Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 182?-183?, 1831-10-07

Of Hypocrisy in which ne had wrapped him
seit from the first formation Of the Cabinet.
Such were the incidents of'F'riday the 29th
OF january, 1890, the moment when, as their
communications 10 the public disclose, they
We're writing under deep and lasting elm
( dignity and outrage at the threats Of Col.
J"hns"n, borne TO them from the President
" here theh was the lofty dignity of Mr..
Derrtcn ana Mt Branch, that the one could
declare how pleased lie was at the reconcile
a'ion manc, and the other protest the good
feelings which he entertained for me:
/ Let us sec how the facIs stand if these
men speak truth. On "Wednesday the 27tb
OF January, 1890, the President. through
Col Johnson, threatened TO dismiss them if
they did not compel their families to asso
clale with mine, which they considered such
an ndignity and outrage" that they seri-
ousiy thought OF resigning. On Thursday,
The 18th, the "lndignity and outrage" being
unaloned, and even unexplained, the Presi-
dent wrote "a note TO Mr. Branch, OFFERING
his 'Jriendiy mediation" TO bring about
what: Not social intercourse between our
Jdmihcs-but restoration OF friendly inter
course between OurSeioeS. In the morning
OF Friday, the 29th, (or he SAYS he will meet
me at TWO O'Clock, he accepted the friendly
oier, thus acknowledging that he considered
Inc PRESIDENT an impartial umpire; an un-
preJudiced ,uncXcited, and Just man. in whose
hands he could trust his character and his
hohor and yet, strange TO tell, on the same
DAY, having called on the President for some
explanation about Col. Johnson's insulting
message, he found ''fhe Presidents feelings
lccre too much enlisted 70 weigh any reasons
which might be offered ~ WHO can he
lievc all this? GHOST cheerfllly." saws he
81 accept your tiiendly mediation" What
Accept the mediation of "a man who. two DAYS
before, had required him TO humble himself
TO me like the meaneSt slave, and had not a.
toned for 1t: Accept the mediation of a man
whose feelings were so much enlisted in nv
favor, that he would not listen TO reason
impossible Had Mr.. Branch felt that an
Indignity had been offered him, he would
have replied 10 tho President: "Sir. your
insulting message through Col. Johnson
must be first explained, before | can avail
myself Of your friendly mediation" Bv
his whole conduct, he showed chat he enter
tanned no such feeling, and that the whole
story about "indignity and outrage is an
invention, got now 10 injure tAe Presi-
dent
This letter of Mr.. Branch shows that. in
addition TO Col. Johnson's friendly mediation
The President was willing TO exert his own
as JTtend, 10 heal the breach, in anticipation
OF The meeting 10 which he invited the Sec
re'aries, on FRIDAY, the Doth, TO declare the
basis on which he had resolved TO fix the bor-
mony ofhis Cabinet Mr.. Branch and nv
self, the principal difficulty having arisen
between us, met as has been stated, at MIR
Berren's, and adjusted our relations amica-
bly, and yet this reconciliation. it is pre-
tended, produced, as is seen from Mr.
Branch's noic, by the kind and friendly in
terposltlon OF the President, is represented
10 have been Immediately preceded by "indjg-
nIty and outrage, and TO have been Sncceed-
ed by state feeling too much excited "to
tCe'Sh any reasons Which might be offered %
How thoroughly is all this contradicted by
MIR. Branch's contemporaneous note!
Private difficulties were now at an end
and, as was well understood, families were 10
visit or not, according TO their jnclinations
In two days the 'indignity and outrage
which had been offered to these gentlemen
was forgotten, SO much so, that for fifteen
months matters glided on in tolerabe harmo
ny. Nothing more was said ar heard oftbis
subl'. :, until the President, as he had an I'M
questioned right TO do, thought proper to re-
quest their reSignati ms. Then were old
notes and memoranda FURNISHED UP, and that
over which they had slept so long, immedi- |
ately became subject ofdeep and "awaken- !
ing interest 10 the American people" The |
truth is, this tdrce which is now brought out
on the public stage, was designed for a DIFF |
ierent occasion. 1t was in January or Feb !
ruary, 1880, that they expected 10 exhibit !
before the public, and TO unfold the tale of
threats from the President, dismissal, and
family association, and all that Not being
dimisScd then, as they expected, they laid a.
SIDE Their prepared tale but, having at length !
lost their Offices, they bring il forth upon
an occasion which ii does not fit, and vainly !
attempt TO attribute the dissolution ofthe cab /
met 10 false ground That event thew knew /
sprung from all entirely different oause-a
cause which will satisfy every impartial man |
when he comes TO understand il. To account |
for their removal, they offer any but the true !
reason, and hence run into all sorts of alb. (
surdity.
Shortly after this, about the Goth March. |
preparatory meeting Of few members of
Congress was held, with a view 10 request
the President TO remove me from the Cabi- |
net. Being appriscd oftheir design, he made |
remark which satisfied the leaders n this |
movement, that TO persist in their course
would serve 10 expose them TO public repro |
baton, and result in lruitless endeavor Ac- /
cordingly the project was abandoned, or al
least suspended.
do not impute TO all who participated in |
this preliminary step, design TO unite ulti- !
mately IN measure Of such high dctation 10 !
the President. Some were at first mislead !
by false misrepresentation, and induced TO
believe that his peace and comfort, as we'll as !
the success of his administration, depended |
upon ii; others attended the meeting TO point
out the imprOpripfy oC tho ccurso orJ 90 az,