Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-02-24
WAsuINGroN, Dec. 9th, 1881.
Gentlemen:

and attention were engaged upon topics other than
those of newspaper discussion at this place, certain
articles appeared IN print, some of which had cscap.
cd my notice until met with the late publlcation
of Gen. Iobt. Dcsha, since my arrival at WASHING
ton.
These publications. have illusions TO n nicotine
which was held Ut tic room Of Judge Bib. some
time III the month oil March, 1880, which meeting
was composed alone o~tJudgcs ii. l.. White, Felix
Grundy, George NJ. Bib, hicssrs. Polk, Cave john.
son, and Gen. Dcsha, Of Tennessee, MIR. Henry
Daniel and myself, of Kentucky. II any other
person was present, It has escaped my memory.
The idea OF holding this meeting originated
with myself. The meeting had for its object Il
single and specified purpose, made known TO the
whole OF you at the time.
In the Globe, of the llth July, 1881, under the
editorial head, l find this statement: "At the sue
cecdlng session OF Congress lS29-301 meetings of
the friends of Mr.. Calhoun .ook place, with a view
Q! adtr"sNjnSt!sc President to remove Major Eaton
from his cuunscls."
In the same paper of the 4th August, the follow.
ing language is used in reference to this mectinm.
"Item sccond-Mr. Ingham denies that Mr.. Cal
houn's friends held meetings for the purpose of adj
dressing the President to remove Major Eaton
We will prove this fact, when MIR. Ingham grants
our court, by Messrs. Dcsha, Daniel, Overton. and
n dozen other members of Congress-, who were an
priced OF meetlngsin which this point was discuss
ca; ana thal MIR. Bibb was requested to broach the
subject to the President, and declined il; that Mr..
oVerton next made the suggestion, through the
49, -""S'Ni CIit 10 TIC resident. who rpnp1-
led the Propositisn with indignation."
The next aIluSion, of similar character, TO this
mceting' | ma IN the appeal of Major Eaton, the
late Secretary at War, under date of September,
1901 MAJOR Eaton, in his narrative of events,
says; shortly after this, about the Goth March
Qs3o,) a preparatory meeting of a few members
OF Congress was held, with n view to request the
PRESIDENT to remove me, Major EatonI from the
caoihct; beng satisfied of the design, he the Pre-.
sidentI made a remark which satisfied the leaders
In lllS mOVnnlpnt that a., pnr;,t -, ,I.:.
would serve to expose them to public reproba-
tion' and end i'll iruitless cndeavor; accordingly.
the PROJECT was abandoned, or at least suspendcin
Again. Major Eaton, in another part of his
audrcSs, says: cone of the members of CONGRESS-
VINO attended the preparatory meeting, about the
1oth March, fer the purpose of regulating the
Presidents cabinet, being inquired Of if nv MA.
Jor Iiaton'sl removal would satisfy them, answered
emplatlcdlly--''no 1Ce UiU be satisfied ,cih R0fhiDg
snort 81 the remOrai Of Van Buren," But tho re-
moval of these two unreprcsented Secretaries at
TINS meeting, was not tho only subject probably
discussed before it, and which failed of success.
The premier, Gen. Jackson himself, a more impor-
1ant parsonage than all, he, too, was to be dismissed
OF, and the better to effect it, conversations wore
to be held with strangers visiting the city. and
private letters were to be written, TO prepare the
minds ofleading politicians at a distance to support
the decisive movement"
Gen. Desha, in his recent publication. which 7
presume you have seen, in indication of his own
conduct, gives 10 these charges a positive denial.
lie presents your names, in connection with mine,
as the persons who attended this meeting; states
substantially what he understood to have been the
objects o. the meeting, and says he was invited to
inc meeting by me. The fact is, you were all in
vitcd by me.
The Globe of the 1st November, 1881, refers to
inns meeting again, after the explanation given of
IL by Gen. Dcsha, in the following terms: "it
lthe public has seen that the friends of these indi.
viduals l%alluding to Mcssrs. Calhoun, Ingham,
Branch, and Bcrrienl produced n caucus Of mem.
Ders OF Congress to make = direct application to
effect this object, wiz. the removal of Major Ea-
toni tie meeting CaS got mp oStcnsiJIyb In tie aocnis
o. Mr.. CdthoUn, for the purpose, as Duff Green
and Gen. Dcsha say, of inducing the President TO
mold cabinet councils; but the partasans of Mr..
Gaihoun seized 1t to propose that the President
should 90 urged to remove Major Eaton from the
cabinet. Mr.. GruHdy lcas present, and opposed IL
as zoe h0uc his letter to Sholo; Mr.. Bib ,1as soil.
cited to bear Tie UiShes of Those ,cho farorcd
ms measure, to the President, but he dc.
cu"e4 IT,. 1t IS true, that some of the sincere
friends Ot the President were persuaded that this
course was necessary, and that one of them was
induced to make this known TO the President.
through Major Barry"
L nave presented you the extracts, and referred
to the publications in chronological order. that Won
may inc more readily comprehend the nature of
The charge, and the precise form given il bv those
Publicatlons; and which has gained much credit
from the fact that the names of persons have been
referred TO IN order 10 give it AN authentic aspect.
h"NN SlHCH JiltSC extracts ana references for
ahothcr purpose, VIZ: that you NAV see the position
j am made to occupy in this affair, and NAV fully
appreciate the right Which it gives me to call upon
oacE ana every one of You, as the only persons
present at this meeting, beside Gen. Dcsha,) to
state It's objects and purposes.
1t Will be perceived, by an examination of tbe
publicatlon referred TO, that | am presented nv Con
Desha, as the person active in GETTING n, This
meeting 1t is known to you that YOU ali concur.
red in its propriety. BY the Globe, the nicotine ie
called a ClncnS nt InppnlCrc Of -
oStcnsibly by the agents Of Mr.. Calhoun, and ot
tended by his P1rtizans; and when so convened
they, the p%artisans Of Mr.. Calhoun, seized mon i
to propose that the President should remove Major
eaton from the Cabinet. As friends of the admi-
nistration, we arc charged with acting in obedience
10 INC mandates of those who arc charged with Sc
.cret hostility TO its prosperous success.
Conscious that ali ] did and said upon that occa-
SION was the offspring of the most disintcrcstcd
friendship, personally and politically. for the pro
sIdcnt and his cabinet, and knowing that INV mo.
tIvcs and conduct, with your own, have been gross.
~ lniSTcprcscntcd, ! am compelled to rcuucst or
each Of you to state, fully, all that c]onduccd to
thla meeting, and III what did its deliberations re-,
suit. ~
You and /, in common with the Gr;ords &c r
Jackson, believe that the discontinuancc Of ,La
Iong-scttlcd practice ofhis predecessors Of boll;mg
Cabinet councils by the Executive, would lead r
~ mad not already conduccd, to consequences nm
favorable TO the success Of the administration nj
injurious TO the interest of the country. To call HE
attention to this subject, in some suitable and res.
Poctul manner, was my single purpose; and IN.
on requesting YOU to convene at Judge Bibbs room,
mace Known distinctly, according TO my rccul.
lection, the object had in view. ! consulted the
polticnI prospects Of no man, in This movement.
ny great anxiety was, that the President whom ]
n9o IN some degree contributed 10 elect, should
"u''Ihi$,cT The government with credit TO his for
thc country. ''''""s0 ~
! am, respectfully, gentlemen.