Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1831-08-04
CABINET CORRESPONDENCE.
From the Washington Globe.
Mr.. Berrien to DIr. Blair.
WASHINGTON, Goth July 1881.

SIR: Your note of yesterday, was re-
ccived under circumstances which pre-
vented my immediate attention to it. I
reply to it now to correct the misappre-
hension into which you have been led,
and which, by the publicity which you
have given to it, is calculated to mislcad
the public.
Iextract l from your note the following
sentence:
"My sole object was at once TO clear the skirts
Of the President from charge, which you are we'll
aware ought not TO be attached TO him; for you
have, as understand, explicitly declared, that he
dscLained to you, at the time when you il
communication with Col. Johnson, any design like
that now imputed TO him.'
l make this quotation for the purpose
Of saying to you, that you have been en-
tirely misinformed--tha the statement
contained in this extract is not warrant
ed by any declaration ever made by me;
and still assuming 1t to he your wish to
represent this matter truly to the public,
] am under the necessity of asking you
to give publicity to this note.
j am, very respectfully,
Sir, your obed't. serv't,
in. MACPHERSON BERRIEN.
To Francis =. Blair, Esq.
Editor ofthe Globe.
Mr.. Blair to Mr.. BerriCn.
WAsHINGTON, July 20, 1881.
SIR Your note of this morning will
he given Immediately to the press. In re-
ference to the subject of which it treats,
you do me but justice when you say that
"Iwish to represent this matter truly tothe
public" You will permit me, therefore,
briefly to show the ground on which l
felt myself authorized to say that I" yOn
scere all avare," that the charge implicat-
ing the President, ought not to be attach
ed to him, and that you had yourself ex-
plicitly declared that he disclaimed the
purpose imputed to him.
As to the first branch of this statement,
which you do not seem directly to con-
trOvert, have to support me the positive
written declaration of Col. Johnson, in
which he says that the President aiways
MScldimed such requisitiOn, and that
he told you so. Besides this, | have be-
fore ME, in the hand writing of the Presi-
dent, the identical paper, which he read
To yourself, and Mcssrs. Branch and Ing
han, and which presented the attitude
that he thought it his duty to assume in
relation to the circumstances which Mt.
fccted the harmony and character of his
Cabinet. The course which he thought
proper then to adopt, was predicatcd on
information given him by several mem
bers of Congress, showing that combi-
nation had been entered into, in which
yourself and the other gentlemen named
were concerned, to disgrace Major Ea-
ton, and coerce his dsmission from the
Cabinet. After predatory verbal ex-
planation of the reasons inducing the in-
terview, the President proceeded to say,
that if it 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 written
memorandum, in which he says that 1t
was, using his own words, "NOt only un-
Just in itself, but highly disrespectful to
me" (the President) sand well calculated
TO destroy the harmony OF my Cabinet.
The grounds upon which this opinion is
founded, are substantially these. 4 do
not claim the right to interfere, an any
manner, in the domestic relations or person.
ni intercourse of any member Of my Cdbi-
net, nor haze in any manner attempted
IT," &c. sc.
In the conclusion Of the same paper,
after rocapitulating the circumstances to
which he wished to call your attention,
he says, as the result of the matter,
"7hcrcfore hare I sought this interrie,o,
to assure you if there is any truth IN the
report that you hare entered into the COM
bination charged, to driDe Mgor Eaton
from my Cabinet, that / feel 1t an indig-
nifty and Insult oGred to myself, and is Of
character that piH be considered of."
This is the ground on which this mat
ter was placed by the President in his
interview with you in the beginning of
the difficulties. And from it, aud the alb
solute asseyeration Of Col. Johnson, l
consider my statement, that You were
weU aoare that the President dsclaimed
all right to interfere and dictate the So
cial intercourse ofthe family ofany men,
Der Of the cabinet, to be nell oarrdnfed.
That | am also warranted in having
said that you, yourself, had declared that
the President disclaimed to you any dis