Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1831-07-23

" hen the statement winch Wdue, pieuieateo
upon Col. Johnson's letter, was impeached IN
YOUR second note, | made the appeal to the Pre-
,ident which YOU seem to think | ought now to
make. He Immediately put into my hands the
mr.; pinal memorandum which he wrote and which
he read to Messrs. Branch, Ingham and YOURSELF;
and I am now expressly authorized TO state
AGAIN. that in the interview referred to IN my
note and in YOUR own letter, quoted therein, ne
hell IL, his hand and real TO you the paper from
uhich Ihape given The extracts, which you say
was never read, shewn or spoken OF to yon.--
find / am authorised further TO say, that II y9u
piN call on the President, he wN agqm exhibit
and read TO you this original document. IL was
prepared BY him in contemplation that the inter.
view might lead to an immediate dissolution OF
his Cabinet, and it was intended by him to re-
cord the basis he assumed in doing an act wi'''
involved his own character and the interests -
the country. The paper thus prepared by the
President, was communicated at the time to Sc
veral of his friends, whom he consulted on the
occasion. And the substance of the conversation
which preceded and followed the communications.
was also Immediately reduced to writing, aud
connected with the document read to YOU, that
nothing might be left to recollection. il oircum-
stances at remote period should make relcr-
ence to it necessary. With regard to a transac-
ton so recorded, and vouched bv the concurrent
testimony of those consulted on the occasion,
there cd, be no m,stahe.-A mans memory may
be treacherous when the man himself IS honest.
am willing to believe this is your case. You
have innocentIv forgotten the declaration made
by the President. which stands authenticated,
as have told you, as well as the communication
of the same purPort made TO you by Colonel
johnson.
! am obliged to rely on this writen record Of
fact rather than on your memory, especially
when find this positive proof confirming the
statement Of Col. Johnson, that the President
disclaimed any right or desire to interfere with
the private associations Of yourself or your fam
lily, and that yon kne,o it.
next quoted your own written admission.
confirming the statement Of Col. Johnson and
the written record Of the President, in the follow
ing words In the interview to which | was
invited by The President some few days after
wards, latter COL Johnson's VISIT | frankly
expressed to him my views on the subject. and
he dscIaimed any disposition to press such a
reguisitlon."
You say that 6 disclaimer of an intention 10
press such requisition, is wholly different thing
from denial of ever having made it,
/ thought not, in this case; because no such
requisition had been made. Col. Johnson says,
the President discaimed to him any desire to con-
troll your domestic affairs, or private intercourse,
and he told you so. The record Of what the Pre-.
sident said to you, declares, that he claimed no
right to interfere - in the domestic relations
personal intercourse of~any member OF his Cabl-
nets" and, in aluson to the same conversation,
you say, he " disclaimed aug disp sit,on 10 press
such q requisiiion." When no such requisiGon
had been made BY Col. Johnson: when he told
you the President made none; and when you do
not pretend he made any, either directly or in
directly. could not but understand your decla
ration, that 8" he disctairaed any disposition to
press such q ,equiSifion. as declaration that
he made no such -equistIon.
But find, in the character you have always
sustained before the public. other conclusive
proof that no such requisition was ever made of
you, and that you kneW ii. If the President had
sisnifed to YOU, directly or indirectly. that he
required you to compel your family to associate
with any one, contrary to their will and yours,
you would not as man of honor. have waited
for an imitation TO resign. You would have
thrown your commission in the face OF the Presi-
dent, and said to him, '' Sir, am no longer adj
wiser or associate with man who requires NE to
disgrace myself and family, though he be the Pre-
sideut Of the United States!" In your public
CHARACTER hdu guarantee uiat you "Oulu hot'
tor the sake OF your honor. salary and emolu
ments, as Attorney General, sink your character
as man, by tamely listening to such a requisi-
ton. No, sir; it is impossible to believe that
you could have listened to such requislton; dis
missed your selfrespect; forgot your Southern
honor; and humbly bowed in seeming reverence
to the man who had insulted you. mil politely
invifed toresign! It's impossible that you cond
bury such an insult, profess to be the friend ofthe
President, make the speech that you did recently
in Georgia, and now that you are out of Office,
disclose fact which would seal your own shame.
No, sir; no such propositions was ever made to
you; you had no cause to complain Of the Presi-
dent; You eulogized him in public and private;
and you would have gladly acted as Attorney
General to the end of his Administration, had
you not been n,riied 10 resign.
! But the circumstances under which the harmo.
nv of the late Cabinet was restored repcl the in.
ference, which you will have it. in your last note
that the extract from your letter to Ma jor Eaton
leaves open in the ambiguousness of its express
sion. From the moment that you denied to the
President any participation in the political COM
bination to drive Major Eaton from the Cabinet.