Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-09-29


view to dpiinish his resentment: that he will
tinue TO indulge no thinks fit, without any effort
my part to propitiate 1t. No: Mr.. Eaton, and
his rrSentments and the manner in which lie may
think proper to indulge them, utterly unimpor-
taut. That which demands consideration is,
that the law of force is openly proclaimed at the
seat of the National Govcrnmcnt-that he who
ventures to rcpcl tho groundcss calumncs of the
official press, must speak at the peril of his life, in
the vindicatiOn of his honor-and If even in self
defence he shall dare to say aught which may
draw into question the public conduct of that high
unctionary, whose views it processes to represent
and by whose alleged authority it speaks, he must
Instantly prepare himself for the combat.
Such is the condition 10 which we are reduced
1t is utterly unavailing to deny the fact; for the
evidence is before our eyes. Two separate calls
have been made upon mo by Mr.. Eaton, within
little more than months; and the fact that he has
at each tmc ialtercd in his purpose, only
render more obvious the spirit which dictated them
There is no dispassionate man, l care not of what
party Inc may be- who will venture to Affirm that he
had right, III either case, to make these demands
Why, then, were they made? The official press
has, i'll the mean time, been increasingly employed
iii vain and mpotcnt but ruthless efforts Ia assail
mc-and for whatl for the mere act of indicating
myself, by simple narrative of facts, excluding
all supcriiuous commentary. These things have
been notorious. Ever since June last, this com
munity has been repeatedly agitutcd by rumors of
intended conflicts. No man has been able to close
his ears against them. The public newspapers
from all parts of the Union have brought them
back TO u.s. and there is no one who is either so ec
waited so humble, but, that they have reached and
penetrated his dwelling For this disturbance of
the quiet OF the COMMUNICATIVE degradation of
the national character, solemn responsibility rests
somewhere. Whatever the teusion of the mo-
ment, the time will come, and that speedily,
when the American People will enforce it.
And who has been the principal actor in these
scenes, i'll each case the moving cause of this
disturbance? An individual enjoying the conf
n.,ft l,InI' /
intimate intercourse with him. And by whom have
these ca!umncs been uttered? Who is it that
has cndeayored, with an activity which has never
sumbered, TO fan the flame of discord? These
have econ the abors OLA press which Is necessarily
under his control. Who doubts that this reitera-
ted caiumny this continued menace of violence
might have been checked bya word? Who will
question that the power to do So involved the obi
CATION to exert il! Else, what are government
laws, and the duties which belong to the civil
magistracy! What is that high and ennobling
feeling which does not permit its possessor to re-
sort TO Gishonorable means himself, nor to coup
sci or countcnancc them in those whose conduct
he has either tho legal or the moral power to
control?
1 dismiss with these remarks so much Of Mr.
Eaton's pamphlet relates to the second cores
Pondcnce between us. In the spirit of Il dctermi-
nation to misreprcscnt every thing connected with
ms subject, he imputes TO me the violation of
personal intimacy which he says existed before
the organization of the Cabinet, and the fact of
having contributed TO give currency to the reports
against the character of Mrs. Eaton. He adds,
that, as the partizan of Mr.. Calhoun, had fomen-
ted the divisions ofthc Cabinet, and become par
~ 10 an intrigue, which had for its object his expul-
SION iromlt. Each of these charges is wholly des.
ttutc OF foundation. Indeed the pamphlet presents
case so entirely fictitious that those who have
hccn conVersant with the transactions they oc-
CURED, can discern no resemblance to them in this
statement, and they will perhaps be embarrassed in
determining to whom TO award the credit of exer-
cISing That degree of imaginative power which was
necessary TO have conceived it.
never was on terms of intimate friendship
with Mr.. Eaton. This declaration is alike dine to
myself, & those with whom have the good fortune
to stand in that relation. have already said that
attended his wedding. l did so upon an appeal
made to inc, as Member OF tho Senatc-as po-
htlca, not as private friend. Circumstances soon
disclosed to me the differences which would pro-
paoIy be drawn from this occurrences and limited
myself thereafter to a civil intercourse with Mr.
Eaton when we met. | was not in the habit of
visiting him, either before or after his ma rriauc
Still had no hostility towards him. and in look
ing 10 The circumstances ofton ad"o-,od in
inns controversy, whether before, at the time
OF ms introduction INTO the Cabinet, certainly
INDUCED no such feeling | have before said, and
now repeat, that my conduct while there, was
studously regulated to avoid offence. ] could not
crafty the too obvious wish of the President in
inns matter. l thought any interference on his
part, unfortunate for himself and for the country:
was excited by the indscreet attempt to control
the society of Washington
\ single fact, kRO,Cn TO he so, by those among
mhcm 'rr'ie, furnishes decisive answer to the
allegation of a combination in the Cabinet to ex-
clnde Mrs. Eaton from society. 1t is that the
qneSt'on NJ exclusion it related the society of
Washington generally, lcGS settled before Mr.. Eq-
ION came INTO otTcc. His marriage occurred in JAN
uary' and during that and the succeeding month
thS question had been tried and determined by
those to whom it belonged, the community in
which he lived. Any movement on the part of
those who composed the Cabinet that subject,
could only therefore have had for its object to re-
rcrse that decision to introduce and not to ex-
ctude. had no part in this matter. | was during
that winter member of the Senate and did not
enter into Society-and my family did not reach
tins place until the following summer did not
believe that as n member of the Cabinet had n
ny thing to do with the regulations of this society
and IN connecting myself with the community as
nm individual, l cOnformed myscfto what appear
cd to me already established in relation to its go
cial intercourse Now, heretofore, Mr.. Eaton
Is DESTROYS ofPacing me in the attitude of an ac
cuser-tha he may avail himself of the public sim
pathy, which so many efforts have been made
to e1cite-and now, as heretofore | disclam this
Office, in form, we'll as in fact. The call upon
me for the abduction of proofs, is therefore merely
IDLE. am not even responsible for the introduc
on OF Mrs Eaton's name into the discussions be-
tween That was done originally by Mr. Eaton
himself The demand which he made upon me, on
the 18th June, drew from me the statement con-
tanned In my note of the succeeding day and it
was Alr. Eaton who brought that correspondence
before the public, by giving it, an extract from
1t, TO the Editor of the Globe by whom that extract
was published; and this rendered il necessary TO
publish the entire correspondence. So far as am
concerned therefore, ii is Mr.. Eaton himself who
drov inf olson hct,u