Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-08-15

hao Saken tho oath OF Office, composed his first en-
binet, or ascertained the extent Of his duties tn
amount of his deficienciss, and the oouseouanca.
bus dsrelictions. Already could DO seen through tb,
vista of time, the entire influence of his great ofc,
directed to the single point of choosing his success
Sor and sacrificing the present good of the country
10 the pernicious phantom of securing an heir &c
the empire.
The parsonage who had thus revealed to me in au
ticpation, the perverted character of Cen Jackson
although recently rendered notorious by name for
his prostitution md purchase of the newspaper
press, IS SO little knows to the public, that end q
portraiture of his character Indispensable to the
progress of these letters. Major Lewis is remark
pie tor ms awkward and unga,nly person. down
iooK. indicative ol tho conscious duplIcity of his
mind, and repuisve countenance harsh and pby
seal in exprcsson being more of the
Indian, than of intellect, science or literature
Some has said never trust that man. ,rhosc cues
you cannot fr to the glance IF your o,rn. An app.
cation OF this maxim to major Lewis, would consign
nm to the most perdious, faithess and trea
order OF tho sPecies--in which. believe, most of
his friends have already arrayea him. This gentle
mau affects TO be tho facfotxs of the president-he
is major domo-privy OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES coun-
sciior-the hatterer-tho echo, the carry -all-and
the fech-ail, besides being guardian of the infabi
lily OF the general, corresponding secretary to the
palace, second auditor of the treasury &c &c e
Upon him devolves the, management Of state oec-
tons, the choice of ambassadors the. selection of
candidates for congress, and the vice presidency
The homey appearance of this great copy of the il
ustrious Gil Bias, impressed many with an idea of
his honesty-but under this rough bark runs the
smooth sap oflow cunning, and Mr., Lewis becomes
as dangerous from his duplcity, his hypocrisy and
his love of romance, as he is Formidable ns man of
consequence, from the multiplicity of his functions
first appearance impressed me with an idea of
ms modestyTbut near.vew of his character dis
Peiicd tins illusion, and convinced mo- that the low
voice, the down look, and the tiH,id STOP bespoke
qualities Tar removed from diffidence virtue or
truth.
BY the interposition of this piece Of palace furni
ture, tho object of my seeking direct interview
with the president elect, was of course circumyen
during the evening at tea, had no oppor
tunity OF private conversation. Doctor Ely engros
sed most of his attention. Mr.. Branch, that i'm
age OF inanity, with Il large rolling eye beaming
nothing, and expressing vacancy, was present,
thinking with the ladies. Mr.. Hayne of South
Carolina, appeared on the ground in cold relief.
MAJ Eaton came n-dissembled his surprise at see
ing me better than could have agned--but immc-
date1y took the general into another room and held
private conference. The effect of this interview in
the altered manner of tho general, was evident;
but still he dissemblcd all emotions under his Won
ted courtesy, as to avoid any marked expressions
of rudencss, resentment-that he was cha fed |
however, by what Lewis and Eaton must have CON- |
as to the object of my vista compli-
ance with first principles, manifest in his con-
lracted brow, and bridled energy of tone and en-
phasis. L left him, confirmed in all my previous
ofruin to the and dissolution to |
The party-sick ut beholding the dire effects of
court intrigue wrought by men scarcely elevated |
above contempt and in respect cal
culated to extort esteem, or command admiration.
had tor the first time and converscd with !
Andrew Jackson; and the impression fell so far
short of expectation, that sudden Revision of
feeling inspired the deepest regret and modification.
L did not call on him the succeeding day. whether
restrained by aversion, disgust dependency, it
would be difficult to toll; and to assign agency
to all these feelings, would be nearer tho truth.
10 friend who had accompanied me to Wash |
ington, i impaired tho convictions which obser-
Inns far had lac
of events, then in their inception and
progress. The theory this: that major Eaton
had an unbounded and controlling influence over
general Jackson and that determined to exercise |
It to his own exclusive advantage; he had formed |
the scheme, not only of securing power to himself
and friends for eight years. in violation of the orig
inul compact--but also OF selecting his successor
TO tho presidency in the person of Mr.. Van Buren,.
70 effect this scheme, Inc had chosen cabinet for
tho president, every member OF which should come
in under the sense of personal obligation to Mr.. Ed
ton and that IN order not to eclipse himself, he
had with the exception of Mr.. Berrien selected men
ofthc greatest medocrty of talent, then be-
leved That the movement of the Pennsylvania |
delegation in favor of Mr.. Ingham, made at |
the INSTANCE of Eaton and The president in order
to furnish Pretext for getting rid of Mr.. Baldwin,
to whom tho treasury had been pledged. THAT he; |
Eaton, was now to appear on tho stage ofe1tefhal
greatness, competing for honors, and ambitious of
preierment; that In consideration of having chosen
Mr. Van Buren heir to the empire, Mr.. Van Buren,
That this theory was nearly correct. has been
shown by every event that has subsequently tran
spircd. But the direction of machinery deli |
cate, as well immense, not to be made |
by man of such humble talents as Mr. Eaton, es- |
pcciaily when the success of the whole plan to
turn upon the success of the preliminary scheme,
to coerco Mrs. Eaton into the limits of exemplary
society. Here detected the motive for bringing
in every member of tho cabinet. under the of
personal obligation to Mr. Eaton: tic of gratitude
which Is urged by the official paper at Wash
ington, constituting the very of culpa-
bilty and dishonor in the dismissed secretaries 1t
calculated at the time that this tie of gratitude
would quench all feeling of virtue, and lead TO eve
~ violation of honor and selErespect the part
of those on whom the supposed obligation con-
ferrod. How infatuated must that man have been,
who could depend frail tenure for his inlu-
cnco, and the success of his schemes7 But ambi
ton had made him giddy,- and power presumptu-
Gus.
On the morning of the second day after my
rival again called upon Gen. Jackson; and to
answered in the negative. My inducement for ma
king this visit, paragraph in the Telegraph
of the same day-stating, that the president was
DESTROYS of obtaining the opinions OF all his friends
upon the subject, who invited to call on him,
without reserve, for that purpose His denial that
the cabinet yet formed, agreed perfectly with
the article in the Telegraph, that TO have doubted
it would have been impossible. As was about TO
open Il conversation upon this subject, in
terruptcd by visitcrs-and took my leave, after
having accepted an invitation to tea in the evening,
when ne observed we would have more time for
discourse. ] omitted TO state that on the day pre-
ceding, had called upon Gen. Green, the Editor
of the Telegraph, who, on the subject Of the cabi-
net remarked, that the President would be glad to