Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1831-08-04
stood them differently from what have.
] have the honor to be, very respect
fully, your obedient servant
=, S. ID. INGHAM.

l.. -. -. lNGtAM.
Hon. Richard M. JOHNSON.
Mr.. INoHAM's Statement, a copy of ,chich
ttas enclosed IN his letter 10 Col JOHNSON.
On "Wednesday, the 9th Of January
1881, Col. johnson Of Kentucky, waited
on me in the Treasury department, and
after some preliminary conversation in
which he expressed his great regret that
my family and that CT Mr.. Branch, and
Mr. Berrien, did not Visit Mrs. Eaton, he
said that it had been subject of great
excitement with the President, who had
come to the determination of having har-
mony in his Cabinet by some accommo-
dation Of this matter. He, Col. Johnson,
was the friend of us all, s. had now come
at the request of the President to see
whether any thing could be done: who
thought that when our ladies gave par
ties they ought to invite Mrs. Eaton, and
as they had never returned her call ,ifthey
would leave the first card, and open a
formal interco curse in that way, the Pres
ident would be satisfied, but unless some-
thing was done Of this nature, he had no
doubt, indeed he knew, that the Presi-
dent was resolved to have harmony, and
would probably remove Mr.. Branch, Mr.
Berren, and myself. l replied to COL
johnson, that in all matters of official
business, or having any come ection there
with, | considered myself bound to main
tain an open, frank, and harmonious in
tercourse with the gentlemen was asso-
ciated with. That the President had
right to expect the exerton Of my best
faculties, and the employment ofmy time,
in the public service. As to the family
Of Mr.. Eaton, felt an obligation on me
not to say any thing to aggravate the DIFF
fculties which he labored under, but to
observe total silence and neutrality in re-
lation to the reports about his wife, and
to inculcate the same course as to my
family, and if any other representations
had been made to the President they
were false. Having prescribed to my
self this rule, and always acted upon it,
/ had done all that the President had a
right to expect That the society of
Washington was literally organized );
there was but one circle, into which ev-
cry person Of respectable character dis
posed to be social was readily admitted,
without reference to the circumstance of
birth, fortune, or station which operated
in many other places. That we had no
right to exert official power to regulate
its social intercourse. That Mrs. Eaton
had never been received by the society
here, and it did not become us to force
her upon It; that my family had therefore
not associated with her, and they had
done so with my appreciation, and that
the President ought not, for the sake Of
his own character, to interfere in such
matters. But if he chose to exert his
power to force my family to visit any
body they did not choose to visit, he was
interfering with that which belonged to
me, and no human power should regulate
the social intercourse Of my family, by
means of official or any other power
which | could resist. III could submit
to such control l should be unworthy of
my station, and would despise myself
That it was mjnently due to the charac-
ter of fthe President to have it known that
he did not interfere in such matters, and
that the course we had pursued was pre-
servative of his honor and political stand
ing. | had taken my ground on mature
reflection, as to what was due to my fam
lily, to my friends, and to the Adminstra-
ton, without any prejudice against Maj.
Eaton or his wife, and had fully deter
mined not to change it, whatever might
be the consequence.
Col. J. said that he had been requested
by the President to have conversation
with the Secretary of the Navy and the
Attorney General also but, from what |
had said, he supposed it would be of no
avail. The President had expressed a
hope that our families would havo been
willing to invite Mrs. Eaton, to their large
parties, to give the appearance of an os-
tensible intercourse, adding that he was
so much excited that he was like roar
ing lion. He had heard that the lady of
a foreign minister had joined in the con-
spiracy against Mrs. Eaton, and he had
sworn that he would send her and her
husband home if he could not put an end
10 such doings. / replied, that it could
hardly he possible that the President con-
templated such step. Col. J. replied,
that he certainly did and again remark
ed that it seemed to be useless for him to
see Mr.. Branch and Mr.. Berrien. Itold
him that each ofus had taken our course,
upon our own views ofpropriety, without
concert and that he ought not to con-
slider me as answering for any but my
self He then proposed that l should
meet him at Mr.. Branch's, and invite
Mr.. Berrien that evening nt 7 o'clock !;
which was agreed to. Col. J. came to