The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1831-09-27

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me. war of exclusion. Rumors Of com.
bination TO force me from the Cabinet, ut.
tracled the Presidents attention. He sus
pected that portion of his Cabinet had en-.
tered il in disguise, and had fomented some
Of the mischief he had encountered /; and &c.
cordngly determined, ift should appear tina,
they were guilty of such duplicity, and had
combined TO harass and drive out one of their
colleagues, they should share the fate they
were preparing for another. While reflect.
ing on the course proper to be adopted, Col
Richard .n. Johnson called on a visit and to
him he disclosed his difficulties and intentions.
Col. Johnson entertained better opinion OF
these gentlemen than to believe they harbored
hostile views towards me, or had entered into
a combination to expel me from the Cabinet.
Accordingly he solicited the consent Of the
President To converse with them as a friend,
that by ascertaning the suspicious entertain
cd to be incorrect, he might relieve them
from the imputation. He had no other au-
thority or permission than this: The mission
was of his own seeking; he was actuated
solely by desire to MAINTAIN harmony and
if he could. to be of service to these gentle.
men. Whether he spoke upon poltics-re-
hgion- philosophy hy-ladies' cards, invitations
to large parties or small-social or political
intercourse-all, all was upon his own re.
sponsbllty, and upon his own authority.
Through him the President made no propo.
sition, no requisition, and no threat. For my
self knew nothing of il.
1t is a little remarkable, that neither Of the
three gentlemen, in their published state
ments. speak of any proposition as coming
directly from the President, which was con.
sidered al all insulting or improper. Tho~gh
they insist that Col. Johnson was authorized
to threaten, and did threaten them yet no
one pretends, that directly the President in
any thing of the kind to either. ut
is strange, passing strange" that Col. John
son, man oftried integrity and honor, should
deny this--strange, that when they met the
President, he brenthed to them nothing like
land yet stranger still, thatin defiance of
hose proofs, and these circumstances, they
'til insist that they were insulted Who now
Will wonder that the Cabinet was changed,
Or who will maintain that it ought to have
been longer continued No sooner had mr..
Branch stated, that Col. Johnson had threat.
'ned their dismissal, than it was promptly
denied by the President, who said he would
send for Colonel Johnson and for
hat purpose called servant. Why did the
not go? !Mr. Branch explains
1T is unnecessary to send for Col. Johnson
Tor your word is sufficient" And why is that
word not now sufficient Then, mr.. Branch
received it as truc-told it, no doubt, to his
sand yet do they come before the
public boldly to assert as true, what then was
given up as n mistake --an entire msconcep
ion on their part. Content with the eXp'a.
nation offered at the time, convinced of the |
ncorrectness Of their impressions these gen
emen now assert their displeasure and dis
content, and at the end of fifteen months.
come out and maintain that to be true, which
,ofore had been given up as false and in.
correct impression. As for myself, ] can say,
md do truly say, that ] mover uttered, or
brought to the consideration of the President,
my complaint in reference to myself Twas
always content to keep the redress OF my
,wn wrongs and injuries in my own hands,
md TO ask the aid and assistance of no ono,
~ or out of power. No intimation was ever
iad by me that Col. Johnson intended to
make such inquiry nor did know, that he
lad made it. The lofty sense of honor en-
ertained by General Jackson would never
permit him to compromit the honor OF his
friends lie has not compromised mine and
authority 10 extort courtesy in my behalf
rom Messrs. Ingham, Branch, and Berrien.
But why reason about it Ifthe dsavowal
,usevs, who so lately were his protesting
to confront mr.. Branch with Col.
Johnson, and which alone was prevented by
rely satisied-if the assertion Of Colonel
oh Int ho had nth m
licate any such thiDg-did not communicate
t, and so informed the parties at the time
{ all This be not sufficient to provo the falsty
IF the statem ments which these gentlemen in
heir malignity, have so recklessly hazarded
before the public, then would it not be believ.
I'd, "though ono arose from the dead"
By their conduct at the time, my col
eagues manifested that nothing had been re
luired of them, which, as is now asserted,
hey considered dishonorabe. If they had
believed so-if, after conversing with the
they thought he had exacted of
hem that to which, rs honorable men, they
could not conform, they should have immedi
,tely rendered their designations. To sup
pose they could do otherwise, is to presume
hat for the sake Of office they were willing
amely to submit to the "indignity and out
age" Of which they now complain. Though
he concealmcnts by which they imposed
themselves on the President, their conduct
owards me, and especially mr.. Ingham's
,ote book, in which, being a confidential ad-
User, and in one sense part Of his family, he
noted down, if he is to be believed, the free,
he private and familiar conversations of the
President for future use, present spec ciacles of
human degradation at which honorable minds
would revolt, yet cannot suppose that they
would remain in the Cabinet, under con-
sciousness that hourly they might be exposed