Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-08-18
JOHN WOODWARD,
ALEX'R HAMILTON,
DAVID BRUSH,
GEO. BRUCE,
To the Editors of the National InteHigcncer.


To the Editors Of the National InteEEgcucer.
BLUE SPRINGS, Sd Aug. 1881.
Messrs. Gales Of Scaton-After having finished
the within letter, l discovered in your paper of the
Odd ult that Mr.. Ingham had published his letter to
me, we'll his statement. You will please,
therefore, to publish this letter my reply, and
obige your obcdicnt servant.
RICHARD NJ. JOHNSON.
BLUE SPRINGS, July 81, 1881.
Dear Sir: Yours of the 18th inst. was this day
received, accompanied by statement, which, it
seems, you have prepared for the Public, purport-
ing TO contain separate conversations with the Pre-
sdent and myself, relative to allegation made in
the public journal, that General Jackson had auho-
rised n member of Congress to require of N1essrs
Berricn Branch and yourself, and your families, to
| associate with Major Eaton and his family, under
the penalty of being dismissed from office. Y on
refer to two articles in the Globe to Justify your
appeal TO the public, previously to receiving my
| answer, in which it appeared that l had denied
the above allegation, if it had any alluson to me-
After the publication of this accusation against ge
neral Jackson received Il letter from friend, in
timating that the member of Congress to
whom allusion was made, and requested to know,
if had ever made such communications In my
answer, l confined myself to the specific accuse
ton thus publicly made against tho President, and
which Is attributable to yourself, and most unequ
vocally denied that General Jackson made such
requisition through me, and as positively denied
having ever made such a statement to you. On the
you, in each and every interview that the President
discaimed any right or intention to interfere in
manner whatever with the regulation of your pri-
vate social intercourse
Thus, in matter in which / was engaged to
serve you and other friends, in a matter of deli
cate and highly confidential nature, and in which
succeeded, unexpectedly, found myself presented
| in tho public journals witness impcaching
of those friends, and ascrbing to him declarations
| which he never made; and placed in that attitude
by you, sclfrespect and self-defence called upon me
| 20 correct that erroneous statement. L cannot,
therefore, agree with you, that did in any degree
| change my views of the subject in considering it
improper IN any OF the parties to como before the
public without the opportunity of comparing our
different recollections. But if you feel under any
obligations of personal political character tc
come before the public previously, you will find
as ready yourself to meet any responsibility oil
difficulty which such may produce. UE
to this date, | have considered my correspondence
with you and Mr.. Berrien of a character not to be
divuged to any one, and have therefore confined
! it to my own bosom. The object of my first let
ter to you to declare frankly and candidly il
the spirit of perfect respect and friendship that
| was misunderstood provided, l the member o
Congress to whom reference made, that you
might have 1t In your power to correct your mis-
apprehension of my communications.
/ did not see how it could impeach your charac
ter or lessen your reputation to consider and &C
| knowledge it mistake, without your mptior
of the ground that you understood better thar
1 understood myself, and that you could make the
public believe My standard of confidence anc
friendship, arising from personal and politica
| intimacy of twenty years. would have dictated
that course to me. Such a course could have beer
| injurious TO none, and less troublesome to all
| But far / am concerned, feel perfectly
willing to take the course adopted by yourself, o
| placing views before the public. ] do not
| however, think that 1t will be much benefited bJ
our labors; and 1 am farther induced to believe
tiiet the public will p lace less value upon thu
! controversy than you do. In denying the confden
| tiaI character of our conversations, you urge, a
ono consideration, that the intimation to invit,
Maj. Eaton ana his family to your large parties
was offensive, although you arc kin9 enough Il
believe that did not so intend it2 If the nat"rt
| of the suggestion changed in your mind the char
actcr of the conversation and the relation of tina
| perfect friendship which had long existed, woult
it not have been magnanimous and generous in yot
to have advised mo of it2 / now come to the ma
terial point in controversy-whether Gen. Jackson
through me, required of you to invite Maj. Eater
! and his family to your large parties. This sugges
| ton was made upon my own responsibility, with
anxious desire effectually to reconcile the
then existing difficulties But Gen. Jackson never
did make such requistion, in any manner what
ever, directly indirectly; did intimate
to you that he had made such demand. The
complaint made by Gen. Jackson against this par
of his cabinet specific, that he had been inform
| ed, and was induced to believe, TINT they were
using their influence to have Mai. Eaton and hi.
family excluded from all respectable circles for the
purpose of degrading him, and thus drive him from
/ Office; and that tho attempt had been made ever
! upon the foreign ministers, and in case had
! produced the desired effect Uc proposed no mode
| of accommodation satisfaction, but declared OK
! pressiy that if such was the fact no would dismiss
| them from office. He tbon read 10 a paper
| containing the principles upon which nc intended
| to act, which dsclamed the right to interfere with
| the social relations of his cabinet. Acting in the
| capacity of mutual friend, and obeyiug the i'm
/ pulse of my own mind, it be supposed that
would have misrepresentcd any of the parties, anc
thus defeat the object had in view7 l should have
considered it gross violation of the ties Of that
| friendship which then existed between us, to have
carried to you such n message, that you shoulc
! invite Major Eaton and his family, or any other
/ persons, to your large small parties, under me
| mace Of dismissal from Office When the President
mentioned this charge Of conspiracy, vindicateC
you against it. gave it my opinion that he was
misinformcd. To prevent rupture, / requested
the President to postpone calling upon those mem
bers Of his cabinet till Saturday, that might have
the opportunity oftwo days to converse with them.
When made my report to the President, in
formed bin that / was confirmed in my opinion
previously expressed that nc had been misn formed
as to the combination and conspiracy. informed
him Of your unequivoc1 and positive denial Of the
fact, and communicated every thing which trans
PRED between US calculated to satisfy his mind on
the subject. It was this report Of mine that gave
him satisfaction, and changed bic feelings and de-
ti0a--not his ground as you have supposed;