Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1831-08-13

h. letter to me, as well as his statement. You
,' ;H o,s,ss therefore 10 publish this letter as
NV renly. and oblire your obedient servant.
my 'ep''' R'H. NJ. JOHNSON.
R,uE SpRrNe, July 81, 1881.
D.o- S;r-Yours of the 10th instant was this
dav receive ed. accompanied by statement wh'c"
Il scans. YOU have prepared for the Public PuI-
norhng to contain separate conversations WIN
the President and myself, relative to an anesa,
tion made in the public journals, that uenera'
Jackson had authorized member OF Congress "
require of Messrs Berrien, Branch and your
self. and your families, to associate WIN maJo'
Eaton, and his family, under the penalty Oh Deihg
dismissed from office. You refer to tw" arnG!es
in the Globe to justify your appeal to the Puohc.
previously to receiving my answer III "'ici
anneared that had denied the above allegation
if it had any allusion to me. After me pup.iea'
tiop of this accusation against General Jackson
T received letter from a friend, intmatng that
was the member Of Congress to whom ailuslon
,r,s made and requested to know If had ever
made such communication. In my answer,
confined myself to the specific accusation thus
nubliclv made against the President, aud which
Is attributable to yourself. and most uneHuIvocal'
| Iy denied that Gen. jackson ever made such
reouisiton through me, aud as positively denled
having ever made such statement to you. On
the contrary, asserted, and now repeat, did
inform you, in each and every interview. that
the President dsclamed any right or intention
70 interfere in any manner whatever with the re-
guat,on of vour private or social intercourse:
Thus in matter in which was engaged TO
serve YOU and other friends, in matter OF del
licate and highly confidential nature, and IN
which I succeeded, Unexpectedly | found my
self presented in the public journals as witness
|impeaching one of those friends, aud ascrbng
to him declarations which he never made; and
placed in that attitude b. you, self-respect anu
sell defence called upon me to correct that erro-
neous statement. cannot, therefore agree with
you, that | did in any degree change my view OF
the subject in considering it improper IN any OF
the parties to come before the public without the
opportunity of comparing our different reeollec'
tons. But if you feel under any obligation OF
personal political character to come before the
public previously, YOU will hnd me as ready as
Yourself to meet any responsibility OF dIhcuity
which such a course NAV produce. up to this
date have considered my correspondence with
YOU and Mr.. Berrien Of character not to be Oh.
yulged to any one, and have therefore confined
it to nv own bosom. The object Of my first let
!. ter to YOU was to declare frankly and candidly,
in the spirit Of perfect respect and friend.
shin, that was misunderstood, provided l was
the member of Congress to whom reference was
made, that YOU might have it in your power to
correct your misrepresentation OF my cOmmunica-
, tons.
did not see how it could impeach your char
, acter or lessen your reputation to consider and
, acknowledge it mistake, without your assump-
ton of the ground that you understood me better,
, than understood myself, and that you could
, make the public believe so. My standard OF
, confidence and friendship, arising from person:
al and political intimacy of twenty years, would
, have dictated that course to me. Such course
5 could have been injurious to none and less trou
, blesome to all. But, so far as am concerned
feel perfectly willing TO take the course adopt
, ed by Yourself of placing our views before the
public. do not, however, think that 1t will be
much benefited by our Iabors; and ] am farther
induced TO believe that the public will place a
5 less value upon the controversy than you do
In denvlng the confidential character OF our con.
versations, you urge, as one consideration. that
the intimation to invite Major Eaton and hls
family to your large parties was offensive, atho
you are kind enough to believe that did not sc
Intend it. IF the nature of the suggestion chang
ed in your mind the character of the converse
ton. and the relation Of that perfect friendship
which had so long existed, would it not have
been magnanmous and generous in you to have
advised me of it?
now come to the material point in controver
sy-whethsr Gen. Jackson, through me, requir
ed OF you to invite Maj Eaton and his family te
your large parties. This suggestion was made
upon my own responsibility, with an anxious de-
sire more effectualy to reconcile the then existing
difficulties But Gen. Jackson never dld make
such requisition, in any manner whatever, di
rcctly or indirectly; nor did | intimate to you
, that he had made such demand. The complain
made by Gen. Jackson against this part of his ca
binet was specific. that he had been informed, ant
, was induced to believe, that they were usiog thei
; influence to have Major Eaton and his family ex
cluded from all respectable circles for the pur
pose of degrading him. and thus drive him from
=. Office; and that the attempt had been made ever
upon the foreign ministers. and in one case bat
/ produced the desired effect. He proposed no mod,
u of accommodation or satisfaction. but declared
expressly that if such was the fact he would dis
miss them from office. He then read to me pa
: per containing the principles upon which he in