Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1831-08-11


his own private opinion that you ought
not, Oh principle, to stand another poll =
Ii is remarkable fact, that this same
witness, now 80 much relied upon to sus-
tain far fetched assault upon me, had
written another letter to the same person,
soon after this shocking overture was
said to have been made, in which he
said, among other things Of the same
kind, that Major Eaton was a disgrace
to your administration. So much for this
charge, and the witness; but il all he
says, in the face of his letters to the con-
trary be true, he only tcstifies to a con-
yersation with another person, of which
none pretends that had any knowledge.
OF its supposed object | never heard till
it was brought out by Mr.. WclIcs' peri
lous statement But it there be ground
Of offence to you in such an act it must be
found in the supposition that. contrary to
the general expectation, you were then
anxious for a recollection, and had seized
upon and laid up the mere expression Of
- a doubt of its cXpcdcncy as evidence of
base designs against yourself and your
administration 1t is surely an act of
supererogation further to deny and ask
for proofs in such a matter.
\ The last and most prominent allegation
at this period, is that Mr. Calhoun came
out with a a"horriblc plot" and when this
issue was made with the President, he
found his Cabinet divided, and an entire
reorganization was determined on" l
shall not inquire by whom, or for what
purpose, this plot was begun, but | may
emphatica!ly demand in what point it can,
by the rcmutest possibility, be brought i'll
contact with any act of mine, official or
otherwise. have reason to know that
it was not the preface to the correspon-
dence, nor the letters in it, which made
the issue SO personally offensive to you.
The first was revised by your particular
friend, and every expression in which he
thought liable to such Interpretation was
erased at his suggestions; and long after
the letters were written, you had intlma-
ted your unwillingness to receive mr.. Cal
houn, as usual, and invite him to your ta-
BILE, if he would leave a card for you. |
know through the same channel of COM
mon friendship, that he objected to any
attempt at reconciliation without explain
alton, which should remove the cause of
the difference; adding, that his honor
and cgrity had been impugned, and,
until this matter was explained, there
could be no cordially in your intercourse,
and that he could not submit to an osten-
sible reconciliation with one who persc-
vcred in maintaining such un(ounded as
persions against his character. You
were willing to be reconclcd after all the
offence contained in the correspondence
was fully before you; consequently the
issue spoken of as made with yourself
personally" must have been made by
the publication, not by the matter of the
correspondence. This could not be
changed by is transfer to the printers
ink The whole inquity of this "horri-
bic plot" is therefore displayed in the act
of publishing the correspondence. From
this cause alone, it would seem that you
found (your) cabinet divided, and deter
mined on it's reorganization. All this is
now placed at my door. rs the consum-
nation of an accumulating series of plots
and conspiraces, of which my letter of
the 2lst ult. is considered an act |
cannot content myself with merely re-
questing the proofs of my conncxion with
this affair, but must be permitted to de-
mand how, when, and on what points,
were the cabinet divided, either by the
matter of the correspondence, or the pub
"A. =.
connected herewith, ever brought be-
fore the cabinet, or introduced into their
deliberations? Was any act Of the gov :
ernment influenced by it, or could any
one be made to depend on the specula-
tive opinions of the cabinet members, as
to the propriety of having that document
in possession of the public, rather than
confined to the desks of Mr.. Calhoun s.
yourselfi Yet such is the aliedged
foundation ofthe horrible plot which COM
PEELED you to "determine on ar entire re-
organization of (your) cabinet" The
responsibility of which, now it seems,
is to be mainly thrown on me. have
already proved that the origin Of this
whole drama was but phantom, and it
is now demonstrated that the immediate
cause of its catastrophe is something, il
possible, less substantial. The history
Of the world, | arm sure, cannot furnish
such another exhibition of preposterous
suspicious and imaginary conspracies; of
agents for espionage and Information, to
collect and report materials; OF such la
mentable credulity for their reception, &
reckless temerty in determining matters
Of high moment on grounds so bascless as
have been thus shown to have pervaded
your council chamber, almost from the
first momcn, you entered it, until your re-
organization was carried into effect. |