself and TO the public
have then TO state 10 ysn, that up TO the lime
Of your marriage, had not heard the ru-
mors, which have since in various forms, been
presented to the public, and was ignorant of
Mrs. Eaton's relation TO the society of tsis
place accepted your invitation TO be pre-
sent at your wedding, therefore. with no dis
trust of the pIorriety Of my doing SO, other
than that which resulted from nv ewn situa
ton at that period. You are yourself no
doubt aware how much that event, and your
subsequent introduction into the Cabinet,
made these rumors the subject Of cenyersa
4
rance OF that which was publicly and gene
rally spoken of. and il consequently became
necessary for me, embarrassed as the qIes
ton was, BY the official relation in which we
stood to each ether, Is determine upon my
future conduct In doing this, il did not
seem to me TO be necessary, to decide upon