The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1831-08-03
Mr.. Inghams statement, a copy Of ,chich ,cas
enclosed an has letter to Col johnson.

Mr. Ingham's statement, a copy Of ,ohich uas
enclosed an has letter TO Col johnson.
On Wednesday, the 9th of January, 1891
| Col. johnson of Kentucky, waited on me in the
Treasury Department, and after some premi.
nary conversation, in which he expressed his
great regret that my family, and that Of Mr.
Branch and Mr.. Berrien, did not visit Mrs
Eaton, he said that it had been subject of great
excitement with the President, who had come
TO the determination ofhaving harmony in his
Cabinet by some accommodation of this matter
He, Col. Johnson, was the friend of us all, and
had now come at the request of the President
to see whether any thing could be done who
thought that when our ladies' gave parties they
ought to invite Mrs. Eaton, and AS they had
never returned her call, If they would leave the
first card, and open formal intercourse in that
way, the President wond be satisfied but un-
less something was done of this nature, he had
no doubt, indeed he knew, that the President
was resolved to have harmony. and would prob.
ably remove Mr.. Branch, Mr.. Berrien, and nv
self. replied to Col. Johnson, that in all mat.
tiers Of official business, or having any cornec
ton Herewith, considered myself bound to
maintain an open, frank and harmonious inter
course with the gentlemen / was associated
with That the President had right to expect
the exertlon of my best faculties, and the en-
ployment OF my time, in the public service. AS
to the family of Mr.. Eaton, felt an obligation
on me not to say any thing to aggravate the
difficulties which he labored under, but to OBJ.
serve total silence and neutrality in relation to
the reports about his wife, and to inculcate the
same course as to my family, and if any other
representations had been made to the President
lhey were false. Having prescribed to myself
TINS rule, and always acted upon 1T, had done
all That the President had a right to expect.
L nat the society Of Washington was literally
organized there was but one circle into which
every person OF respectable character disposed
TO be social was really admitted, without ref
erence to the circumstance Of birth, fortune, or
station which operated in many other places.
mat we had no right to exert official mower TO
regulate It's social Intercourse. That Mrs. Ea.
s"h hau never been received by the society
"eie' anu u old not become us TO force her up-
On IL mat my family had therefore not asso. (
Grated win her, and they had done so with my
ssPPfpoatlon' ana that the President ought not,
for the sake of his own character. to ;nie,care
IN such matters. But if he chose TO eYort his
power to force my family TO visit any body thew
dld not choose to visit, he was interferi,S with |
Ihat whlch belonged TO me, and no human now.
er should regulate the social intercourse Of INV
family, by means of official or any other mower
winch could resist IF | could submit IN arch
control should be unworthy ofmy station. and
would despiso myself That il was enn;nar,i,
1ue to the character Of the President ~ b.va I,
known that he did not interfere in such mattors
Ind that the course we had pursued was nre.
ervatiVe OF his honor and political standing
lad taken my ground on mature reflection "a
o what was due 10 my family, to nv friends. t,
nd to the Administration, without anv nreiu.
ice against MAJOR Eaton or his wife, and had