Alabama state intelligencer., 1831-08-13


 Navy Department, and would find an Attorney Ge- neral somewhere observed that my course was fixed and could not be changed for all the offices in the Presidents gift; and it made no more difference to me than to any other person. whom the President designated to take my place. In the evening of the same day. Col. J. called again, and informed me that he had just been with the President, who had drawn up paper explanatory of what he had in- tended and expected of us; that some of his Ten nessee friends had been with him for several hours that his passion had subsded and he had entirely changed his ground: He would not insist on our families visiting Mrs Eaton; he only wished us to assist in putting down the islanders against her. that he believed her innocent, and he thought our fami- lies ought to do what they could to sustain her, if they could not visit her; and that he wished to see me the next day. Col J. added that the President had been exceedingly excited for several days but was now perfectly calm and mild. The next day waited on the President, and opened the subject by stating that Col. Johnson had informed me that he wished to me; to which he assented, and went into long argument to show how innocent woman Mrs Eaton was, and how much she had been perse- cuted, and mentioned the name of a number of la dies who had been active in this persecution, and that the lady of foreign minister was also one of the conspirators adding that he would sendh and her husband home, and teach him and his master that the wife of member of his Cabinet was not to be thus treaed that Mrs E. was as pure and chaste as Mrs Doneson's infant daughter, but there was a combination here among number of ladies, not those of the Heads of Departments to drive her out of society and to drive her husband out of office; but he would be cut into inch pieces the rack be- fore he would suffer him or his wife to be injured by their vile caumnies; that he was resolved to have harmony in his Cabinet, and he wished to join in putting down the islanders against Mrs Eaton I ob served to the President, that had never considered it incumbent on me to investigate the character of Mrs Eaton; such service did not in my judge ment, come within the scope of my duties to the go- vernment; it belonged to society alone to determine such matters. The power of the Administration could not change the opinion ofthe community, even if could be properly used to control the relations of domestic life in any case The society of Wash ington must be the Dest judges of whom 1t ought to receive. I regretted the difficulties winch Maj Eaton labored under and had felt It to be my duty not to aggravate them. l had intended at an early day to have had conversation with hlm on the sub ject with view to have our socal relation dehned, but no opportunity had offered, without volunteering one and it had not been done in that way. The course I had taken was, however, adopted with great care, to his feelings as much possible, consistently with what due to my family, and the community with which we were associated. considered the charge of my family to be sacred trust, belonging exclusively to myself as member of society The administration had nothing to do with it, more than with that of any other individual and political power could not be properly exerted their social intercourse and was important to his reputation to have it understood that he did not interfere in such matters That was not aware of any want of harmony in the Cabinet I had not seen the slightest symptom of such feeling in its deliberations and was perfectly certain that my of hcal conduct had never been influenced in the slightest degree by feeling of that nature. saw ground therefore for the least change on my part in this respect. To which the President replied, in changed tone, that he had the most entire conf- dence in my integrity and capacity in executing the duties of the Department and expressed his perfect satisfaction, in that respect, with my whole conducts he had never supposed for moment that my off cla acts had been influenced in the least degree by any unkind feelings towards Mai. Eaton; and he did not mean to insist our families visiting Mrs Eaton: He had been much excited, for some time past, by the combination against her, and he wished us to aid him Tn putting down their islanders, adding that she was excluded from most of the invitations to partes and, when invited, she was nsulted that the lady of foreign minister before referred to had insulted her at Baron Krudeners parry. remarked, that some justice might be done to that lady on that occasion; although she might not choose to associ- ate with Mrs Eaton, did not think she intended to insult her; she ght have supposed that there was some design not altogether respectful to herself in the offer of the attendance to supper of the Secreta ry of War, whose wife she did not visit, instead of that of the Secretary of State, which, according to the usual practice, she probably considered herself entitled to. Twas present, and saw most of what had happened. She evidently thought herself ag- grieved at something, but acted with much dignity
 
 fered to Mrs Eaton. He replied that he had been fully informed and knew all about it and but for certain reasons which he mentioned, he would have sent the foreign Minister before referred to- and his wife, home immediately. After further con- versation on this and other matters in which con sidered the President as having entirely waived the demand made through Col. Johnson, that my family must visit Mrs Eaton, as the condition for my re- manng in office, and in which he expressed himself in terms of personal kindness towards me- I took my leave. He did not show me, or read, any paper on the subject"
 The public will now, be at no loss to determine upon the true state of the facts of this case Mir highlands very full statement is taken from notes made at the time, and which were shown to me shortly after they were made. In repeated conver- satlons with Mir Branch recollections were found to concur. The transaction of nature calcu- lated to awaken all my attention. and to impress it. self indeliby upon my memory I claim no bene- fit, therefore, from any supposed imperfection ofhs faculty, and expect to be believed because I speak the truth
 In relation to the statement that the paper drawn up in the handwriting of the President was shown to me, the denial of which most explicitly repeat, if charity is to perform her holy office in reconciling these conflicting assertions, it is much more easy to believe that the memory of the President may have failed on this occasion He saw and conversed with various persons this subject and has to rely upon his memory for the fact of having shown this paper to different individuals. Each 0f those indiuidaals Is required only speah tor ht,nsey. The of the transaction was such that it could not have es- capped the recollection of either of them.
 It was impossible ifsuch paper had been shewn not to have demanded, and to have persevered in the demand to have the names of the persons on whose information the requiston made No would have consented to have the conditions on which he should continue in office prescribed to him. on the ground of combination, the evidence of