Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-08-29

of voluntary sacric of power the altar of tho
public good Bat the secret was known TO too |
many TO DO faithfully kept. The truth was grad
ually finding It's way to the pube;nntil at length
II was openly avowed by three of tho gentlemen,
lNcssrE. Ingham Branch and BerrenD who mol
longer feel the ntereot in nlystifying the pn,-
lie, that the President had required their rcsig-
nations tor the Same that he had in the be-
ginning of the preceding year threatened 70
thcm-hat is, because their families refused to
sociatc with Mrs. Eaton. .s
Tho general burst Of Indignation and surprize
which this higl,-handcd measure OF the President
called forth, has induced his faithful jnnisaries of
the prcss 90 deny the fact, TO explain it away
They rely for this purpose upon tho tcstimoney of
Col. johnson, who wOstbo mediator between tho
President and his olfending secretaries, and who
says il, his late letter TO Messrs Jngham and Ber-
rien, that the combination of which he suspected
those members of his Cabinet, was not to drive
Mrs. Eaton from society, but to Dive Major Ea-
ton from the cabinet; and that the President being
convinced that his suspicion unfnInded, by
reason of his Col. Iohusons) agency, better I'M
standing, and in fact ga reconciliation" between
the parties was tho result. The same witness ayers
that the president disclaued, on all occaasiors,
any right, or desire, or intention, TO regulate tho
private or social intercourse ofhis Cabinet"
Itorc 1t Will bc perceived, is express contra
dicticn between Col. Johnson's statement and that
OF iMr. Bcrricn, confirmed by the roco.lections Of
Messrs. inghnu and Branch, and SO far as the diff
ference between the Presidents interference in be-
!init OF Major Eaton or Mrs. Eaton is important,
the public must decide between them. Surprising
the character of the parties TO be equal for verucity
and accuracy, the preponderance is greatly on tie
sidcs of Mr.. Derrien, and his late coeagues-1st,
iecausc three witnesses, even two, entitled
TO more credit than oIlc-2d Mr.. Berricn was an
unwilling witness, and ho only came forward to
testify when his name had been used to avoy,ch
what no knew TO he fase-3d MIR. Ingham is less
exposed TO error of memory. he took written
| memorandum at the tmc--ttll. Their testimony is
! positive, while Col JohnSou's is principally NO
gativc-5th, They state particular facts; that
f! Mrs. Eaton should be invited to slarse parties"
that certain ladies had Joined in the allcdged comb
| nation, tie comparison with Mrs Donnclson's
infant Slc.-which facts Col. Johnson does not
expressly contradict and all of which show that
injury TO Mrs. Eaton the anmcdate cruso OF
| conpaint-6th, While Col. johnson was very
ready 10 volunteer explanation, on bare suspi-
cion GAS he says that his testimony was alluded to
IN the newspapers, nc is unwilling TINT any state
nent shall be given to the public by Mcssrs Bcrri-
en- and Ingham, until such statement had been
previously examined by him; and he fsrthcr objects
that his should he disclosed TO the public
'th Col Johnson having interposed in This matter,
as the friend to beth parties, would naturally incline
to that explanation which would he least Injurious
TO the President, without affecting the other oar
ties, ard those otlcrpartics had no adequate motive
for not receiving his explanation (theY not having
been then before tho public this subiect)
except that ii erroncous-Sth, Mr. Bcrricn
made the same statement to Major Eaton in his
letter of the 20th JuIc, which he would neither
have made. nor would Major Eaton have suffered
~ PtSS uilf'n'EhoiCeC, Ii IL mad lot been true.
| these arguments arc so conclusive that nothing
loss than downright fatuiiy or party birotry can
doubt that Col. Johnson has been BETRAYED into
error, by his unwillngness to bear testimony
against his friend and to have proved the instru-
inent of mischief where he thought he was pcrfor-
ming the kind Offices of Il pcacc,nakcr
Let us, however, admit Col. johnson was so far
I that Cen. Jacsona Interference in this
pirate concern was TO protect Major Eaton from
the effects of combination, and not Mrs Eaton
! What Justification he derive from this? The
! alleged injury to Major Eaton was the refusal to
interchange visits with his wife, and the remedy
for this mischief,as we'll the other was TO invite
her-at enst ''to their large partes.' We nust be-
licve that this the only specific cause of com
plant, not only from the express declarations OF
Mossrs Borricn ard Ingham, but because Col.
Johnson does not assign any other; and in all the
ingenuity and zeol which have been cxertcd in de-
fence Of the President on this OCCASION TO other
has hcen pretended.
The only difference then between the two eases
IS, as TO .he Presidents motivc-but in both TIE
act retains tho unjust and tyrannca! cllarac-
ter, and 1t is the net which constitutes the charge
1t man robs mo of my property, is he less Il ron
Der because he wants the money for friend or TO
pay an honest Geb? Both the lazy and common
sense cmPhaticalfy say, In like manner the
i substance OF the charge against Gen Jackson is
that, in the spirit OF a military Blshaw, he wished
to make the members OF his cabinet invite those
to their houses whom they did not chose to invite:
and that he appealed to the power which he held
over their appointments, and which was given him
for pu'ic purposes to force them 10 a compliance
with his arbitrary WILL and surrender of their
most indubitabo rights. This charge is as well
established by being exertcd for AEaior Eaton as
Mrs Eaton. lfhe failed 10 carry his lord!v and
odious purpose into immediate execution it is for
the world 10 say how far the change is to be aqcri
bed to the remOnstrances or cnireatics of his Ten
nessee friends, ''the unexpected resistance of
Messrs. Ingham, Branch 81 Berrienn or TO his be-
ing candidate for 4 second clection and whether
thc same sympathics and resentnants have not o.
! casloncd the subsequent removal OF the three OBJ
noT'ous members of his cabinet, when il was he
! heYcd that the real motives could he efToctuaIly
disguishcd from tho people,
! IdcR Of Virginia Are You prepared to tolerate
this interference Of the President in the rTivo4 and
domestic concerns, ] will not say of his constitu
lanal ADVISORS, hut of tbs most subordinate officer
In the government VIII you suffer the LARGE
powers with which tho Chief Magistrate Of tic
Union IS invested, for the public good to bc made
! the instrument Of his private humours or even OF
| his well founded friendshps? Can Won approvc
such compound Of bitterness and tyranny. as has
been exhibited, and if You have not, is this nation
| so poor IN public men, that it will again confer
power on ono who has shewn himself capable of
using 1t, IN violation of private rights and in def
ance OF public sentiment, for tho qualification Of
! MS own feelings and purPoscsl | would make
>7'ne remarks on Cen. Jackson's unwarranted ac-
cusa;lo1 against the lady OF foreirii minister and
his threats equally imprudcnt and tinyvarrantcd TO-
! wards the minister mmsclf; but forhoar, because
| am unwilling 20 drag tho narno Of lady, for
whose character feel unninrIcd respect into the
discussion of our domestic concerns. WYTHE
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