Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-07-25
Mr.. Blair to Mr.. Berrien.

WASHINGTON, July 90, 1881.
Your note of this morning will be given immcdi-
ately to the press In reference to the subject of
which it treats, you do but Justice when you say
that 81 irish to represent This matter truly to the
public" You will permit me therefore, briefly to
show the ground on which felt myself authorized
to say that syou toeH auoare that the charge
duplicating the President, ought not to be attach
ed to him, and that you had yourself explicitly
declared that he discaimed the purpose imputed to
him.
AS to the first branch of this statement which
you do not seem directly to controvert, have TO
support me the positive written declaration of Col
Johnson, i'll which he says that the President al
toays disclamcd such requsition, and that he told
you Besides this, have before me, in the hand
writing ofthe President, the Identical paper which
he read to yourself, and Messrs. Branch and Inc
ham, and which presented the attitude that he
thought his duty to ASSUME in relation to the cir
| cumstanccs which affected the harmony and char
acter OF his Cabinet. The course which he thought
proper then to adopt, predicated on informa
ton g ven him by several members of Congress
showing that combination had been entered into
i'll which yourself and tho other gentlemen named
were concerned, to disgrace Major Eaton, and
coerce his dismission from the Cabinet After
PREDATORY verbal explanation of the reasons Undue
ing the interview, the President proceeded to saw,
that II 1t were true that you had taken the course
of which he spoke, he felt himself called on to
make the declaration which he read to you from his
using his own words, mot only unjust in itself
but highly disrespectful to me' 1.-THE President
land well calculatedto destroy the harmony ofrnv
cabinet. The grounds upon which this opinion is
FUNDED, are substantially these. do not CLAN,
inc right to interfere, any manner in the do,ncs
tic relations personal intercourse IF ann member
Of my Cabinet, haze i in any manner attemDt
edit" &c. &c.
In the conclusion of the same paper, after recap
itulating the circumstances to which he wished 10
lp ,o 6
matter, "Therefore hare IsOugkt this Interview In
assure you there is any truth in the report that ,,ou
hare entered into Sie combination charged to drjrc
mayor Eaton from my Cabinet, TINT feel it an in
dignity and insult altered 10 myself and is of char
acter that ,UU he considered Of"
This is the gre und which this matter was
placed by the President in his interview with you
IN the beginning of the difficulties. And from it.
and tho absolute asseveration of Col Johnson |
consider my statement, that you were nell a,rare
that the President dsclaimed all right to interfere
and dictate tho social intercourse of the family or
any member of the cabinet, TO be ,ueH lcorranfed
mat am also warranted in having said that
you, yourself, had declared that the President dis
claimed to you any disposition of the Sort will an
pear from the extract which make from n letter
of your own, now before me. After rccapitulat;np
conversation Of your own, held with Col John
son, (thc tenor CT which you inform me is to nc
adjusted between you and him. you make this sin
gle remark in relation to the President:
'ID the iHterUielC TO which traS ipr;fcd b., tbc
Presids"t, some fen days afterwards, frankly en-
posed TO him my Uieirs this subject, and he Dis
claimed any disposition press such rcquisition-
In this you have aIlusion to the written declara-
ton read to you by the President, which can bear
no other Interpretation than that which YOU have
given it in this extract.
In both points presented to me, in the extract
quoted in your last note, feel myself fully sus
tancd by the documentary evidence, which now
lay before you; and trust you will also consider if
as July indicating the ytatemont which have
made. Having thus justified myself, you will pnr.
init mo to conclude my correspondence with Won
am, Sir, your obedie1t servant,
i. p RJ.AJR