Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1831-08-04

oEly wished US 10 assist IN putting down thc
ISLANDERS agains her; that he believed her IN
pocent, and he thought eur families ought to
do what they could to sustain her, If they
could not visit her; and that he wished tosee
me the next day. Col J. added that the Pre-
sident had been exceedingly excited for Sc.
verat DAYS, but was now perfectly calm and
mild. The next day waited Oh The Presi-
dent, and opened the subject by stating that
Col johnson had informed me that he WISH
ed to see me, to which he assented, ana
went into long argument to show how 10
nocent a woman Mrs. Eatoa was, and how
much she had been prosecuted, and men
tened the names OF number OF ladies' VINO
had been active in this persecution. ana mat
the lady Of foreign minister was also one
of the couspirators; adding that he would
send her and her husband home. aud teach
him and his master that the wife oil mem
Der of bis cabinet was not TO be thus treated;
that Mrs r was as pure and chaste as Mrs
Donelsons infant daughter, but there was
com bination here among number OF LADIES,
not those of the Heads Of Departments, TO
drive her eat Of society, and to drive her
husband out Of eiiice, but he would be cut
into inch pieces on the rack, before he would
suffer him or his wife to be injured by their
vile calumnes; that he Was resolved to have
harmony in his Cabinet, and he wished u
TO Join in putting dsws the ISLANDERS against
Mrs Eaton | observed to the President,
that had never considered it incumbent on
me to investigate the character OF Mira Ia
ton; suel, service did not, in my judgment,
come within the scope Of nay duties to the
government; it belonged TO society alone to
determine sach matters. The power of the
Administration could not change the opinion
OF the community, even il i. could be pro
perly used 10 csntrol the relations OF domes-
tic life in any case The society of Wash
ingtou must he the best judges of whom II
ought to receive. regretted The difficulties
which Major Eaton labored under and bad
felt Il to be my duty not to aggrayate them.
had intended at an early day to have had
conversation with him on the subject, with
view to have our social relations defined, but
no opportunity had offered, without velan-
teering one, and it had not heea done in that
way. The course | had taken was, howe
yer, adopted with great care, to save h,s feel
ings as much as possible, consistently with
what was due to my family, and the commu-
nity with which we were associated con-
sidered the charge Of my Gmilys,o be a sa-
cred trust, belonging exclusively to myself,
as a member OF society. The Administra-
ton had nothing to 60 with it, more tian
With that of any ether individual, and poiltl-
cal power could not be properly exer,ed over
their social intercourse, and it was important
to his reputation 10 have it understood that
he did not interfere in such matters. That
was not aware of any want Of harmony IN
the Cabinet; | had not seen the slightest
symptom Of such a feeling in It's deliberations,
and [ was perfectly certain that my official
conduct had never been influenced in the
slightest degree by feeling Of that nature.
I.aw no ground, therefore. for the last Change
on INV part in this respect. To which the
President replied, in changed tone, that he
had the most entire confidence in my lnteg
rity and capacity 10 executing the duties OF
the derariment, and expressed his perfect
satisfaction, in that respect, with my whole
conduct; he had never supposed for mo-
ment that my official acts had been nfluen-
ced in tbs least degree by any unkind feel
ings towards Maj. Eaton. aud he did not
mean to insist OH our families visiting Mrs.
Eaton: He had been much excited, for some
time past, by the combination against her,
and he wished as TO aid hlnl in putting down
their SANDERS, adding that she was excluded
from most of the invitations to pacues; and,
when invited, she was lnsulted; thar the lady
of foreign nlinister, before referred TO, had
insnIted her at Baron Krudencr's party. I
remarked that some injustice might be done
TO that lady on that occasion, although she
might not choose to associate With Mrs, Ea-
ton, | did not think she intended TO insuI.
her; she might have supposed that there was
some design, not altogether respectful TO her
self. in the offer Of the attendance to supper
of the Secretary OF War, whose wife she
did not visit, instead Of that ei the Secretary
of State, which. according 10 the usual prac-
ticc, she probably considered herself entitled
to. | was present, and saw NEST Of what
had happened She evidently thought herself
aggrieyed at something, but acted 18th much
dignity on the occasion. | saw no appear
ance OF insult offered TO Mrs Eaton. lie
replied that he had been fully Informed, and
knew all about il; aud but for certain rea-
sons, which he mentioned, he would have
sent the foreign Minister before referred to,
and his wife, home Immediately. After some
further conversation on this and ather mat
tiers, in which considered the President as
having entire waived the demand made thro' z
Col Johnson, that nay family must visit Mrs. !
Eaton. as the condition for my remaining in (
Office and in when he expressed himself in /
terms of personal kindness towards me, |
took my leave. lie did not show me, or read, I
any paper on the subject.
mir. Berrlen then closes his address as fol. |
lows:l /
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