Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1831-08-18

informed, and was induced Ia believe.
that they we're using their influence TO
have Msjor Eaton aud his family cx-
oluded from all respectable circles. for
the purpose at degrading him, aud thus
drive han from office; aud that The
attempt had been made even upon the
foreign ministers, and IN one case had
produced the desired effect. lie pro.
posed no mode at accommodation or
satisfaction, but declared expressly
that II such was the fact he would dis.
miss them from office. lie then read
To me "a paper containing the principles
upon whicfhe intended TO act. which
disclaimcd the right to interfere with
the social relations Of his cabinet
Acting IN the capacity Of n mutual
friend. and obeying the impulse Of my
own mind, can IT be supposed that I
would have mi>reprcscnted any of the
parties, and thus defeat the object
had IN view | should have considered
!, gross violation OF the ties of that
friendship which then existed between
Us. tn have carried TO you such mes.
sage. as that you should invite Major
Eaton and his family, or any other per
sons, 10 your large or small parties,
under menace Of dismissal from of.
lice. When the President mentioned
this charge Of conspiracy, vindica-
ted you against it. l gave il as my
opinion that he was misinformed. To
prevent a rupture, I requested the
President tn postpone calling upon
these members Of his cabinet I'LL Sa.
turday, that I might have the oppor.
tunity Of two days to converse with
them.
When made my report to the Pre-
sident. ] informed him that I was con.
hrmed in NV opinion previously cx.
pressed, that he had been misinform.
ell as tn the combination and conspira-
cy. Informed him of your unequivo.
cal and positive denial of the fact. and
communicated every thing which trans
pred between US calculated 10 satisfy
his mind on the subject. Ii was this
report Of mine that gave him satisfac-
ton, and changed his feelings and de-
commandments his ground as YOU
have supposed with me he had no
ground TO change. He had assumed
none except that which bad stated /;
nor did ! ever make use Of such an
expression To YOU that he had changed
his ground. IL is true that informed
you that he was much excited. hut
do not reeolleet the precise language
used to convey the idea of that excite
ment. | presume you had the advan.
tage of private memoranda, when YOU
say compared him to roaring Lion.
You attribute to me another dee la
ration which I never made-that on
our way to Mr.. Berrien's I stated that
the President had informed me that he
would invite MIR. Branch, Mr.. Berriep.
and yourself, TO meet him on the next
Friday, when he would inform you of
his determination in the presence of
DIR. Ely. never received or commu-
nicated such an idea.
The paragraph is substantially cor
rect when that part in reference TO DIR.
Ely is expunsed.
| Ii rs true, IN some of our various
conversations, the name of DR.. Elv
was mentioned, but in connection With
another part of the subject. The Pre-.
| sident informed me that when the ru :
mors against Major Eaton and his
family had been opened to him by DR..
Ely, he had invited the accusers 10
make good their charges, aud that they
had failed-,his is the substance Of
that part ot the conversation in which
Doctor Eiy's name. was mentioned
Again, you say called at YOUR house
about e O'Clock, when We walked TO
, MIR. Berricn's. The fact is that YOU
called for mt at my lodgings about that
time, by previous appointment
This is a mistake in Diaffer of fact of
no great importance, except to show
how easily we forget. If we thus dif.
Ter IN matters of fact. how much more
liable 10 differ as to words aud still
more rs TO the time, manner, aud cir.
cumstances IN which these words have
been introduced, and still more as tn
the precise meaning the speakcc wish
es to convey to the hearer.
Having thought i, important to me
morandnm our conversation, would IL
not have given additional proof of
your friendship and confidence, and
would IT not have been an nc Of Justice
to me, To have furnished me with il. $50
far as | was coucerBed,) that I might
have corrected, Unnecessary, any erro.
DeOus impressions which my converse
tons may have made upon you : The
witness IN court is often misunderstood
by lawyers and jury, and a. often
called upon 10 correct the mistake and
to explain his meaning; aud you have
gained little. in your desire 20 be &C.
curate, so far a. am concerned, by
failing 10 present me with your private
memoranda and If now furnished I
dare think that ! might pot a different
! construction upon your own mites